Hoss and the Leprechauns - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: Hoss fires a total of 6 shots from his pistol to scare away a bear who is menacing one of the "little green men." He returns his pistol to his gun belt. A few moments later he uses the gun again to destroy the lock on the strongbox. He is never seen re-loading his gun but has fired 7 shots.
Factual error: Samuel Clemens, who has written several humorous tales for the Territorial Enterprise, tells the publisher he would like to start writing serious news stories. The publisher replies, "This is a newspaper, not a comic strip. You write it and I'll print it." The first comic strip, "The Little Bears," debuted in 1893 and the term "comic strip" did not enter the vocabulary until 1920. "Bonanza" is set in the 1860s.
Thanks for Everything, Friend - S6-E4
Factual error: Adam has fallen into the river. As he is spotted by Tom Wilson from his campsite, a car is visible passing far across the valley.
Factual error: As the boy dies, his hand opens and coins roll out. Included are Washington Quarters (first made 1932), Jefferson Nickels (1938), and Roosevelt Dimes (1946). (00:15:45)
Audio problem: Apparently there was a problem with the sound recording during a scene of Ben Cartwright speaking to his son Adam while standing by the chuck wagon. One of Ben's lines was dubbed in by someone else whose voice was higher-pitched and less gruff than that of actor Lorne Greene.
Revealing mistake: When Gunnar lifts Vaca over his head during the fight, in the closeup he's holding up a barrel over his head instead of Vaca and throws the barrel. (00:35:05)
Continuity mistake: Little Joe is bitten on the right hand by a gypsy in a bedroom. He exits the room rubbing his left hand which is examined by Ben and Hoss. (00:07:00)
Visible crew/equipment: When Adam and Little Joe walks in front of the saloon while asking a man where they can get a bath, a microphone is visible at the top of the screen.
Found Child - S7-E7
Factual error: The episode opens with Hoss discovering a wrecked wagon with three dead adults. He spots a Raggety Ann doll and realises that a child may be nearby. Raggety Ann dolls weren't invented until 1915, at least 48 years after the shows time frame.
Continuity mistake: When Ben comes in the house he's carrying his coat. When he passes Adam he doesn't have it. When he goes into Hoss' room he's got it in his hand again.
The Rescue - S2-E23
Continuity mistake: When Ben is shot at he falls on his right side. When the shooter goes to check it out he's on his left.
Continuity mistake: When Ben heard the gunshots and mounts his horse and rides towards the gunshots he is not carrying a rifle nor is there one on his horse, but when he returns to The Way Station being chased by the Indians he is carrying a rifle.
Five Sundowns to Sunup - S7-E12
Other mistake: The Lassiter brothers have kidnapped a judge and a posse is searching for them. One of the men says they should quit for the day because "it's almost sundown." Judging by the shadows of the men, their horses and nearby trees, the time appears to be around 1 PM.
Visible crew/equipment: Boom mic is visible at the top of the screen as Hoss is about to give water to the gold thief they found nearly dead in the desert. (00:42:50 - 00:43:30)
Continuity mistake: A flashback episode set in the 1840s opens with Ben Cartwright as a first mate aboard a clipper ship. Rear-screen projection shows an ocean and a grey overcast sky. In a shot of the crew on the rigging and in the crow's nest, the sky is deep blue with a few white clouds.
Factual error: In a flashback episode set in the 1840s, Ben Cartwright and his former Captain are operating a ship's chandler business. A competitor accuses them of running a "flea market." That term is a translation of the French "marché aux puces" and did not enter the English language until 1922.
Factual error: Joe Cartwright gives a Raggedy Ann doll to a young woman named Annie. "Bonanza" is set in the late 1860s. The Raggedy Ann character was created by Johnny Gruelle in 1915.
Character mistake: Jamison Filmore reminds a steamboat captain that they were in prison together in "Cell 241." Five minutes later, he says they shared "214."
Continuity mistake: The sheriff of Morris Flats suspects Adam of being a bandit and puts him in jail. The window of Adam's cell has four vertical bars, but when the "knight" comes to talk to Adam from outside the cell window, the window has five vertical bars.
The Unwritten Commandment - S7-E28
Factual error: Wayne Newton sang "Scarlet Ribbons." "Scarlet Ribbons" wasn't written until 1949. The TV show Bonanza was set in the 1860s.
