Ponderosa Ranch According to the Andersons, tourists would regularly show up at their gates asking where the Ponderosa was. Smelling opportunity, the Andersons contacted NBC and "Bonanza" creator-producer David Dortort. They proposed turning their small ranch into a theme park. NBC, Dortort, and the cast saw the tie-in as a "bonanza" for everyone. All parties being of one accord, the cast agreed to promos being shot at the ranch site and the Virginia City set - including the nearby Silver Dollar Saloon - for financial consideration. The ads stimulated revenue for the park. The park opened to the public in 1968, complete
Bonanza: The Return Bonanza: The Return Bonanza: The Return is a 1993 made-for-television film sequel to both the 1959–1973 television series "Bonanza" and the 1988 made-for-television film "". The movie was directed by Jerry Jameson and featured noted character actors Ben Johnson, Jack Elam, Dean Stockwell, Linda Gray, and Richard Roundtree. None of the characters from the original series appears since the entire cast, with the exception of Pernell Roberts and David Canary, were dead. Michael Landon Jr. and Dirk Blocker, sons of the original series' stars, do appear. This film was followed two years later with the TV-movie "". David Canary, who