Bonanza 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. 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
Bonanza: The Next Generation as the son of Little Joe Cartwright, and Gillian Greene, daughter of Lorne Greene, as his love interest. The film was written by David Dortort and Paul Savage, and directed by William F. Claxton. "Bonanza: The Next Generation" was the pilot for a television series that was never produced but was followed by "" (1993) and "" (1995). Bonanza: The Next Generation Bonanza: The Next Generation is a 1988 American made-for-television western film and a sequel to the 1959–1973 television series "Bonanza" starring John Ireland, Robert Fuller, Barbara Anderson, Michael Landon Jr., Brian A. Smith and John Amos. None of