1970s in American television
With the rise in socially responsible programming, the television western slowly died out. The first programs to end were The High Chaparral and The Virginian in the spring of 1971. Bonanza ended a year after  actor Dan Blocker died during surgery in 1972. CBS's Gunsmoke ended with a star-studded series finale in 1975. During this time, Kung Fu, airing from 1972 to 1975, had a mix of Eastern philosophy and martial arts. Bonanza actor Michael Landon was on a television version of the popular children's book series Little House on the Prairie. The series first aired in 1974 and ran for eight years. The competitor of the program was CBS's The Waltons. It was about family unity during a different time and place (Virginia) during the Great Depression.