24 Huge Things You Missed in Gunsmoke

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James Arness played Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke - one of the longest-running primetime television shows in history.

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He called Dodge City, Kansas his home. As law keeper of the wild west town, he dealt with some of the major problems that frontier life had to offer - namely, gunfights, outlaws, drunken brawls, cattle herding, and land disputes. To tackle these perils in stride, the job required him to have sound judgment and a whole lot of gusto.

There are so many factors that made Gunsmoke one of the premier western shows of its time. This video is going to take you behind-the-scenes to see just what made the show so great in the first place. You'll probably learn a whole bunch of previously unknown facts about the series and by the end of this video, we're guessing that you're going to have a whole new appreciation for the program.

Gunsmoke started off as a radio program called Gun Law - a series that on its own spanned nearly a decade - bu the television program it inspired would go on to wow audiences for 20 seasons. In fact, Gunsmoke was a very big reason for the popularization of western TV shows. By the end of the 1950s, there were more than 40 westerns on the air in primetime slots.

But, that shouldn't surprise you to learn. After all, Gunsmoke had an incredible cast, groundbreaking writing, and left behind a legacy worth talking about. 5 Emmy awards were awarded to the cast and crew of the series for their contributions, and for a while, Gunsmoke was the longest-running primetime TV series in history - can you guess who beat that record in 2018?

24 Huge Things You Missed in Gunsmoke

[FactsVerse]

Watch every episode of Gunsmoke here: paramountplus.qflm.net/9WORE5

[BAR]

Hubby and I record all the episodes of Gunsmoke and that’s what we watch every night before going off to bed....We love it and love to see all the young stars who played in so many episodes get their start....Gunsmoke is definitely one of our “comfort”

[homamasters]

We watch gun smoke reruns almost every day. Sometimes 2-3 episodes. Always leaves you with a good feeling.

[fireball]

To all the characters that ever played on Gunsmoke....thanks for the good times and memories! I've seen every episode.Most 3 times at least.

[lindawade]

There isn't anything on TV now or in the past to compare to the one and only "Gunsmoke". #1 Gunsmoke fan.

[jobrooks]

Watching GunSmoke was like inviting an old friend into your home, always left you with a good feeling, loved it to this day. It was and always will be the Best western ever! Bonanza was great but it runs second.

[michaelnix]

Thank you so much for including Glenn Strange in your Gunsmoke retrospective. As a member of his family, I often feel his contributions to the industry can be somewhat overlooked.

[hifi]

Gunsmoke will blow the doors off Bonanza any day! Greatest western ever!!!! I now proudly own every episode and will watch them till the sun falls from the sky.

[dmaxey]

Gunsmoke is so addictive! I watch the shows every night and love these Westerns

[kenhetro]

My dad didn't watch much television, but he never missed Gunsmoke. I find myself along with my wife watching reruns of Gunsmoke, because the television shows of today really suck. You don't realize how much thought was put into the making of Gunsmoke. The show was much more than a Western, it was more of an institution!!

[kyle-]

me and my grandfather lived together almost 15 years. we watched gunsmoke many times daily. also loved the virginian. wish the tough and honest men were still an important part of our culture

[caseym]

Our city library recently acquired the 65th anniversary DVD set. All 20 seasons. Nice to watch those episodes without having to look at old Joe Namath every 15 minutes.

[sharondickinson]

Gunsmoke is by far the best, over any other shows. Love 💘 Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty. I watch Gunsmoke every day. Started watching it from the beginning in 1955. I am 79 years old and enjoy the good memories of those days

[dawncox]

I still watch Gunsmoke whenever I can. It’s my go-to show.

[Patriot-oimj]

At 6foot 7 James Arness was one of the biggest guys in television. Also to answer your question Gunsmoke was hands down a better show than Bonanza!

[junemroberts]

I have watched Gunsmoke since I was a teenager. Still watch it every day from 7-8 PM. I love the show and even though I have seen the shows many times, I still enjoy seeing the shows again and again.

[msjackson]

Gunsmoke hands down, I watch it a few times daily, six days a week. Can't miss that sweet smiling tall drink of water.

[StephanieTaylor]

My dad still watch Gunsmoke every day, I've found myself looking at a couple of episodes with him over the years!!! And I'm 34

[sheliajones]

I still like to watch Gunsmoke I watched it when I was a little girl and I still watch it now naturally I'm a lot older

[sallycartman]

James Arness will always be my go to guy!😉 I'm 56 yrs.old and still have the biggest crush on Matt Dillon in 2021! God bless him and his family!!😘