Bonanza

Oh, I had such a pash for Michael Landon! Schoolgirl crush didn't even come near it - I was obsessed.

25Avalon. Just read your saying about your Dads favourite programme being Dixon of Dock Green. I have a memory never mentioned before, about one certain episode of this programme.
The story line was of a black man selling door to door without a licence. He nearly got away with it being only a visitor to the country. But clever Dixon noticed that he was really a white man who had coloured himself to appear to change races. PC Dixon saw that he had even coloured the palms of his hands dark black. Only telling viewers that a real black man always had much lighter palms….. before saying “evening all”
Does anyone else remember this episode?
It was the last Dixon of Dock Green programme ever watched in our house.

I remember driving past where Bonanza was filmed. The house was fairly close to a road which of course was never seen. I have visited Carson City and Virginia City where a lot of it was filmed. I used to love watching it as well.

I always felt I missed out on discussing the westerns my schoolfriends liked as I wasn't allowed to watch ITV (common!). But I did enjoy the Lone Ranger, Bronco and the Cisco Kid on BBC. It would be interesting to see any of them now - I bet they come across as horribly racist and misogynistic!

If you've got Alexa, then I'm sure she heard you....!

Gajahgran

I was in love with Little Joe (Micheal Landon) too. About 40 years later and travelling in America we came across a sign to Bonanza ranch near Lake Tahoe. Had to visit and there it was, not a film set but an actual ranch, there was even a copy of the map on the wall. We had Hos burgers for lunch. Well worth the detour.

Yes I went there in 1984 - landed in LA 3 days after the Olympics finished, went to a wedding and then drove up the Pacific Coast Highway via Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, to Vancouver Island where my Uncle lived on the side of a cliff in an idyllic little place called Maple Bay .... it was the best of holidays, with the Ponderosa Ranch included!

I still say "waggons rolllll" to my Grandchildren as I did to my sons when they were little,or " head 'em up,move 'em out"....eyes rolling all round....! And "who was that masked man,kemo sabbe(sic)"....

Love the old westerns. Most of them were on Sky till recently. The Virginian was my favourite. James Drury was gorgeous.

i was never a fan of bonanza but i loved the high chaparral, leif erickson and henry darrow were my favourites, i did love the music from bonanza opening credits.

My mum said she went into labour with me, just as dad had settled down to watch bonanza.
What does the word mean?

Bonanza was great.The Virginian was my favourite though.Gunsmoke, High Chaperelle.Love a western cannot stand war films though.

For Bonanza fans: the theme tune and opening scene
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjdRgBAY278

My Dad liked westerns so I saw them all at home and mention of the old favourites just makes me think of him.
I never went to Saturday morning pictures so didn't see any westerns at the cinema.

Gajahgran

I was in love with Little Joe (Micheal Landon) too. About 40 years later and travelling in America we came across a sign to Bonanza ranch near Lake Tahoe. Had to visit and there it was, not a film set but an actual ranch, there was even a copy of the map on the wall. We had Hos burgers for lunch. Well worth the detour.

That’s exactly what happened to us. We were staying at Lake Tahoe and took a drive to Incline Village when we came across the sign, like you we had to take a look. It was our first holiday to California, we were there for three weeks and had such a wonderful time.