Michael Landon and his Little House crew from the Little House Phenomenon documentary. | Little House on the Prairie Cast Filmography

In 1959, at just 22 years old, Michael Landon landed his first leading television role as Little Joe Cartwright on *Bonanza*, one of the earliest series to be broadcast in color. He starred alongside Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, and Dan Blocker. By its sixth season (1964–1965), *Bonanza* had climbed to the top of the Nielsen ratings and held the number-one spot for three consecutive years. Landon received more fan mail than any other member of the cast, and leveraging his popularity, he succes