defintion
Bonanza - Large pocket of valuable rock, with highly concentrated amounts of gold and/or silver.
Bonanza is an American western/cowboy television series starring Pernell Roberts, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon, which aired on the NBC television network from September 12, 1959 until January 16, 1973. From 1964 through 1967, the show was #1 in the yearly Nielsen ratings. In terms of longevity, the show remains NBC's second longest-running series, after Law & Order. Bonanza was also the first hour-long network television series filmed in color.A running gag (which also occurs in the TV western The Big Valley), was that every time one of the Cartwrights became seriously involved with a woman, she died from a malady, was slain, or left with someone else.
Origins
Bonanza got its name from the Comstock Lode which was "an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit" of silver. Virginia City was founded directly over the lode and was mined for 19 years. Ponderosa was an alternative title of the series, used for the broadcast of syndicated reruns while "Bonanza" was in first-run syndication. Ponderosa is also the name of a series prequel airing on PAX-TV from 2001-02.
TMI? LOL!