David Dortort, creator of the long-running hit Western Bonanza, has died. He was 93.
Dortort died Sunday at his Westwood, Calif., apartment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
See other celebrities we've lost this year
A three-time Emmy nominee, Dortort got his start writing for such series as ...
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Question: Why are you always criticizing CSI: Miami? Granted, it isn't as good as the original (which actually had a down year last year). And Caruso's acting is something you have to learn to tolerate. (I wonder if the script actually says, "Put hands on hips.") But on the whole, the show is quite entertaining. One of its strong suits is the backup players. I love Callie and Delko. If you want to bash a CSI show, try the horrid NY version. I can't even stand to watch it, and I'm a huge Gary Sinise fan; that tells you how bad it is. The exaggerated New York accents and the stilted acting are unbearable. I predict it will be the first incarnation of CSI to get canceled.
Answer: Tell that to the original Law & Order, which had to move to Fridays to get away from the CSI juggernaut, even the subpar NY edition. The reason I criticize the Miami version from time to time is because it's such a big target. And while I also like some of the supporting players, I have grown weary of the
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Question: Help! Many years ago there was a TV program called Maverick, which was about two brothers, Bret and Bart. One was played by James Garner and the other by...? It's driving us nuts. Please try to help. I can see his face, but not his name. Thanks.Answer: Don't get too down about it, Irwin. The late Jack Kelly, often called "the other Maverick" while the series was on the air, seemed destined to play second banana to one star or another throughout his entertainment career. But to his credit, he had as good an attitude about it as anyone in the business.
Kelly started off his career at the age of 2 weeks, modeling for an Ivory Soap ad. But his early acting years were spent in the shadow of older sister Nancy, who won Tony for the play The Bad Seed and an Oscar nomination for the movie
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Question: I've been watching Bonanza reruns and was wondering why it was eventually canceled. My dad says it was because Dan Blocker died. Is that true? Thanks for your help and keep up the good work!
Answer: Aw, heck — t'ain't nothin, but thanks for the kind words, Tim.
It's true that when Blocker died at 43 from surgical complications, many felt the heart and soul of the show went with him. But the show also dropped in the ratings after NBC moved it from its longtime Sunday-night berth to Tuesday night. The truth is that Bonanza most likely perished because its time had simply passed. Next to Gunsmoke, it was the longest-running Western on TV (from September 1959 to January 1973) and for much of that time it turned in phenomenal ratings. From 1964 to 1967, it was No. 1 and it only began to slip out
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