Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse under the Metromedia Restaurant Group. The names of the restaurants were derived from the classic TV series "Bonanza", which was set at a place called Ponderosa Ranch. In 1963, Dan Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright on "Bonanza", started the Bonanza Steakhouse chain. The first Bonanza opened in Westport, Connecticut. Sam Wyly and his brother Charles Wyly bought the small Bonanza restaurant chain three years later. The company grew to approximately 600 restaurants by 1989, when the Wylys sold it to Metromedia. In 1965, Dan Lasater, Norm Wiese and Charles Kleptz founded Ponderosa in Kokomo, Indiana, moving the headquarters to
Bonanza: The Next Generation 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 the characters from the original series appears since the entire cast, with the exception of Pernell Roberts and Michael Landon, had died. Lorne Greene had signed to reprise his role as patriarch Ben, but died shortly before production began. He was replaced by veteran actor John Ireland, who played Ben's brother Aaron. The movie features Michael Landon Jr.