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NBC cancelled and then attempted to revive Bonanza in 1973
The odd journey of Bonanza is one for the books.
The 1973 cancellation of Bonanza was met with an uproar from a flurry of television fans. The show had run for about 14 seasons and had no shortage of fans.
But Bonanza fans weren't the only ones disturbed by the show's sudden cancellation. During an interview with The Toronto Star, series star Lorne Greene confessed that he too had been shocked by the ending of the show. The interview took place just a year after the cancellation of the series, though Greene was still burned by the experience. Not only was the cancellation poorly handled, but the actor also said that he felt blindsided by the entire event.
"I thought it was handled very shabbily," said Greene. "On Monday, I heard we were through on Wednesday. That's what I call, among other things, a lack of savoir-faire."
Bonanza had pulled in countless viewers for NBC, not to mention the monetary value the series brought in as well. Greene felt that as a series, it deserved more respect than it was given.
"When you're married to people for 14 years, it's a bit of a disconcerting thing when your mate says, 'Get out of the house in three days,'" said Greene. "You don't do that to anybody. Even a street sweeper gets a week's notice."
With how sudden the cancellation came, one shouldn't be surprised that higher-ups reached out to the show again, attempting to reverse their decision. Greene said that the decision came "days after, but it was already too late - they'd dismantled the set."
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