NBC’s 4-Part Forgotten Western Series Went Where ‘Bonanza’ Never Could

Everybody who knows anything about the Western genre knows Bonanza. Whether you remember that famous theme tune or recall Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon leading cattle to and fro, the impressive 14-season series was the second most popular Old West series, just behind Gunsmoke. But Bonanza‘s success didn’t stop creator David Dortort from moving on, and in 1967, he developed The High Chaparral for NBC. For four seasons and nearly 100 episodes, Dortort’s newest Western aired on the network, and though it eventually fell prey to the infamous rural purge, it’s notable for doing a few things that Bonanza just never could. If you’ve never heard of this one before, it may be worth giving a shot now.