Single Father Figure
When Bonanza first aired in September 1959, other TV sitcoms depicted their father figures as dummies who need their wives to manage their everyday tasks. David Dortort, the show’s producer, decided to change that. He wanted to portray Ben Cartwright as independent, capable, and respectful, whether it was in his personal life or career. Each woman Ben courted was either killed off the show or ran away with someone else.
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To make sure Ben and the other Bonanza characters had enough screen time, Dortort increased the show’s run-time from a half-hour to an hour. This allowed the writers enough time to explore the show’s characters and personalities. Dortort’s decision worked, and the actor Lorne Greene received several fan letters from teenagers wishing he was their father.