While The Cartwright family has had their fair share of hardships, they always seem to find a way to win the day. But even avid viewers may be shocked to discover that not all was bright and cheery behind the scenes.

Rest assured, the cast of Bonanza was as close off-screen as they were on screen. In various interviews, stars Dan Blocker and Michael Landon revealed that their on-screen parent Lorne Greene actually served as a father figure to them in real life. Greene frequently offered the two younger men advice, both professional and personal.

"Mind you it was tough bringing up those kids without a mother (Hoss, Adam, Little Joe)," said Greene during an interview with The Standard. "But they were great years and the cast was really one big happy family."

Watch Bonanza on MeTV!

Monday - Saturday at 2 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

 Add to Favorites  Remind Me

The dark cloud that covers Bonanza lies in the show's finale, which was far too quick for anyone's liking, cast or crew.

The series was abruptly canceled in 1973, a harsh move from the network that stunned actors like Lorne Greene. Greene had been a key cast member of the series since the show's inception in 1959.

"The one regret I had was that we were told on a Monday that the show would be canceled that Wednesday," said Greene. "Never gave me the chance to write a final episode such as Little Joe getting married and riding off into the sunset to settle down with a wife and three kids and live happily ever after in a little house on the prairie."

This, of course, was a reference to Landon's later series, Little House on the Prairie. It's safe to say that many of the Bonanza cast members enjoyed an incredibly successful career after the show was canceled. However, Greene felt that with the amount of love Bonanza received, both from those involved in the series and from those who watched it, the show deserved a proper goodbye.

 3 Comments