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Rating:  -
It is a very well done prequel to the TV classic Bonanza with good acting and the quality of the video and sound is excellent.The only complaint I have about this product is that I have not seen a continuation of these series. Another thing that it's needed to be said is about how well the Ponderosa was directed.
Rating:  -
This was a ridiculous attempt to cash in on the original television series, Bonanza. It was horribly written, and totally disregarded everything that was genuine and beautiful about the Cartwrights as portrayed on Bonanza by Greene, Roberts, Blocker and Landon.
If you loved the original Cartwrights, it's worth re-watching Bonanza and forgetting about this terrible "prequel."
Rating: -
It was fantastic.
The music is brilliant,brilliant,brilliant. I would hire it,buy it just on that alone.
Bruce Rowland,the Austalian composer is a genius.
Rating: -
The setting is supposed to be Nevada, but "The Ponderosa" has Australia written all over it. The series was filmed in Victoria, Australia and none other than Simon Wincer, the veteran Australian director of the original "Lonesome Dove" mini series and theatrical films like "Quigley Down Under," is in the director's chair for the two-part pilot episode. A few of the lead actors (Daniel Hugh Kelly and Brad Dourif, most notably) are Americans, but most of the supporting cast and guest cast are Australian, a few of whom are even recognizable to American audiences. Mark Lee, who co-starred (with Mel Gibson) in Peter Weir's classic World War I film "Gallipoli" has a prominent role in one episode as does Lewis Fitz-Gerald, who appeared as one of the court-martialed soldiers in another Australian cinema classic, Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant."
As to the episodes, there are some liberties taken with the original Bonanza storyline and some of the stories are a bit on the PC, preachy side, but the acting and production values are strong for this series. In fact, I prefer the town and ranch settings in this series over the original "Bonanza" series, which used studio sets more than this prequel series does. "The Ponderosa" also seems to be more mindful of authenticity, as you can see the actor's breaths when they speak in some episodes that were filmed on chilly days and the town's streets are often very muddy after a rainfall.
The 10 episodes in this set are spread over 3 discs (3 episodes on discs 1 and 3; four episodes on disc 2). The visuals are beautifully rendered on DVD and, in that respect, fans and newcomers (like me) to this series will not be disappointed. However, it's a bit surprising for such a relatively recent series that no extras whatsoever are included on this set . . . no interviews, episode commentaries, etc. I would have been especially interested in seeing some biographies/filmographies for the cast, particularly those Australian cast members with whom I had no familiarity prior to seeing this series.
Fans of TV Westerns have had relatively little in the way of new shows over the last few decades, so even if it comes from the Land Down Under, "The Ponderosa" is a welcome addition. Yee haa, mates!
Rating: -
Don't waste you money on this piece of PC trash disguised as a prequel to Bonanza. The stories are unashamedly chock-full of PC themes.
For example: Ben nearly has a stroke when, on his 21st birthday, Adam expresses a desire to own a gun. Shocking! Ben lets Adam know how displeased he is. Ben says that guns are only used to kill people. By the end of this ep, Adam has embraced Ben's twisted ideology.
Every ep is full of this leftist revisionist thinking. An Indian fighter is derided as the scum of the earth by Ben(let's remember how Inger was killed)..women are given an equal voice in the town government; by the way, the town's name is Eagle Station, not Virginia City.
Besides these faults, Bonanza history is tampered with. Maria is killed in an explosion, instead of falling from a horse. Hoss gets his nickname after Joe's pony bites him on the behind. As for Joe, he's hardly ever seen. Hop Sing's character is unrecognizable.
I have nothing wrong with the actors. Especially the guy who did Hoss--I thought he was perfect for the roll as was the guy for Adam.
I watched this series from the first show to the last show. I was excited about the prospects of a Bonanza prequel, but I was sadly misled and disappointed. Each episode I hoped the writers would start listening to the viewers. They never did. Unless you can overlook this revisionist view of Bonanza, I suggest you save your money.
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