Date: September 19, 1971

Summary: After Jamie’s disobedience causes the death of a horse, Ben takes him on a camping trip around the Ponderosa. They encounter all kinds of adventures on this trip, which help to teach Jamie about responsibility.

Written by: John and Ward Hawkins (Teleplay), William Koenig (Story)
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars: Charlotte Stewart (Betsy Rush), Med Flory (Clint Rush), Ted Gehring (Harlow), Ralph Moody (Tall Pony)


Slideshow courtesy of January
images courtesy of Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: September 26, 1971

Summary: Conway, an outlaw, is sentenced to five years in jail based on Hoss’ testimony. Conway’s wife has a drinking problem and she gives her son to Hoss. Hoss tries to help Mrs. Conway so she can get her son back.

Written by: Ward Hawkins
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Guest Stars: Susan Tyrrell (Jill Conway), Arthur O’Connell (Dr. Hubert), Ford Rainey (Judge Simms), Lillian Field (Katie Tomlin), Johnny Lee (Petey Conway)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: October 3, 1971

Summary: Little Joe is shot and his wounds are causing infection and delirium. The doctor struggles to save his life as Hoss and Ben search for his attackers.

Written by: Preston Wood
Directed by: William Wiard
Guest Stars: Evans Thornton (Flanders), Sandy Rosenthal (Steen), Keith Carradine (Ern), Victoria Thompson (Julia) Richard O’Brien (Griswold)


Image courtesy of Bejules and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: October 10, 1971

Summary: Hoss is tricked into being the judge at a beautiful baby contest in Virginia City. All of the mothers start to use pressure, including bribes and threats, to get Hoss to vote for their baby.

Written by: Preston Wood (Teleplay), Robert Vincent Wright (Story)
Directed by: Herschel Daugherty
Guest Stars: Jack Manning (Henry Clagger), Patricia Harry (Cissy Porter), Edward Andrews (Bert), Ellen Moss (Elaine Summers)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: October 17, 1971

Summary: Little Joe is given the job of taking a prisoner to jail. The job is made difficult because more than one person is trying to help the prisoner escape.

Written by: Arthur Heinemann
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars: Michael Whitney (Hank Simmons), Morgan Woodward (Sheriff Clyde Moorehouse), Manuel Padilla (Pedro), Priscilla Garcia (Maria)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: October 24, 1971

Summary: Hoss buys a stallion from Norma O’Casey. Norma is in the process of leaving her husband who is a swindler who has broken promise after promise to his daughter, Cassie. Everyone ends up on the Ponderosa where Cassie tells Hoss not to race his new stallion against her father’s horse.

Written by: True Boardman
Directed by: Herschel Daugherty
Guest Stars: Jack Cassidy (Kevin O’Casey) Diane Baker (Mrs. Norma O’Casey), Lisa Gerittison (Cassie O’Casey), Walker Edmiston (Auctioneer), Lindsay Workman (Kendall), Jen Arvan (Jensen), Elliot Lindsay (Larson), Harry Holcombe (Doc Martin)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: October 31, 1971

Summary: Dr. Sloan is busy delivering a neighbor’s baby while his wife, who is home alone, loses their son during childbirth. She blames her husband and starts packing to leave. Under tremendous stress after losing his son and his wife, Dr. Sloan takes the neighbor’s baby thinking it is his own.

Written by: Michael Landon
Directed by: Michael Landon
Guest Stars: Richard Mulligan (Dr. Mark Sloan), Diana Shalet (Ruth Sloan), Dan Ferrone (Eli Johnson), Ann Whitsett (Anne Johnson)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: November 14, 1971

Summary: A murder is witnessed by Neta, a friend of Jamie’s. Jamie sees the body, but when he brings Joe and Ben to the spot, it has disappeared. Neta is too frightened to identify the killer. The story becomes more complicated when the killer is hired to work on the Ponderosa.

Written by: Ken Pettus
Directed by: Chris Christenberry
Guest Stars: Bradford Dillman (Griff Bannon), Jewel Blanch (Neta), Tom Gillerman (Trumbell)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: November 21, 1971

Summary: A blind man comes to the Ponderosa searching for and seeking revenge against his brother’s killer. With Jamie’s help, they find the killer before the posse does.

Written by: John Hawkins (Teleplay), Robert Pirosh (Story and Teleplay)
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Guest Stars: Rip Torn (Will Hewitt), Don Knight (Clayton), Loretta Leversee (Laurie Hewitt), Charles Maxwell (Keeley), James Chandler (McKay)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date:November 28, 1971

Summary: Actress Lola Fairmont is coming to Virginia City, but a washed out bridge makes it impossible for the stage to cross the water. Things get complicated when the actress’s old boyfriend shows up as Hoss is carrying her across the creek.

Written by: Harold Swanton
Directed by: Leo Penn
Guest Stars: Mariette Hartley (Lola Fairmont), Mills Watson (Fontaine), Stefan Gierasch (Grady), Allen Garfield (Charlie), Jack Collins (Mayor), John McCann (Bennett)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: December 5, 1971

Summary: An infamous gang of outlaws passing through Virginia City on their way to prison manage to take Jamie and three other children hostage. The outlaws show up at the Ponderosa demanding $10,000 ransom for each child.

Written by: Gordon T. Dawson
Directed by: William Wiard
Guest Stars: Neville Brand (Doyle), David Sheiner (Fancher), Steven Darden (Price), Don Keefer (Tobias Temple), Chris Beaumont (Lester), Richard Yniquez (Ricardo), Michele Nicholas (Judith), Joaquin Martinez (Chavez), Larry Finley (Centro), Biff Maynard (Sugins), Scott Walker (Amber), Bobby Hall (Goatman), John Quade (Tallman), Eleanor Berry (Emily Fancher)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: December 12, 1971

Summary: Luke and Meena Calhoun are back on the Ponderosa! Luke is running gambling games in the bunkhouse and Meena is in Hop Sing’s kitchen when she is not out looking for a husband.

Written by: Jack B. Sowards
Directed by: Joseph Pevney
Guest Stars: Dub Taylor (Luke), Ann Prentiss (Meena), Lyman Ward (Pete), Dan Scot (Dave), Channing Polluck (Carter), Robert Lustier (Garvey)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: December 19, 1971

Summary: Jamie is getting into fights at school but won’t tell Ben the reason. Jamie’s teacher explains to Ben that Jamie’s dream is to become a Cartwright. Ben has started proceedings, but can’t finalize the adoption if there are any blood relatives in existence. As the final papers are about to be signed, Jamie’s grandfather shows up to take Jamie back East.

Written by: Jean Holloway
Directed by: Leo Penn
Guest Stars: Will Geer (Paris Callahan), Ford Rainey (Judge Taylor), Robert Karnes (Jess McLean) Phyllis Love (Miss Griggs), Robert Harradine (Piney McLean)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: December 26, 1971

Summary: Joe is stranded on the desert and a young Paiute boy steals his gun. After seeing the gun, his grandfather brings Joe back to the reservation and cares for him. Feeling better Joe is escorted to the nearest town and ends up in the middle of a battle between an important man in town and the grandfather.

Written by: Robert Blood, Arthur Heineman, Charles Goodwin
Directed by: Arthur H. Nadel
Guest Stars: Forrest tucker (Frank Ryan), Chief Dan George (Red Cloud), Linda Cristal (Teresa), Patrick Duarte (Swift Eagle), Russ Martin (Sheriff), Lee DeBroux (Elias), M Emmet Walsh (Mattheson, John Wheeler (Hill)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: January 2, 1972

Summary: While on his annual three week vacation Hop Sing meets and befriends a young American girl. They decide to get married but are stopped by a law preventing interracial marriages.

Written by: John Hawkins
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars:Kelly Jeans Peters (Missy), Peter Hobbs (Judge Hill), Harry Willis (Sand)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: January 9, 1972

Summary: Hoss and Joe take on the huge job of searching for Jamie on the Ponderosa. They try to enlist the aid of a psychic. The woman with “second sight” refuses to help as she fears she will be labeled as a witch.

Written by:Arthur Weingarten, Suzanne Clauser
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Guest Stars: Joan Hacket (Judith), James Booth (Jess), Larry Ward (Harve), Bob Gravage (Station Master), Don Adkins (Stableman)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: January 16, 1972

Summary: Feeling old, Ben takes a bet that he couldn’t find a job as Ben “Brown.” Working as a ranch hand, Ben discovers that Ben Cartwright is being framed for stealing land, hated, and is the cause of an impending range war.

Written by: John Hawkins (Teleplay), Samuel A Peoples (Story and Teleplay)
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars:Buddy Ebsen (Cactus Murphy), Don Collier (Paul Walker), Charles H. Gray (Cass Breckenridge), Jay MacIntosh (Sally), Dick Farnsworth (Tate), Henry Wills (Yokum), Hal Riddle (Tiller)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: January 30, 1972

Summary: A Serbian family falls on hard times and the husband feeling that he is not providing enough for his family starts to go crazy. His wife and son run away trying to escape his violent behavior. When Ben tries to help, he too becomes the target of the man’s rage.

Written by: Preston Wood (Teleplay), Karl Tunberg (Story)
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Guest Stars:Kathleen Widdoes (Anna), Michael Pataki (Nick), Jason Karpf (Sandor), Emile Meyer (Cherokee), Troy Melton (Slim)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: February 6, 1972

Summary: Ben, Hoss and Joe travel to Mexico on business. When Joe goes to town to hire some hands and doesn’t return, Hoss goes into town looking for him. They both end up in jail because of some very strange laws. The story of what happens is told in flashback.

Written by: Joseph Bonaduce
Directed by: Joseph Pevney
Guest Stars: Alfonso Arau (Simon), Alan Oppenheimer (Ernesto), Pilar Saurat (Ines), David Renard (Padre), Maria Grimm (Leonora), Mike de Anda (Blacksmith), Annette Cardona (Carmen), Mallia Saint Duval ((Raquel), George Cervera (Rafael), Tony deCosta (Jose)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers Gallery

Date: February 13, 1972

Summary: A former confederate soldier, Shanklin, invades the Ponderosa, shooting Hoss and demanding money. As Ben scrambles to find the huge sum of gold and silver, Hoss faces amputation of his leg.

Written by: William Kelley
Directed by: Leo Penn
Guest Stars: Charles Cioffi (Shanklin), Woodrow Parfrey (Dr. Ingram), Karl Lukas (Irons), Rance Howard (Bosardus), Cark Gordon (Beasley), Michael Clark (Brackney), Scott Walker (Grange), Dehl Berti (Ritter), Denny Hall (Beecher)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonanza Boomers gallery.

Date: February 20, 1972

Summary: Ben is trying to finalize a land deal with Sid Langley, a man he has disliked for years. Suffering from an earlier concussion, Ben passes out. When he awakens, the previous day is a blank and he is facing a noose for the murder of Langley.

Written by: Don Ingalls
Directed by: Leo Penn
Guest Stars: Albert Salami (Sheriff), Pamela Payton-Wright (Zeena), Lucille Benson (Mrs. Melody), Gerald Hiken (Dr. Penner), Lawrence Montaigne (Sid Langley)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonana Boomers gallery.

Date: March 5, 1972

Summary: Seven year old Jonah is killed by the Springer gang during a bank robbery shootout. Joe, Jamie, and Jonah’s grandfather set out together in search of the boy’s killers.

Written by: Michael Landon
Directed by:Michael Landon
Guest Stars: Roscoe Lee Browne (Joshua Morgan), William Watson (Zack), Robert Doyle (Clem), Edward Crawford (Jonah), Jeff Morris (Hal), Joseph Perry (Sheriff Tyson), Dick Farnsworth (Troy), Claudia Bryar (Martha), Sean Kelly (Billy), Harry Holcombe (Dr. Martin), Beverly Carter (Alice), Napoleon Whiting (Bert)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonana Boomers gallery.

Date: March 12, 1972

Summary: Hoss is mistakenly arrested as the youngest brother of an inept gang that has just been released after serving twelve years in prison. When Ben and Joe try to rescue him, they end up in jail too.

Written by: Michael Landon
Directed by: Michael Landon
Guest Stars:Strother Martin (Cole Younger), Chuck McCann (Lonnie Younger), Ted Gehring (Bart Younger), Henry Jones (Sheriff), Doc Severinsen (Hotel Manager), Ken Lynch (Warden), James Jeter (Stage Guard), John Steadman (Sam), William Challee (Pa Younger)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonana Boomers gallery.

Date: March 19, 1972

Summary: When friend, Rose Beckett and her daughter arrive at the Ponderosa, Ben doesn’t know that they are hiding from the law. Rose's husband is wanted by the law. Ben works with the family to get the charges against the man dismissed.

Written by: William P. Gordon (Teleplay and Story), Ward Hawkins (Story)
Directed by: Herschel Daugherty
Guest Stars: Suzzane Pleshette (Rose), Hurd Hatfield (Major Donahue), Jon Sypher (Ransom), Jodie Foster (Bluebird), John Perak (McLeod), Edward Knight (Sgt. Brown), Wayne Sutherlin (Thibideaux), Stephen Coit Plummer), Biff Manard (Harsfield), Richard Ryal (Boardman), Reid Smith (Wells), Robert Ridgely (Liscomb), Jay Jones (Twohy)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonana Boomers gallery.

Date: March 26, 1972

Summary: Hoss, Joe, and Jamie decide to get rich by selling their shares in a rundown saloon. The plot thickens when they realize that the former owner may have hid something valuable in the saloon.

Written by: Joseph Bonaduce
Directed by: William Wiard
Guest Stars: Alan Oppenheimer (Dalrymple), Loretta Swit (Ellen Sue), Richard Kiley (Dan Bellington), Andrew Duggan (Delando), Edmond O’Brien (Burtelson), Gene Andrusko (Eric)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonana Boomers gallery.

Date:April 2, 1972

Summary: With the Cartwrights out of town, Ben’s look-a-like is back and still trying to steal the Ponderosa fortune. Posing as Ben, Bradley Meredith convinces Virginia City that the elder Cartwright is dying and wants to change his will to leave all his money to charity.

Written by:Stanley Roberts
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Guest Stars: Lorne Greene (Bradley Meredith), Greg Mullavey (Jordan), Kate Jackson (Ellen), Harry Holcombe (Dr. Martin), William Mims (Williams), Jack Collins (Mayor Harlow), Bill Zuckett (Matt Fowler), Harlan Warde (Osgood)


Image courtesy of Tracy and Bonana Boomers gallery.