Post by topbilled on May 26, 2023 14:27:48 GMT
Probably Bonanza purists will get after me, since I actually like late-cast addition Jamie just as much as Adam.
Pernell Roberts left the series before the end of the sixth season...he was anxious to move on and his character did not get a proper send-off. Though Adam was mentioned in the seventh season, as having gone off to sea with Ben receiving an occasional letter...the character was not really mentioned again in seasons 8 to 14. The second half of Bonanza focuses on Ben, Hoss and Joe...and at the beginning of season 12, a runaway named Jamie Hunter is added. Jamie stays on at the Ponderosa, and he's eventually adopted by Ben so he becomes known as Jamie Hunter Cartwright, a full-fledged Cartwright.
Yes, Mitch Vogel was not as good an actor as Pernell Roberts, but Mitch was just a kid, about as young as Michael Landon was back in 1959 when the show started. They all needed time to settle into their roles and improve. I think Mitch's work as Jamie is passable, and I do like those later episodes when we see Jamie grow and develop into a hard-working rancher and a real son of Ben's.
Lately I've been looking at the 'Lost' episodes from the last three seasons, which were just finally made available on DVD by the folks at Paramount. It's fun to see Hoss as the oldest brother, Joe in between keeping Hoss from getting into trouble, and both of them helping Jamie stay out of trouble. One thing I love about the show overall is Lorne Greene's paternal attitude towards the guys playing his sons...it's a believable bond that seems to have flowed over into real-life when they weren't filming new episodes.
Pernell Roberts left the series before the end of the sixth season...he was anxious to move on and his character did not get a proper send-off. Though Adam was mentioned in the seventh season, as having gone off to sea with Ben receiving an occasional letter...the character was not really mentioned again in seasons 8 to 14. The second half of Bonanza focuses on Ben, Hoss and Joe...and at the beginning of season 12, a runaway named Jamie Hunter is added. Jamie stays on at the Ponderosa, and he's eventually adopted by Ben so he becomes known as Jamie Hunter Cartwright, a full-fledged Cartwright.
Yes, Mitch Vogel was not as good an actor as Pernell Roberts, but Mitch was just a kid, about as young as Michael Landon was back in 1959 when the show started. They all needed time to settle into their roles and improve. I think Mitch's work as Jamie is passable, and I do like those later episodes when we see Jamie grow and develop into a hard-working rancher and a real son of Ben's.
Lately I've been looking at the 'Lost' episodes from the last three seasons, which were just finally made available on DVD by the folks at Paramount. It's fun to see Hoss as the oldest brother, Joe in between keeping Hoss from getting into trouble, and both of them helping Jamie stay out of trouble. One thing I love about the show overall is Lorne Greene's paternal attitude towards the guys playing his sons...it's a believable bond that seems to have flowed over into real-life when they weren't filming new episodes.