“Star Trek: The Original Series” and “Bonanza” ran side by side on NBC, and a surprising number of actors crossed between the two shows. The Western ran for 14 seasons between 1959 and 1973, winning three Emmys, while “Star Trek” broke new ground in science fiction. Here are five performers who appeared in both.
Leonard Nimoy
Before he became Mr. Spock, Nimoy played Freddy in the 1960 “Bonanza” episode “The Ape.” Freddy is a disgruntled saloon employee who manages card games and discovers that Arnie (Cal Bolder) has killed co-worker Sheribelle (Karen Sharpe).
Nimoy returned to the franchise in the 1995 TV movie “Bonanza: Under Attack,” playing real-life outlaw Frank James.
DeForest Kelley
Kelley guest-starred as three different characters in four “Bonanza” episodes before his role as Dr. McCoy. He first appeared as Captain Moss Johnson, wounded at the Cartwright campsite, later revealed to have acted on orders to murder Apache Native Americans. He faced Chief Cochise (Jeff Morrow).
Kelley also played Dr. Michael Jons, a jailed doctor awaiting execution who is the only one available to help an injured Hoss (Dan Blocker). His final appearances came as Tully, a Washington, D.C. journalist, in 1966 — months before “Star Trek” premiered.
James Doohan
Doohan, who played Scotty across the original series and its spin-offs, guest-starred on “Bonanza” twice. In 1962, he played Bill Collins, a farmer struggling through a drought who wants to take water by force. The Cartwrights help him find water without conflict.
A year later, Doohan played the right-hand man of Colonel Abel Chapin (Dayton Lummis). He also appeared in “The Virginian” and “Gunsmoke.”
Majel Barrett
Barrett had two guest star roles on “Bonanza” before becoming the one actress to have a role in six “Star Trek” shows, providing the starship computer voice heard throughout many of the franchise’s shows and movies. Her first “Bonanza” appearance was as Belle Ganther in “Gift of Water” — the same episode as Doohan’s debut.
Less than a year before her first “Star Trek” appearance, Barrett played Annie Slocum in “Three Brides for Hoss,” one of three women who arrive at the Ponderosa ranch believing they will marry Hoss.
| Actor | “Bonanza” Role(s) | “Star Trek” Role |
|---|---|---|
| Leonard Nimoy | Freddy, Frank James | Mr. Spock |
| DeForest Kelley | Moss Johnson, Michael Jons, Tully | Dr. McCoy |
| James Doohan | Bill Collins, Chapin’s aide | Scotty |
| Majel Barrett | Belle Ganther, Annie Slocum | Computer voice |
Kathie Browne
Browne is the only actor here who was more of a fixture on “Bonanza” than on “Star Trek.” Her single “Trek” appearance was as the Scalosian queen Deela in the Season 3 episode “Wink of an Eye.”
Her “Bonanza” arc as Laura Dayton spanned four episodes in Season 5, where she played a widowed mother who has a relationship with Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) before marrying his cousin Will (Guy Williams). She first appeared on the series in 1961 as Ellen Henry.
Episode Timeline
| Episode | Actor |
|---|---|
| “The Ape” | Nimoy |
| “Gift of Water” | Doohan, Barrett |
| “Three Brides for Hoss” | Barrett |
| “Wink of an Eye” | Browne |
Shared History
Kelley’s “Bonanza” work went overlooked because his “Star Trek” fame soon followed.
Both shows left lasting marks on TV history. The crossovers remain a curiosity for fans of either series.
Source: tvline.com