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The entire series run of Gunsmoke is on Pluto TV. 20 seasons, 635 episodes
Posted on 1/1/26 at 11:55 pm
Posted on 1/1/26 at 11:55 pm
I remember seeing a few episodes of Gunsmoke years ago. But what I really remember is that my parents liked it. I didn't realize that Pluto TV had the entire series run for free. I also didn't realize that the first 6 seasons, 233 episodes, were only 30 minutes each. All of them in black and white
I watched season 1 episode 1 tonight and enjoyed it.
For those who are interested,
I watched season 1 episode 1 tonight and enjoyed it.
For those who are interested,
6
Posted on 1/2/26 at 12:12 am to L.A.
We western fans would be absolutely tickled pink if you deigned to enrich us with your august presence in the TV Western thread
quote:these are the best episodes, maybe the best TV western ever. Creator John Meston had a real sense for the sudden violence of the west, as did his protege Sam Peckinpah, who wrote a number of episodes.
the first 6 seasons, 233 episodes, were only 30 minutes each. All of them in black and white
Posted on 1/2/26 at 6:31 am to Kafka
I agree Merton episodes were great. However, some of those earlier episodes were written by a woman, Kathleen Hite ? These episodes had a woman as the main character and were not nearly as good.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 7:46 am to 9rocket
The old black and white ones were the best. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I don’t care much for the color ones with Festus. One my personal favorites of the series is Owney Tupper Had a Daughter. Heartbreaking episode
This post was edited on 1/2/26 at 7:47 am
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:33 am to Allthatfades
quote:
According to Marshall Trimble, a historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association, character Matt Dillon shot 407 people on Gunsmoke.
Fascinating facts about Gunsmoke
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:41 am to Kafka
quote:
Sam Peckinpah
Love Peckinpah. Huge influence on me and my own writing. Ride the High Country was a good one of his even though he isn't credited. Its a shame its so hard to get stuff like that published these days let alone made.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:58 am to L.A.
quote:
635 episodes
Damn
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:40 am to Allthatfades
While there were many great episodes in color, the black and white ones just felt more like a real western.
Talk about rewatchable. I found the Gunsmoke channel several years ago and let it run constantly for months. If somebody wanted to watch something else they could, but then the TV went right back to Gunsmoke. Finally, everyone else here had had enough and that ended.
Talk about rewatchable. I found the Gunsmoke channel several years ago and let it run constantly for months. If somebody wanted to watch something else they could, but then the TV went right back to Gunsmoke. Finally, everyone else here had had enough and that ended.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 12:09 pm to L.A.
quote:holy crap. Loved gunsmoke as a kid but I'm not sure i have that kind of time investment in me.
635 episodes
Still remember the 2 part episode where Dillon got shot and they're trying to remove the bullet on a moving train.
This post was edited on 1/2/26 at 12:10 pm
Posted on 1/2/26 at 12:45 pm to L.A.
"Gunsmoke" is pretty darned sensational in my view. Over such a long run, it naturally had its ups and downs. I thought the very first season leaned a bit too much on reworking scripts from the radio series, and some of the episodes were a tad too static. But by third season, it was a brilliant, well-oiled machine, putting out tight, top-notch episodes. A superb run, going on for several seasons.
When it first went to an hour in 1961, it was initially a little off-balance, with stories being too dragged out. But they got things quickly together, and some of the 1962-64 episodes are just incredible... although sometimes awfully bleak, grim, and downbeat. The series started waning a little in the mid-1960s period, with its last b&w season (65-66) and first color season (66-67). But then, surprisingly, it actually picks up again with a lot of rather robust episodes around the 1967-68 period. After that, the furor over violence in television took hold, and neutered the series considerably as it continued into the 1970s. Still decent episodes here and there, especially around 1971 or so, but its glory days were clearly over.
When it first went to an hour in 1961, it was initially a little off-balance, with stories being too dragged out. But they got things quickly together, and some of the 1962-64 episodes are just incredible... although sometimes awfully bleak, grim, and downbeat. The series started waning a little in the mid-1960s period, with its last b&w season (65-66) and first color season (66-67). But then, surprisingly, it actually picks up again with a lot of rather robust episodes around the 1967-68 period. After that, the furor over violence in television took hold, and neutered the series considerably as it continued into the 1970s. Still decent episodes here and there, especially around 1971 or so, but its glory days were clearly over.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 1:16 pm to CAD703X
Before there was widespread streaming, I happened upon the complete series on DVD. Many, many discs. Loved that, but there were a few discs that just would not play properly (in a PS3, don’t know if that mattered). Don’t know where I got them but I think it was from a less than great distributor, But with Pluto TV I don’t really watch them anymore, anyway.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 7:58 pm to Aeolian Vocalion
quote:There is a good ep from this period w/Jeremy Slate as a simple minded fellow about to be hanged
When it first went to an hour in 1961, it was initially a little off-balance, with stories being too dragged out. But they got things quickly together, and some of the 1962-64 episodes are just incredible... although sometimes awfully bleak, grim, and downbeat.
There is another b/w hour ep - I can't recall the title or stars - about an innocent guy on the run w/a girl. It has a classic twist ending, w/an irony worthy of film noir or even Maugham/de Maupassant
quote:the infamous period when they hired the lithping light in the loafers guy as Thad. They eventually came to their senses and replaced him w/Buck Taylor.
The series started waning a little in the mid-1960s period, with its last b&w season (65-66) and first color season (66-67).
They also considered adding Ben Cooper as a lawyer, but decided they didn't want to turn it into courtroom drama (even though those are cheaper to produce, the reason there were so many attempts at a western/lawyer series)
quote:lt was actually cancelled in 1967. But Bill Paley ordered it be moved from Sat to Gilligan's time slot on Mon. In the greatest comeback in TV history it shot back into the top 10 - one season even making #2.
it actually picks up again with a lot of rather robust episodes around the 1967-68 period.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:05 pm to OlGrandad
quote:Quality kills >>> quantity
Matt Dillon shot 407 people on Gunsmoke
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:19 pm to L.A.
Watched religiously as a kid. Matt, Chester, Miss Kitty and Doc…
Posted on 1/2/26 at 9:20 pm to 9rocket
quote:Holy cow - a Kathleen Hite reference on TD
some of those earlier episodes were written by a woman, Kathleen Hite ? These episodes had a woman as the main character and were not nearly as good.
My problens w/Miss Hite go back even further, to the Philip Marlowe radio series in the early '50s. It was an OTR classic, rolling along nicely when KH started getting writing assignments, and providing inferior, soapy scripts, It quickly went from popular to cancelled.
To be fair, Hite wrote Dennis Weaver's favorite episode, "Chesterland" (originally titled "Chesterfields", but sponsor L&M refused to plug a rival cigarette), It's a character driven romance w/no action; it does have a memorable ending.
Ironic trivia dep't: when Philip Marlowe was riding high in the ratings, CBS radio execs demanded, "Give us a western version". And thus was born... Gunsmoke.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 10:24 pm to L.A.
Lonesome dove rolls free on Tubi.
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