Ratings
- October 1959 – April 1960: Not in the Top 30
- October 1960 – April 1961: #17/24.8
- October 1961 – April 1962: #2/30.0
- October 1962 – April 1963: #4/29.8 (tied with The Lucy Show)
- October 1963 – April 1964: #2/36.9
- October 1964 – April 1965: #1/36.3
- October 1965 – April 1966: #1/31.8
- October 1966 – April 1967: #1/29.1
- October 1967 – April 1968: #4/25.5 (tied with Gunsmoke and Family Affair)
- October 1968 – April 1969: #3/26.6
- October 1969 – April 1970: #3/24.8
- October 1970 – April 1971: #9/23.9
- October 1971 – April 1972: #20/21.9
- October 1972 – April 1973: Not in the Top 30
Initially, Bonanza aired on Saturday evenings opposite Perry Mason. However, Bonanza's ratings were dismal and the show was soon targeted for cancellation. However, NBC kept it because Bonanza was one of the first series to be filmed and broadcast in color, including scenes of picturesque Lake Tahoe Nevada. NBC's corporate parent, Radio Corporation of America (RCA), used the show to spur sales of RCA-manufactured color television sets (RCA was also the primary sponsor of the series during its first two seasons).
NBC moved Bonanza to Sundays at 9:00 pm Eastern with new sponsor Chevrolet (replacing The Dinah Shore Chevy Show). The new time slot caused Bonanza to soar in the ratings, and it eventually reached number one by 1964, an honor it would keep until 1967. By 1970, Bonanza was the first series to appear in the Top Five list for nine consecutive seasons (a record that would stand for many years) and thus established itself as the single biggest hit television series of the 1960s. Bonanza remained high on the Nielsen ratings until 1971, when it finally fell out of the Top Ten.
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