Ponderosa (TV series) Ponderosa (TV series) Ponderosa is a television series developed by "Bonanza" creator David Dortort for PAX-TV (now known as ION) that ran for the 2001–2002 television season. Envisioned as a prequel to the long-running NBC series "Bonanza", covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, it had less gunfire, brawling and other traditional western elements than the original. "Bonanza" creator David Dortort approved PAX TV's decision to hire Beth Sullivan, creator and executive producer of "", to oversee scripts and executive produce, which some believe gave
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