The final episode of Bonanza
When I was a kid there was Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza. He was a childhood hero and I enjoyed Dan Blocker's portrayal of him immensely.His stature, his gentleness, his simpler plot affect and dialog ...
My fantasy prone child ability to suspend disbelief with immediate reconfiguration of reality lent credence to that which I viewed as a western alter ego in my young entertainment centric mind.
On January 16, 1973 the final episode of Bonanza aired on NBC ending 14 seasons of the popular western television show. It ran for 421 episodes making it a record holder in the annals of television history.
I graduated from high school the following May 30.
Bonanza starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon.
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I was a regular viewer of this program for the better part of my childhood then lost interest with the passing of Dan Blocker who portrayed Eric "Hoss" Cartwright on May 13, 1972 — as did my paternal grandfather — and we just never thought the show was the same without him.
I think it was the only thing I ever had in common with the man who exhibited little interest in me otherwise except constant ridicule. Still, I cried unconsolably when he passed January 12, 1973 a scant 4 days prior to that last episode.
Bonanza was set in the trappings of nearby Virginia City and it was one of those clean cut morality plays by and large and the impact was great on a young impressionable kid such as myself.
Each of the initial stars have passed and the reruns stopped long ago.