It was on September 12, 1959 that Bonanza first appeared on television. In an interesting twist on the usual trivia, this show originally was intended as a vehicle to sell color TC sets! RCA, the parent company of NBC, wanted a show with a lot of outdoor scenes to promote its new color television sets. Although the ratings of the show were marginal in the first two years, it stayed on the air and became a huge success when it was moved from its original time slot of 7:30pm on Saturday to Sunday night at 9:00pm. Since that time, the show has become an American tradition with its rich family-oriented story lines, great western action and endearing characters. Bonanza is a true classic that will surely entertain audiences for years to come!