169-411: Bonanza is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, Bonanza is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on U.S. network television (behind CBS's Gunsmoke ), and one of the longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication . The show
338-521: A compassionate , humanitarian point-of-view. Bigotry , including antisemitism , was the subject of the episode "Look to the Stars". A bigoted school teacher Mr. Norton (oblivious to his prejudice) routinely expels minority students. When he expels the brilliant Jewish student Albert Michelson , a scientific genius whose experiments on the streets of Virginia City often cause commotion, Ben Cartwright steps in and confronts Norton on his bigotry. Ashamed,
507-700: A science fiction Western called The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. , which lasted for only 27 episodes. In the fall of 1995, the UPN network aired its own science fiction Western, Legend , which ended after 12 episodes. Western TV shows from the 2000s included the Zorro-inspired, syndicated Queen of Swords , starring Tessie Santiago and filmed in Almeria , Spain; Louis L'Amour 's Crossfire Trail starring Tom Selleck ; Monte Walsh ; and Hillerman's Coyote Waits and A Thief of Time . DVDs offer
676-490: A U.S. state. During the summer of 1972, NBC aired reruns of episodes from the 1967–1970 period in prime time on Tuesday evening under the title Ponderosa . The show chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by the thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright ( Lorne Greene ). He had three sons, each by a different wife: the eldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright ( Pernell Roberts ), who built
845-856: A black TV-shaped bullet. Stations serving neighboring communities outside the immediate area, but which could also be viewed in the primary local area, were denoted with a black numeral inside a white TV-shaped bullet outlined in black (for example, in the San Francisco edition, stations based in San Francisco or Oakland had their channel numbers listed as white-on-black TV-shaped bullets, while stations serving neighboring Sacramento or Salinas / Monterey (but could still be viewed in parts of San Francisco or Oakland, including their suburbs, as fringe reception) had their channel numbers listed as black-on-white icons). A particular listing could begin with as many as three or more channel bullets depending upon
1014-551: A foreword on the channel lineup page as well as those that were available mainly on digital cable and satellite; although most of these newly added channels were placed within the prime time grids, only a few (such as Animal Planet and MSNBC ) were also incorporated into the log listings. Features in the magazine were also revamped with the additions of "The Robins Report" (a review column by writer J. Max Robins), "Family Page" (featuring reviews of family-oriented programs) and picks of select classic films airing that week, as well as
1183-424: A grid (a rowed display of listings for programs scheduled to air during the evening hours each night, primarily organized by channel) into the listings between 1979 and 1981, which was slotted at a random page within each day's afternoon listings. The grid originated as a single-page feature that provided a summary of programs airing during prime time (from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. or 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. depending on
1352-412: A half-page segment, which provided expanded reviews of select programs airing each day (various editions of "Close-Up" were eventually used for different types of programs, from premieres of new series to shows airing on cable). Over time, other regular and recurring features (most of them television-related) were included alongside the listings including "Insider" (a television news and interview section in
1521-425: A handful of cable channels. It also listed a small selection of late-night movies airing on certain channels. The time period of the listings in the daytime grids also shifted from starting at 5:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. to running from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. By this point, the log listings were restricted to programs airing from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. In early 2005, more channels were added to
1690-471: A highly profitable merchandising history. Currently, Bonanza Ventures, Inc. grants merchandising and licensing rights worldwide. The original series has spawned several successful novelty western/folk albums from 1962 to 1965 including "Bonanza, Christmas on the Ponderosa" which charted at #35 on Billboard ' s Christmas Record album chart; three dozen Dell and Gold Key comic books from 1962 through 1970;
1859-510: A late-era Western setting. The low-budget sitcom Dusty's Trail was an Old West adaptation of Gilligan's Island , complete with the star of the earlier show, Bob Denver . Little House on the Prairie was set on the frontier in the time period of the Western, but was essentially a family drama. Kung Fu was in the tradition of the itinerant gunfighter Westerns, but the main character
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#17327733182822028-469: A major character in Heath, who was presented as illegitimate.) The Gunsmoke movies of the early 1990s employed a similar theme when Marshal Matt Dillon learned he had sired Michael Learned 's character's daughter in a short-lived romance. The initial story was first introduced in 1973, when depiction of fornication courted protests, so CBS insisted their hero Matt have the encounter when he had amnesia. As
2197-469: A nearly all-Western format in 2022. Several Westerns have episodes that have lapsed into the public domain in the United States , allowing networks and stations to carry them without cost. Yellowstone , a neo-Western that debuted in 2018, jumped in ratings over the course of its third and fourth seasons to become one of cable television's most popular programs. Yellowstone , in turn, inspired
2366-502: A number of movies made for African American audiences in the days of segregated movie theaters. Bill Pickett , an African-American rodeo performer, also appeared in early Western films for the same audience. When the popularity of television exploded in the late 1940s and 1950s, Westerns quickly became a staple of small-screen entertainment. The first, on June 24, 1949, was the Hopalong Cassidy show, at first edited from
2535-462: A one-hour retrospective was done to introduce the drama. It was hosted by both Michael Landon Jr. and Dirk Blocker , who looks and sounds almost exactly like his father, Dan Blocker, albeit without his father's towering height. According to the magazine TV Guide , producer David Dortort told Blocker he was too old to play the Hoss scion, but gave him the role of an unrelated newspaper reporter. Clips of
2704-409: A page reviewing new home video (and later, DVD ) releases; dedicated pages that respectively listed select sporting events, children's programs and "four-star" movies being broadcast during that week; and crossword puzzles. Although its issues usually focus on different television-related stories week to week, TV Guide also incorporates recurring issues that appear a few times each year, most notably
2873-456: A peak of almost 20 million in 1970. With the $ 2.8 billion acquisition of Gemstar-TV Guide by Macrovision on May 2, 2008, that company, which purchased the former mostly to take advantage of their lucrative and profitable VCR Plus and electronic program guide patents , stated it wanted to sell both the magazine and TV Guide Network, along with the company's horse racing channel TVG Network to other parties. On May 18, 2005, TV Guide Talk ,
3042-658: A reservoir in the San Jacinto Mountains, Riverside County, California, and later moved to Lake Tahoe. After moving to Lake Tahoe, the opening sequence with theme music was filmed on the east side of Lake Tahoe in Bourne's meadow near Round Hill, Nevada. During the first season extra horses were rented from the Idyllwild Stables in Idyllwild, also in the San Jacinto Mountains. The first Virginia City set
3211-473: A scale of one [for "poor"] to four [for "excellent"], based on a consensus of reviews from leading film critics, the quality of the film's cast and director, and the film's box office revenue and award wins). Movie icons also were appropriated to identify direct-to-video (marked as "M→V") or made-for-TV (marked as "M→T") releases, which were not assigned star ratings. Beginning with the January 25–31, 1997, issue,
3380-573: A second life to TV series like Peacemakers , and HBO's Deadwood . In 2002, a show called Firefly (created by Joss Whedon ) mixed the Western genre with science fiction. Breaking Bad , a neo-Western about crystal methamphetamine cooks in Albuquerque, NM , debuted in 2008 on AMC . Series with Western themes that debuted in the 2010s include Justified , about a Western-style vigilante U.S. Marshal based in modern rural Kentucky, which debuted in 2010 on FX ; Hell on Wheels , about
3549-412: A separate guide channel or an electronic program guide that can be activated by remote and provide the same information in a more detailed manner – with additional competition coming in the late 1990s from websites that also specialize in providing detailed television program information (such as TVGuide.com, then jointly operated with TV Guide Magazine , and Zap2It ), a printed listing of programming in
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#17327733182823718-571: A separate magazine became less valuable. The sheer amount and diversity of cable television programming made it hard for TV Guide to provide listings of the extensive array of programming that came directly over the cable system. TV Guide also could not match the ability of the cable box to store personalized listings. Nevertheless, beginning with the September 12–18, 1998, issue, the magazine added several new channels to many of its editions, including those that had previously been mentioned only in
3887-400: A series of Hamilton collector plates in 1989–1990; and most recently, Breyer Fiftieth Anniversary Ponderosa Stable sets, with horses and Cartwright figures in 2009–2011. Fourteen Bonanza novels have been published: There is also a collection of Bonanza stories: The Best of Bonanza World: A Book of Favorite Stories, published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2012), and in
4056-645: A short-lived comic book adaptation by Dutch comics artist Hans G. Kresse between 1965 and 1966, Jim Beam Whiskey Ponderosa Ranch decanters 1964–1966; a series of "Big-Little" books from 1966 to 1969; Revel Bonanza model character sets from 1966 to 1968; a chain of Bonanza and Ponderosa steakhouses from 1963–present; the Lake Tahoe -based "Ponderosa" theme park from 1967 to 2004; a line of American Character action figures in 1966–1967; Aladdin lunch buckets and thermos bottles in 1966–1968; View Master slide sets in 1964, 1971; Ponderosa tin cups from 1967 to 2004;
4225-551: A switch to the less expensive Warner studios from September 1970 through January 1973. The script was initially written for the departing David Canary's Candy, but was rewritten for actors Ray Teal (Sheriff Roy Coffee) and Bing Russell (Deputy Clem Foster), who rarely appeared together on the show. The program's Nevada set, the Ponderosa Ranch house, was recreated in Incline Village, Nevada , in 1967, and remained
4394-692: A thousand-square-mile (2,600 km) ranch called the Ponderosa on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada opposite California on the edge of the Sierra Nevada range. The vast size of the Cartwrights' land was quietly revised to "half a million acres" (2,000 km) on Lorne Greene's 1964 song, "Saga of the Ponderosa". The ranch name refers to the Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine), common in
4563-414: A toupee on the series, as he was approaching age 40 and his hair loss was becoming more evident. He joined the ranks of his fellow co-stars Roberts and Greene, both of whom had begun the series with hairpieces. (Greene wore his modest frontal piece in private life too, whereas Roberts preferred not wearing his, even to rehearsals/ blocking .) Landon was the only original cast member who was wig-free throughout
4732-608: A tourist attraction until its sale thirty-seven years later in September 2004. It was partially filmed in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California . From the third season on, the Cartwrights and nearly every other recurring character on the show wore the same clothing in almost every episode. The reason for this is twofold: it made duplication of wardrobe easier for stunt doubles (Hal Burton, Bob Miles, Bill Clark, Lyle Heisler, Ray Mazy) and it cut
4901-453: A traditionally-set Western prequel, 1883 , in 2021, and another series, 1923 , a year later, both of which were successes. TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC , in 2008. The prototype of what would become TV Guide Magazine
5070-562: A weekly podcast that was available to download for free, was launched. The podcast was headlined by TV Guide reporter/personality Michael Ausiello , and was co-hosted by his colleagues at the magazine, Matt Webb Mitovich, Angel Cohn, Daniel Manu and Maitland McDonagh . Each episode featured commentary from TV Guide staff on the week's entertainment news stories, television programs, and film releases, as well as occasional interviews with actors, producers, and executives. On April 4, 2008 (following Ausiello's move to Entertainment Weekly ), it
5239-482: A young audience, plus " singing cowboys " such as Gene Autry , Roy Rogers and Dale Evans , Dick Foran , Rex Allen , Tex Ritter , Ken Curtis , and Bob Steele . Each cowboy had a co-starring horse such as Rogers' Golden Palomino, Trigger , who became a star in his own right. Other B-movie series were Lash LaRue and the Durango Kid . Herbert Jeffreys , as Bob Blake with his horse Stardust, appeared in
Bonanza - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-527: Is a term used by miners in regard to a large vein or deposit of silver ore, from Spanish bonanza (rich ore body) and commonly refers to the 1859 revelation of the Comstock Lode of rich silver ore mines under the town of Virginia City, not far from the fictional Ponderosa Ranch that the Cartwright family operated. The show's theme song, also titled " Bonanza ", became a hit song. Only instrumental renditions, without Ray Evans 's lyrics, were used during
5577-465: Is a website promoted internally as an online "guide to...TV" published by TV Guide ' s parent holding company TVGM Holdings, LLC, which launched in January 2015. The website features reviews and interviews from critics and columnists (such as Matt Roush) who write for the print magazine. TV Insider launched an identically titled print magazine dedicated to streaming services in February 2023, but
5746-572: Is blackmailed by Joe Wheelwright ( Jim Backus ), owner of the Subrosa ranch, into escorting mail order brides for Wheelwright's three sons Aaron, Moose and Small Paul. Westerns on television Television Westerns are programs with settings in the later half of the 19th century in the American Old West , Western Canada and Mexico during the period from about 1860 to the end of the so-called " Indian Wars ". More recent entries in
5915-574: 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. Bonanza has had
6084-408: Is one of the most recognized television scores. Variations of the theme were used for 12 seasons on the series. Although there were two official sets of lyrics (some country-western singers, avoiding royalties, substituted the copyright renditions with their own words), the series simply used an instrumental theme. Three of the cast members bellowed out the original lyrics, unaccompanied, at the close of
6253-430: Is published by NTVB Media, and its issues contain themed features, puzzles, and trivia quizzes. TV Guide Interactive is the former name of an interactive electronic program guide software system incorporated into digital set-top boxes provided by cable providers. The program listings grid rendered by the software was similar to the late-2000s look of the listings of TV Guide Network/TVGN. Macrovision/Rovi later renamed
6422-425: Is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada , bordering Lake Tahoe . The series initially starred Lorne Greene , Pernell Roberts , Dan Blocker and Michael Landon and later featured (at various times) Guy Williams , David Canary , Mitch Vogel and Tim Matheson . The show is known for presenting pressing moral dilemmas. The title "Bonanza"
6591-638: Is shown to be outraged at the Supreme Court 's Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (placing the time as 1857), which he discusses with his father. According to David Dortort, sponsor General Motors was anxious about the episode. As producer, Dortort ensured that the episode re-aired during the summer rerun seasons, though two TV stations in the South refused to air it. In the episode "The Wish", directed by Michael Landon , Hoss protects an African-American former slave's family when confronted with racism after
6760-400: Is the name, fortune smiled the day we filed the Ponderosa claim" ("Bonanza", Bear Family Boxed set, Disc #2). In 1968, a slightly revamped horn and percussion-heavy arrangement of the original score introduced the series, which was used until 1970. A new theme song, called "The Big Bonanza" was written in 1970 by episode scorer David Rose, and was used from 1970 to 1972. Action-shot pictorials of
6929-577: The New York Post , free e-mail updates for registered users, and a chat room that was developed to accommodate 5,000 users simultaneously. Additional changes to the listings took place with the September 14–20, 1996 edition of the print publication. Starting with that issue, program titles switched from being displayed in all-uppercase to being shown in a mixed case, Franklin Gothic typeface, film titles – which had previously been displayed within
Bonanza - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-473: The 66 films made by William Boyd . Many B-movie Westerns were aired on TV as time fillers, while a number of long-running TV Westerns became classics in their own right. The earliest TV Westerns were written primarily for a children's audience; it was not until the near-concurrent debuts of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and the TV version of Gunsmoke in 1955 that adult Westerns appeared on television, and
7267-720: The American Civil War . In "The Fear Merchants", discrimination against Chinese immigrants who attempt to assimilate in American society is addressed. "The Lonely Man" presents the controversial interracial marriage between the Cartwrights' longtime Chinese chef (Hop Sing) and a white woman (Missy). Initially, Bonanza aired on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, 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
7436-519: The Eastern and Central time zones, and one for the Pacific and Mountain time zones (which had existed separately from the local editions prior to the change, although their distribution was primarily limited to hotels ). The change in format was attributed to the increase in the internet , cable television channels (like TV Guide Network), electronic program guides and digital video recorders as
7605-552: The Spelling Entertainment organization in 1994 through Worldvision Enterprises . Select episodes ("The Best of Bonanza") were officially released in North America in 2003 on DVD through then-Republic video licensee Artisan Entertainment (which was later purchased by Lionsgate Home Entertainment ). Republic (through CBS Media Ventures , which holds the television side of Republic's holdings) still retains
7774-482: The Western genre have used the neo-Western subgenre, placing events in the modern day, or the space Western subgenre but still draw inspiration from the outlaw attitudes prevalent in traditional Western productions. When television became popular in the late 1940s and 1950s, TV Westerns quickly became an audience favorite, with 30 such shows airing at prime time by 1959. Traditional Westerns faded in popularity in
7943-404: The soap opera genre and put it into a Western setting, with established TV Western star Jim Davis as patriarch Jock Ewing . The 1990s saw the networks filming Western movies on their own. These include Louis L'Amour's Conagher starring Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross , Tony Hillerman's The Dark Wind , The Last Outlaw , The Jack Bull , The Cisco Kid , The Cherokee Kid , and
8112-557: The "Fall Preview" (an issue featured since the magazine's inaugural year in 1953, which features reviews of new series premiering during the fall television season), "Returning Favorites" (first published in 1996, featuring previews of series renewed from the previous television season returning for the upcoming fall schedule), "Winter Preview" (first published in 1994 and later known as the "(year) TV Preview" from 2006 to 2009, featuring previews of midseason series) and "The Best Children's Shows on TV" (first published in 1989 and later renamed
8281-501: The "Parents' Guide to Children's Television" in 1990, and finally as the "Parent's Guide to Kids' TV" in 1993, featuring stories and reviews on family-oriented programs). Icons used for other means than identifying listed stations were first added to the magazine around 1956, using the words "SPECIAL" and "COLOR", each set in capital letters inside a rectangular bar, to denote television specials and programs broadcast in color , respectively. TV Guide modified all icons incorporated into
8450-494: The 1960s. The initial cost of each issue was 15¢ per copy (equivalent to $ 1.71 in 2023. The price per issue has gradually risen over the years, selling for $ 4.99 per copy as of 2024). In addition to subscriptions , TV Guide was sold at the checkout counters of grocery stores nationwide. Until the 1980s, the feature pieces included in each issue were promoted in a television commercial . Under Triangle, TV Guide continued to grow not only in circulation, but also in recognition as
8619-603: The 1967–1970 period had been broadcast the previous summer under the title The Ponderosa —opposite the All in the Family spinoff show, Maude , which was a virtual death sentence for the program. The scheduling change, as well as Dan Blocker's death in May 1972, resulted in plunging ratings for the show. David Canary returned to his former role of Candy (to offset Hoss' absence), and a new character named Griff King (played by Tim Matheson )
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#17327733182828788-451: The ABC lineup. 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 . NBC's corporate parent, Radio Corporation of America (RCA), used the show to spur sales of RCA-manufactured color television sets (RCA
8957-597: The British/Australian Western Whiplash set in 1850/60's Australia with four scripts by Gene Roddenberry . Traditional Westerns began to disappear from television in the late 1960s and early 1970s as color television became ubiquitous. With the exception of the short-lived The Cowboys in 1974, 1968 was the last season any new traditional Westerns debuted on television; by 1969, after pressure from parental advocacy groups who claimed Westerns were too violent for television, all three of
9126-428: The Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers 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
9295-693: The Gemstar purchase) was relegated from the log listings to the grids in most editions. From its inception until 2003, TV Guide had offered listings for the entire week, 24 hours a day. Numerous changes to the local listings took place beginning with the June 21, 2003 issue – in just a few select markets, when the 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday listings were condensed down to four grids: these ran from 5:00 to 8:00 a.m., 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. If programming differed from one weekday to
9464-418: The September 13, 2003, "Fall Preview" issue. Other changes were made to the magazine beginning with the June 21 issue in select markets and the 2003 "Fall Preview" issue elsewhere. A half-page daily prime time highlights section featuring the evening's notable shows, movies and sports events – similar to the former "Guidelines" feature – was re-added to the listings section; a full-page "Weekday Highlights" page
9633-649: The TV Guide Network in January 2009. In March 2013, CBS Corporation acquired One Equity Partners' stake of their TV Guide assets. The CBS acquisition was finalized later that month for $ 100 million. On May 31, 2013, CBS bought Lionsgate's share of TV Guide Digital, which includes the website and mobile apps . On January 31, 2014, OpenGate Capital and CBS Interactive announced a deal to cross-promote TV Guide Magazine with TVGuide.com and CBS Interactive's other internet properties (including TV.com , Metacritic and CNET ). In 2020, Red Ventures acquired
9802-469: The TV series Lonesome Dove . Zorro was remade with Duncan Regehr for The Family Channel filmed in Madrid, Spain. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman was an American Western/dramatic television series created by Beth Sullivan. It ran on CBS for six seasons, from January 1, 1993, to May 16, 1998, and won multiple Emmy awards. Walker, Texas Ranger was a long-running Western/crime drama series, set in
9971-594: The Top Five list for nine consecutive seasons (a record that would stand for many years) and thus established itself as the most consistent strong-performing hit television series of the 1960s. Bonanza remained high on the Nielsen ratings until 1971, when it finally fell out of the Top Ten. During the summer of 1972, NBC broadcast reruns of episodes of the show from the 1967–1970 era on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. under
10140-582: The West. The nearest town to the Ponderosa was Virginia City , where the Cartwrights would go to converse with Sheriff Roy Coffee (played by veteran actor Ray Teal ), or his deputy Clem Foster ( Bing Russell ). Bonanza was considered an atypical Western for its time, as the core of the storylines dealt less about the range but more with Ben and his three dissimilar sons, how they cared for one another, their neighbors and just causes. "You always saw stories about family on comedies or on an anthology, but Bonanza
10309-422: The abbreviation "BW") within the listings section. In September 1981, listings began to identify programs presented with closed or open captions or with on-screen sign language interpretation. Being an era when program episodes tended to be faithfully recurring from week to week, TV Guide listings would make note of alterations from the routine or a change in status: "[Gunsmoke is pre-empted]"; "(last episode of
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#173277331828210478-653: The assets of CNET Media Group, including TV Guide, from ViacomCBS. On October 3, 2022, Red Ventures sold TV Guide and other entertainment websites to Fandom Inc. In June 1998, the TV Guide brand and magazine were acquired by United Video Satellite Group , the parent company of the Prevue Channel – a channel first launched in 1981 as the Electronic Program Guide network, that was carried by cable and some satellite television providers and
10647-433: The authority on television programming with articles – the majority of which typically appear in the color section – from both staff and contributing writers. Over the decades, the shape of the TV Guide logo has changed to reflect the modernization of the television screen , eventually adopting a widescreen appearance in September 2003, and then to its current flatscreen appearance in September 2016 (different versions of
10816-436: The beginning and end of the magazine-defined prime time daypart (between 7:30 and 11:00 p.m. or between 6:30 and 10:00 p.m. local time on Monday through Saturdays, and between 7:00 and 11:00 p.m. or between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. local time on Sundays) delineated by a thicker border. Channels listed in the grid were organized by broadcast stations, basic cable channels, and premium channels. In 1983, depending on
10985-524: The best picture and sound quality possible with current technology. CBSHE has released each season in two-volume sets (available together and separately). On May 23, 2023, the remaining seasons 12, 13 and 14 were released on DVD, as well as a box set of the complete series containing all 431 episodes on 112 DVDs. In Region 2, AL!VE AG released the first seven seasons on DVD in Germany between 2008 and 2010. These releases are now out of print as AL!VE has lost
11154-522: The boom in TV Westerns began, thirty such shows were on television during prime time; none had been canceled that season, while 14 new ones had appeared. In one week in March 1959, eight of the top ten shows were Westerns, and an estimated $ 125 million in toys based on TV Westerns would be sold that year. Many were "four-wall Westerns", filmed indoors in three days or less with scripts of poor quality, and
11323-417: The cast quickly became favorites of the first television generation. The order of billing at the beginning of the broadcast appeared to be shuffled randomly each week, with no relation whatsoever to the current episode featured that week. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season of the series. The opening scene for the first season was shot at Lake Hemet ,
11492-477: The cast replaced the galloping trio with the order of the actors rotating from episode to episode, resulting in Blocker or Landon often getting top billing over Greene. Finally, a faster rendition of the original music returned for the 14th and final season, along with action shots of the cast (sans Dan Blocker, who had died by this point). In the fall of 1972, NBC moved Bonanza to Tuesday nights—where reruns from
11661-509: The channel airing the program that a user wished to record were listed after each channel in the channel directory page; one- to eight-digit codes for individual programs were listed in the log listings section following the title of each program.) The PlusCodes expanded to all local editions beginning with the September 14–20, 1991, issue. The September 12–18, 1992, issue saw the addition of bullet icons identifying colorized versions of older feature films. On March 7, 1996, TV Guide launched
11830-492: The character of Hoss was essential, as he was a nurturing, empathetic soul who rounded out the all-male cast. For 14 years, Bonanza was the premier Western on American television. Reruns of the series have aired on several cable networks such as TV Land , INSP, Family Channel, the Hallmark Channel and Great American Faith & Living . Episodes ranged from high drama to broad comedy and addressed issues such as
11999-546: The construction of the First transcontinental railroad across the United States, which debuted in 2011 on AMC ; and Longmire , about a modern-day Wyoming sheriff, which debuted in 2012 on A&E . The Mandalorian (2019) is a space Western set within the Star Wars franchise and universe, with its lead character, a Mandalorian , roaming the galactic frontier and borrowing character traits from Clint Eastwood . With
12168-552: The cost of refilming action shots (such as riding clips in-between scenes), as previously shot stock footage could be reused. Below is a survey of costumes employed: It was not unusual for Little Joe Cartwright and Candy Canaday to appear shirtless in various scenes involving manual labor. The horse saddles used by the Bonanza cast were made by the Bona Allen Company of Buford, Georgia. In 1968, Blocker began wearing
12337-486: The cover, was issued for the period from December 25 , 2006 to January 7, 2007. In early 2008, the Monday through Friday daytime and daily late night grids were eliminated from the listings section, and the television highlights section was compressed into a six-page review of the week, rather than the previous two pages for each night. By 2007, TV Guide ' s circulation had decreased to less than three million copies from
12506-460: The description " Local Programming " being used to denote time periods in which syndicated , locally produced or paid programs would air instead of network shows. In September 2006, TV Guide launched a redesigned website , with expanded original editorial and user-generated content not included in the print magazine. On December 22, 2006, TV Guide introduced the magazine's first ever two-week edition. The edition, which featured Rachael Ray on
12675-463: The descriptive log listings for those time periods; this also allowed the grids to be contained to a single page in certain editions that provided listings for more than 20 cable channels. On October 5, 1999, Gemstar International Group Ltd. , the maker of the VCR Plus+ device and schedule system (whose channel and program codes for VCRs using the system for timed recordings were incorporated into
12844-493: The designated market of many editions were the only cable channels listed initially as well as, in certain markets, over-the-air subscription services transmitted over local independent stations (such as ONTV ); local subscription television services were often listed as "STV Programming" or "Subscription Television" for the channel carrying the service, with the service listed separately or, in some editions, not at all. Cable-originated channels – such as HBO , CNN (both of which
13013-494: The digest scale then applied by the parent TV Guide Magazine . The magazine ceased publication following the Spring 1996 issue, with some content covered by the spin-off magazine continuing to be featured in TV Guide ' s annual "Parents' Guide to Kids TV" issue. ReMIND Magazine is a monthly publication dedicated to popular culture nostalgia, specifically in relation to the 1950s–1990s. ReMIND , like TV Guide Magazine ,
13182-402: The distinctive logos used by particular stations (for example, the "Circle 7" logo used for many years primarily by stations either owned by, or affiliated with, ABC). (Black-and-white ads for general products, services and special offers, similar to those seen in other national magazines, were also placed in the listings section.) A regular feature of the listings section was "Close-Up", usually
13351-587: The edition which were scheduled to air the advertised show) were included within the listings. Ads for major network programs were generally produced by the networks themselves (and often, the networks would run a full-page or even a double-truck ad for an entire night of programming, or for a major movie or special, or for the season premiere of a Saturday morning cartoon lineup); ads for locally produced programs, including local newscasts, were produced by individual stations (network affiliates as well as independent stations). Such locally provided ads almost always used
13520-462: The edition, a new feature was added, the "Pay-TV Movie Guide" (renamed the "Premium Channels Movie Guide" in 1997), initially preceded the listings before being moved to the pages immediately following the Friday listings in January 1989, resulting in the national section – which had been cordoned into two sections, both preceding and following the local section – being consolidated into the first half of
13689-439: The end of critic Matt Roush's presence on TVGuide.com. The editorial content of the magazine was launched on a new site, TVGuideMagazine.com, which did not feature TV Guide ' s listings in any form. TVGuideMagazine.com was later shut down on June 1, 2010; TV Guide Magazine and TVGuide.com then entered into a deal to restore content from the magazine to the latter website, which Lionsgate Entertainment had bought along with
13858-408: The environment, substance abuse , domestic violence , anti-war sentiment, and illegitimate births . The series sought to illustrate the cruelty of bigotry against Asians, African Americans , Native Americans , Jews , Mormons , the disabled , and little people . Bonanza is uniquely known for having addressed racism , not typically covered on American television during the time period, from
14027-566: The film description – began appearing before a film's synopsis in an italicized format (replacing the generic "MOVIE" header that had been used to identify films since the magazine's inception), and children's programs that were compliant with the Children's Television Act of 1990 began to be designated by a circular " E/I " icon. In addition, infomercials (which had been designated under the boilerplate title "COMMERCIAL PROGRAM[S]" until 1994, and "INFORMERCIAL[S]" thereafter) ceased being listed in
14196-862: The genre became enormously popular. Notable TV Westerns include The Lone Ranger with Clayton Moore , The Gene Autry Show with Gene Autry , Gunsmoke with James Arness , Cheyenne with Clint Walker , Have Gun – Will Travel with Richard Boone , Sugarfoot with Will Hutchins , Wagon Train with Ward Bond and Robert Horton , Maverick with James Garner and Jack Kelly , Trackdown with Robert Culp , Wanted Dead or Alive with Steve McQueen , Bronco with Ty Hardin , Bat Masterson with Gene Barry , The Rifleman , Rawhide with Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood , Bonanza with Pernell Roberts and Dan Blocker , Laramie , The Virginian with James Drury and Doug McClure , The Big Valley with Barbara Stanwyck , The High Chaparral , and many others. By 1959, four years after
14365-563: The genre's enormous popularity mystified even its creators; TIME quoted one of the about 100 writers for TV Westerns as wondering "I don't get it. Why do people want to spend so much time staring at the wrong end of a horse?" A horse cost up to $ 100 a day, compared to $ 22.05 for an extra; increasing production costs caused most action half-hour series vanishing in the early 1960s to be replaced by hour long television shows, increasingly in color. Two unusual Western series of this era are Zorro , set in early California under Spanish rule, and
14534-482: The growth of cable television and direct broadcast satellites , reruns of Westerns have become more common. Upon its launch in 1996, TV Land carried a block of Westerns on Sundays; the network still airs Bonanza and the color episodes of Gunsmoke to the present day, which make up several hours of their daytime schedule. Encore Westerns , part of the Encore slate of premium channels, airs blocks of Western series in
14703-566: The iGuide, originally developed by the News Corporation- MCI joint venture Delphi Internet Service Corp. as a web portal , which featured more comprehensive television listings data than those offered by the magazine (with information running two weeks in advance of the present date), as well as news content, TV Guide editorial content and a search feature called CineBooks, which allowed users to access detailed information on about 30,000 film titles. Later that year, content from
14872-493: The last station signed off following prime time programs of the calendar day before, possibly as late as 4:00 a.m. The next day's listings could begin as early as 5:00 a.m., or earlier. The advent of cable television would pose challenges to TV Guide . Cable channels began to be listed in the magazine in 1980 or 1981, depending on the edition; the channels listed also differed with the corresponding edition. Regional and national superstations available on cable systems in
15041-445: The late 1960s and early 1970s, Whitman Books published several hardcover novels aimed at young readers, such as Killer Lion by Steve Frazer (1966). Bonanza Gold (2003–2009), a quarterly magazine, featured detailed information about the show, including interviews with guest actors and other production personnel, articles about historical events and people depicted in the series, fan club information and fan fiction . All 14 seasons of
15210-521: The late 1960s, while new shows fused Western elements with other types of shows, such as family drama, mystery thrillers, and crime drama. In the 1990s and 2000s, slickly packaged made-for-TV movie Westerns were introduced. The Saturday Afternoon Matinee on the radio were a pre-television phenomenon in the US which often featured Western series. Film Westerns turned John Wayne , Ken Maynard , Audie Murphy , Tom Mix , and Johnny Mack Brown into major idols of
15379-423: The lead pages of the color section); "Cheers and Jeers" (a critique page about various aspects of television programming); "Hits and Misses" (featuring brief reviews of select programs in the coming week, rated on a score from 0 to 10); "Guidelines" (a half-page daily section featuring highlights of five or six programs of interest); horoscopes; recaps of the previous week's storylines on network daytime soap operas ;
15548-469: The listings format for all local editions until April 2004. The formation of TV Guide as a national publication resulted from Triangle Publications' purchase of numerous regional television listing publications such as TV Forecast (which was circulated in the Chicago area and, upon its first publication on May 9, 1948, was the first continuously published television listings magazine), TV Digest (which
15717-568: The local listings section in May 1969, changing the font for the TV-shaped bullets identifying local stations from Futura to the standard Helvetica and using similarly TV-shaped bullets marked with the abbreviation "C" to denote color programs (replacing the bar/text icons that had been previously used). As color programming became more ubiquitous, in August 1972, the magazine opted to identify programs originating in black and white (marked under
15886-730: The local listings section, detailed synopses were gradually restricted to series and specials – usually those airing in evening " prime time " timeslots – as well as movies airing on broadcast television, while shorter synopses were used for programs seen on broadcast stations outside of the edition's home market and select cable channels; and only the title along with basic supplementary information (such as genre and/or program length) for most other broadcast and cable programs. In addition, black-and-white ads for programs scheduled to air on broadcast stations – and later, cable channels – during prime time (with local airtimes, and for broadcast stations, information for network-affiliated stations featured in
16055-627: The log listings began incorporating content ratings for programs assigned through the newly implemented TV Parental Guidelines system (the system's content ratings were subsequently added upon their introduction in October 1998). News Corporation sold TV Guide to the United Video Satellite Group, parent company of Prevue Networks , on June 11, 1998, for $ 800 million and 60 million shares of stock worth an additional $ 1.2 billion (this followed an earlier merger attempt between
16224-439: The log's synopses. The "Premium Channels Movie Guide" was also restructured as "The Big Movie Guide", with film listings being expanded to include those airing on all broadcast networks and cable channels featured in each edition (as well as some that were not listed in a particular local edition), as well as movies that were available on pay-per-view (page references to the films included in this section were also incorporated into
16393-433: The logo – the only cosmetic difference being the utilization of different typefaces – are currently used respectively for the magazine and the separately owned, CBS-managed digital properties). At first, the logo had various colored backgrounds (usually black, white, blue or green) until the familiar red background became the standard in the 1960s with occasional customizations being utilized for special editions. The magazine
16562-618: The magazine began hosting the TV Guide Awards , an awards show (which was telecast on Fox) honoring television programs and actors, with the winners being chosen by TV Guide subscribers through a nominee ballot inserted in the magazine. The telecast was discontinued after the 2001 event. The July 17–23, 1999, edition saw the evening grids scaled down to the designated prime time hours, 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. (or 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.) Monday through Saturdays and 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. (or 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.) on Sundays, to complement
16731-488: The magazine ceased publication in April 2024, with some of the content incorporated into an expanded section of the regular TV Guide magazine. TV Weekly is a weekly magazine that offers television listings for viewers in the local markets, featuring the local channels and regional cable networks alongside the major network and cable outlets. The settings are similar to TV Guide's national listings. TV Guide Crosswords
16900-415: The magazine conducted its national launch. The launch as a national magazine with local listings in April 1953 became an almost instant success. However, the circulation decreased over subsequent weeks, even as the magazine's distribution expanded to five additional cities (Pittsburgh, Rochester , Detroit , Cleveland and San Francisco ) throughout the summer of 1953. By mid-August of that year, sales of
17069-428: The magazine during time periods in which stations aired them. (Time-brokered programs continued to be listed in the magazine, but were primarily restricted to religious programming.) Replacing the text identifiers that had been included within the film synopses, theatrically released films also began to be identified by a black-and-white boxed "M" symbol, accompanied depending on the film by its star rating (a formula, on
17238-400: The magazine had dropped 200,000 copies below that of the first issue. TV Guide ' s fortunes began to turn around with the September 4–10, 1953, issue – the magazine's first "Fall Preview" issue – when circulation hit 1,746,327 copies; circulation levels increased steadily over time, to the point where TV Guide eventually became the most read and circulated magazine in the United States by
17407-573: The magazine originally promoted mainly in full-page advertisements), the CBN Cable Network (now Freeform ), the Alpha Repertory Television Service (ARTS, later succeeded by A&E through its 1984 merger with The Entertainment Channel) and Nickelodeon – were added gradually between the winter of late 1981 and the first half of 1982, depending on the edition. To save page space, TV Guide incorporated
17576-443: The magazine until 1963. The national TV Guide ' s first issue was released on April 3, 1953, accumulating a total circulation of 1,560,000 copies that were sold in the ten U.S. cities where it was distributed. The inaugural cover featured a photograph of Lucille Ball 's newborn son Desi Arnaz Jr. , with a downscaled inset photo of Ball placed in the top corner under the issue's headline: "Lucy's $ 50,000,000 baby". The magazine
17745-406: The magazine's first 52 years of publication, listings information was displayed in a "log" format, a mainly text-based list of programs organized by both start time and channel, which was the sole method – eventually, primary once prime time grids were incorporated, and later secondary for the final two years of its inclusion of local listings – of displaying program information in TV Guide until
17914-655: The magazine's listings in 1988), and which incidentally was partially owned by News Corporation, purchased United Video Satellite Group. The two companies were previously involved in a legal battle over the intellectual property rights for their respective interactive program guide systems, VCR Plus+ and TV Guide On Screen , that began in 1994. That month, TV Guide debuted a 16-page insert into editions in 22 markets with large Hispanic populations titled TV Guide en Español , which provided programming information from national Spanish language networks (such as Univision and Telemundo ) as well as special sections with reviews of
18083-406: The magazine, including TV Guide Close-Up , TV Guide Sportsview (which was formatted more similarly to the listings section's sports guide than the color column of that name) and TV Guide Insider . After Gemstar's acquisition of TV Guide , the channel began to shift toward airing full-length programs featuring celebrity gossip and movie-focused talk shows alongside the program listings. The channel
18252-562: The magazine. That year, United Video acquired TVSM Inc. (publishers of competing listings guides Total TV and The Cable Guide ) in a $ 75 million all-cash acquisition; as a result, TV Guide merged with Total TV , and began printing a version of the magazine in the latter magazine's full-size format (while retaining the original digest size version) effective with the July 11, 1998, issue. Because most cable systems published their own listing magazine reflecting their channel lineup, and now had
18421-419: The major networks ceased airing new Western series. Demographic pressures and overall burnout from the format may have also been a factor as viewers became bored and disinterested with the glut of Westerns on the air at the time. By 1971, production companies had acknowledged that "the Western idea is out." The two last traditional Westerns, Death Valley Days and Gunsmoke , ended their runs in 1975. While
18590-465: The modern era, in the United States, that starred and later was produced by Chuck Norris . It ran on CBS for nine seasons, from April 21, 1993, to May 19, 2001. For most of their time on air, Dr. Quinn and Walker aired on the same Saturday night lineup. Walker would receive a reboot in 2021, with a prequel, Walker: Independence , following in 2022. In the 1993–1994 season, the Fox network aired
18759-437: The morning and in the afternoon, while the channel airs Western films the rest of the day. MeTV , a digital broadcast channel, includes Westerns in its regular schedule as well, as does sister network Heroes & Icons . The family oriented INSP and Grit , another digital broadcast channel, also carry Westerns on its daytime schedules. INSP, previously a televangelism network, had such success with its Westerns that it adopted
18928-410: The next, the generic descriptor "Various Programs" was listed. The weekday grid maintained day-to-day listings for certain cable channels (primarily movie channels as well as a limited number of basic cable channels such as Lifetime , The History Channel and USA Network ), which were organized separately from the other channels. These changes became permanent in all TV Guide editions beginning with
19097-492: The number of cable channels that were only listed in the grids expanded, with the addition of channels such as BBC America, Soapnet and the National Geographic Channel (some editions also featured a limited number of broadcast stations – either in-market, out-of-market or both – exclusively in the grids). Conversely, sister cable network TV Guide Channel (whose listings were added to the magazine after
19266-634: The number of stations in the immediate and surrounding areas broadcasting the same program at that particular time (usually different affiliates of the same network, based in the primary city as well as in neighboring areas). See the subsection " Listings section ", in the "Editions" section below, for a detailed explanation. Originally, the majority of programs listed in the log each issue featured brief synopses, except for local and national newscasts, and programs airing on certain stations in various timeslots. As other broadcast television stations and cable channels were added, due to set space requirements for
19435-459: The pages comprising each issue. Preceding this addition, some editions carried The "Movie Guide", which also preceded the listings, provided summaries of films scheduled to air over the next one to two weeks on the cable channels included in both the log and grid listings (excluding those featured exclusively in the grids) as well as a first-page summary of the films scheduled to premiere that week (arranged by channel and sub-categorized by title). As
19604-517: The pilot (Pernell Roberts, the sole professional singer of the quartet, abstained and untethered the horse reins). Before the pilot aired (on September 12, 1959), the song sequence, deemed too campy, was edited out of the scene and instead the Cartwrights headed back to the ranch whooping and howling. In a 1964 song, the Livingston-Evans lyrics were revised by Lorne Greene with a more familial emphasis, "on this land we put our brand, Cartwright
19773-546: The popular weekly publication. Printing of the national color section of TV Guide – which incorporates television-related stories, and select feature columns such as program reviews – took place at Triangle's Gravure Division plant – which was known for performing some of the highest quality printing in the industry, with almost always perfect registration – located adjacent to the company's landmark Inquirer Building on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. The color section
19942-405: The prime time and late-night grids. On July 26, 2005, Gemstar-TV Guide announced that TV Guide would abandon its longtime digest size format and begin printing as a larger full-size national magazine that would offer more stories and fewer program listings. All 140 local editions were eliminated, being replaced by two editions covering the time zones within the contiguous United States : one for
20111-489: The prime time grids and log listings). Beginning in January 2004, the midnight to 5:00 a.m. listings (as well as the Saturday and Sunday 5:00 to 8:00 a.m. listings) ceased to include any broadcast stations outside of the edition's home market, leaving only program information for stations within the home market and for cable channels. The magazine's format was changed beginning with the April 11, 2004, issue to start
20280-573: The print publication was added to iGuide as well as content from News Corporation's other media properties. On January 13, 1997, shortly before MCI bowed out of the venture, iGuide was relaunched as the TV Guide Entertainment Network (TVGEN), which was renamed TV Guide Online in 2002. The refocused site covered television, music, movies and sports (with content concerning the latter sourced from Fox Sports ), along with wire news and features from Reuters , Daily Variety and
20449-506: The product as i-Guide after the spin-off of the TV Guide publications. A separate IPG system, TV Guide On Screen , was a brand name for Guide Plus+ , a build of software featured in products such as televisions, DVD and digital video recorders , and other digital television devices providing on-screen program listings. First marketed in the mid-1990s, it was originally owned by Gemstar-TV Guide International before being acquired by
20618-427: The programs' Nielsen rating. Examples include American Idol , Heroes , Lost , Survivor , Gilmore Girls , Veronica Mars , and Project Runway (the latter three being examples a low-rated shows which nevertheless have sizable online followings). Each podcast also ended with a weekly review of that weekend's new theatrical releases. On October 13, 2008, Macrovision sold the money-losing magazine (which
20787-528: The public domain. These episodes have been released by several companies in different configurations, with substandard picture and sound quality, edited, and by legal necessity with the copyright-protected Evans–Livingston theme song replaced with generic western music. In 1973, NBC sold its NBC Films syndication division, and with it the rights to the series, along with the rest of its pre-1973 library, to National Telefilm Associates , which changed its name to Republic Pictures in 1984. Republic would become part of
20956-445: The ranch house; the second was the warm and lovable giant Eric "Hoss" Cartwright ( Dan Blocker ); and the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph, or "Little Joe" ( Michael Landon ). Through exposition and flashback episodes, the viewer learns that each wife was accorded a different ancestry: English, Swedish, and French Creole, respectively. The family's cook was Chinese immigrant Hop Sing ( Victor Sen Yung ). The family lived on
21125-462: The removal of the "Guidelines" feature in the listings section in favor of the new highlight page "Don't Miss" (listing choice programs selected by the magazine's staff for the coming week) in the national color section. Listings for movies within the log also began identifying made-for-TV and direct-to-video films, as well as quality ratings on a scale of one to four stars (signifying movies that have received "poor" to "excellent" reviews). In 1999,
21294-654: The rights. In 2011, StudioCanal acquired the rights to the series and have begun re-releasing it on DVD, and all seasons have now been released but have not been remastered. Episodes of the series have also been officially released as part-works on DVD in France and the United Kingdom. Bonanza "the official first season" was released in Scandinavia during 2010. The first season is released in 4 volumes. The first two volumes were released on October 20, 2010, and
21463-532: The school teacher vows to reform. A coda to the episode reveals that Michelson went on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics . In the episode "Enter Thomas Bowers", the Cartwright family helps the opera singer Thomas Bowers , an African-American freedman , after he encounters prejudice while in Virginia City to perform. Bowers winds up arrested as a fugitive slave. At the beginning of the episode, Adam
21632-415: The second two volumes on April 27, 2011. Bonanza was revived for a series of three made-for-television movies featuring the Cartwrights' children: Bonanza: The Next Generation (1988), Bonanza: The Return (1993) and Bonanza: Under Attack (1995). Michael Landon Jr. played Little Joe's son Benji while Gillian Greene, Lorne Greene's daughter, played a love interest. In the second movie, airing on NBC,
21801-409: The series's long run. In 2002, Bonanza was ranked No. 43 on TV Guide ' s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time , and in 2013 TV Guide included it in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time. The time period for the television series is roughly between 1861 (Season 1) and 1867 (Season 13) during and shortly after the American Civil War , coinciding with the period Nevada Territory became
21970-409: The series)", "Debut: ", "Special". Until the 1970s, double-feature or triple-feature movie presentations by a station would be listed at the starting time of the first feature: "MOVIE--Double Feature", then list the movies with numeric bullets in front of each title and synopsis; subsequent to 1970, the magazine listed each movie in its own time entry. A day's listings continued well past midnight until
22139-591: The series, as even Sen Yung wore an attached rattail- queue . Bonanza features a memorable theme song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that was orchestrated by David Rose and arranged by Billy May for the television series. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. The Bonanza theme song opens with a blazing Ponderosa map and saddlebound Cartwrights. The melodic intro, emulating galloping horses,
22308-467: The short-lived variety series The Gloria Swanson Hour , appeared on the cover of the first issue. Wagner later began publishing regional editions of The TeleVision Guide for New England and the Baltimore – Washington area. Five years later, he sold the editions to Walter Annenberg , who folded it into his publishing and broadcasting company Triangle Publications , but remained as a consultant for
22477-450: The show (as of 5/2023) are available on DVD, as well as 31 non-successive public-domain episodes (without original theme music). The public domain episodes consist of the last 14 episodes of season one, and the first 17 episodes of season two. Additionally, the prequel series, The Ponderosa , as well as the three sequel movies (see below), are all available on DVD. In the TV series Maverick episode "Three Queens Full", Bart ( Jack Kelly )
22646-463: The sources of choice for viewers' program listings. The new version of TV Guide went on sale on October 17, 2005, and featured Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington on the cover. The listings format, now consisting entirely of grids, also changed to start the listings in each week's issue on Monday rather than Sunday. As a result of the elimination of the local editions, broadcast stations were replaced by broadcast network schedules with
22815-424: The spirit of the recently popularized James Bond franchise. F Troop was a satirical sitcom that made fun of the genre. The limited-run McCloud , which premiered in 1970, was essentially a fusion of the sheriff-oriented Western with the modern big-city crime drama. Its companion series Hec Ramsey was a lighthearted who-dunnit mystery series set in the late Western era, starring Richard Boone (previously of
22984-419: The start of prime time within a given time zone ) on the stations mentioned in the corresponding edition; by 1983, it was expanded to a two-page section – which began to take up roughly three-quarters of the two adjoining pages on which it was placed – that included programs airing during the early access and late fringe periods (from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. local time), with
23153-418: The switch to national listings in 2005. This allowed for the display of full titles for each program as well as the inclusion of synopses for movies and most programs. Most listing entries in the log included program genres (and for national news programs, anchors ) after the program's title, while its running time (which was mentioned only if a program lasted a minimum of one hour – later 35 minutes – in length)
23322-467: The syndication distribution rights to the series. CBS Home Entertainment (under Paramount Home Media Distribution ) is the official home video rights distributor at present. Starting in September 2009, CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount ) has to date released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1. All episodes have been digitally remastered from original 35 mm film elements to yield
23491-464: The title Ponderosa while also rerunning more recent episodes on Sunday evenings in the show ' s normal time slot as Bonanza . In the fall of 1972, off-network episodes were released in broadcast syndication to local stations by NBC under the Ponderosa name. After the series was canceled in 1973, the syndicated reruns reverted to the Bonanza name. A handful of early episodes have fallen into
23660-440: The traditional Western Have Gun, Will Travel ; Boone described the characters in each series as very similar ) as a retired gunfighter turned detective. Cimarron Strip , a lavish 90-minute 1967 series starring Stuart Whitman as a U.S. Marshal , was canceled after a single season primarily because of its unprecedented expense. Nichols featured former Maverick star James Garner as a motorcycle-riding, unarmed peacemaker in
23829-589: The traditional Westerns mostly died out in the late 1960s, more modernized Westerns, incorporating story concepts from outside the traditional genre, began appearing on television shortly thereafter. A number of the new shows downplayed the traditional violent elements of Westerns, for example by having the main characters go unarmed and/or seek to avoid conflicts, or by emphasizing fantasy, comedy or family themes. The Wild Wild West , which ran from 1965 to 1969, combined Westerns with science fiction (what later would be termed steampunk ) and an espionage-thriller format in
23998-406: The two companies in 1996 that eventually fell apart). Following the sale, reports suggested that TV Guide would remove program listings from the magazine, shifting them entirely to its new sister cable network Prevue Channel, which would be rebranded as a result of United Video's purchase of TV Guide Magazine ; News Corporation executives later stated that listings information would remain part of
24167-522: The week's biggest new story in the entertainment industry, whether it be a television program or something outside the scope of television show or movie (such as the Academy Awards or the Emmys ). The middle part was devoted to discussion and commentary on individual shows. The podcast emphasized programs that tend to have a large online following even if that following is not necessarily reflected in
24336-400: The week's listings in each issue on Sunday (the day in which television listings magazines supplemented in newspapers traditionally began each week's listings information), rather than Saturday. In July 2004, the overnight listings were removed entirely, replaced by a grid that ran from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. that included only the broadcast stations in each edition's home market and
24505-422: The week's notable programs. The magazine discontinued the insert in March 2000 due to difficulties resulting from confusion by advertisers over its marketing as "the first weekly Spanish-language magazine", despite its structure as an insert within the main TV Guide publication. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of TV Guide as a national magazine, in 2002, the magazine published six special issues: By 2003,
24674-604: The years went on, more cable channels were added into the listings of each edition. To help offset this, the May 11–17, 1985, issue introduced a smaller Helvetica font for the log, along with some other cosmetic changes; in particular, a show's length began to be listed after the show's title instead of at the end of its synopsis. That issue also saw advertising for local stations featured in the corresponding edition be restricted to certain special events, with most program promotions being restricted to those for national broadcast and cable networks. On August 7, 1988, Triangle Publications
24843-418: The younger Blocker's appearance and voice were heavily used in advertisements promoting the "second generation" theme, perhaps misleading audiences to believe that Blocker was playing Hoss' heir. Hoss' son Josh was born out of wedlock, as it is explained that Hoss drowned without knowing his fiancėe was pregnant. Such a storyline might have been problematic in the original series. ( The Big Valley , however, had
25012-499: Was a Shaolin monk , the son of an American father and a Chinese mother, who fought only with his formidable martial art skill. Bruce Lee had proposed a series with a similar concept, The Warrior , but studios rejected it; it would eventually be produced over 40 years after Lee's death. The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams was a family adventure show about a gentle mountain man with an uncanny connection to wildlife who helps others who visit his wilderness refuge. Dallas took
25181-471: Was a quarterly spin-off publication which was first released on newsstands on May 27, 1993. The magazine featured reviews on television shows, home videos, music, books and toys marketed to children ages 2 to 12, as well as behind-the-scenes features centering on children's television shows and films. To limit confusion among readers, the Parents' Guide issues were printed as a standard-size magazine instead of
25350-496: Was a spin-off publication, first published in the late 1980s, based on the crossword puzzle feature in the penultimate page of each issue. The puzzles featured in TV Guide and the standalone magazine featured answers related to television programs, films, actors, entertainment history and other entertainment-related trivia. In addition to the regular magazine, TV Guide Crosswords also published special editions as well as books. TV Guide's Parents' Guide to Children's Entertainment
25519-494: Was added in an attempt to lure younger viewers. Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben's custody and given a job as a ranch hand. Several episodes were built around his character, one that Matheson never had a chance to fully develop before the show was abruptly cancelled in November 1972 (with the final episode airing January 16, 1973). Many fans, as well as both Landon and Greene, felt that
25688-406: Was also added featuring guest and topical information for the week's daytime talk and morning shows as well as picks for movies airing during the day on broadcast and cable channels. In addition, while log listings continued in use for prime time listings, program synopses were added to the grids and log, as well as a " NEW " indicator for first-run episodes, replacing the "(Repeat)" indicator in
25857-410: Was also the primary sponsor of the series during its first two seasons). For Season 3, NBC moved Bonanza to Sundays at 9:00 pm Eastern with new sponsor Chevrolet (replacing The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ). The new time slot caused Bonanza to soar in the ratings, and it eventually reached number one by 1964, an honor it would keep until 1967. By 1970, Bonanza was the first series to appear in
26026-416: Was announced that the podcast would be ending, and the final episode (Episode No. 139) was released on April 10, 2008. TV Guide Talk podcasts were released every Friday afternoon and averaged an hour in length. They featured the participants discussing and commenting on the past week in television and the entertainment industry in general. The beginning of each podcast was devoted to in-depth discussion on
26195-560: Was developed by Lee Wagner (1910–1993), who was the circulation director of MacFadden Publications in New York City in the 1930s – and later, by the time of the predecessor publication's creation, for Cowles Media Company – distributing magazines focusing on movie celebrities. In 1948, Wagner printed New York City area listings magazine The TeleVision Guide , which was first released on local newsstands on June 14 of that year. Silent film star Gloria Swanson , who then starred in
26364-617: Was distributed in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh , and was originally distributed under the title, the Local Televiser , when it was first released on November 7, 1948), and the New York-based Television Guide (which had its title abbreviated to TV Guide on March 18, 1950). Each of the cities that had their own local TV listings magazine folded into TV Guide were among the initial cities where
26533-480: Was first based in a small office in downtown Philadelphia, before moving to more spacious national headquarters in Radnor , Pennsylvania , in the late 1950s. The new facility had a large lighted TV Guide logo at the building's entrance. It housed management, editors, production personnel and subscription processors as well as a vast computer system holding data on every television show and movie available for listing in
26702-416: Was listed (in hours and minutes) in the synopses. Channel numbers were set in a tiny round icon (known as a "bullet") at the beginning of the listing. This bullet was soon modified to be the shape of a TV screen, similar to the shape of the TV Guide logo. In most editions, stations serving a particular edition's immediate local coverage area were denoted with a white numeral for its channel number set inside
26871-477: Was originally formatted to feature a scrolling program guide , short segments featuring previews of upcoming programs, and promos and short-form film trailers for programs airing on various channels. Its new owners promptly rebranded Prevue as the TV Guide Channel on February 1, 1999. With the rebranding, some of the hourly segments featured on the channel at that point were renamed after features in
27040-442: Was published in digest size , which remained its printed format for 52 years. From its first issue until the July 2–8, 1954, issue, listings within each edition of TV Guide began on Friday and ended on Thursday; the July 9–16, 1954, issue began on a Friday and ended on the following Friday. Then, beginning with the July 17–23, 1954, issue, the listings in each week's issue changed to start on Saturday and end on Friday, which remained
27209-474: Was rebranded as the TV Guide Network in 2007. Following the respective sales of TV Guide's magazine and cable channel by Macrovision to OpenGate Capital and Lionsgate, the magazine and TV Guide Network became operationally separate, although the two properties still collaborated on content for TVGuide.com. After CBS Corporation bought stakes in TV Guide's properties in March 2013, TV Guide Network
27378-398: Was rebranded under the abbreviated name TVGN that April to de-emphasize its ties to TV Guide Magazine , as part of a transition into a general entertainment format while the channel gradually decommissioned its scrolling listings grid. The network was relaunched as Pop on January 14, 2015, with its programming focus shifting towards shows about pop culture and its fandom . TV Insider
27547-432: Was reportedly posting revenue losses of $ 20 million per year by that point) to Beverly Hills -based equity fund OpenGate Capital for $ 1, and a $ 9.5 million loan at 3% interest. As part of the sale, however, Macrovision retained ownership of the companion website – which was then sold to equity firm One Equity Partners for $ 300 million – which severed all editorial connections between the magazine and website, including
27716-631: Was sold to the News America Corporation arm of News Corporation for $ 3 billion, one of the largest media acquisitions of the time and the most expensive publication transaction at the time. The November 3–9, 1990, issue saw the addition of VCR Plus+ codes in some of the magazine's regional editions, for users with devices incorporating the technology – which was developed by eventual TV Guide parent Gemstar International Group Ltd. – to input into their VCRs to automatically record television programs. (Two-digit PlusCodes corresponding to
27885-456: Was the first series that was week-to-week about a family and the troubles it went through. Bonanza was a period drama that attempted to confront contemporary social issues. That was very difficult to do on television. Most shows that tried to do it failed because the sponsors didn't like it, and the networks were nervous about getting letters," explains Stephen Battaglio, a senior editor for TV Guide magazine. Though not familiar stars in 1959,
28054-466: Was the style of television Westerns, gunfights played a major role in the movies which featured notoriously inaccurate shooting as well as unlimited ammunition. 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
28223-1028: Was then sent to regional printers to be wrapped around the local listing sections. In addition to TV Guide and its flagship newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer , Triangle Publications also owned the Philadelphia Daily News ; ten radio and six television stations ( WFIL AM - FM - TV in Philadelphia, WNHC AM - FM - TV in New Haven, Connecticut , KFRE AM - FM - TV in Fresno, California , WNBF AM - FM - TV in Binghamton, New York , WFBG AM - FM - TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania and WLYH-TV in Lancaster – Lebanon, Pennsylvania ), as well as The Daily Racing Form ; The Morning Telegraph ; Seventeen ; and various cable television interests. (It
28392-613: Was under Triangle's ownership of WFIL-TV that American Bandstand came to popularity, which, in turn, led to host Dick Clark ascending to become a major television personality.) Triangle Publications sold its Philadelphia newspapers to Knight Newspapers in 1969, its radio and television stations during the early 1970s to Capital Cities Communications (the television stations that are now known as KFSN-TV and WPVI-TV were subsequently acquired by ABC through its 1986 merger with Capital Cities) and various other interests, retaining only TV Guide , Seventeen and The Daily Racing Form . For
28561-424: Was used on the show until 1970 and was located on a backlot at Paramount and featured in episodes of Have Gun – Will Travel , Mannix and The Brady Bunch . In the 1970 premiere episode of the 12th season titled "The Night Virginia City Died", Deputy Clem Foster's pyromaniac fiancée levels the town in a series of fires (reflecting a real 1875 fire that destroyed three-quarters of Virginia City). This allowed for
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