As of July 2026, Bonanza Season 12 aired in 1970 with 28 episodes — streaming now on Hoopla. Full episode guide and where to watch below.
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Bonanza Season 12

1970 28 Episodes Western · Action & Adventure ⭐ 8/10

If you want animation that is not just for kids, Bonanza Season 12 is available on and right now. A single, tightly-focused season means there is plenty to get through without ever feeling padded. Its 8/10 TMDB score, built from 484 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. The visual style is immediately recognisable, but the writing is what keeps you watching. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Bonanza Season 12 is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious, Bonanza Season 12 operates well above the genre average. Season 12 of Bonanza includes 28 episodes. It aired from September 1970 to April 1971. This season stars Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon. Lorne Greene and Dan Blocker lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 1970. What makes Bonanza Season 12 more than a curiosity is writing that would hold up in any format. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Animation fans will appreciate the craft, but Bonanza Season 12 works for viewers who do not typically seek out animation too. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Lorne Greene brings more to the role than the format usually demands. A harder one to justify skipping than to start.

📡 Where to Watch Bonanza Season 12

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🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇨🇦 Canada
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🎬 Bonanza Season 12 — Episode Guide

E1
The Night Virginia City Died
1970-09-13
In the 12th season premiere, a series of destructive fires strike Virginia City, and always late at night. Is it the work of a ruthless arsonist, or someone very close to Deputy Clem?
E2
A Matter of Faith
1970-09-20
Dusty takes in orphaned Jamie Hunter, the son of a recently-deceased rainmaker. Jamie is determined to carry on his father's tradition by using drought-stricken Virginia City to prove his talents.
E3
The Weary Willies
1970-09-27
The Weary Willies are hippie-like former Civil War veterans who are now drifters and live off the land. Despite protests from fellow ranchers and the people of Virginia City, Ben allows the traveling band to stay at the Ponderosa. The real trouble begins when a teen-aged girl is raped and the Willie...
E4
The Wagon
1970-10-04
After being taken into custody by a sheriff who does not care if he is guilty or innocent of a crime, Hoss escapes from the prison wagon with a woman he is convinced got a raw deal.
E5
The Power of Life and Death
1970-10-11
A man called Davis has shot Colonel Clayton and escapes on horseback. Joe and Ben join the posse that sets out to find Davis. Ben and Joe volunteer to cross the desert. Ben and Joe find Davis hold up at a water hole, when Indians attack and Ben is wounded in the leg, and steal the horses. Joe un...
E6
Gideon, the Good
1970-10-18
On the trail, Joe witnesses a woman kill a man, but the woman rides away before he can positively identify her. He rides into the nearest town, Black River and reports the crime to Sheriff Gideon Yates, and the two ride out to find clues. They find a handkerchief embroidered with the letter "L". ...
E7
The Trouble with Trouble
1970-10-25
When Hoss volunteers to be Sheriff of a town called Trouble, he soon finds out that the town had correctly been named. Hoss almost manages to arrest the whole town, and captures the Clanton gang all by himself.
E8
Thornton's Account
1970-11-01
Ben's new horse throws him down a steep slope, injuring his back. Joe tries to round up some help, but the settlers in the valley live in fear of the devious owner and his hired help. Joe goes for help from a man named Thornton, but he is wounded by the lowlife cowboys, and has no choice but to as...
E9
The Love Child
1970-11-08
A dying woman and her son are rejected by her father because she had a child out of wedlock.
E10
El Jefe
1970-11-15
Ben and Hoss come to the rescue of Mexican farmers who are forced off their land by the greedy mine owner who runs the town of Prince River.
E11
The Luck of Pepper Shannon
1970-11-22
Pepper Shannon is a dime novel hero and outlaw. Ben gives a job to Pepper Shannon on the condition the one-time outlaw stays away from Jamie, who happens to admire him.
E12
The Impostors
1970-12-13
Hoss and Joe pretend to be stage robbers' partners in order to recover stolen Cartwright money. All goes well until the wife of one of the thieves shows up.
E13
Honest John
1970-12-20
Jamie forms a bond with a bum and his tame crow. Before long, Jamie suggests they repair an old wagon and leave the Ponderosa.
E14
For a Young Lady
1970-12-27
A girl's uncle and aunt want custody of her only because they believe she has the rights to her late grandfather's mine.
E15
A Single Pilgrim
1971-01-03
Settlers from Virginia argue over Hoss' fate after one of them accidentally shoots him.
E16
The Gold-Plated Rifle
1971-01-10
An insecure Jamie is unsure of his place in the family, having trouble adjusting at his new school and keeps getting harassed by a bully. When he takes Ben's prized gold-plated rifle and breaks it, he runs away, sending Ben to go looking for him.
E17
Top Hand
1971-01-17
The Cartwrights are about to start a major cattle drive with other ranchers. It has been decided that Ben's foreman will be trail boss on the drive. Weatherby, a fellow rancher who is also with Ben, has agreed to have Kelly as trail boss, until he finds out that Kelly was previously on a cattle dr...
E18
A Deck of Aces
1971-01-31
Bradley Meredith, a Ben Cartwright look-a-like, causes trouble when he sells land to the railroad. Ben has already turned down the deal, but Meredith, acting as Ben, accepts the deal, which stirs up all kinds of trouble.
E19
The Desperado
1971-02-07
Hoss is held prisoner by a fugitive black couple who they admit hate white people and have nothing to lose by killing them.
E20
The Reluctant American
1971-02-14
An English couple comes to Nevada to learn why a ranch owned by the British investment firm is the only company holding not showing a profit.

🎭 Cast of Bonanza Season 12

Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Ben Cartwright
Dan Blocker
Dan Blocker
Hoss Cartwright
Michael Landon
Michael Landon
Joe Cartwright
Mitch Vogel
Mitch Vogel
Jamie Hunter

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