List of ''Bonanza'' episodes

Pernell Roberts in Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza was an American western television series developed and produced by David Dortort and broadcast in the United States for 14 seasons on the NBC network. The entire run of the series' 431 hour-long episodes was produced in color.^[1] The premiere was on September 12, 1959, and the final episode broadcast on January 16, 1973.^[2] In its initial season, Bonanza aired on Saturday evenings and placed at number 45 in the Nielsen ratings. During its second season, the series moved up to number 17.^[3] Bonanza was moved to Sunday nights at 9:00 PM at the start of its third season. In that time slot, the ratings soared and the series become second only to Wagon Train as the most popular program on American prime time television.^[3] It remained in the top ten of the ratings until its twelfth season and ranked at number one in its sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons.^[3] Bonanza also became a worldwide success as it was broadcast in nearly 50 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Yugoslavia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Australia, and Japan.^[4]

Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam (Pernell Roberts), Eric "Hoss" (Dan Blocker), and Joseph (Michael Landon). Veteran actor Victor Sen Yung played the ranch cook, Hop Sing. In 1964, Pernell Roberts began expressing a desire to leave the series, and so prospective replacements were introduced via Barry Coe as Little Joe's wayward maternal half-brother Clay, and Guy Williams as Ben's nephew Will Cartwright. However, Roberts was persuaded to complete his contract, and remained through season six. The characters of Clay and Will were discontinued. In the ninth season, David Canary was added to the cast as ranch hand/foreman Candy Canady. After four years with the series, Canary left due to a contract dispute. In the twelfth season, Mitch Vogel joined the cast as Jamie Hunter, a teenage orphan who is adopted by Ben Cartwright.^[5]^[6] Following Dan Blocker's death in May 1972 after season thirteen ended, Greene, Landon, and Vogel continued the series into a fourteenth season, with Canary returning as Candy (reportedly approached by Landon) and Tim Matheson was introduced as ex-prisoner and newly hired ranch-hand Griff King.^[5]^[6] The program was moved to Tuesday nights where it slipped badly in the ratings to number 52 and was subsequently cancelled.^[5]^[6] Bonanza has, however, continued to be popular in syndication. From 1964-1967, " Bonanza " became the most watched show in the U.S.

The first eight seasons have been released on DVD, and in 2009, and the first half of the second season was released in late 2010.^[7]^[8] The second half of the second season was released on October 11, 2011.^[9]

Overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired		Nielsen ratings^[10]
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired	Rank	Rating	Tied with
	1	32	September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)	April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)	N/A	N/A	N/A
	2	34	September 10, 1960 (1960-09-10)	June 3, 1961 (1961-06-03)	17	24.8	N/A
	3	34	September 24, 1961 (1961-09-24)	May 20, 1962 (1962-05-20)	2	30.0	N/A
	4	34	September 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)	May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)	4	29.8	The Lucy Show
	5	34	September 22, 1963 (1963-09-22)	May 24, 1964 (1964-05-24)	2	36.9	N/A
	6	34	September 20, 1964 (1964-09-20)	May 23, 1965 (1965-05-23)	1	36.3	N/A
	7	33	September 12, 1965 (1965-09-12)	May 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)	1	31.8	N/A
	8	34	September 11, 1966 (1966-09-11)	May 14, 1967 (1967-05-14)	1	29.1	N/A
	9	34	September 17, 1967 (1967-09-17)	July 28, 1968 (1968-07-28)	4	25.5	Gunsmoke Family Affair
	10	30	September 15, 1968 (1968-09-15)	May 11, 1969 (1969-05-11)	3	26.6	N/A
	11	28	September 14, 1969 (1969-09-14)	April 19, 1970 (1970-04-19)	3	24.8	N/A
	12	28	September 13, 1970 (1970-09-13)	April 11, 1971 (1971-04-11)	9	23.9	N/A
	13	26	September 19, 1971 (1971-09-19)	April 2, 1972 (1972-04-02)	20	21.9	N/A
	14	16	September 12, 1972 (1972-09-12)	January 16, 1973 (1973-01-16)	N/A	N/A	N/A

Episodes

Season 1 (1959–60)

No. in series	No. in season^[11]	Title^[11]	Directed by^[11]	Written by^[11]	Original air date^[11]
1	1	"A Rose for Lotta"	Edward Ludwig	David Dortort	September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)
Silver barons use an actress called Lotta Crabtree (Yvonne De Carlo) in a plot to hold Joe Cartwright hostage in exchange for timber wood. George Macready guest stars.
2	2	"Death on Sun Mountain"	Paul Landres	Gene L. Coon and David Dortort	September 19, 1959 (1959-09-19)
A pair of greedy opportunists kill antelope on Indian grounds and sell them for a large profit. Barry Sullivan and Karl Swenson guest star.
3	3	"The Newcomers"	Christian Nyby	Thomas Thompson	September 26, 1959 (1959-09-26)
Hoss falls for the fiancée of a treacherous prospector who suspects the Cartwrights of hiding gold. John Larch and Inger Stevens guest star.
4	4	"The Paiute War"	Paul Landres	Gene L. Coon	October 3, 1959 (1959-10-03)
A sinister trader starts a war with the Paiutes when he frames Adam for the assault of two Indian women. Anthony Caruso, Walter Coy, and Jack Warden guest star.
5	5	"Enter Mark Twain"	Paul Landres	Harold Shumate	October 10, 1959 (1959-10-10)
Reporter Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain (Howard Duff) leads a fight against a corrupt judge (John Litel).
6	6	"The Julia Bulette Story"	Christian Nyby	Al C. Ward	October 17, 1959 (1959-10-17)
Joe falls for a madam called Julia Bulette (Jane Greer).
7	7	"The Saga of Annie O'Toole"	Joseph Kane	Thomas Thompson	October 24, 1959 (1959-10-24)
Annie O'Toole (Ida Lupino) arrives to Virginia and sets a canteen in a silver mine with Adam's help. Alan Hale Jr. guest stars.
8	8	"The Philip Deidesheimer Story"	Joseph Kane	Thomas Thompson	October 31, 1959 (1959-10-31)
Pied Piper Philip Deidesheimer (John Beal) tries to create a method for saving the silver mines of Virginia City from a cave-in.
9	9	"Mr. Henry Comstock"	John Brahm	David Dortort	November 7, 1959 (1959-11-07)
The Cartwrights remember the day they met claim-jumper Henry Comstock (Jack Carson), whose discovery of the Comstock Lode laid the foundation for Virginia City.
10	10	"The Magnificent Adah"	Christian Nyby	Donald S. Sanford	November 14, 1959 (1959-11-14)
The Cartwright boys suspect actress Adah Menkin (Ruth Roman) of having an ulterior motive for marrying their father.
11	11	"The Truckee Strip"	Christian Nyby	Herman Groves	November 21, 1959 (1959-11-21)
A silver baron schemes to promote a fight between Ben and his neighbor just to get his hands on timber. James Coburn guest stars.
12	12	"The Hanging Posse"	Christian Nyby	Carey Wilber	November 28, 1959 (1959-11-28)
Adam and Joe attempt to stop a posse from changing into a lynch mob. Arthur Hunnicutt, Onslow Stevens, and Adam Williams guest star.
13	13	"Vendetta"	Joseph Kane	Robert E. Thompson	December 5, 1959 (1959-12-05)
Ben is seriously wounded as he and Hoss seek help in fighting the vengeful Morgan brothers, only to be confronted with cowardice. Whitney Blake and Harry Carey Jr. guest star.
14	14	"The Sisters"	Christian Nyby	Carey Wilber	December 12, 1959 (1959-12-12)
Adam is falsely accused of killing a dance-hall girl (Fay Spain). Buddy Ebsen and Jean Willes guest star.
15	15	"The Last Hunt"	Christian Nyby	Donald S. Sanford	December 19, 1959 (1959-12-19)
Joe and Hoss protect a pregnant Indian woman from a blizzard as well as a group of Shoshones given orders to find her. Raymond Bailey guest stars.
16	16	"El Toro Grande"	Christian Nyby	John Tucker Battle	January 2, 1960 (1960-01-02)
Joe and Hoss go south lands to buy a unique bull. Alma Beltran and Ricardo Cortez guest star.
17	17	"The Outcast"	Lewis Allen	Thomas Thompson	January 9, 1960 (1960-01-09)
An outcast woman turns to an outlaw for support after her father and brother are hanged for murder. Jack Lord and Susan Oliver guest star.
18	18	"A House Divided"	Lewis Allen	Al C. Ward	January 16, 1960 (1960-01-16)
A Confederate sympathizer schemes to tear apart Virginia City and the Cartwrights. John Anderson, Stacy Harris and Cameron Mitchell guest star.
19	19	"The Gunmen"	Christian Nyby	Carey Wilber	January 23, 1960 (1960-01-23)
Hoss and Joe get themselves involved in a family feud. Ellen Corby, Henry Hull, and George Mitchell guest star.
20	20	"The Fear Merchants"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Frank Unger Teleplay by : Frank Unger and Thomas Thompson	January 30, 1960 (1960-01-30)
The Chinese citizens of Virginia City are targeted by a mayoral candidate's campaign to "hate outsiders". Philip Ahn and Helen Westcott guest star.
21	21	"The Spanish Grant"	Christian Nyby	Story by : Morris Lee Green Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman and David Dortort	February 6, 1960 (1960-02-06)
A pair of swindlers team with a dance-hall girl (Patricia Medina) to get their hands on Nevada land, including the Ponderosa. Sebastian Cabot and Paul Picerni guest star.
22	22	"Blood on the Land"	Felix Feist	Robert E. Thompson	February 13, 1960 (1960-02-13)
A greedy sheepherder Everett Sloane is determined to fatten his animals on the Ponderosa grasslands.
23	23	"Desert Justice"	Lewis Allen	Donald S. Sanford	February 20, 1960 (1960-02-20)
Adam and Hoss try to help a ranch hand (Wesley Lau) who's being taken to California for trial by a brutal U.S. marshal (Claude Akins).
24	24	"The Stranger"	Christian Nyby	Story by : Oliver Crawford Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman	February 27, 1960 (1960-02-27)
A vengeful police inspector (Lloyd Nolan) from New Orleans jeopardizes Ben's bid for the governorship.
25	25	"Escape to Ponderosa"	Christian Nyby	Story by : Bill Barrett and Malcolm Stuart Boylan Teleplay by : Robert E. Thompson	March 5, 1960 (1960-03-05)
Ben starts to have second thoughts about helping a brutal stockade commander track down three prisoners on the lam. Joe Maross, Gloria Talbott, and Grant Williams guest star.
26	26	"The Avenger"	Christian Nyby	Clair Huffaker	March 19, 1960 (1960-03-19)
A mysterious stranger (Vic Morrow) helps Hoss and Joe to save Ben and Adam before they're hanged like his father.
27	27	"The Last Trophy"	Lewis Allen	Bill S. Ballinger	March 26, 1960 (1960-03-26)
A British couple visits the Cartwrights - and the woman (Hazel Court) thinks her own husband is a coward. Edward Ashley and Bert Freed guest star.
28	28	"San Francisco"	Arthur Lubin	Thomas Thompson	April 2, 1960 (1960-04-02)
Ben is shanghaied at the Barbary Coast while searching for a pair of ranch hands. Kathleen Crowley, Richard Deacon, James Hong, and David White.
29	29	"Bitter Water"	George Blair	Harold Jack Bloom	April 9, 1960 (1960-04-09)
The Cartwrights are worried their water will be polluted when their neighbor (Rhys Williams) threatens to sell his land to a miner.
30	30	"Feet of Clay"	Arthur Lubin	John Furia Jr.	April 16, 1960 (1960-04-16)
Hoss attempts to comfort a boy (David Ladd) whose father is in jail, but not for long.
31	31	"Dark Star"	Lewis Allen	Anthony Lawrence	April 23, 1960 (1960-04-23)
Joe romances a Gypsy (Susan Harrison) who thinks she's a witch.
32	32	"Death at Dawn"	Charles Haas	Laurence E. Mascott	April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
A criminal gang that has taken over Virginia City kidnaps Ben. Paul Carr, Robert Middleton, and Morgan Woodward guest star.

Season 2 (1960–61)

No. in series	No. in season^[12]	Title^[12]	Directed by^[12]	Written by^[12]	Original air date^[12]
33	1	"Showdown"	Lewis Allen	Dean Riesner	September 10, 1960 (1960-09-10)
A bank robber (Ben Cooper) takes a job with the Cartwrights so the sheriff doesn't find his accomplices.
34	2	"The Mission"	James Neilson	Robert E. Thompson	September 17, 1960 (1960-09-17)
Hoss befriends a town drunk (Henry Hull) who was once a top scout in the Army before he led his troops into a massacre. John Dehner guest stars.
35	3	"Badge Without Honor"	Arthur Lubin	John Twist	September 24, 1960 (1960-09-24)
The Cartwrights grow suspicious of the deputy marshal assigned to escort a witness to a racketeering trial.
36	4	"The Mill"	John Rich	Halsted Welles	October 1, 1960 (1960-10-01)
The Cartwrights offer to build a mill for a disabled rancher, only to come up against his corrupt hired hand.
37	5	"The Hopefuls"	James Neilson	E. Jack Neuman	October 8, 1960 (1960-10-08)
A Quaker woman convinces Adam to take her wagon train on a perilous journey west.
38	6	"Denver McKee"	Jacques Tourneur	Fred Freiberger and Steve McNeil	October 15, 1960 (1960-10-15)
An ex-lawman (Franchot Tone) is willing to do anything to make his daughter (Natalie Trundy) happy. Bob Barker guest stars.
39	7	"Day of Reckoning"	Richard H. Bartlett	Story by : Leonard Heideman Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman and R. Harner Norris	October 22, 1960 (1960-10-22)
A bigoted farmer takes action when Ben gives an Indian a piece of land. Ricardo Montalban and Madlyn Rhue guest star.
40	8	"The Abduction"	Charles Haas	Herman Groves	October 29, 1960 (1960-10-29)
Joe's carnival date (Jackie Russell) is abducted in a deadly ransom plot. Gerald Mohr and Stafford Repp guest star.
41	9	"Breed of Violence"	Johnny Florea	David Lang	November 5, 1960 (1960-11-05)
A young woman (Myrna Fahey) defies her lawman father (Val Avery) and runs off with a handsome stranger (John Ericson) who is actually a bank robber.
42	10	"The Last Viking"	Johnny Florea	Anthony Lawrence	November 12, 1960 (1960-11-12)
Hoss's uncle (Neville Brand) turns out to be the leader of a vicious band of outlaws called the Commancheros.
43	11	"The Trail Gang"	John Rich	Carey Wilber	November 26, 1960 (1960-11-26)
An outlaw plots his revenge against his sheriff-father for putting him in a jail years ago.
44	12	"The Savage"	James Neilson	Joe Stone and Paul King	December 3, 1960 (1960-12-03)
Adam falls for a girl believed by Indians to be the white buffalo woman.
45	13	"Silent Thunder"	Robert Altman	John Furia Jr.	December 10, 1960 (1960-12-10)
A deaf girl (Stella Stevens) misunderstands Joe's attempts to teach her sign language as gestures of love.
46	14	"The Ape"	James P. Yarbrough	Gene L. Coon	December 17, 1960 (1960-12-17)
Hoss tries to help a mentally-challenged man to control his temper.
47	15	"The Blood Line"	Lewis Allen	William Raynor and Myles Wilder	December 31, 1960 (1960-12-31)
A young man (David Macklin) seeks revenge on Ben for the death of his father. Jan Sterling and Lee Van Cleef guest star.
48	16	"The Courtship"	James P. Yarbrough	Richard Neil Morgan	January 7, 1961 (1961-01-07)
Hoss proposes to a woman (Julie Adams) Adam knows is a compulsive gambler.
49	17	"The Spitfire"	William Dario Faralla	Ward Hawkins	January 14, 1961 (1961-01-14)
A family seeks revenge against Joe for shooting the treacherous patriarch in self-defense. Jack Elam and Katherine Warren guest star.
50	18	"The Bride"	Alvin Ganzer	Richard Newman	January 21, 1961 (1961-01-21)
A woman (Suzanne Lloyd) claims to be Ben's wife and a sheriff (John McIntire) falsely charges him with murder - all in a complex scheme to take over the Ponderosa. Adam West guest stars.
51	19	"Bank Run"	Robert Altman	N.B. Stone Jr.	January 28, 1961 (1961-01-28)
Joe and Hoss rob the bank in an attempt to stop the owner from foreclosing on a depositor. Dan Tobin and Ian Wolfe guest star.
52	20	"The Fugitive"	Lewis Allen	Richard Landau	February 4, 1961 (1961-02-04)
Adam investigates a friend's death in Mexico, where he's faced with hostile townspeople and the dead man's wife.
53	21	"Vengeance"	Dick Moder	Marion Parsonnet	February 11, 1961 (1961-02-11)
Hoss back shot by the vengeful brother (Adam Williams) of the man he accidentally killed. Beverly Tyler guest stars.
54	22	"Tax Collector"	William Witney	Arnold Belgard	February 18, 1961 (1961-02-18)
The citizens of Virginia City unite to rebel against the new tax collector (Eddie Firestone).
55	23	"The Rescue"	William Dario Faralla	Steve McNeil	February 25, 1961 (1961-02-25)
Ben must rescue his sons from cattle rustlers.
56	24	"The Dark Gate"	Robert Gordon	Ward Hawkins	March 4, 1961 (1961-03-04)
A rancher (James Coburn) accuses Adam of having an affair with his wife.
57	25	"The Duke"	Robert Altman	Story by : Theodore & Mathilde Ferro Teleplay by : William Cox	March 11, 1961 (1961-03-11)
A British boxer with a weakness for the ladies faces Hoss in a prizefight.
58	26	"Cutthroat Junction"	Dick Moder	Nat Tanchuck	March 18, 1961 (1961-03-18)
A trouble-shooter joins the outlaws he was supposed to stop when he is abruptly fired during his mission.
59	27	"The Gift"	William Witney	Denne Bart Petitclerc and Thomas Thompson	April 1, 1961 (1961-04-01)
Joe and a friend trek across the desert with a valuable Arab stallion, unaware that they're being stakled by horse thieves.
60	28	"The Rival"	Robert Altman	Anthony Lawrence	April 15, 1961 (1961-04-15)
Hoss has a crisis of conscience when he sees a rival for a girl's affections leave the scene of a lynching.
61	29	"The Infernal Machine"	William Witney	Ward Hawkins	April 22, 1961 (1961-04-22)
A con man persuades the citizens of Virginia City to invest in a horseless carriage.
62	30	"The Thunderhead Swindle"	Dick Moder	Gene L. Coon	April 29, 1961 (1961-04-29)
Ben tries to disprove reports of a silver strike which he believes is fraudulent.
63	31	"The Secret"	Robert Altman	John Hawkins	May 6, 1961 (1961-05-06)
Joe is falsely arrested for murder following family friend's testimony.
64	32	"The Dream Riders"	Robert Altman	James Van Wagoner and Jack McClain	May 20, 1961 (1961-05-20)
A balloonist distracts the citizens of Virginia City while his associates make plans to rob the bank.
65	33	"Elizabeth, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Anthony Lawrence	May 27, 1961 (1961-05-27)
Ben remembers his time with Elizabeth, Adam's mother.
66	34	"Sam Hill"	Robert Altman	David Dortort	June 3, 1961 (1961-06-03)
The Cartwrights help blacksmith Sam Hill (Claude Akins) keep the land where his mother is buried.

Season 3 (1961–62)

No. in series	No. in season^[13]	Title^[13]	Directed by^[13]	Written by^[13]	Original air date^[13]
67	1	"The Smiler"	Thomas Carr	Lewis Reed	September 24, 1961 (1961-09-24)
The brother of the drunk Hoss accidentally killed (Herschel Bernardi) secretly plots his revenge.
68	2	"Springtime"	Christian Nyby	John Furia Jr.	October 1, 1961 (1961-10-01)
Joe accidentally hurts an old businessman (John Carradine) while he and his brothers are enjoying the spring.
69	3	"The Honor of Cochise"	Don McDougall	Elliott Arnold	October 8, 1961 (1961-10-08)
Inidan war chief Cochise and his warriors pursue an Army captain (DeForest Kelley) responsible for poisoning Indian women and children.
70	4	"The Lonely House"	William Witney	Frank Chase	October 15, 1961 (1961-10-15)
A lonely widow tends to a wounded bank robber whose gang takes her and Joe hostage.
71	5	"The Burma Rarity"	William Witney	N.B. Stone Jr.	October 22, 1961 (1961-10-22)
Con men try to sell a worthless gem to a former showgirl, but she's too smart for them.
72	6	"Broken Ballad"	Robert Butler	John T. Kelly	October 29, 1961 (1961-10-29)
A former gunfighter (Robert Culp) tries to put his past behind him.
73	7	"The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch"	Robert Altman	Robert Vincent Wright	November 5, 1961 (1961-11-05)
Joe is mistaken for con man Gideon Flinch.
74	8	"The Friendship"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	November 12, 1961 (1961-11-12)
Joe tries to help a former chain-gang prisoner (Dean Jones) adjust to his freedom.
75	9	"The Countess"	Robert Sparr	William R. Cox and D. Powell	November 19, 1961 (1961-11-19)
A countess (Margaret Hayes) returns to Virginia City to resume her romance with Ben.
76	10	"The Horse Breaker"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	November 26, 1961 (1961-11-26)
Ben tries to help a bronco-buster (Ben Cooper) who's feeling depressed over losing the use of his legs.
77	11	"Day of the Dragon"	Don McDougall	John T. Dugan	December 3, 1961 (1961-12-03)
Joe wins a Chinese slave girl (Lisa Lu) in a poker game, but she refuses to allow him to free her.
78	12	"The Frenchman"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	December 10, 1961 (1961-12-10)
The Cartwrights deal with a Frenchman who claims to be the reincarnation of Francois Villon.
79	13	"The Tin Badge"	Lewis Allen	Don Ingalls	December 17, 1961 (1961-12-17)
Two citizens of a nearby town appoint Joe their sheriff as part of their plot to commit a murder.
80	14	"Gabrielle"	Lewis Allen	Anthony Lawrence	December 24, 1961 (1961-12-24)
The Cartwrights help blind girl Gabrielle Wickman find her reclusive grandfather, who spent 21 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
81	15	"Land Grab"	David Orrick McDearmon	Ward Hawkins	December 31, 1961 (1961-12-31)
A range war is on the horizon when settlers use deeds to claim ownership of the Ponderosa sold by an unscrupulous friend of Ben's (John McGiver).
82	16	"The Tall Stranger"	Don McDougall	Ward Hawkins	January 7, 1962 (1962-01-07)
Hoss courts a wealthy woman (Kathie Browne) who's equally captivated by a fortune hunter's extravagant promises.
83	17	"The Lady from Baltimore"	John Peyser	Elliott Arnold	January 14, 1962 (1962-01-14)
A status-seeking mother (Mercedes McCambridge) forces her daughter to marry Joe.
84	18	"The Ride"	Don McDougall	Ward Hawkins	January 21, 1962 (1962-01-21)
Adam sets out to prove a business partner of his is guilty of robbery and murder.
85	19	"The Storm"	Lewis Allen	Denne Petitclerc	January 28, 1962 (1962-01-28)
Laura White (Brooke Hayward) displays her affections for Joe when she and her father visit the Ponderosa.
86	20	"The Auld Sod"	William Witney	Charles Lang	February 4, 1962 (1962-02-04)
Ranch hand Danny Lynch (James Dunn) convinces the Cartwrights to go along with his charade of their ranch being his ranch for his visiting mother.
87	21	"Gift of Water"	Jesse Hibbs	Borden Chase	February 11, 1962 (1962-02-11)
The Cartwrights dig a well in order to bring water to drought-ridden farmers.
88	22	"The Jackknife"	William Witney	Frank Chase	February 18, 1962 (1962-02-18)
Adam tries to save the marriage of a couple whose son he befriends.
89	23	"The Guilty"	Lewis Allen	Clifford Irving	February 25, 1962 (1962-02-25)
A friend of Ben blames him for his son's death when the boy is shot and killed by a vengeful gunman.
90	24	"The Wooing of Abigail Jones"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	March 4, 1962 (1962-03-04)
The Cartwrights help shy ranch hand Hank Meyers (Vaughn Monroe) court schoolteacher Abigail Jones (Eileen Ryan).
91	25	"The Lawmaker"	Christian Nyby	Story by : John A. Johns Teleplay by : Dick Nelson	March 11, 1962 (1962-03-11)
The acting sheriff of Virginia City abuses his authority while Roy Coffee is out due to injury.
92	26	"Look to the Stars"	Don McDougall	Robert M. Fresco and Paul Rink	March 18, 1962 (1962-03-18)
Ben discovers that young Albert Michelson was expelled from school because of a bigoted schoolmaster (William Schallert).
93	27	"The Gamble"	William Witney	Story by : Michael Landon Teleplay by : Frank Cleaver and Michael Landon	April 1, 1962 (1962-04-01)
Joe hurries to rescue his father and brothers from being executed on a false murder charge.
94	28	"The Crucible"	Paul Nickell	John T. Dugan	April 8, 1962 (1962-04-08)
Adam ends up stranded in the desert where he is forced to depend on an insane miner (Lee Marvin), who forces the Cartwright into slavery.
95	29	"Inger, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Anthony Lawrence Teleplay by : Frank Cleaver and David Dortort	April 15, 1962 (1962-04-15)
Ben remembers his courtship with Hoss's mother, Inger (Inga Swenson).
96	30	"Blessed Are They"	Don McDougall	Story by : Borden Chase Teleplay by : Borden Chase and Frank Cleaver	April 22, 1962 (1962-04-22)
Ben must settle a bitter feud between the Mahan and Clarke families that threatens to divide the citizens of Virginia City.
97	31	"The Dowry"	Christian Nyby	Robert Vincent Wright	April 29, 1962 (1962-04-29)
The Cartwrights take in a wounded man and his daughter, who might have been robbed of her dowry.
98	32	"The Long Night"	William Witney	George Stackalee and E. M. Parsons	May 6, 1962 (1962-05-06)
Adam is mistaken for an escaped convict and finds himself caught between the real convict (James Coburn) and a lynch mob.
99	33	"The Mountain Girl"	Don McDougall	John Furia Jr.	May 13, 1962 (1962-05-13)
Joe is given the task of changing a mountain girl (Nina Shipman) into a refined young lady.
100	34	"The Miracle Maker"	Don McDougall	Story by : Lewis Reed Teleplay by : Frank Cleaver and Preston Wood	May 20, 1962 (1962-05-20)
A so-called faith healer (Ed Nelson) offers to help a woman (Patricia Breslin) with her guilt over her father dying in a wagon crash.

Season 4 (1962–63)

No. in series	No. in season^[14]	Title^[14]	Directed by^[14]	Written by^[14]	Original air date^[14]
101	1	"The First Born"	Don McDougall	Judith and George W. George	September 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)
Joe must decide what to do when he learns that the ranch hand being run out of town is his mother's first-born son.
102	2	"The Quest"	Christian Nyby	John Joseph^[A] and Thomas Thompson	September 30, 1962 (1962-09-30)
In order to prove himself a man, Joe sets out to win a big timber contract.
103	3	"The Artist"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	October 7, 1962 (1962-10-07)
Ben tries to help an artist (Dan O'Herlihy) who's lost his sight.
104	4	"A Hot Day for a Hanging"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood and Elliott Arnold	October 14, 1962 (1962-10-14)
A sheriff (Denver Pyle) hopes to save his town from going bankrupt by framing Hoss for bank robbery and murder.
105	5	"The Deserter"	William Witney	Norman Lessing	October 21, 1962 (1962-10-21)
The Cartwrights face a dilemma when their neighbor is wanted for deserting the Army ten years ago.
106	6	"The Way Station"	Don McDougall	Frank Cleaver	October 28, 1962 (1962-10-28)
A desperate fugitive (Robert Vaughn) holds Adam and others captive at a remote way station.
107	7	"The War Comes to Washoe"	Don McDougall	Alvin Sapinsley	November 4, 1962 (1962-11-04)
Statehood convention delegates debate over which side Nevada will take in the Civil War.
108	8	"Knight Errant"	William F. Claxton	Joseph Hoffman	November 18, 1962 (1962-11-18)
Hoss inadvertently starts a romantic triangle when he meets his friend's mail-order bride.
109	9	"The Beginning"	Christian Nyby	Preston Wood	November 25, 1962 (1962-11-25)
Joe tries to help Billy Horn, who was captured by Indians as a boy, adjust to life at the Ponderosa.
110	10	"The Deadly Ones"	William Witney	Story by : N. B. Stone Jr. Teleplay by : Denne Petitclerc	December 2, 1962 (1962-12-02)
A Mexican patriot comes to the Ponderosa in order to rob a gold wagon needed for the Mexican revolution.
111	11	"Gallagher's Sons"	Christian Nyby	Dick Nelson	December 9, 1962 (1962-12-09)
Hoss helps out two orphaned girls who have been raised as boys, not knowing a posse is trailing them a bag of stolen money carried by one of the girls.
112	12	"The Decision"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Norman Jacobs Teleplay by : Frank Chase	December 16, 1962 (1962-12-16)
A doctor (DeForest Kelley) convicted of murder is the only one who can perform surgery on Hoss, whose life hangs in the balance.
113	13	"The Good Samaritan"	Don McDougall	Robert Bloomfield	December 23, 1962 (1962-12-23)
Hoss tries to play matchmaker for a ranch hand (Don Collier) and a widow (Jeanne Cooper).
114	14	"The Jury"	Christian Nyby	Robert Vincent Wright	December 30, 1962 (1962-12-30)
Hoss is the only one on a jury who believes a ne'er-do-well is innocent of murder.
115	15	"The Colonel"	Lewis Allen	Preston Wood	January 6, 1963 (1963-01-06)
An old Army buddy of Ben's jeopardizes the Cartwrights with his lies.
116	16	"Song in the Dark"	Don McDougall	Judith and George W. George	January 13, 1963 (1963-01-13)
A mysterious singer has been charged with murder and Adam sets out to clear him.
117	17	"Elegy for a Hangman"	Hollingsworth Morse	Story by : E. M. Parsons Teleplay by : E. M. Parsons and Shirl Hendryx	January 20, 1963 (1963-01-20)
A man (Keir Dullea) forces the reopening of a murder case, believing his father was wrongfully executed.
118	18	"Half a Rogue"	Don McDougall	Arnold Belgard	January 27, 1963 (1963-01-27)
Hoss takes in ornery hillbilly Jim Leyton (Slim Pickens), who has been framed for murder.
119	19	"The Last Haircut"	William F. Claxton	Charles Lang	February 3, 1963 (1963-02-03)
Joe pursues a cold-blooded killer who used a tricky legal maneuver to escape justice.
120	20	"Marie, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Anne Howard Bailey and Anthony Lawrence Teleplay by : Anthony Lawrence	February 10, 1963 (1963-02-10)
Ben remembers his courtship of Joe's mother, Marie (Felicia Farr).
121	21	"The Hayburner"	William F. Claxton	Alex Sharp	February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17)
The Cartwright brothers try to come out ahead in the Virginia City Sweepstakes.
122	22	"The Actress"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	February 24, 1963 (1963-02-24)
An actress (Patricia Crowley) is torn between her love for Joe and her desire for show business.
123	23	"A Stranger Passed This Way"	Lewis Allen	William L. Stuart	March 3, 1963 (1963-03-03)
Hoss develops amnesia following a bushwhacking and is taken in by a Dutch couple mourning their son's death.
124	24	"The Way of Aaron"	Murray Golden	Raphael David Blau	March 10, 1963 (1963-03-10)
Adam falls for a Jewish woman (Aneta Corsaut).
125	25	"A Woman Lost"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	March 17, 1963 (1963-03-17)
Ben tries to cure a woman (Ruta Lee) of her alcoholism.
126	26	"Any Friend of Walter's"	John Florea	Lois Hire	March 24, 1963 (1963-03-24)
Hoss befriends an old prospector and his dog as he helps them fend off gold thieves.
127	27	"Mirror of a Man"	Lewis Allen	A. I. Bezzerides	March 31, 1963 (1963-03-31)
A reformed convict is forced to switch identities with his evil twin, who is wanted for murdering a rancher and stealing a horse.
128	28	"My Brother's Keeper"	Murray Golden	Seeleg Lester	April 7, 1963 (1963-04-07)
Adam rejects the violent way of life in the West after shooting Joe by accident.
129	29	"Five into the Wind"	William F. Claxton	Meyer Dolinsky	April 21, 1963 (1963-04-21)
Joe is accused of murder when he and five people are stranded after a stagecoach wreck.
130	30	"The Saga of Whizzer McGee"	Don McDougall	Robert L. Welch	April 28, 1963 (1963-04-28)
Hoss befriends Whizzer McGee, a little man with big ideas.
131	31	"Thunder Man"	Lewis Allen	Lewis Reed	May 5, 1963 (1963-05-05)
A girl is molested and killed by an explosives expert (Simon Oakland) who then works to keep his guilt secret.
132	32	"Rich Man, Poor Man"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Arnold Belgard and Robert Fresco Teleplay by : Richard P. McDonagh, Barbara and Milton Merlin	May 12, 1963 (1963-05-12)
A bumbling man (John Fiedler) tries to buy respect with his new-found wealth.
133	33	"The Boss"	Arthur H. Nadel	Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie Peil	May 19, 1963 (1963-05-19)
The Cartwrights attempt to start a rally against the tyrannical owner (Carroll O'Connor) of a freight-line.
134	34	"Little Man -Ten Feet Tall"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Eric Norden and Frank Arno Teleplay by : Eric Norden	May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)
An Italian immigrant loses respect for his father (Ross Martin) when he meets Hoss.

Season 5 (1963–64)

No. in series	No. in season^[15]	Title^[15]	Directed by^[15]	Written by^[15]	Original air date^[15]
135	1	"She Walks in Beauty"	Don McDougall	William L. Stuart	September 22, 1963 (1963-09-22)
Hoss takes a liking to a woman (Gena Rowlands) whose good looks have only led to unhappiness and a questionable choice of professions.
136	2	"A Passion for Justice"	Murray Golden	Peter Packer	September 29, 1963 (1963-09-29)
Charles Dickens (Jonathan Harris) antagonizes the citizens of Virginia City with his arrogance.
137	3	"Rain from Heaven"	Lewis Allen	Robert Vincent Wright	October 6, 1963 (1963-10-06)
A rainmaker offers his services to Virginia City during a drought.
138	4	"Twilight Town"	John Florea	Cy Chermak	October 14, 1963 (1963-10-14)
Bushwhacked, Joe wanders into a seemingly deserted town and collapses. He awakens and Louise (Davey Davison) tends to his wound, telling him he is in Martinville. Louise's father (Stacy Harris) and others enlist Joe's help to combat a terrorizing outlaw gang, but the town's sheriff's widow (Dorris Dowling) warns Joe to leave while he can. At the conclusion of a mighty battle, Joe's family finds him alone in a deserted town with no signs of life. Did Joe rally the town's citizens, or did he have a supernatural encounter?
139	5	"The Toy Soldier"	Tay Garnett	Warren Douglas	October 20, 1963 (1963-10-20)
Adam helps an alcoholic artist (Philip Abbott) deal with bigots opposed to his marriage to an Indian.
140	6	"A Question of Strength"	Don McDougall	Frank Cleaver	October 27, 1963 (1963-10-27)
Hoss journeys through the wilderness with two nuns after bandits wreck their stagecoach.
141	7	"Calamity Over the Comstock"	Charles Rondeau	Warren Douglas	November 3, 1963 (1963-11-03)
Joe befriends Calamity Jane (Stefanie Powers), only to face the wrath of her boyfriend.
142	8	"Journey Remembered"	Irving J. Moore	Anthony Lawrence	November 10, 1963 (1963-11-10)
Ben remembers his journey west with his second wife, Hoss's mother, Inger (Inga Swenson).
143	9	"The Quality of Mercy"	Joseph H. Lewis	Peter Packer	November 17, 1963 (1963-11-17)
Joe struggles with his conscience after witnessing a mercy-killing.
144	10	"The Waiting Game"	Richard Sarafian	Ed Adamson	December 8, 1963 (1963-12-08)
Adam becomes attracted to a widow (Kathie Browne) who's unwilling to tell her daughter the bad news about her father being dead.
145	11	"The Legacy"	Bernard McEveety	Anthony Wilson	December 15, 1963 (1963-12-15)
Believing their father to be dead, the Cartwright boys set out to find the men who did it.
146	12	"Hoss and the Leprechauns"	John Florea	Robert Barron	December 22, 1963 (1963-12-22)
Hoss brings home a strongbox filled with gold, claiming it belongs to leprechauns.
147	13	"The Prime of Life"	Christian Nyby	Peter Packer	December 29, 1963 (1963-12-29)
Ben competes with an old rival to win the railroad's lumber contract, but he soon questions his fitness to run the Ponderosa after an accident wounds him and kills a ranch hand.
148	14	"The Lila Conrad Story"	Tay Garnett	Story by : George Waggner Teleplay by : Preston Wood	January 5, 1964 (1964-01-05)
The Cartwrights protect dance-hall girl Lila Conrad from the friends of the man she killed in self-defense and from a self-righteous judge (Andrew Duggan) intent on saving her soul.
149	15	"Ponderosa Matador"	Don McDougall	Alex Sharp	January 12, 1964 (1964-01-12)
The Cartwright boys compete for the attention of a visiting señorita (Marianna Hill).
150	16	"My Son, My Son"	William F. Claxton	Denne Petitclerc	January 19, 1964 (1964-01-19)
Ben's marriage to a widow (Teresa Wright) is jeopardized by the widow's son being accused of murder.
151	17	"Alias Joe Cartwright"	Lewis Allen	Robert Vincent Wright	January 26, 1964 (1964-01-26)
Joe is mistaken for an Army deserter who looks similar to him and has only a career army sergeant (Keenan Wynn) to help him avoid being executed.
152	18	"The Gentleman from New Orleans"	Don McDougall	William Bruckner	February 2, 1964 (1964-02-02)
Hoss befriends a newcomer from New Orleans (John Dehner) who claims to be Jean LaFitte.
153	19	"The Cheating Game"	Joseph Sargent	William L. Stuart	February 9, 1964 (1964-02-09)
Laura Dayton (Kathie Browne) is told she'll receive a large sum from her deceased husband's insurance, but it's actually part of a ruse to cheat her out of her money.
154	20	"Bullet for a Bride"	Tay Garnett	Tom Seller	February 16, 1964 (1964-02-16)
Joe proposes to a girl (Marlyn Mason) he blinded by accident on a hunting trip.
155	21	"King of the Mountain"	Don McDougall	Robert Sabaroff	February 23, 1964 (1964-02-23)
Hoss tries to stop a mountaineer (Slim Pickens) and his fiancée's father from killing each other.
156	22	"Love Me Not"	Tay Garnett	Frank Cleaver	March 1, 1964 (1964-03-01)
A girl who's been held captive by the Paiutes for many years falls for Ben when he takes her to the Ponderosa.
157	23	"The Pure Truth"	Don McDougall	Lois Hire	March 8, 1964 (1964-03-08)
As acting deputy, Hoss is sent to bring in a prisoner, but he ends up in the wrong town and accused of robbing the bank.
158	24	"No Less a Man"	Don McDougall	Jerry Adelman	March 15, 1964 (1964-03-15)
The citizens of Virginia City believe Sheriff Roy Coffee (Ray Teal) is too old to stop a raid from the Wagner gang.
159	25	"Return to Honor"	Don McDougall	Jack Turley	March 22, 1964 (1964-03-22)
Ben hears his nephew Will (Guy Williams) has been murdered, only to learn Will is alive and on the lam from counterfeiters whose engraving plates he swiped (First episode of Will Cartwright).
160	26	"The Saga of Muley Jones"	John Florea	Story by : Alex Sharp and Robert Barron Teleplay by : Robert Barron	March 29, 1964 (1964-03-29)
Muley Jones (Bruce Yarnell), a distant cousin of the Cartwrights with a voice that can shatter glass, visits the Ponderosa.
161	27	"The Roper"	John Florea	Peter Packer	April 5, 1964 (1964-04-05)
Will is taken hostage by outlaws who robbed Ben and killed an Army soldier.
162	28	"A Pink Cloud Comes from Old Cathay"	Don McDougall	Lewis Clay	April 12, 1964 (1964-04-12)
Hoss receives a Chinese mail-order bride (Marlo Thomas) by mistake.
163	29	"The Companeros"	William F. Claxton	Ken Pettus	April 19, 1964 (1964-04-19)
Will is asked by an old friend to return to Mexico with him to defend President Juarez.
164	30	"Enter Thomas Bowers"	Murray Golden	Jessica Benson and Murray Golden	April 26, 1964 (1964-04-26)
Black opera singer Thomas Bowers (William Marshall) comes to Virginia City for a concert, but is suspected of being a runaway slave.
165	31	"The Dark Past"	Murray Golden	William Bruckner	May 3, 1964 (1964-05-03)
A bounty hunter (Dennis Hopper) appears to be haunted by a mysterious incident from his past.
166	32	"The Pressure Game"	Tay Garnett	Don Tait	May 10, 1964 (1964-05-10)
Adam is pressured by Laura Dayton's aunt (Joan Blondell) into proposing.
167	33	"Triangle"	Tay Garnett	Frank Cleaver	May 17, 1964 (1964-05-17)
As Adam secretly builds a home for his bride-to-be, a love triangle ensues when Will falls for Laura Dayton.
168	34	"Walter and the Outlaws"	Ralph E. Black	Lois Hire	May 24, 1964 (1964-05-24)
An old prospector asks Hoss to help him rescue his dog from gold thieves.

Season 6 (1964–65)

No. in series	No. in season^[16]	Title^[16]	Directed by^[16]	Written by^[16]	Original air date^[16]
169	1	"Invention of a Gunfighter"	John Florea	Dan Ullman	September 20, 1964 (1964-09-20)
Joe teaches a friend of his how to use a six-shooter, only for the man to embark on a career as a ruthless bounty hunter.
170	2	"The Hostage"	Don McDougall	Don Mullally	September 27, 1964 (1964-09-27)
Ben is taken hostage by a band of outlaws demanding a ransom of $100,000.
171	3	"The Wild One"	William Witney	Jo Pagano	October 4, 1964 (1964-10-04)
A gruff mountaineer is confronted by the wife he left long ago.
172	4	"Thanks for Everything, Friend"	Christian Nyby	Jerry Adelman	October 11, 1964 (1964-10-11)
A drifter who's an expert in cards and women saves Adam from drowning.
173	5	"Logan's Treasure"	Don McDougall	Story by : Robert Sabaroff Teleplay by : Ken Pettus	October 18, 1964 (1964-10-18)
Sam Logan (Dan Duryea) gets out of prison and tries to avoid those who are certain he's hidden a cache of stolen gold somewhere.
174	6	"The Scapegoat"	Christian Nyby	Rod Peterson	October 25, 1964 (1964-10-25)
Hoss befriends a suicidal man (George Kennedy) who turns out to be a scapegoat for three men who intend to do him harm.
175	7	"A Dime's Worth of Glory"	William F. Claxton	Richard Shapiro and Esther Mayesh	November 1, 1964 (1964-11-01)
Ben turns down a dime novelist's offer to make the Cartwrights famous, so the novelist gives it to aging Sheriff Laramore.
176	8	"Square Deal Sam"	Murray Golden	Jessica Benson and Murray Golden	November 8, 1964 (1964-11-08)
The Cartwrights fall for the schemes of con artist Square Deal Sam.
177	9	"Between Heaven and Earth"	William Witney	Ed Adamson	November 15, 1964 (1964-11-15)
Joe's fear of heights prevent him from climbing a mountain.
178	10	"Old Sheba"	John Florea	Alex Sharp	November 22, 1964 (1964-11-22)
Joe and Hoss receive an elephant as payment when the owner of a traveling circus squanders Hoss's winnings in a wrestling match.
179	11	"A Man to Admire"	John Florea	Mort R. Lewis	December 6, 1964 (1964-12-06)
Hoss is accused of murdering a scheming businessman, and then has to rely on an alcoholic lawyer (James Gregory) to clear him.
180	12	"The Underdog"	William F. Claxton	Don Mullally	December 13, 1964 (1964-12-13)
Joe tries to help a half Native American (Played by Charles Bronson) accused of being a chronic horse thief.
181	13	"A Knight to Remember"	Vincent McEveety	Robert V. Barron	December 20, 1964 (1964-12-20)
A knight in shining armor scares away bandits trying to rob a stagecoach carrying Adam.
182	14	"The Saga of Squaw Charlie"	William Witney	Warren Douglas	December 27, 1964 (1964-12-27)
Old Indian Squaw Charlie befriends a little girl in spite of the townspeople ridiculing him.
183	15	"The Flapjack Contest"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Tom Davison Teleplay by : Frank Cleaver	January 3, 1965 (1965-01-03)
Hoss has to stay on a strict diet before a flapjack-eating contest.
184	16	"The Far, Far Better Thing"	Bernard McEveety	Mort R. Lewis	January 10, 1965 (1965-01-10)
Joe competes with a ranch hand for the affections of an Eastern girl with a thirst for adventure.
185	17	"Woman of Fire"	William F. Claxton	Suzanne Clauser	January 17, 1965 (1965-01-17)
Adam takes care of a temperamental señorita while her father finds her a husband.
186	18	"The Ballerina"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	January 24, 1965 (1965-01-24)
A former ballerina falls for her teacher and faces resistance from her father.
187	19	"The Flannel-Mouth Gun"	Don McDougall	Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie Wilke	January 31, 1965 (1965-01-31)
Desperate ranchers hire a gunman to take care of rustlers.
188	20	"The Ponderosa Birdman"	Herbert L. Strock	Blair Robertson and Hazel Swanson	February 7, 1965 (1965-02-07)
An eccentric inventor plans to take flight with his meticulously crafted wings.
189	21	"The Search"	William F. Claxton	Frank Cleaver	February 14, 1965 (1965-02-14)
Adam searches for his troublesome lookalike.
190	22	"The Deadliest Game"	Gerd Oswald	Jo Pagano	February 21, 1965 (1965-02-21)
A circus aerialist grows jealous of his girlfriend's attraction to Joe.
191	23	"Once a Doctor"	Tay Garnett	Martha Wilkerson	February 28, 1965 (1965-02-28)
An Englishman comes after the doctor (Michael Rennie) he blames for the death of his wife.
192	24	"Right Is the Fourth R"	Virgil Vogel	Jerry Adelman	March 7, 1965 (1965-03-07)
Adam tries to teach a course in frontier history and learns some unsettling facts about the territory's founders.
193	25	"Hound Dog"	Ralph E. Black	Alex Sharp	March 21, 1965 (1965-03-21)
Cousin Muley Jones returns along with hound dogs.
194	26	"The Trap"	William Witney	Ken Pettus	March 28, 1965 (1965-03-28)
A married man sets a trap to keep Joe away from his wife, but when his plan backfires and he ends up dead, his twin brother decides to finish the job.
195	27	"Dead and Gone"	Robert Totten	Paul Schneider	April 4, 1965 (1965-04-04)
Adam tries to help a wandering troubadour (Hoyt Axton) overcome his habit of stealing.
196	28	"A Good Night's Rest"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Jeffrey Fleece Teleplay by : Frank Cleaver	April 11, 1965 (1965-04-11)
Ben checks into a hotel to try to get a good night's sleep.
197	29	"To Own the World"	Virgil Vogel	Ed Adamson	April 18, 1965 (1965-04-18)
A wealthy tycoon is out to get the Ponderosa. Note: This episode features the final appearance of Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright.
198	30	"Lothario Larkin"	William Witney	Warren Douglas	April 25, 1965 (1965-04-25)
An infamous womanizer returns to Virginia City, to the displeasure of the fathers and the sheriff.
199	31	"The Return"	Virgil Vogel	Story by : Frank Chase Teleplay by : Ken Pettus	May 2, 1965 (1965-05-02)
An ex-convict returns to town, but no one is glad to see him, especially the banker he crippled in a bank robbery.
200	32	"Jonah"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood	May 2, 1965 (1965-05-02)
A ranch hand is offered a job on the Ponderosa when he saves Hoss's life, but rumors state that he's a jinx.
201	33	"The Spotlight"	Gerd Oswald	Dick Carr	May 16, 1965 (1965-05-16)
Ben tries to talk a retired opera star into resuming her career on the stage.
202	34	"Patchwork Man"	Ralph E. Black	Don Tait and William Koenig	May 23, 1965 (1965-05-23)
Hoss hires a recluse to work on the Ponderosa.

Season 7 (1965–66)

No. in series	No. in season^[17]	Title^[17]	Directed by^[17]	Written by^[17]	Original air date^[17]
203	1	"The Debt"	William F. Claxton	William Blinn	September 12, 1965 (1965-09-12)
Siblings (Tommy Sands, Brooke Bundy) come to the Ponderosa to work off a debt from when their father swindled Ben.
204	2	"The Dilemma"	William F. Claxton	John Hawkins and Ward Hawkins	September 19, 1965 (1965-09-19)
Ben faces a dilemma when a man he helped to parole is suspected of robbing the bank.
205	3	"The Brass Box"	William F. Claxton	Paul Schneider	September 26, 1965 (1965-09-26)
An old teller of tall tales claims to have a brass box of land grants.
206	4	"The Other Son"	William F. Claxton	Thomas Thompson	October 3, 1965 (1965-10-03)
Ben hires a mule skinner and his sons to take nitroglycerin to California.
207	5	"The Lonely Runner"	William Witney	Thomas Thompson	October 10, 1965 (1965-10-10)
A judge awards a horse breeder's prize mare to a rancher.
208	6	"Devil on Her Shoulder"	Virgil W. Vogel	Suzanne Clauser	October 17, 1965 (1965-10-17)
A member of a religious group is accused of being possessed.
209	7	"Found Child"	Ralph E. Black	Frank Cleaver	October 24, 1965 (1965-10-24)
Hoss protects a little girl whose parents were killed in a stagecoach robbery.
210	8	"The Meredith Smith"	John Florea	Lois Hire	October 31, 1965 (1965-10-31)
Ben must figure which person, all claiming to be Meredith Smith, is the true heir to the estate of Jake Smith.
211	9	"Mighty is the Word"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Robert L. Goodwin Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson	November 7, 1965 (1965-11-07)
A ranch hand plots revenge against the gunfighter-turned-preacher who killed his brother.
212	10	"The Strange One"	Gerd Oswald	Story by : Stephen Lord Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and Stephen Lord	November 14, 1965 (1965-11-14)
A woman suspected of being a witch takes refuge on the Ponderosa -- where she amazes the Cartwrights with her ability to see the future.
213	11	"The Reluctant Rebel"	R. G. Springsteen	Wally George	November 21, 1965 (1965-11-21)
A young rebel has second thoughts about life as an outlaw when the Cartwrights catch him stealing cattle.
214	12	"Five Sundowns to Sunup"	Gerd Oswald	William L. Stuart	December 5, 1965 (1965-12-05)
A family of outlaws embarks on a kidnapping spree in order to prevent one of their own from being executed.
215	13	"A Natural Wizard"	Robert Totten	Story by : Suzanne Clauser Teleplay by : William Blinn	December 12, 1965 (1965-12-12)
A boy (Eddie Hodges) who loves animals helps Hoss take care of a pregnant cow.
216	14	"All Ye His Saints"	William F. Claxton	William Blinn	December 19, 1965 (1965-12-19)
A boy (Clint Howard) sets out to find God in the hope that he can heal the boy's wounded father.
217	15	"A Dublin Lad"	William F. Claxton	Mort Thaw	January 2, 1966 (1966-01-02)
Joe serves on a jury intent on convicting Terrence O'Toole of murder.
218	16	"To Kill a Buffalo"	William F. Claxton	Michael Fisher	January 9, 1966 (1966-01-09)
A badly injured Indian, affected by prejudice, reacts violently to Hoss's helping hand.
219	17	"Ride the Wind: Part 1"	William Witney	Paul Schneider	January 16, 1966 (1966-01-16)
Ben is not pleased with Joe's decision to join the Pony Express.
220	18	"Ride the Wind: Part 2"	William Witney	Paul Schneider	January 23, 1966 (1966-01-23)
In spite of increasing Indian attacks, Curtis Wade is determined to keep the Pony Express going.
221	19	"Destiny's Child"	Gerd Oswald	Robert V. Barron	January 30, 1966 (1966-01-30)
Ben tries to find jobs for a pair of strangers who helped him pull his wagon out of the mud.
222	20	"Peace Officer"	William Witney	Don Mullally	February 6, 1966 (1966-02-06)
A ruthless lawman is hired to halt the violence in Virginia City while Sheriff Coffee is away.
223	21	"The Code"	William F. Claxton	Sidney Ellis	February 13, 1966 (1966-02-13)
Joe must decide whether to obey the code of the west and answer a gunfighter's challenge.
224	22	"Three Brides for Hoss"	Ralph E. Black	Jo Pagano	February 20, 1966 (1966-02-20)
Hoss receives three mail-order brides.
225	23	"The Emperor Norton"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Gerry Prince Young and Robert Sabaroff Teleplay by : Robert Sabaroff	February 27, 1966 (1966-02-27)
Joshua Norton (Sam Jaffe), a friend of Ben's who fancies himself an emperor, is about to be committed to an insane asylum.
226	24	"Her Brother's Keeper"	Virgil W. Vogel	Story by : Lee Pickett Teleplay by : Mort Thaw	March 6, 1966 (1966-03-06)
A woman's invalid brother complicates her courtship with Ben.
227	25	"The Trouble with Jamie"	R. G. Springsteen	Helen B. Hicks	March 20, 1966 (1966-03-20)
Ben's cousin from the East brings his spoiled son (Michael Burns) for a visit to the Ponderosa.
228	26	"Shining in Spain"	Maurice Geraghty	Elliot Gilbert	March 27, 1966 (1966-03-27)
Joe falls for a girl who's anticipating the arrival of her father.
229	27	"The Genius"	R. G. Springsteen	Don Mullally	April 3, 1966 (1966-04-03)
Hoss tries to help a poet beat his alcoholism.
230	28	"The Unwritten Commandment"	Gerd Oswald	Story by : Dan Ullman Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and William Blinn	April 10, 1966 (1966-04-10)
A young singer (Wayne Newton) wants to develop his talents against his stern father's wishes.
231	29	"Big Shadows on the Land"	William F. Claxton	William F. Leicester and Richard H. Bartlett	April 17, 1966 (1966-04-17)
The Cartwrights deal with an immigrant winemaker family setting up business on Ponderosa land.
232	30	"The Fighters"	R. G. Springsteen	Robert Goodwin	April 24, 1966 (1966-04-24)
Hoss badly injures an over-the-hill boxer in a fight and refuses all other offers to box professionally.
233	31	"Home from the Sea"	Jean Yarbrough	George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams	May 1, 1966 (1966-05-01)
An old shipmate of Adam's plans to steal a shipment of gold from the Cartwrights.
234	32	"The Last Mission"	R. G. Springsteen	Story by : S. S. Schweitzer Teleplay by : William Douglas Lansford and S. S. Schweitzer	May 8, 1966 (1966-05-08)
Ben accompanies an old Army buddy on a mission to make peace with the Paiutes.
235	33	"A Dollar's Worth of Trouble"	Donald R. Daves	Robert L. Goodwin	May 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)
Hoss has his palm read and is told that two people -- a blonde and a gunman -- will affect his life.

Season 8 (1966–67)

No. in series	No. in season^[18]	Title^[18]	Directed by^[18]	Written by^[18]	Original air date^[18]
236	1	"Something Hurt, Something Wild"	William Witney	William R. Cox	September 11, 1966 (1966-09-11)
Laurie Ferguson (Lynn Loring) accuses Joe of assaulting her, setting off a feud between her family and the Cartwrights.
237	2	"Horse of a Different Hue"	William Witney	William R. Cox	September 18, 1966 (1966-09-18)
Ben has no idea that the outcome of a horse race he arranged has been fixed.
238	3	"A Time to Step Down"	Paul Henreid	Frank Chase	September 25, 1966 (1966-09-25)
An aging wrangler (Ed Begley) turns against the Cartwrights after Ben suggests that he retire.
239	4	"The Pursued: Episode 1"	William Witney	Story by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson	October 2, 1966 (1966-10-02)
The Cartwrights try to help a Mormon rancher overcome persecution against his beliefs.
240	5	"The Pursued: Episode 2"	William Witney	Story by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson	October 9, 1966 (1966-10-09)
Bigots force Mormon rancher Heber Clawson to flee with his two wives, one of whom needs medical attention.
241	6	"To Bloom for Thee"	Sutton Roley	June Randolph	October 16, 1966 (1966-10-16)
Hoss proposes marriage to a woman (Geraldine Brooks) with a hidden past which includes having killed her abusive first husband and fleeing from the associated murder charge.
242	7	"Credit for a Kill"	William F. Claxton	Frederick Louis Fox	October 23, 1966 (1966-10-23)
When Joe takes credit for killing a horse thief, the outlaw's brothers come after him to get their revenge.
243	8	"Four Sisters from Boston"	Alan Crosland Jr.	John M. Chester	October 30, 1966 (1966-10-30)
Ben tries to stop a con artist from stealing an inheritance from four sisters.
244	9	"Old Charlie"	William F. Claxton	Robert and Wanda Duncan	November 6, 1966 (1966-11-06)
A teller of tall tales brags about killing an outlaw, so the dead man's brothers seek their revenge.
245	10	"Ballad of the Ponderosa"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Rik Vollaerts Teleplay by : Rik Vollaerts and Michael Landon	November 13, 1966 (1966-11-13)
A balladeer blames Ben for his father's hanging.
246	11	"The Oath"	William F. Claxton	Sidney Ellis	November 20, 1966 (1966-11-20)
Before his execution for murder, a convicted man has his son take an oath to kill the Cartwrights for revenge.
247	12	"A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town"	Herman Hoffman	Herman Hoffman	November 27, 1966 (1966-11-27)
Hoss confronts a woman and her gun-toting sons after Joe is hit by ricocheting bullet.
248	13	"The Bridegroom"	William F. Claxton	Walter Black	December 4, 1966 (1966-12-04)
Joe romances a woman so a widower will be jealous enough to ask for her hand in marriage.
249	14	"Tommy"	William Witney	Story by : Mary Terri Taylor and Thomas Thompson Teleplay by : Mort Thaw and Mary Terri Taylor	December 18, 1966 (1966-12-18)
The Cartwrights protect a deaf-mute boy and his mother from his stepfather, a vicious outlaw determined to take back his wife.
250	15	"A Christmas Story"	Gerd Oswald	Thomas Thompson	December 25, 1966 (1966-12-25)
A singer (Wayne Newton) returns to Virginia City for Christmas with his scheming uncle, who plans to make a profit on the orphans' benefit.
251	16	"Ponderosa Explosion"	William F. Claxton	Alex Sharp	January 1, 1967 (1967-01-01)
Joe and Hoss literally get more than they bargained for when they invest in a pair of rabbits that subsequently multiply.
252	17	"Justice"	Lewis Allen	Richard Wendley	January 8, 1967 (1967-01-08)
Joe seeks revenge on the bank clerk who killed his fiancée.
253	18	"A Bride for Buford"	William F. Claxton	Robert V. Barron	January 15, 1967 (1967-01-15)
Hoss is certain that a saloon girl is only interested in a miner for his wealth.
254	19	"Black Friday"	William F. Claxton	Herbert Kastle and John Hawkins	January 22, 1967 (1967-01-22)
Joe tries to save his friend Steven Friday from dying in a gunfight.
255	20	"The Unseen Wound"	Gerd Oswald	Frank Chase	January 29, 1967 (1967-01-29)
Ben tries to help his friend Sheriff Paul Rowan, who's been driven to the breaking point by years of violence.
256	21	"Journey to Terror"	Lewis Allen	Joel Murcott	February 5, 1967 (1967-02-05)
Outlaws imprison Joe and the Blackwells at the Blackwell farm.
257	22	"Amigo"	William F. Claxton	Story by : John Hawkins and Jack Turley Teleplay by : Jack Turley	February 12, 1967 (1967-02-12)
Ben helps a Mexican being pursued by a lynch mob and a band of terrorists.
258	23	"A Woman in the House"	Gerd Oswald	Joel Murcott	February 19, 1967 (1967-02-19)
Ben protects a girl from her alcoholic husband, but she's unable to tell gratitude from love.
259	24	"Judgment at Red Creek"	William F. Claxton	Robert Sabaroff	February 26, 1967 (1967-02-26)
Joe comes to suspect that the leader of a posse does not intend to bring in a pair of murder suspects alive.
260	25	"Joe Cartwright, Detective"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Oliver Crawford Teleplay by : Michael Landon	March 5, 1967 (1967-03-05)
Joe tries to use Scotland Yard techniques to prevent a bank robbery.
261	26	"Dark Enough to See the Stars"	Donald R. Daves	Kelly Colvin	March 12, 1967 (1967-03-12)
A young ranch hand who is running from the law falls in love with a girl.
262	27	"The Deed and the Dilemma"	William F. Claxton	William F. Leicester	March 26, 1967 (1967-03-26)
Ben tries to help an immigrant family, but a racist neighbor complicates things.
263	28	"The Prince"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Melvin Levy Teleplay by : John Hawkins	April 2, 1967 (1967-04-02)
The Cartwrights welcome a count and countess who are the targets of thieves.
264	29	"A Man Without Land"	Donald R. Daves	Steve McNeil	April 9, 1967 (1967-04-09)
To get his employer's land, a foreman murders his son and frames Joe.
265	30	"Napoleon's Children"	Christian Nyby	Judith and Robert Guy Barrows	April 16, 1967 (1967-04-16)
A young gunslinger who believes he's Napoleon leads an army in terrorizing Virginia City.
266	31	"The Wormwood Cup"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Joy Dexter Teleplay by : Joy Dexter and Michael Landon	April 23, 1967 (1967-04-23)
A woman blames Joe for killing her brother and offers a thousand dollars to the man who will kill him in a fair fight.
267	32	"Clarissa"	Lewis Allen	Chester Krumholz	April 30, 1967 (1967-04-30)
The Cartwrights' Eastern cousin Clarissa brings trouble when she visits to the Ponderosa.
268	33	"Maestro Hoss"	William F. Claxton	U. S. Anderson	May 7, 1967 (1967-05-07)
A phony fortune-teller causes earaches when she convinces Hoss he's a master violinist.
269	34	"The Greedy Ones"	Donald R. Daves	James Amesbury	May 14, 1967 (1967-05-14)
Greedy gold hunters threaten to destroy the Ponderosa after a prospector claims to have found a sample there.

Season 9 (1967–68)

No. in series	No. in season^[19]	Title^[19]	Directed by^[19]	Written by^[19]	Original air date^[19]
270	1	"Second Chance"	Leon Benson	Story by : Paul Schneider Teleplay by : John Hawkins and Paul Schneider	September 17, 1967 (1967-09-17)
Ben joins an Army patrol to try and save Hoss and Joe from Indians.
271	2	"Sense of Duty"	William Witney	Story by : Gil Lasky and Abe Polsky Teleplay by : John Hawkins	September 24, 1967 (1967-09-24)
Ben leads a militia unit taking an Indian warrior to prison. (The first episode to feature David Canary as Candy Canady).
272	3	"The Conquistadors"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	October 1, 1967 (1967-10-01)
Joe is kidnapped by a band of conquistadors and held for ransom, but thieves are out to take the money for themselves.
273	4	"Judgment at Olympus"	John Rich	Walter Black	October 8, 1967 (1967-10-08)
Candy is framed for murder in the town of Olympus, so Joe and Hoss try to clear him.
274	5	"Night of Reckoning"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	October 15, 1967 (1967-10-15)
A band of outlaws take Joe, Hoss, and Candy hostage as they search the Ponderosa for holdup money taken by one of their own.
275	6	"False Witness"	Michael D. Moore	Eric Norden	October 22, 1967 (1967-10-22)
An accused killer's brother and his gang stalk Joe, Hoss, Candy and a woman since they witnessed the crime.
276	7	"The Gentle Ones"	Harry Harris	Frank Chase	October 29, 1967 (1967-10-29)
An animal-loving cowboy must stand up to his brutish older brother in order to prove to a widow that he's not a coward.
277	8	"Desperate Passage"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins	November 5, 1967 (1967-11-05)
The Cartwrights encounter two survivors of an Indian raid -- a suspected murderer and a woman who knows he's innocent.
278	9	"The Sure Thing"	William Witney	Story by : Robert Vincent Wright Teleplay by : Robert Vincent Wright and Sidney Ellis	November 12, 1967 (1967-11-12)
A woman's dream of riding her stallion in a big-stakes race is jeopardized when her father associates himself with a gambler.
279	10	"Showdown at Tahoe"	Gerald Mayer	Thomas Thompson	November 19, 1967 (1967-11-19)
Candy sets a trap for a band of outlaws bent on robbing Ben's timber operation.
280	11	"Six Black Horses"	Donald R. Daves	Story by : William Jerome Teleplay by : William Jerome and Michael Landon	November 26, 1967 (1967-11-26)
An Irishman uses luck to outwit greedy businessmen.
281	12	"Check Rein"	Leon Benson	Story by : Olney Sherman and Robert I. Holt Teleplay by : Robert I. Holt	December 3, 1967 (1967-12-03)
The Cartwrights get involved in a man's fight to save his inheritance and himself from his greedy uncle.
282	13	"Justice Deferred"	Gerald Mayer	Jack Miller	December 17, 1967 (1967-12-17)
Hoss realizes that his testimony has led to the hanging of an innocent man, so he sets out to convict the real killer.
283	14	"The Gold Detector"	Donald R. Daves	Ward Hawkins	December 24, 1967 (1967-12-24)
After buying a gold detector, Hoss tries to prove its worth and protect it from thieves.
284	15	"The Trackers"	Marc Daniels	Story by : Frederick Louis Fox Teleplay by : Reuben Bercovitch	January 7, 1968 (1968-01-07)
Ben, Candy and Hoss try to protect a recently-released prisoner suspected of robbery and murder.
285	16	"A Girl Named George"	Leon Benson	William H. Wright	January 14, 1968 (1968-01-14)
The Cartwrights investigate a mystery involving an altered photograph.
286	17	"The Thirteenth Man"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	January 21, 1968 (1968-01-21)
The Cartwrights clash with a range detective who pressures his suspects into drawing first so he can kill them.
287	18	"The Burning Sky"	John Rich	Story by : Carol Saraceno Teleplay by : William H. Wright	January 28, 1968 (1968-01-28)
A ranch hand causes trouble when he arrives with his Indian bride.
288	19	"The Price of Salt"	Leon Benson	B. W. Sandefur	February 4, 1968 (1968-02-04)
A woman who has a monopoly on the salt needed for cattle sets off the buyers when she raises the price.
289	20	"Blood Tie"	Seymour Robbie	Arthur Dales^[B]	February 18, 1968 (1968-02-18)
One of three men tricks the Cartwrights into hiring him so he and his cohorts can rob them.
290	21	"The Crime of Johnny Mule"	Leon Benson	Joel Murcott	February 25, 1968 (1968-02-25)
Johnny Mule, the man Hoss refused to convict for murder, breaks out of prison.
291	22	"The Late Ben Cartwright"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	March 3, 1968 (1968-03-03)
An assassin complicates Ben's fight to prevent a corrupt tycoon's lackey from being elected governor.
292	23	"Star Crossed"	William F. Claxton	Thomas Thompson	March 10, 1968 (1968-03-10)
Candy falls for a girl being harassed by a former lawman-turned-blackmailer.
293	24	"Trouble Town"	Leon Benson	David Lang	March 17, 1968 (1968-03-17)
The Cartwrights must find out why Candy is being held in River Bend on a minor charge without bail.
294	25	"Commitment at Angelus"	Leon Benson	Peter Germano	April 7, 1968 (1968-04-07)
Joe gets involved in a miners' strike after the death of a friend leaves the miners without a leader.
295	26	"A Dream to Dream"	William F. Claxton	Michael Landon	April 14, 1968 (1968-04-14)
When a man's guilt over his son's death lead him to drinking, his wife and other children pay more attention to Hoss.
296	27	"In Defense of Honor"	Marc Daniels	Story by : Richard Wendley and William Douglas Lansford Teleplay by : William Douglas Lansford	April 28, 1968 (1968-04-28)
An outcast jeopardizes negotiations with the Indians when he decides to rejoin the tribe he rejected his whole life.
297	28	"To Die in Darkness"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	May 5, 1968 (1968-05-05)
Ben and Candy are trapped in a mine shaft by a vengeful ex-prisoner, who wrongly served time based on the testimony of the pair.
298	29	"The Bottle Fighter"	Leon Benson	Story by : Colin MacKenzie and S. H. Barnett Teleplay by : John Hawkins	May 12, 1968 (1968-05-12)
The only lawyer who can defend Hoss in the case of a murdered cattle buyer is an alcoholic.
299	30	"The Arrival of Eddie"	Marc Daniels	John M. Chester and Ward Hawkins	May 19, 1968 (1968-05-19)
Hoss seeks forgiveness from Eddie MaKay for killing his father.
300	31	"The Stronghold"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins and William Riley Burnett	May 26, 1968 (1968-05-26)
Joe and Candy are swindled out of a herd of cattle by the Farrell brothers, so they follow the sparring brothers back to their Arizona hideout.
301	32	"Pride of a Man"	William F. Claxton	Ward Hawkins and Helen B. Hicks	June 2, 1968 (1968-06-02)
Joe takes a job as a substitute teacher and must deal with two incorrigible boys and their father, who doesn't think his boys need an education.
302	33	"A Severe Case of Matrimony"	Lewis Allen	Michael Fessier	July 7, 1968 (1968-07-07)
A band of Gypsies arrives on the Ponderosa and one of them wishes to marry a Cartwright.
303	34	"Stage Door Johnnies"	William F. Claxton	Alex Sharp	July 28, 1968 (1968-07-28)
Hoss and Joe allow their rivalry for the affections of an attractive singer to get them into damage suits.

Season 10 (1968–69)

No. in series	No. in season^[20]	Title^[20]	Directed by^[20]	Written by^[20]	Original air date^[20]
304	1	"Different Pines, Same Wind"	Leon Benson	Suzanne Clauser	September 15, 1968 (1968-09-15)
Little Joe tries to convince and ailing recluse that she needs to file a legal claim to her remote property to prevent a timber tycoon from logging on her land.
305	2	"Child"	Leon Benson	Jack B. Sowards	September 22, 1968 (1968-09-22)
Hoss, charged with robbery and murder, has to break out of jail in order to escape a lynch mob.
306	3	"Salute to Yesterday"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins	September 29, 1968 (1968-09-29)
Possession of an Army payroll brings danger to the Cartwrights, Candy and a small Army unit, with some of Candy's past coming to light in the process.
307	4	"The Real People of Muddy Creek"	Leon Benson	Alf Harris	October 6, 1968 (1968-10-06)
Ben is left alone with his prisoner (Joe Don Baker) to face a murderous and notorious gang after frightened citizens bail out.
308	5	"The Passing of a King"	Leon Benson	B. W. Sandefur	October 13, 1968 (1968-10-13)
Ben is cheated out of a valuable bull by the son (Jeremy Slate) of one of his old friends (Denver Pyle), a cattle baron who has been declared legally incompetent.
309	6	"The Last Vote"	Joseph Pevney	Robert Vincent Wright	October 20, 1968 (1968-10-20)
Hoss and Little Joe act as campaign managers for opposing mayoral candidates (Tom Bosley and Wally Cox) who are devoted friends.
310	7	"Catch as Catch Can"	Robert L. Friend	David Lang	October 27, 1968 (1968-10-27)
The Cartwrights are accused of being deadbeats in an effort to discredit their good name.
311	8	"Little Girl Lost"	Don Richardson	Michael Fessier	November 3, 1968 (1968-11-03)
The serenity of the Ponderosa is disrupted by a small relative of the Cartwrights, an unruly tomboy who's the subject of a custody battle.
312	9	"The Survivors"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins, Colin MacKenzie, S. H. Barnett	November 10, 1968 (1968-11-10)
A young woman endures scorn when she returns to Virginia City with a child fathered by a Native American after four years of captivity by renegade Indians.
313	10	"The Sound of Drums"	Robert L. Friend	William F. Leicester	November 17, 1968 (1968-11-17)
A stubborn landowner defies his family and neighbors by allowing Native Americans to live on his land.
314	11	"Queen High"	Leon Benson	Michael Fessier	December 1, 1968 (1968-12-01)
Little Joe and Candy win a damaged ore processing mill in a poker game and encounter opposition from their competitor.
315	12	"Yonder Man"	Leo Penn	Milton S. Gelman	December 8, 1968 (1968-12-08)
Ben's reunion with an old friend is marred when he learns that the man is wanted for stealing cattle and political crimes.
316	13	"Mark of Guilt"	Leon Benson	Ward Hawkins, Frank Telford	December 15, 1968 (1968-12-15)
When a rancher that Little Joe fought with is found dead, he's arrested for murder.
317	14	"A World Full of Cannibals"	Gunner Hellström	Preston Wood	December 22, 1968 (1968-12-22)
Gunmen kidnap Little Joe and offer him in exchange for a grand jury witness.
318	15	"Sweet Annie Laurie"	Don Richardson	Jackson Gillis, John Hawkins, Jess Carneol, Kay Lenard	January 5, 1969 (1969-01-05)
Hoss takes a frightened young wife (Joan Van Ark) to the Ponderosa to protect her from her estranged outlaw husband (James Olson).
319	16	"My Friend, My Enemy"	Leon Benson	Stanley Roberts, Jack B. Sowards	January 12, 1969 (1969-01-12)
Candy has to rely on the testimony of a Native American horse thief to prove his innocence on a murder charge.
320	17	"Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds"	Leon Benson	Preston Wood	January 19, 1969 (1969-01-19)
A British widow (Mildred Natwick) involves Candy in her plan to recover valuables she lost in a holdup.
321	18	"Erin"	Don Richardson	Sandy Summerhayes	January 26, 1969 (1969-01-26)
Hoss announces his intention to marry a girl (Mary Fickett) who was raised by Native Americans.
322	19	"Company of Forgotten Men"	Leon Benson	Jess Carneol, Kay Lenard	February 2, 1969 (1969-02-02)
A group of retired Army veterans plan to rob a mint with the help of Candy.
323	20	"The Clarion"	Lewis Allen	John Hawkins, Frank Chase	February 9, 1969 (1969-02-09)
Ben buys a newspaper from a widow and proceeds to launch an exposé of an unscrupulous town boss.
324	21	"The Lady and the Mountain Lion"	Joseph Pevney	Larry Markes	February 23, 1969 (1969-02-23)
A magician (Richard Haydn) plots to involve the Cartwright boys with his identical twin daughters in a swindling plot.
325	22	"Five Candles"	Lewis Allen	Ken Trevey	March 2, 1969 (1969-03-02)
Ben and four companions are trapped in a collapsing courthouse and are forced to rely on an accused murderer for help.
326	23	"The Wish"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 9, 1969 (1969-03-09)
Hoss tries to help a freed slave cope with bigots of a white community.
327	24	"The Deserter"	Leon Benson	B. W. Sandefur, John Dunkel	March 16, 1969 (1969-03-16)
Candy tries to help an army sergeant locate a hidden arms plant.
328	25	"Emily"	Leon Benson	Elliot Gilbert, Preston Wood	March 23, 1969 (1969-03-23)
Hoping to save her broken marriage, a woman accuses Little Joe of theft and trying to run off with her.
329	26	"The Running Man"	Leon Benson	Ward Hawkins	March 30, 1969 (1969-03-30)
Little Joe and Candy try to protect a murder witness.
330	27	"The Unwanted"	Herschel Daugherty	Thomas Thompson, Suzanne Clauser	March 30, 1969 (1969-03-30)
A marshal's daughter steals her father's money and runs off with an ex-convict.
331	28	"Speak No Evil"	Leon Benson	Norman Katkov, B. W. Sandefur	April 20, 1969 (1969-04-20)
Ben and Hoss mediate a custody battle among relatives of a teenager who inherited a gold mine.
332	29	"The Fence"	Lewis Allen	Ward Hawkins, Milton S. Gelman	April 27, 1969 (1969-04-27)
Ben and Hoss aid an ex-Confederate prison commandant who's being threatened by his former captives. Larry Linville guest star.
333	30	"A Ride in the Sun"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins, Peter Germano	May 11, 1969 (1969-05-11)
Bank robbers use the Cartwrights as dupes in a plot to loot the Virginia City bank.

Season 11 (1969–70)

No. in series	No. in season^[19]	Title^[19]	Directed by^[19]	Written by^[19]	Original air date^[19]
334	1	"Another Windmill to Go"	James B. Clark	Story by : Palmer Thompson Teleplay by : Palmer Thompson	September 14, 1969 (1969-09-14)
The wording of an old law may cause Ben to lose the Ponderosa to an odd man who crossed it in a horse-drawn rowboat.
335	2	"The Witness"	Joel Murcott	Don Richardson	September 21, 1969 (1969-09-21)
A young woman named Jenny Winters claims to have witnessed a stagecoach robbery.
336	3	"The Silence at Stillwater"	Preston Wood	Joseph Lejtes	September 28, 1969 (1969-09-28)
Candy is accused of a string of serious crimes, including murder, robbery and arson in Stillwater.
337	4	"A Lawman's Lot is Not a Happy One"	Vincent Wright	Don Richardson	October 5, 1969 (1969-10-05)
When Sheriff Roy Coffee and Ben are subpoenaed to testify in a land sharking trial in San Francisco, Hoss is appointed the acting sheriff of Virginia City. Hoss soon finds plenty of trouble on his hands, namely dealing with reluctant bridegroom Hiram Peabody (Tom Bosley), who wants to get arrested so as to avoid an impending marriage to an undesirable woman (whom has been his pen pal and has never met in person). He also must deal with a smooth-talking salesman who plans to sell shares in a planned resort in Virginia City.
338	5	"Anatomy of a Lynching"	Preston Wood	William Wiard	October 12, 1969 (1969-10-12)
Will Griner is acquitted of a murder after two key witnesses disappeared before the trial. When a bloodthirsty lynch mob comes after him, thinking him to have silenced the witnesses, Griner goes to the Cartwrights for help.
339	6	"To Stop a War"	Carey Wilber	Leon Benson	October 19, 1969 (1969-10-19)
Joe's old friend, Dan Logan, is hired as a range detective to stop a cattle rustling outbreak.
340	7	"The Medal"	Frank Chase	Lewis Allen	October 26, 1969 (1969-10-26)
Ben offers moral support to Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Matthew Rush (Dean Stockwell).
341	8	"The Stalker"	D. C. Fontana	Robert L. Friend	November 2, 1969 (1969-11-02)
After Candy shoots and kills armed robber James Campbell in self defense, he learns that he left behind his widow, Lisa, and young son.
342	9	"Meena"	Jack B. Sowards	Herschel Daugherty	November 16, 1969 (1969-11-16)
Joe and Candy compete for the attention of pretty Miss Meena Calhoun (Ann Prentiss).
342	10	"A Darker Shadow"	John Hawkins, Jonathon Knopf	Don Richardson	November 23, 1969 (1969-11-23)
Joe's friend Wade Turner (Gregory Walcott), a storekeeper who is engaged and has been offered a promotion at work, tries to deal with a devastating brain tumor that leaves him with a paralyzing sensitivity to bright light and will soon render him blind.
343	11	"Dead Wrong"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	December 7, 1969 (1969-12-07)
Hoss and Candy stop at the Sunville saloon where they meet Salty Hubbard (Arthur Hunnicutt).
345	12	"Old Friends"	Barney Slater	Leon Benson	December 14, 1969 (1969-12-14)
Two men whom Ben once worked with during a gold claim arrive in Virginia City ... on opposite sides of the law.
346	13	"Abner Willoughby's Return"	Jack B. Sowards	Herschel Daugherty	December 21, 1969 (1969-12-21)
While returning home from a horse-buying trip, Joe is met by old seafaring friend Abner Willoughby (John Astin), who has returned to Nevada to find a stash of gold he hid 17 years earlier in Glory Hole.
347	14	"It's a Small World"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	January 1, 1970 (1970-01-01)
Circus midget and new widower George Marshall (Michael Dunn) struggles to deal with the prejudice of Mr. Flynt, the town's banker, when he refuses to hire him despite Ben's recommendation.
348	15	"Danger Road"	Milton S. Gelman	William F. Claxton	January 11, 1970 (1970-01-11)
Ben needs to transport three large timber beams but the local freight company won't do it. When a new independent freight hauler is approached for the job, Ben recognizes "Gunny" Riley (Robert Lansing), a former soldier in the Mexican war, but on the opposite side.
349	16	"The Big Jackpot"	John Hawkins	Herschel Daugherty	January 18, 1970 (1970-01-18)
Candy quits his job at the Ponderosa after inheriting a fortune from an old Indian friend. He takes a job as vice president of a land promotion firm, unaware that the president is defrauding customers.
350	17	"The Trouble with Amy"	Jack Miller, John Hawkins	Leon Benson	January 25, 1970 (1970-01-25)
Ben comes to the aid of Amy Wilder (Jo Van Fleet), an eccentric old woman and animal hoarder, when a scheming neighbor wants her declared incompetent so he can purchase her home and property.
351	18	"The Lady and the Mark"	Preston Wood	Leon Benson	February 1, 1970 (1970-02-01)
Former Ponderosa ranch hand Chris Keller (Christopher Connelly) seeks refuge at his old workplace after con artists stalk him for his $67,000 fortune. Ralph Waite guest star.
352	19	"Is There Any Man Here"	Don Richardson	B. W. Sandefur	February 8, 1970 (1970-02-08)
The daughter of Ben's friend Harry Carlisle, Jennifer (Mariette Hartley), develops a huge crush for the Cartwright patriarch. Ben notes that Jennifer is the same age as oldest son Adam, but that doesn't matter. It soon does matter when Jennifer's ex-fiancé, a wealthy banker from San Francisco, shows up demanding to take her back ... or else it will be the end of the Ponderosa.
353	20	"The Law and Billy Burgess"	Stanley Roberts	William F. Claxton	February 15, 1970 (1970-02-15)
A new school is opened in Virginia City, and one of the students is an angry teen-aged boy named Billy Burgess (David Cassidy). After a difficult day at school, Billy angrily wishes that his teacher would die. Sure enough, the teacher is found murdered and Billy is fingered as the suspect.
354	21	"Long Way to Ogden"	Lewis Allen	Joel Murcott	February 22, 1970 (1970-02-22)
A ruthless meat packer named Emit Whitney schemes to monopolize the local cattle industry by buying the rail line that is used to transport the cattle to market.
355	22	"Return Engagement"	Don Richardson	Stanley Roberts	March 1, 1970 (1970-03-01)
Eleven years after her last stop in Virginia City caused trouble for a young Joe Cartwright, actress Lotta Crabtree (Sally Kellerman) returns for another engagement in the Nevada town. This time, it's Hoss who finds himself in the thick of a murder case.
356	23	"The Gold Mine"	Leon Benson	Preston Wood, Robert Bruckner	March 8, 1970 (1970-03-08)
Joe helps a young Mexican boy who has suffered from years of abuse by two sadistic slave owners who now want the lad's gold claim and will do anything to get it.
357	24	"Decision at Los Robles"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 22, 1970 (1970-03-22)
While in Los Robles, Mexico, Ben is critically wounded by the town's cruel boss, John Walker. Ben manages to shoot and kill Walker, but now his son - the spitting image of his father - is hellbent on revenge.
358	25	"Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing"	Bruce Bilson	Larry Markes	March 29, 1970 (1970-03-29)
In the series' only Easter-themed episode, a Quaker woman convinces Hoss to pose as the Easter bunny for the orphanage. While wearing a rabbit costume, Hoss must try to foil the efforts of a bumbling gang that is plotting to loot the Wells Fargo coach.
359	26	"The Horse Traders"	Herschel Daugherty	Jack B. Sowards	April 5, 1970 (1970-04-05)
Meena Calhoun has gotten engaged to bumbling outlaw Virgil Potts, who is now trying to make an honest living in the livery business. Virgil soon finds himself in a heated rivalry with Joe and Hoss, who have opened up a stable of their own.
360	27	"What are Pardners For?"	William F. Claxton	Jack B. Sowards	April 12, 1970 (1970-04-12)
A pair of Easterners have read tall tales about the Wild West and come to Virginia City to live out their dream - be bank robbers in the tradition of their heroes. Hoss somehow becomes involved with their adventures.
361	28	"A Matter of Circumstance"	William F. Claxton	B. W. Sandefur	April 19, 1970 (1970-04-19)
Alone at the Ponderosa while everyone else is away on a cattle drive, Joe suffers a compound fracture in his left arm when he kicked by a horse spooked by a severe thunderstorm. Joe fights to stay conscious and treat his wounds.

Season 12 (1970–71)

No. in series	No. in season^[21]	Title^[21]	Written by^[21]	Directed by^[21]	Original air date^[21]
362	1	"The Night Virginia City Died"	William Wiard	John Hawkins	September 13, 1970 (1970-09-13)
A series of destructive fires has Virginia City residents on edge and anxious to catch the arsonist.
363	2	"A Matter of Faith"	William Wiard	Jack B. Sowards, John Hawkins	September 20, 1970 (1970-09-20)
An orphaned rainmaker named Jamie Hunter comes to Virginia City, hoping to help relieve the drought-stricken area. When Jamie's efforts aren't immediately successful, Ben helps the lad fend off the frustrated ranchers. Note: First episode of Jamie Hunter and Dusty Rhoades
364	3	"The Weary Willies"	Leo Penn	Robert Pirosh	September 27, 1970 (1970-09-27)
The Cartwrights lend their support to The Weary Willies, a group of Civil War veterans who are struggling to re-enter society. Richard Thomas guest stars.
365	4	"The Wagon"	James Neilson	Ken Pettus	October 4, 1970 (1970-10-04)
Hoss is falsely accused of murder by a corrupt sheriff named Price Buchanan (Denver Pyle). While en route to prison, Hoss manages to escape the prison wagon with a woman named Madge Tucker (Salome Jens).
366	5	"The Power of Life and Death"	Leo Penn	Joel Murcott	October 11, 1970 (1970-10-11)
The Cartwrights are part of a posse that is after Davis, who shot and killed an Army colonel, when they are attacked by a rogue Indian tribe.
367	6	"Gideon, the Good"	Herschel Daugherty	Ken Pettus	October 18, 1970 (1970-10-18)
Gideon Yates (Richard Kiley), a corrupt lawman whose wife (Terry Moore) had shot her soon-to-be ex-husband, tries to silence the murder's only witness - Little Joe Cartwright.
368	7	"The Trouble with Trouble"	Herschel Daugherty	Jack B. Sowards	October 25, 1970 (1970-10-25)
Hoss unwittingly volunteers to be named sheriff of an aptly named town named Trouble.
369	8	"Thornton's Account"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood	November 1, 1970 (1970-11-01)
After Ben is seriously injured in a horse-riding accident far from home, Joe seeks help from valley settlers who are terrified of a corrupt rancher and his foremen.
370	9	"The Love Child"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	November 8, 1970 (1970-11-08)
Old-school Zach Randolph (Will Geer) refuses to make amends with his gravely ill daughter, Etta (Carol Locatell), because her son had been born out of wedlock. Joe risks his family's friendship with the Randolphs to set the stubborn old man straight.
371	10	"El Jefe"	William F. Claxton	Ken Pettus	November 15, 1970 (1970-11-15)
The Cartwrights come to the aid of Mexican farmers in the Prince River vicinity, after they were run off the land by a corrupt tycoon wanting to strip mine the area.
372	11	"The Luck of Pepper Shannon"	Nicholas Webster	John Hawkins	November 22, 1970 (1970-11-22)
A reformed outlaw named Pepper Shannon comes to the Ponderosa seeking a job. Ben agrees to hire him, but has to keep both Pepper and an impressionable Jamie away from each other.
373	12	"The Impostors"	Lewis Allen	Robert Vincent Wright	December 13, 1970 (1970-12-13)
Joe and Hoss pose as stagecoach robbers in an effort to track down their stolen money. However, their plans are forced to change after the wife of one of the robbers shows up.
374	13	"Honest John"	Lewis Allen	Arthur Heinemann	December 20, 1970 (1970-12-20)
Honest John, a drifter, is looking for a nest and hopes to settle on the Ponderosa through his rapport with the newly adopted Jamie. But John's breakthrough with the boy must be weighed against the seamier side of his character.
375	14	"For a Young Lady"	Don Richardson	B. W. Sandefur	December 27, 1970 (1970-12-27)
Jamie's friend Carrie Sturgis, herself an orphan, is the subject of a heated custody battle between her scheming aunt and uncle.
376	15	"A Single Pilgrim"	William Wiard	Arthur Weingarten, Suzanne Clauser	January 3, 1971 (1971-01-03)
Hoss is seriously wounded while accompanying the Brennan clan, Virginia natives who are settling out West, across Nevada Territory.
377	16	"The Gold-Plated Rifle"	Joseph Pevney	Preston Wood	January 10, 1971 (1971-01-10)
In this adaptation of the Prodigal Son, Jamie - who is struggling to adjust to life on the Ponderosa and at his new school - damages Ben's valuable rifle. Refusing to take responsibility, he runs away.
378	17	"Top Hand"	Arthur Heinemann, John Hawkins	William F. Claxton	January 17, 1971 (1971-01-17)
During a cattle drive, Ben finds himself involved in a power struggle between the trail boss the Cartwrights appointed (Ben Johnson) and a fellow rancher's foreman (Roger Davis), who schemes to take over the job.
379	18	"A Deck of Aces"	Stanley Roberts	Lewis Allen	January 31, 1971 (1971-01-31)
Ben's dead-on lookalike, the scheming Bradley Meredith, causes serious problems when he poses as the Cartwright patriarch and sells area ranchers' land to the railroad.
380	19	"The Desperado"	George Lovell Hayes	Philip Leacock	February 7, 1971 (1971-02-07)
It's a case of reverse racism, as a white-hating black outlaw couple (Louis Gossett Jr., Marlene Clark) kidnap Hoss and scheme to kill him.
381	20	"The Reluctant American"	Stanley Roberts	Philip Leacock	February 14, 1971 (1971-02-14)
Leslie and Gillian Harwood (Jill Haworth, Daniel Massey) come to Nevada from England to take over the operation of a failing ranch near the Ponderosa.
382	21	"Shadow of a Hero"	John Hawkins, Mel Goldberg	Leo Penn	February 21, 1971 (1971-02-21)
Gen. Ira Cloninger (Dean Jagger), an old friend of the Cartwrights, is toasted at a ceremony as a hero and asked to run for governor.
383	22	"The Silent Killer"	John Hawkins	Leo Penn	February 28, 1971 (1971-02-28)
When an influenza outbreak strikes the Ponderosa, the treatment methods and philosophy of two women from different generations clash.
384	23	"Terror at 2:00"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 7, 1971 (1971-03-07)
A white supremacist named Mr. Ganns plans to disrupt a peace-treaty signing between the people of Virginia City and the Paiutes by massacring the entire town, then pin the blame on the Indian tribe.
385	24	"The Stillness Within"	Suzanne Clauser	Michael Landon	March 14, 1971 (1971-03-14)
Joe is blinded by an explosion and wallows in self-pity as he struggles to come to grips with his condition. Ben hires a teacher (Jo Van Fleet) from the Institute for the Blind to help Joe deal with his predicament.
386	25	"A Time to Die"	Don Ingalls	Philip Leacock	March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
Ben's friend, April Christopher (Vera Miles), is bitten by a rabid wolf during her visit. With no treatment available, the Cartwrights and April's family struggle to watch her condition deteriorate.
387	26	"Winter Kill"	Robert Pirosh, John Hawkins	William Wiard	March 28, 1971 (1971-03-28)
During a harsh winter that kills off the stock of many ranchers, Ben offers to test a new breed's endurance by herding a cow from the stock on Sawtooth Mountain.
388	27	"Kingdom of Fear"	Michael Landon	Joseph Pevney	April 4, 1971 (1971-04-04)
A delusional mining tycoon has the Cartwrights and Candy arrested on false trespassing charges and sentences them to slave labor at a gold mine. Richard Mulligan guest star. Note: The three year delay in the broadcast of this episode meant that David Canary's appearance in this episode was billed as a "special appearance" because at the time the episode aired he was not a regular on the series. Note: Filmed in 1968, this episode was originally scheduled to air during the 1968-1969 season. The show was pulled due to its violent content,
389	28	"An Earthquake Called Callahan"	Preston Wood	Herschel Daugherty	April 11, 1971 (1971-04-11)
A traveling professional wrestler named Tom Callahan (Victor French) is the only person who can prove Dusty Rhoades's innocence when the Ponderosa foreman is falsely jailed.

Season 13 (1971–72)

No. in series	No. in season^[22]	Title^[22]	Written by^[22]	Directed by^[22]	Original air date^[22]
390	1	"The Grand Swing"	John Hawkins, Ward Hawkins	William F. Claxton	September 19, 1971 (1971-09-19)
Against Ben's orders, Jamie drives a supply wagon on a route he's not supposed to; he loses control and wrecks the wagon. Jamie escapes uninjured but one of the horses is so badly hurt it has to be shot.
391	2	"Fallen Woman"	Ward Hawkins	Lewis Allen	September 26, 1971 (1971-09-26)
Jill Conway (Susan Tyrrell) is an alcoholic mother whose husband was sent to prison (for robbery) on Hoss's testimony. In a pent-up rage, Jill demands that Hoss look after her son.
392	3	"Bushwhacked"	Preston Wood	William Wiard	October 3, 1971 (1971-10-03)
Two ranchers find a seriously wounded Little Joe in the Nevada desert. As he struggles for life, Joe mumbles incoherently about his surrealistic nightmares about a teepee and a wagon wheel.
393	4	"Rock-a-Bye, Hoss"	Preston Wood, Robert Vincent Wright	Herschel Daugherty	October 10, 1971 (1971-10-10)
A "beautiful baby" contest that Hoss is judging quickly turns into a circus, thanks to the fortune-hunting parents who are determined to win at all costs.
394	5	"The Prisoners"	Arthur Heinemann	William F. Claxton	October 17, 1971 (1971-10-17)
Little Joe helps an old-time sheriff escort cunning outlaw Hank Simmons to jail. The crafty Simmons kills the sheriff and injures Joe, but Joe turns out to always be one step ahead of Simmons.
395	6	"Cassie"	True Boardman	Herschel Daugherty	October 24, 1971 (1971-10-24)
The Cartwrights assist Jamie's friend, Cassie O'Casey (Lisa Gerritsen), and Cassie's mother (Diane Baker) in dealing with their father and husband, Kevin, who is running a race horse scam.
396	7	"Don't Cry, My Son"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	October 31, 1971 (1971-10-31)
Virginia City's new doctor, Mark Sloan (Richard Mulligan), is dealt a double-blow when his wife leaves him, blaming him for their baby being stillborn. In the heat of the moment, Sloan kidnaps the baby of another woman.
397	8	"Face of Fear"	Ken Pettus	Christopher Christenberry	November 14, 1971 (1971-11-14)
Jamie's girlfriend, Neta Thatcher, witnesses a drifter named Griff Bannon (Bradford Dillman) rob and kill a man at a roadside camp.
398	9	"Blind Hunch"	John Hawkins, Robert Pirosh	Lewis Allen	November 21, 1971 (1971-11-21)
Civil War veteran Will Hewitt (Rip Torn) returns to Virginia City, blinded and determined to solve the mystery behind the death of his brother.
399	10	"The Iron Butterfly"	Harold Swanton	Leo Penn	November 28, 1971 (1971-11-28)
Vengeful Sen. Carson (Peter Whitney) pins the blame on Hoss when his son is killed by his ex-girlfriend. The Cartwrights do all they can to stop Carson from destroying the Ponderosa.
400	11	"The Rattlesnake Brigade"	Gordon Dawson	William Wiard	December 5, 1971 (1971-12-05)
Jamie and three of his schoolmates - Lester, Judith and Roberto - are kidnapped after church by the nefarious Doyle gang, who escaped from a wagon carrying them to prison.
401	12	"Easy Come, Easy Go"	Jack B. Sowards	Joseph Pevney	December 12, 1971 (1971-12-12)
In the third and final episode featuring the Calhouns, Luke is bankrupted after a stock investment gone bad, so he and his daughter Meena move to the Ponderosa until he can get back on his feet.
402	13	"A Home for Jamie"	Jean Holloway	Leo Penn	December 19, 1971 (1971-12-19)
Ben begins the process to adopt Jamie as his son, but the process is complicated when Jamie's maternal grandfather, Paris Callahan (Will Geer), comes forward wanting custody.
403	14	"Warbonnet"	Arthur Heinemann	Arthur H. Nadel	December 26, 1971 (1971-12-26)
Joe is caught in the middle of a bitter dispute between an aging Native American chief and the man who stole the Indian's warbonnet years ago as a saloon decoration.
404	15	"A Lonely Man"	John Hawkins	William F. Claxton	January 2, 1972 (1972-01-02)
In a rare episode with Hop Sing in the spotlight, the Cartwright's servant is panning for gold during a vacation when he falls in love with a white woman. The relationship blossoms into an engagement, but the marriage never takes place.
405	16	"Second Sight"	Arthur Weingarten, Suzanne Clauser	Lewis Allen	January 9, 1972 (1972-01-09)
Hoss turns to a clairvoyant named Judith Coleman (Joan Hackett) to help in a search for Jamie, who has gotten lost in the high country. However, Judith is reluctant to help out, fearing that her psychic abilities will ruin her engagement to a minister.
406	17	"The Saddle Stiff"	Samuel A. Peeples, John Hawkins	William F. Claxton	January 16, 1972 (1972-01-16)
Cactus Murphy (Buddy Ebsen), an embittered ranch hand whom Ben fired, suggests that the Cartwright patriarch is getting a little old to "put in a real week's work." Ben's response: Take a job under the assumed name Ben Brown and show Murphy that he is still more than capable of sweating out the job of a rancher.
407	18	"Frenzy"	Preston Wood, Karl Tunberg	Lewis Allen	January 30, 1972 (1972-01-30)
Ben's friendship with the Kosovos, a young immigrant family from Serbia, puts him in danger when family patriarch Nick suffers a psychotic snap, goes on a rampage and barricades them in their home.
408	19	"Customs of the Country"	Joseph Bonaduce	Joseph Pevney	February 6, 1972 (1972-02-06)
In a satirical look at unusual, silly laws and customs, Joe and Hoss try to explain to their skeptical father why their delivery run to Agua Santos, Mexico took so long. An unimpressed Ben listens as his sons explain their story.
409	20	"Shanklin"	William Kelley	Leo Penn	February 13, 1972 (1972-02-13)
A band of rogue ex-Confederate soldiers comes to the Ponderosa to demand a $25,000 ransom. Hoss tries to disrupt the robbery and is critically wounded by the group's leader, Shanklin (Charles Cioffi).
410	21	"Search in Limbo"	Don Ingalls	Leo Penn	February 20, 1972 (1972-02-20)
The Cartwrights attempt to reconstruct a 24-hour period of Ben's life after he fears he may have been the unknown gunman who shot down Sid Langley (Lawrence Montaigne), a corrupt real estate broker who has become hated in Virginia City.
411	22	"He Was Only Seven"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 5, 1972 (1972-03-05)
Jamie's 7-year-old friend, Jonah Morgan, is badly wounded when he and Jamie walk into the Virginia City Bank during a robbery by the evil Springer gang.
412	23	"The Younger Brothers' Younger Brother"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 12, 1972 (1972-03-12)
It's a case of comic mistaken identity when Hoss - on a delivery run for the Ponderosa - is mistaken as a member of the bumbling Younger Brothers gang.
413	24	"A Place to Hide"	William D. Gordon, Ward Hawkins	Herschel Daugherty	March 19, 1972 (1972-03-19)
A friend of Ben's (Suzanne Pleshette) asks to stay with her daughter (Jodie Foster) at the Ponderosa for a time. Soon Ben discovers the woman is trying to plan a rendezvous with her husband who is a fugitive confederate soldier.
414	25	"A Visit to Upright"	Joseph Bonaduce	William Wiard	March 26, 1972 (1972-03-26)
Ben's ability to close a lucrative cattle purchase with a picky livestock heiress (Loretta Swit) hinges on Hoss and Joe's ability to sell a dilapidated saloon they were duped into buying.
415	26	"One Ace Too Many"	Stanley Roberts	Lewis Allen	April 2, 1972 (1972-04-02)
In his second attempt to cash in on Ben's good name, crooked lookalike Bradley Meredith learns that the Cartwrights are in Carson City and, posing as Ben, pretends that he is seriously ill and begins to liquidate the Ponderosa's assets. Note: Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright)'s final television role. He passed away a month after this episode aired from complications following surgery. Note: Ray Teal's last appearance as Sheriff Roy Coffee.

Season 14 (1972–73)

No. in series	No. in season^[22]	Title^[22]	Written by^[22]	Directed by^[22]	Original air date^[22]
416	1	"Forever: Episode 1"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	September 12, 1972 (1972-09-12)
Little Joe falls in love with Alice Harper (played by a young Bonnie Bedelia) who he meets while rescuing her gambler brother John from a poker game gone bad.
417	2	"Forever: Episode 2"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	September 19, 1972 (1972-09-19)
See Episode 1
418	3	"Heritage of Anger"	Don Ingalls	Nicholas Webster	September 26, 1972 (1972-09-26)
Ben helps ex-convict John Dundee (Robert Lansing) re-adjust to society. However, Dundee's boorish attitude complicates matters.
419	4	"The Initiation"	Douglas Day Stewart	Alf Kjellin	October 3, 1972 (1972-10-03)
Jamie joins an elite club. However, when a classmate dies from cardiac arrhythmia during the initiation, the club's president Ted Hoag (Ron Howard) is blamed.
420	5	"Riot!"	Robert Pirosh	Lewis Allen	October 10, 1972 (1972-10-10)
Ben becomes horrified while inspecting living conditions at the Nevada State Prison. So are the frustrated inmates, who take Ben hostage and make a series of demands to improve conditions. Note: first episode of Griff King.
421	6	"New Man"	Jack B. Sowards	Leo Penn	October 17, 1972 (1972-10-17)
In this sequel episode to "Riot," Ben helps parolee Griff King adjust to life outside of prison, giving him a job as a ranch hand.
422	7	"Ambush at Rio Lobo"	Joel Murcott	Nicholas Colasanto	October 24, 1972 (1972-10-24)
Ben and a pregnant woman are held hostage by a gang of robbers, who are plotting a stagecoach robbery and are determined to prevent interference by anyone with the name Cartwright.
423	8	"The 26th Grave"	Stanley Roberts	Nicholas Colasanto	October 31, 1972 (1972-10-31)
Samuel Clemens (Ken Howard) makes his return to Virginia City, this time offering tall tales over an unsolved murder that was tied to a claim jumping.
424	9	"Stallion"	Jack B. Sowards	E. W. Swackhamer	November 14, 1972 (1972-11-14)
Joe is given a beautiful, black stallion for his birthday present, but winds up sacrificing it when he rides to the rescue of a young boy who was accidentally shot by his outlaw father.
425	10	"The Hidden Enemy"	Stanley Roberts	Alf Kjellin	November 28, 1972 (1972-11-28)
Dr. Will Agar (Mike Farrell) is Virginia City's new town doctor. He can bring many new procedures to Nevada Territory. However, Dr. Agar is addicted to morphine, which results in trouble ... and in the end, tragedy.
426	11	"The Sound of Sadness"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	December 5, 1972 (1972-12-05)
Griff's friend, widowed farmer Jonathan May, wants to adopt two young orphans, one of whom is unable to talk. When Jonathan is told he cannot adopt the boys, Griff decides to set the adoption agency folks straight on what a loving father is.
427	12	"The Bucket Dog"	John Hawkins	William F. Claxton	December 19, 1972 (1972-12-19)
Jamie forms a bond with an Irish setter he names April. However, April was a runt and - according to its rightful owner - should be put to sleep because it is a disgrace to the breed. When April competes in a field trial, the dog's owner soon learns that it's not the size of the dog that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog.
428	13	"First Love"	Richard Collins	Leo Penn	December 26, 1972 (1972-12-26)
Jamie becomes friends with Kelly Edwards (Pamela Franklin), who is abused by her husband, Dan. The catch: the husband happens to be the new teacher at the Virginia City School.
429	14	"The Witness"	Arthur Heinemann, Joel Murcott	Lewis Allen	January 2, 1973 (1973-01-02)
A man posing as Candy robs one of Ben's elderly business associates; during the robbery, the woman suffers a fatal heart attack. Candy is quickly arrested and brought to trial.
430	15	"The Marriage of Theodora Duffy"	Ward Hawkins	William F. Claxton	January 9, 1973 (1973-01-09)
Unknown to the Cartwrights, Griff is asked to be a government witness in helping to bring a gang of war criminals to justice. Note: This episode features the final appearances of Candy Canaday and Griff King and Hop Sing. Note: Last episode filmed, but broadcast second to last based on edict from NBC that a season finale episode could not be focused on character(s) that weren't Cartwright's.
431	16	"The Hunter"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	January 16, 1973 (1973-01-16)
During a delivery run, Joe meets Cpl. Bill Tanner, who turns out to be a war-deranged madman who enjoys stalking down his helpless victims before killing them. After stealing Joe's wagon and his supplies, the psychotic Tanner explains that Joe just became his latest "prey."

TV movies and prequel series

In 1988, NBC revived Bonanza with the television film Bonanza: The Next Generation. Lorne Greene, who was to have reprised his role as Ben Cartwright, died before production began, and was replaced by John Ireland as Ben's brother, Aaron Cartwright. Michael Landon Jr. played the role of Little Joe's son, Benjamin Cartwright.^[23] Landon Jr. again played Benjamin Cartwright in a second television film Bonanza: The Return. Dirk Blocker, the son of Dan Blocker, played a supporting role in this film which, in its original broadcast on November 28, 1993, was preceded by Back to Bonanza, a one-hour special devoted to the original series.^[24] A third TV movie, Bonanza: Under Attack, aired January 15, 1995. Landon Jr. also starred in this film.^[25]

In 2001–2002, a "prequel" series, Ponderosa, aired on the PAX-TV network. Set 10 years prior to the first season, it starred Daniel Hugh Kelly as Ben Cartwright, Matt Carmody as Adam, Drew Powell as Hoss, and Jared Daperis as Little Joe.^[26]

References

Footnotes

↑ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
↑ Shapiro 1997, pp. 65, 157.
1 2 3 "Ratings". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
↑ Poppy, John (December 1, 1964). "The Worldwide Lure of "Bonanza"". Look magazine. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
1 2 3 "Bonanza World Home". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
1 2 3 Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
↑ Lambert, David (June 26, 2009). "Bonanza - Package Art Rides In for Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 of The Official 1st Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
↑ Lambert, David (September 27, 2010). "Bonanza - Saddle Up! CBS/Paramount Set to Chase Down The Official 2nd Season, Vol. 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
↑ Lambert, David (July 18, 2011). "Bonanza - 'The Official 2nd Season, Vol. 2' Announced: Date, Extras, Cover Art". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. pp. 1682–1686. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 1". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 2". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 3". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 4". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 5". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 6". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 7". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 8". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Season 9". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 10". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 "Season 12". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Season 13". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
↑ Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: The Next Generation". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
↑ Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: The Return". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
↑ Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: Under Attack". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
↑ "Ponderosa". film.com. RealNetworks. 2006–2008. Retrieved September 30, 2010.

Bibliography

Shapiro, Melany (1997). Bonanza: The Definitive Ponderosa Companion. Cyclone Books. ISBN 978-1-890723-18-7.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[FOOTNOTEShapiro19975,_65–157-1] Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.

[FOOTNOTEShapiro199765,_157-2] Shapiro 1997, pp. 65, 157.

[ratings-3] 1 2 3 "Ratings". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.

[4] Poppy, John (December 1, 1964). "The Worldwide Lure of "Bonanza"". Look magazine. Retrieved October 12, 2010.

[Home-5] 1 2 3 "Bonanza World Home". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.

[All-6] 1 2 3 Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 28, 2010.

[DVD1-7] Lambert, David (June 26, 2009). "Bonanza - Package Art Rides In for Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 of The Official 1st Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2010.

[DVD2-8] Lambert, David (September 27, 2010). "Bonanza - Saddle Up! CBS/Paramount Set to Chase Down The Official 2nd Season, Vol. 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2010.

[DVD3-9] Lambert, David (July 18, 2011). "Bonanza - 'The Official 2nd Season, Vol. 2' Announced: Date, Extras, Cover Art". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2011.

[10] Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. pp. 1682–1686. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.

[S1-11] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 1". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S2-12] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 2". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S3-13] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 3". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S4-14] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 4". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S5-15] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 5". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S6-16] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 6". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S7-17] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 7". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S8-18] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 8". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S9-19] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Season 9". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S10-20] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 10". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S12-21] 1 2 3 4 5 "Season 12". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[S13-22] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Season 13". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.

[23] Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: The Next Generation". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.

[24] Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: The Return". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.

[25] Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: Under Attack". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.

[26] "Ponderosa". film.com. RealNetworks. 2006–2008. Retrieved September 30, 2010.

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Bonanza
Characters	Hop Sing
TV movies	Bonanza: The Next Generation Bonanza: The Return Bonanza: Under Attack
Related articles	Episodes Ponderosa Ponderosa Ranch Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse