The men of the Cartwright family have their hands full taking care of Ponderosa Ranch, in the old Wild West. Ben, the head of the family, has the help of his three sons- Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe. This series has gone down in history as one of the finest Westerns ever made for television.
Deputy Marshall Gerald Eskith rides in to town wanting to take Jason Blaine to San Francisco to testify against the Murdock gang. Adam has his suspicions about Eskith and decides to tag along.
Sam Bryant's gang have been terrorising a town and eventually a store owner is murdered, witnessed by the owner?s wife. When gang member Perkins is sentenced to hang, the gang kidnap Ben Cartwright and offer to trade his life for Perkins?.
Gypsy girl Tirza finds refuge at the Ponderosa after her people believe she is a witch and disown her. Joe falls for the girl and attempts to show her that her people are wrong.
Andrew Fulmer, a Chinese hating local politician, is running for town mayor when one of his men harasses Sally Ridley. Jimmy Chong leaps to her defence, but when Sally is accidentally shot and killed Jimmy is put in the frame.
Joe and Hoss get arrested after being mistaken for the Slade brothers. A family involved in a feud with the Slades? help Joe and Hoss escape and the pair then try to reconcile the feuding families.
Ranch hand Dave Walker is accused of murdering the wife of Marshall Dowd. When it is learnt that Dave was badly beaten whilst in jail, the Cartwrights decide to accompany him to his trial in Los Angeles.
An unwelcome sheep herder becomes something of a squatter on the Ponderosa and resists all attempts to get him to move on. He takes Adam prisoner and will only agree to release him in return for ownership of the ranch.
Adam and Ben are to be hanged for murder unless Joe and Hoss can find some way of proving their innocence. A young man called Lassiter joins their crusade.
Lord Marion Dunsford and his wife Lady Beatrice visit Ben at the Ponderosa. Lady Beatrice takes an instant shine to Adam, someone she considers more of a man than her husband.
Miner Lem Keith wants to buy land next to the Ponderosa, even though he knows the rightful owner won't sell. Causing a stir by infecting the Cartwrights? herd with ticks might help him achieve his aim.
