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
Bonus Bonanza Bonus Bonanza Bonus Bonanza was the official state lottery game show of Massachusetts, running from 1995 to 1998. It was hosted by Brian Tracey and Dawn Hayes. The show was produced at WCVB-TV by Mark Goodson Production later Jonathan Goodson Productions, and all of its games and its theme were virtually identical to the Illinois state lottery game show "Illinois Instant Riches" (later "Illinois Luckiest"). All audience members wore name tags (a la "The Price Is Right") but only those that earned their way on to the show by means of a Massachusetts lottery ticket were chosen to be in