HarpistforHim began a thread about Bonanza episodes adapted books or plays; what Bonanza episodes may have been adapted from other TV programs or what other TV programs aired their own version of a Bonanza episode?

 

 

Little House on the Prairie had quite a few episodes that were parallel to Bonanza (A Matter of Circumstance; A Matter of Faith, Silent Thunder; Silent Promises, and a few more that I don't know the names of) but that was probably because of the fact that it was Michael Landon's show. 

Not necessarily an adaptation, but Make Room for Danny, premiering in 1953, with Danny Thomas was the first show to kill off the wife. Danny Thomas later remarried. was this television's first blended family? In 1958, The Rifleman with Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford was the first show to show  a single father raising a child. Bonanza followed a year later. In 1960, Fred MacMurray starred as Steve Douglas in My Three Sons.

Seinfeld?! For years, comedians and others would say that playing a love interest on Bonanza was a literal kiss of death. Playing a love interest on Seinfeld was known as a really short acting gig or The Seinfeld Curse.

13 hours ago, Dana said:

Seinfeld?! For years, comedians and others would say that playing a love interest on Bonanza was a literal kiss of death. Playing a love interest on Seinfeld was known as a really short acting gig or The Seinfeld Curse.

 

On Bonanza, it was known the the Curse of the Blue Dress.

Two and a Half Men: Charlie Harper is the modern (and sleazier) version of Little Joe Cartwright. Both Charlie and Joe's middle name is Francis. Both have a surviving parent who has been married multiple times.

Riverdale Part 1: Granted, Archie Comics started almost eighteen years before Bonanza, now that I have began re-watching Bonanza I wonder if the writers of Riverdale were fans of the classic Western. The relationship between Ben and Little Joe Cartwright reminds me of the bond between Fred and Archie Andrews. Both fathers are their sons' rock. Both Archie and Joe get involved with an older woman. Both young men are hot- headed and impulsive.  

Riverdale Part II: Bonanza was the first show to do so, but both series addressed the death of a main character. When Dan Blocker died, my  understanding is that his character drown.  When Luke Perry, who played Fred Andrews on Riverdale died, Fred died as a result of pushing a lady out of the way when a speeding car came out of nowhere and the car struck him. The real reactions and grief was shown. I cried when best friend F.P. Jones gave the car carrying Fred's body a police escort. I really lost it when Josie played by Ashleigh Murray sang Amazing Grace.

Thank for this ,wasn't the series on netflix?

Hoss's cause of death wasn't addressed on the show; one of the post-series TV movies explained that he drowned rescuing a family that was crossing a river.

 

I think it would have been hard on the cast and crew to do a "Hoss dies" episode, so I'm not surprised they didn't.

8 hours ago, ElayneA said:

Thank for this ,wasn't the series on netflix?

In the U.S., the show is on the CW, but after the season is finished, it becomes available in Netflix.

On 3/28/2022 at 6:04 AM, ellen said:

Hoss's cause of death wasn't addressed on the show; one of the post-series TV movies explained that he drowned rescuing a family that was crossing a river.

 

I think it would have been hard on the cast and crew to do a "Hoss dies" episode, so I'm not surprised they didn't.

Thank you for the clarification.  I remember two other shows acknowledging the death of a cast member. There was Chico and the Man when Freddie Prinze died. There was also News Radio when Phil Hartman died.

On 3/28/2022 at 9:04 AM, ellen said:

Hoss's cause of death wasn't addressed on the show; one of the post-series TV movies explained that he drowned rescuing a family that was crossing a river.

 

I think it would have been hard on the cast and crew to do a "Hoss dies" episode, so I'm not surprised they didn't.

In Forever part one, while Joe and Alice are at the place that he and Hoss used to go to when they were kids, Hoss is mentioned, but not by name. Joe talks a little bit about him in the past tense.

Oh, I think in the last season it's generally recognized that "Hoss" is dead. It's just that they didn't address HOW he died.

Woman of Fire and Taming of the Shrew: Adam is the oldest Cartwright son. Margarita is the oldest daughter in her family. As far as we know Margarita and her sister are their father's only children. When I saw the play, I don't remember the father having any kids. Adam is cool, calm, and collected until Margarita breaks his guitar. Margarita's temperament makes Joe seem downright passive. In Woman of Fire, Margarita's sister dearly loves Margarita. In The Taming of the Shrew, Bianca is a manipulative and rotten girl, not above using tears with her father. Joe is not rotten, but he is not above pouting and cajoling with Ben.

Hound Dog: When Muley Jones told of getting the dogs on the way to the Ponderosa, it made me think of Jack and the Beanstalk.

I apologize. I think I messed up the threads. Hound Dog: when Muley Jones gets the hounds from the stranger, it made me think of the Two and a Half Men episode when Charlie takes Jake to the horse track, bets some money for Jake, and Jake wins $1100. Jake then buys a decrepit old bike.

The Deadliest Game: was this episode Cesar Romero's audition for the Joker on Batman?  I think a better name for this episode would have been Escape from Arkham Asylum: Destination Ponderosa.

The Way Station: A bunch of strangers are thrown together by fate, design, or circumstance. Before Bonanza, there was Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express.There is also Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Dawn Wells was later on Gilligan's Island with Gilligan, the skipper, a movie star, a millionaire and his wife, and the professor. After that, there was Love Boat.

10 hours ago, Dana said:

The Way Station: A bunch of strangers are thrown together by fate, design, or circumstance. Before Bonanza, there was Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express.There is also Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Dawn Wells was later on Gilligan's Island with Gilligan, the skipper, a movie star, a millionaire and his wife, and the professor. After that, there was Love Boat.

After that, there was Love Boat.  

Big shout out to @JC* for making me think of this. The Way Station is not an exact retelling, but I remembered what movie the episode borrowed from: The Petrified Forest (1936). Architect Adam is supposed to be poet Alan Squires beautifully played by Leslie Howard. Marty is Gabrielle Maple, the aspiring artist and poet who wants to rejoin her poet mother on France.  Bette Davis portrays Gabrielle. Bad guy Tim is supposed to be wanted gangster Duke Mantee, played by Humphrey Bogart in his breakout role. Charlie Grapewin, who later played Uncle Henry in The Wizard of Oz, was Gramps.

 

 

 

Broken Ballad and Shades of Shakespeare: when Miss Cass starts falling for Ed Payson, it reminds me of Maria and Tony in West Side Story. Will Cass is Bernardo, but he is also Iago, subtly egging on Billy (Chino/Othello) to kill Ed/ Tony. Adam is Doc, Anita, and Friar Laurence all rolled into one.

The Sisters: The story is different, but  Amelia reminds me of Blanche Dubois and Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. There is the theme of lost youth. Like Blanche, Amelia is jealous of her younger sister. Jealousy is a motif for other reasons. Both Blanche and Amelia have a drinking problem. Adam's "rival" John Henry calls Amelia for wearing white (this case her Dead sister's dress) and how the light does not flatter her. Blanche's "gentleman caller" Mitch forces Blanche to stand in the light.

 

The Savage: when Adam first arrives at Ruth's abode, I was appalled. Helping himself to some food and maybe a blanket would have been understandable, if not right. However, reading the family journals was inexcusable! Anyway, Adam reminded me of Goldilocks snooping in the 🐻 cottage in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The Way We Were: in the 1974 classic tearjerker, Hubbell, played by Robert Redford, tells Katie, played by Barbra Streisand, the great love of his life, he cannot go to her home for a drink, see his daughter, and meet her new husband. The look of regret  and all that has been lost in both their eyes is agonizing. Ditto for Adam and Regina in The Hopefuls when Adam tells Regina he will not be able to visit her in California!