Set in Nevada in the 1860s, Bonanza chronicled the adventures of the Cartwright family who owned a large ranch called The Ponderosa. Ben Cartwright and his three sons, Adam, Hoss, and Joe fought for what was just and decent in a time where lawlessness was common.

The widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright had three sons, each by a different wife: the oldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright, who built the ranch house. The second was the warm and lovable giant Eric, better known by his nickname “Hoss.” And the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph or “Little Joe.” They all lived and worked on The Ponderosa. Nearby Virginia City helped populate the episodes with guest starring characters from all over America.

Broadcast between September 1959 and January 1973. Filmed by the National Broadcasting Company at Paramount Studios.

“The Avenger” Season 1 Episode 26

Ben and Adam are in the Virginia City jail waiting to be hanged. Last minute bids by Joe and Hoss to get them out are hindered by another rancher who wants to see Ben dead. A stranger arrives in town looking for his father’s murderer, but is he a help or a hinderance in Joe and Hoss’s quest to set their father and brother free?