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The cast of the television series 'Bonanza' attend an award ceremony, circa 1960. "Bonanza" aired on NBC from 1959 to 1973, making it the second longest-running Western series on American network television. The show portrayed the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, led by their father Ben Cartwright, who had been widowed three times. Ben had three sons, each born to a different wife. After being widowed for a third time, Cartwright heads west to start a new life. After Bonanza ended, many of the cast members passed away.