Bonanza (1959)
The Series
Bonanza was a colour Western series starring Lorne Greene (Battlestar Galactica) as Ben Cartwright and Michael Landon, who played Little Joe. I saw the series but I don't remember any of the episodes. Just the opening sequence with the map catching fire in the middle and burning up. And the theme tune. Ben Cartwright presided over the Ponderosa cattle ranch and his extended family, of which Little Joe was the youngest.
The Episodes
Stevens played:
- Paul Mandel in The Ballerina, episode aired January 24, 1965 (season 6); written by Frank Chase, directed by Don McDougall
The plot: A young girl meets a former ballet dancer (Stevens) on the Ponderosa who helps her realise her dream to become a ballerina. Hmmm. Would give serious money to see this one :-).
- Count Alexis in The Prince, episode aired April 2, 1967 (season 8); written by John Hawkins + Melvin Levy, directed by William F. Claxton
The plot: A Russian count (Stevens) and his sister come to the Ponderosa to check out Western cattle farming practices. The sister, for some unfathomable reason, lugs around a fortune in jewels, which attracts the unwholesome attention of one of their countrymen. Must have been the season for Russians.
- Sam Bragan in The Trackers, episode aired January 7, 1968 (season 9); written by Louis Bercovitch + Frederic Louis Fox, directed by Marc Daniels (see Star Trek)
The plot: Cully Mako, an ex-con, returns to town and becomes a suspect when the bank is robbed and a teller killed. Bank owner Sam Brogan and others form a posse to hunt Mako. Thing is Brogan not only masterminded the bank-robbery but committed the robbery which sent Mako to jail in the first place. Ben saves the day. And Mako.
- Owen Driscoll (?) in El Jefe, episode aired November 15, 1970 (season 12); written by Ken Pettus + Dick McDough, directed by William F. Claxton
The plot: A Mexican kills a mining company man in self-defense. The mining company tried to buy the Mexicans' land at a ridiculous price, and eventually resorts to fire to drive them off. Enter the Cartwrights.
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