Visible crew/equipment: Joe and 4 fellow stagecoach passengers are in a cave. A fist-fight between Joe and another man ensues just outside the cave. At one point, a rubber tire is visible in the lower left of the screen. (00:40:15)
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.
Springtime - S3-E2
Continuity mistake: When Adam introduces himself to Ted Hackett, the back-junction on Ted's Y-back braces is bunched up as he and Adam are walking through the doorway, but in the next interior shot of them entering the home, the Y-back is suddenly lying properly. (00:31:35)
Continuity mistake: An influenza epidemic is exacerbated by a very cold windstorm. The wind is obviously created by a wind machine. In all the outdoor scenes, dust and leaves are blowing in the foreground but the trees and bushes in the background are motionless.
A Matter of Circumstance - S11-E28
Continuity mistake: It is obvious that a wind machine was used in the opening scene. Dust, straw and leaves are blowing across the Ponderosa and trees in the foreground are swaying but the trees in the background are motionless. Two minutes later, a shot of a cloud-filled sky and a flash of lightning is shown and rain starts falling. In the next shot, Joe is inside the barn and sunlight is streaming through the windows even though rain is falling. Joe's horse then gets spooked by a lightning bolt and knocks Joe to the ground. The horse tramples him several times but when Joe is finally able to get up, the back of his shirt and pants are completely clean.
Continuity mistake: Hoss Cartwright's hair is medium brown in the scenes which take place at the Ponderosa, but in all other scenes his hair is a very dark brown, almost black.
Factual error: About half-way through the show, Joe Cartwright states 47 people received The Medal of Honor in the Civil War. In reality there were 1522 recipients of The Medal in the Civil War. While an honor to receive, it wasn't held to quite the same level as in WWI and beyond.
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.
Audio problem: At a party at the Ponderosa, several couples are dancing to the music of a three-piece band. When the music stops, the sound of applause is heard but nobody is clapping.
Suggested correction: You can't sere everybody in the room. Some people out of view are clapping.
Continuity mistake: When Lothario Larkin is visiting the girl he left at the altar, (Nancy I think) the scene opens, showing Lethario's carriage horse with a feed bag on. Moments later as the two are sitting together, the side of the horse is behind them and it turns its head into view, but there is no feed bag.
Continuity mistake: Halfway through the show, Ben is talking to the commanding officer and captain of a fort. Ben leaves the room and closes the door but the door swings back to being almost full open. The commander and captain talk about going to the Ponderosa with a warrant to check for deserters. When they walk to the door, it is closed.
Factual error: "Bonanza" is set in the 1880s. In this episode, Little Joe and a friend discover a site where a man and his wife and daughters were attacked by Apaches. A Raggedy Ann doll is among the rubble. Johnny Gruelle did not create the Raggedy Ann character until 1915.
The Gentleman from New Orleans - S5-E18
Revealing mistake: They are trying to find where Jean Lafitte is hiding. Thinking that he is behind the drapes which cover a window, two bullets are fired into the drapery. The bullets should have shattered the window, but when they look behind them (and he is not there) the window and the frame are untouched.
The Saga of Muley Jones - S5-E26
Revealing mistake: The Cartwrights' second cousin shows up and sings a lot. His singing breaks glass all over town. 1/4 of the way through the episode, while at the ranch, Ben is about to serve tea or coffee while Huley is singing upstairs. As Ben goes to pour it into a cup, the pottery kettle shatters but no tea or coffee or water comes out of the pot, showing it was empty.
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.
