James Arness, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis, and Milburn Stone in Gunsmoke.Image via CBS
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Chris McPherson
Published 45 minutes ago
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Yeehaw! A new hit has galloped into the Nielsen streaming charts — and it last aired almost half a century ago. Gunsmoke, the longest-running Western series in television history, is suddenly one of the biggest streaming shows in the country, landing at #8 on Nielsen’s Acquired streaming chart. That puts it in the same conversation as juggernauts like NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, and Bob’s Burgers, despite being decades (and decades) older.
The James Arness–led classic is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Peacock, and audiences are eating it up — especially as Westerns continue to explode thanks to hits like Yellowstone and 1923. As for why it resonated so much? The Museum of Broadcast Communications summary of Gunsmoke says:
While Gunsmoke had its share of shoot-outs, bank robberies, cattle rustlings, and the like, the great strength of the program was the ongoing exploration of life in this community, with these people, in this place, at this time. In Gunsmoke, Dodge City stands as an outpost of civilization, the edge of America at the end of a century. It is one of the central images of the Western in any of its media creations--a small town, a group of professionals, perhaps a school and a church, surrounded by the dangers of the frontier, its values of peace, harmony, and justice always under threat from untamed forces. Such a setting becomes a magnified experiment for the exploration of fundamental ideas about American culture and society.
What Is Gunsmoke About?
The series actually began as a radio drama in 1952 before being adapted for television in 1955. Set in 19th-century Dodge City, Gunsmoke follows Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), a stoic, principled lawman trying to keep the peace in a town where trouble walks in with every passing stagecoach.
He’s backed by a memorable roster of friends and deputies over the years, including Dennis Weaver as the ever-loyal Chester Goode, Ken Curtis as the scruffy and beloved Festus Haggen, Milburn Stone as the wise town physician Doc Adams, and Amanda Blake as the sharp, big-hearted saloon owner Miss Kitty. The series also featured standout turns from future superstar Burt Reynolds as blacksmith Quint Asper, Buck Taylor as gunsmith Newly O’Brien, and Glenn Strange as Long Branch bartender Sam Noonan
During its run, Gunsmoke shifted from black-and-white half-hour episodes to full-color hour-long dramas, ultimately producing 635 episodes across 20 seasons. It remained a ratings powerhouse until CBS abruptly canceled it in 1975, with the cast only learning the news through media reports.
For decades, Gunsmoke held the record for the longest-running primetime scripted series. It was eventually overtaken in number of seasons by Law & Order: SVU and in episode count by The Simpsons. Arness also held the title for the longest time playing a single TV character — until Kelsey Grammer surpassed him thanks to Cheers and Frasier.
Gunsmoke is now streaming on Peacock and Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on what’s trending in the streaming world.
Gunsmoke
Like Follow Followed TV-PG Western Action Adventure Drama Release Date 1955 - 1975-00-00 Directors Andrew V. McLaglen, Harry Harris, Ted Post, Bernard McEveety, Vincent McEveety Writers John Meston, Charles Marquis Warren, Paul SavageCast
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James Arness
Marshal Matt Dillon
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Amanda Blake
Kitty
Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
Genres Western, Action, Adventure, Drama Powered by
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Gunsmoke
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Peacock
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