The Real Reason Why a Beloved ‘Bonanza’ Character Quietly Disappeared From the Hit Western Series
Few Western television shows have had such lasting power as NBC’s. Bargain. An impressive series about a rancher and his three sons, the horse opera was a breath of fresh air for many who were accustomed to stories of walking guns for hire or stagnant lawmen. But for the audience who listened Bargain Every week during the show’s 14 seasons, there may have been some confusion around the middle of the series when, all of a sudden, Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) eldest son, Adam (Pernell Roberts), had practically disappeared without a trace. Why did Roberts leave the show? Well, it turns out he had his own off-screen issues with the Ponderosa.
Pernell Roberts became disillusioned with the ‘Bonanza’ brand
The most morally upright of the three Cartwright brothers, Adam was a driving force of the series for its first six seasons. He was second in command to the Ponderosas, always ready to carry out his father’s will, provided he accepted it. But when Season 7 premiered in 1965, the eldest Cartwright heir had left his Nevada home. Behind the scenes, Roberts had become disillusioned with the NBC program. After six years of playing Adam Cartwright, he had, in his mind, done everything he could with the character. Actually, Roberts ultimately left the show due to what he saw as false publicity by the producers.. “They told me the four characters [the Cartwrights] would be carefully defined and the scenarios carefully prepared,” he complained to the Associated Press in 1964, as recorded by The Philadelphia Inquirer. “None of this ever happened.” For Roberts, Adam Cartwright just wasn’t interesting enough for him.
Various reports note that Roberts did not feel challenged by his passage Bargain. The Western star grew increasingly frustrated that Adam, a man in his 30s, continued to follow his father’s orders, often without question. More than that, Roberts, perhaps controversially, believed that Bargain had become mediocre over time. Despite the show’s clear commitment to blending more traditional values and progressive ideals, Roberts insisted that the NBC program was too focused on safety to say anything particularly interesting. “Junk TV,” he called the program, as reported by New York Timesadding that the network “perpetuates banality and contributes to the dehumanization of the industry.” The actor didn’t have much positive to say about his time on the show.
On set, Roberts openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the program, ultimately considering himself above it. “I know they think I’m a troublemaker,” Roberts said. The Dayton Daily Newsaccording to MeTV. “Well, maybe I rock the boat when I don’t like the way it’s sailing.” In fact, the creator of the series David Dortort once recalled an outburst he had with Roberts one night on set. During an interview with the Television Academy, the producer explained that Roberts came to him frustrated that he had never been appreciated on set.. When asking Roberts what he really wanted, the actor explained that he wanted to leave the show. Dortort let him go Bargain on the spot, although the network later negotiated with Roberts’ agent to finish the season, ultimately letting Bargain behind looking for a bigger career.
How did “Bonanza” explain Adam’s absence from the Ponderosa?
Considering the basis Bargain premise, it’s surprising that Adam Cartwright was written out of the series. After all, Ben Cartwright always had a firm grip on his three sons, all born to different mothers who have since died. But the fifth season of the classic western offered Adam a way out through the character of Laura Dayton, played by Katie Brownea widow who quickly caught the attention of the elder Cartwright. For a while, it looked like Adam and Laura were going to make it. The couple became engaged and planned to marry soon, giving Adam an outlet under the Ponderosa. He even planned to build her a house. But when Adam’s cousin, Will Cartwright, newly introduced (Guy Williams), began to love Laura, he took her away and married her instead. Pernell Roberts stayed with the show for another season, ruining a perfect ending for the character.
This successful western was actually a spin-off
This show has heart and kicks ass. What more could you ask for?
So when Adam was nowhere to be seen on Season 7’s “The Debt,” it came as a bit of a shock to those who didn’t know Roberts was leaving the show. Bargain But I never made a fuss about Adam’s absence.. In the third episode of this season, “The Brass Box”, Ben notes that Adam is “absent”, and subsequent episodes add that he sends letters back to his father and brothers. Other episodes indicate that he settled in Boston, while on one occasion, Michael Landon“Little Joe” reveals that Adam is wintering in Paris. One theory is that Adam traveled across Europe. “Home from the Sea” features a supposed shipmate of Adam’s, giving this theory even more weight.
However, we had to wait for the TV movie, Bargain: the returnfor longtime fans to find out where Adam is. It turns out that Cartwright’s eldest son settled in Australia where he ran his own successful mining business. His son, Adam “AC” Cartwright, Jr. (Alistair MacDougall), returns to the United States on his behalf, although Adam contracted malaria in the United States.
“Bonanza” lasted nearly 10 years after Roberts left the western
Despite the departure of Pernell Roberts, Bargain continued to thrive for another eight years on television, barely missing a beat in the process. The series refocused on Ben and his two remaining sons, Joe and Hoss (And blocker), adding new characters to the roster, such as “Candy” Canaday (David Canary), adoptee Jamie Cartwright (Michael Vogel) and Griff King (Tim Matheson), to cope with Adam’s absence. But in reality, Adam’s absence wasn’t much of a problem. Although Roberts may have felt he was finally above the iconic Western drama, Bargain proved it could continue effortlessly without him.
