The official Season 7 DVD release for the TV classic Bonanza comes out on September 2, in two sets comprising 33 episodes and a barrel full of extras. Here is a review of the 9 discs that make up the two sets.
The Episodes: I should start this review with a confession: Despite being a huge fan of classic TV, I don’t think I had ever seen a full episode of Bonanza before getting a hold of this set to review. Of course, I had heard of the show; the opening titles are classic, and I always knew it was the show Michael Landon did before Little House on the Prairie and Highway To Heaven. I was familiar enough to know that Lorne Greene played patriarch Ben Cartwright, and I knew that “Hoss” was the gentle giant brother of the bunch. Beyond that: I was an empty slate, which made reviewing this show an extra treat, that made me curious to read about the show’s history. I was surprised to see that the show was always in color, at a time before most shows were done in color, even as late as 1965 which is when Season 7 started.
Season 7 is the first season without Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright; as such, the opening titles were re-shot starting with this season, and extras on the set include stills from that shoot. What amazes me beyond the look of the episodes on this DVD in general is how beautiful the settings are – whether it’s an open range or a quieter moment by a lake. I wonder if something of this scale could exist on TV today, what with filming permits and other restrictions keeping from filming such beauty.
I also appreciate how uncomplicated the series is while still being rich in character. Nowadays with TV, you can’t just hop in on any episode and follow it; here you can, with only the smallest references to continuity (i.e., Adam being away) mentioned within.
Already with the one season set I’ve seen the typical Bonanza trope of one of the brothers or Ben having a doomed romance; but ultimately, that’s okay, because it all goes back to the family and their surroundings. The story of this family went on for *430 episodes* and Season 7 falls smack-dab in the middle of the run, pretty much.
I think it’s also a sign of the times that there are things about the series, or the episodes I had seen, that did make me a little bit uncomfortable, but they are surely tropes of the western genre. Gunfire flies far too easily, including from the heroes of the piece, and that bothers me. But also, in this time before special effects could duplicate such things, I saw way too much gunfire around horses, horses falling over, and that sort of thing. Surely some horses got hurt, and while that might not have been thought of in 1965, it’s thought of now.
The Extras: One of the only other TV-DVD series that has gotten this kind of treatment extras-wise has been I Love Lucy, and I was surprised to see Bonanza got so much respect – respect that is deserved, but it is surprising that so much effort was spent on a series that is 50 years old. I guess the thought is if there aren’t extras, people can just watch these shows in reruns. But anyway: This set includes vintage interviews, audio commentaries, a new featurette, and a ton of photos from on location for what feels like almost every episode. The original NBC peacock logos precede episodes as if you’re watching on the original broadcast. The commentaries are illuminating with details that I don’t think you could even find in a book. I particularly like the commentary from DVD producer Andrew Klyde which tells you details not only about Bonanza, but the many guest stars as well.
Also impressive to me was a rare theatrical cut of the two part “Ride the Wind” which was edited into a movie overseas. This has probably never been seen in the United States before, and it was neat that the producers of this DVD set took the time to include it. There’s also a leukemia PSA from Dan Blocker that was seen in Texas in the mid-1960s.
Finally, while not a video extra, the insides of the DVD cases include details about EVERY episode on each disc, including the credits of the writers and directors who worked on them. Again, not something that needed to be there, but impressive that it was there. I was surprised by some of the credits of these people, with resumes spanning decades.
Graphics & Sound: This set looks better than the show ever looked in 1965. Crystal clear. The DVD case says they are “digitally restored, full-length-episodes with original music,” so there’s that.
The Packaging: I mentioned how I liked the synopses of the episodes. I like that the cases for the sets had unique artwork. I guess a die-hard Bonanza fan would know it’s Season 7 from the notion that there’s only three of them on the front cover.
Is It Worth It? YES. I love that so much effort was put into this set, and for me, it was a piece of TV history that I might not have discovered otherwise. You can see why this show lasted for so long, and violence aside, it’s something the whole family can enjoy.
Bonanza: The Official Seventh Season hits DVD on Tuesday, September 2. Order yours from Amazon.com and support this site. Please note that Volume 2 contains more episodes and the “Ride the Wind” bonus movie.
Season 7, Volume 1 – Season 7, Volume 2 – Both Sets (Best Price)
