Thelongest-running Western TV showever went for 20 seasons, and few other Westerns can ever hope to touch its impact, much less its longevity. Now, when people think ofWestern TV shows, they probably think of shows likeYellowstoneorJustified, but the genre is far older than that. Far older than most genres, actually.
One of the first popularWestern TV shows was also one of its most long-lived. Granted, TV shows used to run for a lot longer before the age of streamers started condensing and streamlining. That’s not a critique. Many shows went on far too long, butthere’s something nostalgic about shows like this Western that came back year after year.
Gunsmoke Ran For 20 Years And Ended After 635 Episodes
It Was The Longest Running Scripted Primetime Show Until The Simpsons
Gunsmokepremiered in 1955, and just kept going. It wasn’t until June 11, 2025, after 20 seasons and 635 total episodes, that the series finally came to a conclusion. Conclusion may be too strong a word.Gunsmokewas unceremoniously canceled, and the final episode has little of the weight expected for such a momentous occasion.
The series was spun off from a radio show of the same name that began in 1952 and ran for nine seasons, ending in June 1961, meaning that for six years, you could tune in forGunsmokeon the radio, then turn on your TV and watchGunsmoke, though only in black-and-white. Color only happened in 1966 for season 12.
The series is set in Dodge City, Kansas in the years following the Civil War.Gunsmokefeatures an ensemble cast but primarily centers on U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), who has a gaggle of deputies to help protect the town from outside troublemakers, though the citizens are known to cause a headache from time to time.
The deputies and the town physician, Galen “Doc” Adams (Milburn Stone), provide the comic relief for the series, butGunsmoketakes great pains to show the rough sides of the American West. The series was the longest-running scripted American primetime show untilThe Simpsonssurpassed it with season 21 in 2009.
Gunsmoke Remains One Of The Most Influential TV Shows Of All Time
The Western Played With Some Progressive, Modern Ideas
Despite ending over half a century ago,Gunsmokecontinues to be one of the most influential TV shows ever. Retrospective reviews are rarely unbiased for shows this old and so part of pop culture, but even at the time,Gunsmokewas received glowingly by fans and critics.
It was still in the top 20 of the Nielsen ratings at the end of its tenure (viaClassicTVGuide). The series also picked up 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, and it influenced many shows that have come after it, not just Westerns. For one, starsJames Arness and Milburn Stone stuck with the series for all 20 series.
Gunsmokealso tackled progressive issues that were rare to be seen on television during that time period.
This was a loyalty and dedication not often found in television before this, and actors would frequently jump from one project to another, and the show would have to adjust accordingly.Gunsmokealso tackled progressive issues that were rare to be seen on television during that time period.
There were, of course, shoot-outs, cattle rustlers, bank robberies, and the usual tropes of Westerns, butGunsmokealso had episodes dedicated to racial prejudice, vigilante violence, and the effect of religious institutions on those who adhere to them. These heady topics were all tackled with the Western aesthetic as veneer.
There were five made-for-televisionGunsmokemovies that premiered after the show’s finale, all starring James Arness.
These episodes often did not end with a definitive answer either. Viewers were left to ponder while the credits rolled with it never made clear whether Dillon and his posse were in the right or not. It’s a modern kind of storytelling that’s taken for granted now, but back then was novel.
Will Any Western TV Show Ever Beat Gunsmoke’s Record?
Westerns Rarely Go Longer Than Five Seasons Now
The closest any other Western TV show got to catchingGunsmoke’s record wasDeath Valley Dayswith 18 seasons andBonanzawith 14 seasons. Both these shows were contemporaries ofGunsmoke, back when shows lasted a much longer time. Now, there’s almost no chance of a Western going that long.
Six seasons appears to be the max for most modern Western TV shows, withJustifiedandYellowstoneending with six and five seasons respectively, and you’ll even find viewers and critics who thought that was too many. The only thing streamers like more than greenlighting new shows is canceling them.
Assuming you can squeak out more than one season before the guillotine falls, most showrunners are prepping to have three or four seasons at most. That’s not always a bad thing. We don’t need a bunch of 20-season-long shows. It’s a recordGunsmokeshould be proud to claim and is a suitable achievement for such an influential Western TV show.
