For fourteen seasons between 1959 and 1973,Bonanzagraced television screens as the second most popular Western of its day, coming in only behindGunsmoke. The series followed the Cartwright family — Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his three sons, Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker), and Little Joe (Michael Landon) — as they operate their famous Ponderosa Ranch.
But there was one popular horse opera that spoofed the long-running series in obvious (but hilarious) fashion. If you’ve been known to enjoy an episode ofBonanza, then you should definitely revisit theMaverickepisode “Three Queens Full,” which takes everything you love about the classic Western and flips it for comedic effect.
“Three Queens Full” Poked Plenty of Fun at ‘Bonanza’
As longtime fans of the television horse opera know, there were very few legitimate crossovers between Western productions back in the day, and thisMaverickepisode is no exception.Aroundthe same time asBonanza’s third season,Maverickparodied the NBC Western during its own fifth and final season on ABC. “Three Queens Full” followedJack Kelly’s Bart Maverick in what on paper could be considered astandardBonanzaplot, only to take a strange and hilarious turn. Of course, Lorne Green, Michael Landon, Pernell Roberts, and Dan Blocker don’t appear here. Rather, they’re replaced byJim Backus,Joseph Gallison,Larry Chance, andJake Sheffield, respectively. Furthermore, instead of deeming the clan the Cartwrights,MaverickscribeWilliam Brucknerrenames them the “Wheelwrights,” owners of the Subrosa Ranch (replacing the Ponderosa). Ben Cartwright becomes Joe Wheelwright, Little Joe becomes Small Paul, Adam becomes Henry, and Hoss becomes Moose, which is still quite on-the-nose. Leave it toMaverickto be a bit obvious in its parody.
After blackmailing Maverick into working for him, patriarch Joe Wheelwright tells the honest gambler that he intends to marry off his three sons, and it’s Maverick’s job to watch the would-be brides. Emma Walter (Kasey Rogers) is to marry Moose, Lou Ann Smyth (Allyson Ames) is paired with Small Paul, and Cissie Anderson (Merry Anders) is offered to Henry. At first,the ladies have no intention of marrying the Wheelwrights, instead scheming with Maverick to break off their engagements and run off with his payment, splitting it four ways. However, the women soon begin to fall for their respective suitors. Although they planned to double-cross Maverick after being blackmailed themselves by Matthew Braze (Harry Lauter) of the local saloon, El Dorado, they can’t quite bring themselves to break the Wheelwrights' hearts.
So, when the secret comes out, and Braze pulls the ladies into his scheme, the Wheelwright sons grow a pair and fight for the women they love. The bar fight is a spectacular riff on classic saloon brawls, with over-the-top punching, tossing, and piano hand slamming. Maverick even tosses a ball newel cap at a goon before he can escalate the fight into gunplay. It’s no surprise that, in the end,the women stick with the Wheelwrights after all, and they all live happily ever after— a stark contrast to the Cartwrights' ownless-than-desirable marital fates onBonanza.
‘Bonanza’ Was Renamed During Its Initial Syndication
This classic Western television series was renamed for a new audience.
‘Maverick’ Was a More Comedic Take on the Western Than Most
Maverick’s “Three Queens Full” offers some light-hearted laughs for fans everywhere. The whole thing works quite well and follows the show’s previous Western spoof “Gun Shy,” which riffed onGunsmoke. In general,Maverick—one of ABC’s all-time best programs— always leaned more towards comedy than strict drama. Whether the show was led by Jack Kelly’s Bart Maverick (as in this episode), his brother Bret Maverick (James Garner, who was the show’s original star), cousin Beau Maverick (Roger Moore), or the often forgotten brother Brent Maverick (Robert Colbert), you could always bet that a gambling hero with a heart of gold would find himself mixed up in some off-brand situation on the wild frontier. Over that time, the show was known for its parody of shows likeGunsmoke,Dragnet, and others, as well as the characters' occasional crossovers withother Warner Bros. Westerns likeCheyenne,Sugarfoot,Lawman, andBronco.
But according toTim BrooksandEarle Marshin their book,The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present,“Three Queens Full” is arguably the “best” ofMaverick’s parody episodesdue to the wacky nature of the program. Not only does it make fools out of the three Cartwrights, only to force them to become men, but it expertly makes fun of the classicalBonanzaformula. But as fun as parodies like this episode are, even this fine hour couldn’t saveMaverickfrom cancellation. After cycling through various leading men (and the very public departure of James Garner), Jack Kelly led the series in its final string of thirteen episodes. According toEverett Aakerin his book,Television Western Players, 1960-1975, Kelly was never informed by the studio thatMaverickhad been cancelled. Instead, he read about it in the paper. Despite the untimely ending (though Kelly would return to the role later in his career),Maverick’sBonanzaparody remains among the best Western spoofs out there.
