When Bonanza first galloped onto tv screens in 1959, it turned an instantaneous hit. Viewers had been drawn to the Cartwright household and their adventures on the Ponderosa, and Pernell Roberts, who performed eldest son Adam, shortly turned a fan favourite. However behind-the-scenes drama led the Cartwright household to interrupt aside lengthy earlier than the hit present got here to a conclusion.
Roberts got here from the world of theater, and he took performing significantly. Earlier than Bonanza, he had already gained popularity of his efficiency in Macbeth and had ambitions that stretched far past TV westerns.