Bonanza
In 2001, there was an attempt to revive the "Bonanza" concept with a prequel, "Ponderosa" – not to be confused with the 1972 summer reruns under the same title – with a pilot directed by Simon Wincer and filmed in Australia. Covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam was a teenager and Joe a little boy, the series lasted 20 episodes and featured less gunfire and brawling than the original. "Bonanza" creator David Dortort approved PAX TV (now Ion TV)'s decision to hire Beth Sullivan, formerly of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman", which some believe gave the series more depth as well as a softer edge. The Hop Sing character is depicted not only as a cook but also a family counselor and herbal healer. The series takes place in Nevada Territory in 1849, which is actually an anachronism. The Nevada Territory did not split from the Utah Territory until 1861, meaning that until at least the 5th season (the episode "Enter Thomas Bowers" establishes that year as 1857), "Bonanza" is also set in what in real life would have been Utah Territory.
1970s in television
With the rise in socially responsible programming, the television western, a very popular genre in the 1960s, slowly died out. The first casualties were "The High Chaparral" and "The Virginian", both NBC staples, in the spring of 1971. "Bonanza" suffered a blow when actor Dan Blocker died during surgery in 1972, and the show quietly ended its run the next year. CBS's "Gunsmoke" outlasted them all, and finally ended its run with a star-studded series finale in 1975. "Bonanza" actor Michael Landon helped popularize a television adaptation of the popular children's book series "Little House on the Prairie". Debuting in 1974, the series ran for eight years. "Little House"'s competitor family drama was CBS's "The Waltons", which revolved around family unity but during a different time and place — Virginia during the Great Depression.