CBS’ Gunsmoke ran for 20 years, and I don’t think it got the send-off such a long-running series deserved. The series focused on U.S Marshall Matt Dillon (James Arness), who was responsible for enforcing the laws in Dodge City, Kansas in the 1890s. Despite being a traditional Western that premiered in the pre-civil rights era, it frequently addressed issues like racism against Native Americans, although these characters were played by white actors. In some ways, it reminds me of Yellowstone, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Yellowstone wouldn’t exist if Gunsmoke hadn’t come first.
Gunsmoke ran for so long that my grandparents couldn’t fathom the possibility that it would ever end. It began as a radio show in 1952 before transitioning to television in 1955, where it became a staple of CBS’ programming. Gunsmoke’s guest cast regularly included Hollywood icons who contributed to the Western’s popularity and kept it on the air for two decades. However, Gunsmoke was so abruptly canceled after 20 years that it didn’t have the opportunity to wrap things up, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth considering how loyal the audience was for all those years.
Gunsmoke Is The Longest-Running Western With 20 Seasons
Ending It So Abruptly Was Disrespectful
Gunsmoke should be known not only for its longevity but for its stellar storytelling and acting.
Gunsmoke held the record for longest-running series until 2019, when Law & Order: SVU was renewed for a 21st season. When I first began covering television series as a career, I only knew Gunsmoke as the only series that had been on for 20 years, and that’s what its legacy has been. Gunsmoke should be known not only for its longevity but for its stellar storytelling and acting. It’s especially impressive that a Western that began in 1955 had so much anti-racist messaging, and that it did it in a way that didn’t disrupt storytelling or alienate viewers.
Gunsmoke ultimately produced 635 episodes. This means that if you watch just one a day on Paramount+, it’ll take almost two years to get to the subpar ending. When it first aired, there was no way to even record your favorite TV show, so viewers had to be at home, ready to watch each week, or miss out. It makes me angry to think about people making that commitment to Gunsmoke for two decades, even following it from Saturday nights to Monday nights after season 12, only for the show to abruptly disappear from the schedule.
The Show’s Cancellation Was A Surprise To The Cast
CBS Made the Decision at the Last Minute
Gunsmoke had survived an earlier cancelation threat in 1967, when a ratings dip made CBS consider ending the series. However, that led to a massive public outcry and surprisingly, CBS listened to fans and backed off the idea of ending the series. Thus, by the time it was canceled eight years later, nobody expected CBS to make that decision and the series didn’t have a real ending. The final episode is as disappointing almost half a century later, undermining the legacy Gunsmoke deserves.
In my career, I’ve learned that many popular shows have drama behind the scenes that isn’t pretty, but I find the way Gunsmoke was treated to be particularly repugnant. Nobody knew that they were filming their final episode and star James Arnett thought the series would go on for at least three more years. The episode ended with the usual teaser announcement about upcoming scenes, so if I were watching it when it originally aired, I would have felt lied to, and the cast and crew must have felt doubly betrayed because they’d already prepped for the season 21 opener.
Gunsmoke’s Ending Was Abrupt And Disappointed Its Audience
The Final Episode was Lighthearted Fare That Didn’t Wrap Anything Up
Gunsmoke’s season 20 finale focused on Festus’ quest to help a young woman whose lazy family didn’t want to assist her in farming on her land. After Festus accidentally shot her brother, he felt compelled to make amends by helping the woman hold onto her land despite her landlord wanting to reclaim it. Weirdly, Dillon and other main characters barely appear during this lackluster story. As you might imagine, audiences were disappointed in this off-brand season finale and then devastated when they learned that was the final episode of the series.
It’s unsurprising, but heartbreaking, that CBS treated Gunsmoke like this after it had been a top-rated series for over two decades, considering how many popular and high-quality shows it has canceled in 2024. I’m still reeling from the news that Blue Bloods has been canceled despite its popularity, but at least CBS is giving it the opportunity to wrap up properly. Gunsmoke didn’t get that, and its ending isn’t worth it. It deserved better and so did its fans.