Bonanza
Following Canary's departure, Frizzell's character accompanied Jamie Hunter to the Ponderosa and became the Cartwright's foreman.Initially, "Bonanza" aired on Saturday evenings opposite "Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show" and "John Gunther's High Road" on ABC, and "Perry Mason" on CBS. "Bonanza"s initial ratings were respectable, often coming in behind Mason but ahead of the ABC line-up. Ironically, executives considered canceling the show before its premiere because of its high cost. NBC kept it because "Bonanza" was one of the first series to be filmed and broadcast in color, including scenes of picturesque Lake Tahoe, Nevada, although most of the episodes were obviously filmed on soundstages until the seasons near the end of the series. NBC's corporate parent, Radio Corporation of America (RCA), used the show to spur sales of RCA-manufactured color television sets (RCA was also the primary sponsor of the series during its first two seasons).
Bonanza, Colorado
In 1880, Tom Cooke of Salida, Colorado stumbled upon ore deposits while searching for horses. Prospectors flocked to this location and the town of Bonanza was founded. In the first two years of its existence, its population ballooned to between 1,000 and 1,500. At the time, population of mining towns was determined by the number of saloons and dance halls instead of a census taker and at this time, Bonanza had 36 saloons and 7 dance halls.