# Gunsmoke (1955)

> A weathered marshal keeps the peace in 1870s Dodge City, Kansas, across twenty seasons of frontier stories.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3534

## Facts

- Seasons: 20
- Episodes: 635
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: western, drama
- Created by: John Meston
- Network: CBS
- Cast: James Arness, Amanda Blake, Dennis Weaver, Ken Curtis, Milburn Stone, Woody Chambliss, Marian Seldes, Michael Witney
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047736/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, wholesome, unhurried, tense, plainspoken

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard Gunsmoke as a well-crafted, durable Western whose strongest seasons balance frontier action with character warmth around Marshal Matt Dillon and the Dodge City regulars.

## Synopsis

Gunsmoke (1955-1975) is an American Western drama series created by John Meston and developed by Norman MacDonnell for CBS, running twenty seasons and 635 episodes. Set in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West, it follows Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, a steady lawman trying to keep a rough railroad town from tearing itself apart. Around him orbit saloon owner Kitty, played by Amanda Blake, town doctor Doc, played by Milburn Stone, and the deputies Chester, played by Dennis Weaver, and Festus, played by Ken Curtis. Each episode is largely self-contained, a case of the week built from cattle drives, outlaws, gunfights, land disputes and the moral dilemmas of frontier justice, with the recurring cast giving the town a lived-in continuity. The tone is earnest and unhurried, with a plainspoken warmth and a steady sense of duty, and the stories balance tension against quiet humanity. Fans of Bonanza, The Virginian and Have Gun - Will Travel will find the same classic western comfort, a long-running frontier saga that rewards regular viewing with familiar faces and an enduring sense of place.

## Shows like Gunsmoke

- [Laramie (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/12952)
- [McCloud (1970)](https://ember.film/tv/9577)
- [Lawman (1958)](https://ember.film/tv/12941)
- [Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)](https://ember.film/tv/12860)
- [Cheyenne (1955)](https://ember.film/tv/893)
- [Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958)](https://ember.film/tv/12896)
- [Bonanza (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/955)
- [The Virginian (1962)](https://ember.film/tv/9454)
- [Tombstone Territory (1957)](https://ember.film/tv/13424)
- [The Rifleman (1958)](https://ember.film/tv/12916)

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