Ponderosa Ranch from the original "Bonanza" series, Lorne Greene's 1964 song "Saga of the Ponderosa", the 1988-95 TV movies, and the 2001 PAX prequel series "Ponderosa"). The ranch house was a single level structure that had a facade second storey. Inside a staircase seemingly led to the first-floor corridor, but it was a dead end. The bedroom scenes were filmed at Burbank Studios. The inspiration for the name may have been the large number of Ponderosa pines in the area or the original Latin meaning of "large" (root of the English word "ponderous"). The exteriors for the television show were occasionally shot
Michael Landon "Bonanza" as Little Joe Cartwright. In 1964, RCA Victor Records released another Landon single, "Linda Is Lonesome"/"Without You". All of Landon's singles have since been issued on compact disc by Bear Family Records as part of a "Bonanza" various artists compilation. In 1959, at the age of 22, Landon began his first starring TV role as Little Joe Cartwright on "Bonanza", one of the first TV series to be broadcast in color. Also starring on the show were Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, and Dan Blocker. During "Bonanza"'s sixth season (1964–1965), the show topped the Nielsen ratings and remained number one