Bonanza

I remember when I was a boy, my dad used to watch a television series called Bonanza. I don't remember any of the episodes - I just remember the distinctive theme song and the famous burning map - but I wasn't otherwise too interested in the show.

Last year it occurred to get my dad a Bonanza DVD set for Christmas. I thought it might spark some nostalgia with him. He didn't take to watching the DVD's though - it's too newfangled for him and he doesn't take to new technology very well.

This year when I was doing some Christmas shopping with J, I saw a couple more volumes of Bonanza DVD's, so this time I picked up a set for myself. I've watched a few episodes with J and I must say I'm becoming hooked on the series. I enjoy the writing and the characters.

The special effects look dated - not that there are a lot of special effects in this show. The gunshots look totally fake and hokey by today's standards. A death scene consists of the sound effect of a gunshot followed by a scene of the victim clutching his chest and falling to the ground. Despite the fact that it looks really hokey I find it a refreshing variation from all the explicit blood and gore that we see in modern day shows.

I wasn't too interested in the show when I was a boy but I'm hooked on it now.