Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast

Just in time for the end of spooky season, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 31, “Dark Star”! While hunting a wolf, Little Joe and Hoss stumble upon a young gypsy girl named Tirza. The Cartwrights soon learn she’s been rejected by her people for being born under the “dark star” and is suspected of witchcraft. This unusual Bonanza episode features dramatic gypsy meltdowns, an exorcism of sorts, a su...

This week on the podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 30, “Feet of Clay.” When young Billy Allen’s mother dies, the Cartwrights take him in until his uncle can come for him. What they don’t realize is that Billy’s father, Vance Allen, has recently escaped from prison—and he’s coming for his son. This heartfelt episode explores the bond between fathers and sons, the meaning of “feet of clay” t...

This week on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 29, “Bitter Water.” Todd McCarren has had it with the Cartwrights and decides to sell out for mining, threatening the long-standing water deal between their families. It’s a pretty typical Bonanza setup: hatred for the Cartwrights, a romantic subplot involving one of the brothers, and an ending so rushed that every conflict...

This week we're watching Season 1, Episode 28, “San Francisco.” Arriving in the city for five days, Ben Cartwright warns his sons and hired hands about the dangers of San Francisco and the shanghaiing business... only to have his hired hands—and himself—shanghaied and soon bound for China! Classic Cartwright hijinks await in this episode, as a horrifying practice of the 1860s is turned into a ligh...

This week on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 27, “The Last Trophy”! Lord Marion Dunsford and his wife Beatrice visit the Ponderosa. Once a famous big game hunter, Dunsford is now a shadow of the man he used to be, while Beatrice makes it painfully clear she is no longer interested in the man her husband is now, while setting her sights on...Adam. There may be a cougar...

This week on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 26, “The Avenger"! Ben and Adam Cartwright are facing execution after a shocking murder accusation from Sally Byrnes, leaving Joe and Hoss scrambling to find anyone in town willing to stand up for their family. Enter Vic Morrow as Lassiter, a mysterious stranger with no first name, no history… and an unwavering sense of just...

This week on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 25, “Escape to Ponderosa.” Three army deserters hide out on Cartwright land, nearly beat Adam to death, and are being hunted by their superior officer, Captain Bolton, who wants them dead. Ben is strangely sympathetic to the men who almost killed his son, and the episode tries hard to make us care about Paul Tyler—a deserter...

On this week’s episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 24, "The Stranger." A man named Inspector LaDuke shows up in Virginia City to arrest Ben Cartwright on a 20-year-old murder charge. To make matters more complicated, the accusation is tied to Little Joe’s late mother, Marie, and her mysterious past in New Orleans. This excellent episode offers a gripping look in...

On this week’s episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 23, "Desert Justice." When Ponderosa ranch-hand Dave Walker is accused of murder, U.S. Marshal Emmett Dowd shows up to escort him back to L.A. to stand trial. Concerned for their friend, Adam and Hoss decide to tag along to make sure things stay fair. What could’ve been a gripping character drama turns into a bi...

On this week’s episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 22, "Blood on the Land." Jeb Drummond and his murderous band of sheep herders figure they can do more than just pass through the Ponderosa—they can take it by force. After capturing Adam and holding him hostage, Jeb tries to strong-arm Ben into handing over 50,000 acres of Cartwright land in exchange for his son...

On this episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we watch Season 1, Episode 21, "The Spanish Grant." A woman named Isabella De La Cuesta arrives in Virginia City claiming legal ownership of the Ponderosa and surrounding homesteads. The Cartwrights, (rightfully suspicious) jump into action to uncover the truth behind her supposed Spanish land grants. Adam takes the lead in unraveling this Anastasia s...

On this episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we watch Season 1, Episode 20, "The Fear Merchants." When Jimmy Chang is falsely accused of murdering young Sally Ridley, the Cartwrights step in to ensure his safety and a fair trial. Standing in their way is Andy Fulmer, a mayoral candidate determined to drive "foreigners" out of town. This episode tackles themes of prejudice, racism, and corrupt po...

On this episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we watch Season 1, Episode 19, "The Gunmen." Hoss and Little Joe ride into Texas and are instantly mistaken for the infamous Slade brothers, landing them smack in the middle of a long-standing family feud. Talking points include Henry Hull as the world’s most hospitable sheriff, a group of desperate single women panicking over the town’s lack of men,...

On this episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we watch Season 1, Episode 18, "A House Divided." Shady businessman and Southern sympathizer Frederick Kyle strolls into town, looking to recruit followers to his cause. This episode loosely explores the dangers of putting politics before personal relationships, delivers a dose of soap-opera drama between Joe and Adam, and raises more questions than i...

This week on the podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 17, "The Outcast." When Leta Malvet's family is lynched for attempting a stagecoach robbery, the people of Virginia City waste no time turning against her, convinced she’s no better than her outlaw family. The Cartwrights step in to help, but Adam has a bad feeling—especially when Leta’s shady bad boy boyfriend, Clay Renton, conveniently s...

This week we're watching Season 1, Episode 16, "El Toro Grande". Hoss and Little Joe are sent to purchase a (VERY) pricey bull from Don Miguel and bring him back to the Ponderosa. What follows is pure Looney Tunes-esque hijinks including Hoss punching a bear, Little Joe kissing another man’s fiancée (and dueling him over it), and a determined little boy refusing to part with his beloved bovine. Ye...

This week, Melissa watches Season 1, Episode 15, 'The Last Hunt'. When Hoss and Little Joe stumble upon a pregnant Shoshone woman, they suddenly find themselves on the run from her tribe—and about to deliver her baby! This episode offers a great look at Hoss and Little Joe’s personalities, highlighting their resourcefulness, compassion, and sheer panic when faced with the unexpected challenge of b...

On today's episode, Melissa watches Season 1, Episode 14, 'The Sisters'. Adam Cartwright finds himself romantically involved with popular saloon gal Sue Ellen Terry—but their romance takes a tragic turn when she is shot dead in his arms. As Adam becomes the prime suspect, the real question remains: who pulled the trigger? Was it Sue Ellen's jealous, image-obsessed sister Amelia? A scorned lover, J...

This week on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, Melissa watches Season 1, Episode 13, “Vendetta.” After a deadly shootout with the Morgan gang leaves Ben seriously injured and Billy Morgan dead, Carl Morgan swears vengeance on the Cartwrights. With the town paralyzed by fear and unwilling to come to Ben's aid, this High Noon-inspired episode delivers a dramatic and classic western take on courage and red...

This week on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, Melissa watches Season 1, Episode 12, “The Hanging Posse.” Joe and Adam join a posse on the hunt for the killers of Vannie Johnson, but tensions run high as grief and anger turn the group into a vengeful mob. With the grieving widower and the posse's tracker fueling the fire, the line between justice and vengeance becomes dangerously blurred. Join Melissa a...

Today’s episode is Season 1, Episode 11, “The Truckee Strip”! A Bishop and a Cartwright—can it be? In this Romeo-and-Juliet-inspired episode, star-crossed lovers Joe Cartwright and Amy Bishop try to convince their feuding fathers that their land dispute is only fueling more violence between the families. Jealousy! Chaos! James Coburn! Will the young lovers succeed in their quest, or will the infam...

Today, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 10, "The Magnificent Adah"! When performer Adah Menken arrives in Virginia City, the Cartwright brothers sneak into her show, hoping to glimpse her infamous “nude” act... or so they think. The real shock? Ben has a history with the controversial actress. As the brothers hatch some questionable plans to expose her character, Adah’s old flame, John C. Regan, s...

On today’s episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we’re watching Season 1, Episode 9, “Mr. Henry Comstock,”. The story covers the Canadian swindler famous for discovering the Comstock Lode. This cheesy entry into Bonanza Season 1 explores man’s lust(?) for gold, the gimmicky effects that guitar and harmonica can have on a scene, and the consequences of taking a Paiute princess to a dance without h...

Today on Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, Melissa watches Season 1, Episode 8, “The Philip Diedesheimer Story.” In the aftermath of a devastating mine cave-in, Adam Cartwright partners with renowned engineer Philip Diedesheimer to introduce square-set timbering to Nevada's mines. This episode dives deep into the moral conflict of prioritizing profits over people, delivers heartfelt reflections on love...

On this episode of Yee-Haw! A Bonanza Podcast, we watch Season 1, Episode 7, The Saga of Annie O'Toole—the first of many comedy episodes in the series. The legendary Ida Lupino guest stars as the feisty Annie O'Toole, out to seek her mining claim. Meanwhile, Ben begrudgingly presides over Miners’ Court, Pernell Roberts entertains with theatrical line delivery, and we learn a few new Irish-isms (ev...