Westernshave had a renewed value on television. Following the enduring success ofYellowstone,nearly every major streaming service has at least tried to cultivate a hit Western. Prime Video has had the short-livedOuter RangeandNight Sky, both of which come with a sci-fi twist. Netflix, for its part, is attempting to fuse the Western with a bit of romance in theupcomingRansom Canyon. It has also gone gritty and violent with the well-receivedAmerican Primeval.
There is something to be said, though, about the classic Western that harkens back to decades past. Even taking into accountYellowstoneand its many spinoffs, those shows are driven by aspects of family drama that can have more in common with soap operas than cowboys and gunslingers. But a new streaming hit, which is an old classic, is a fairly direct example of what the genre does so well.
Gunsmoke Breaks Out On The Streaming Charts
It Has Over 600 Episodes
Gunsmokeis one of the most influential Westerns of all time. Created for television by Norman Macdonnell and John Meston, after being developed by Charles Marquis Warren, the drama began as a radio play before making the jump to CBS in 1955. The medium change proved controversial, with audiences not taking kindly to the television version at first. But with time,Gunsmokedeveloped a legacy of its own. It was a ratings hit,running for 20 seasons and winning a total of 15 Emmys.
Gunsmokeunfolded in Dodge City, Kansas, centering on the central character of Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), with a cast that also included Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Dennis Weaver, Ken Curtis, Roger Ewing, Buck Taylor, and Burt Reynolds.
Nielsenhas revealed thatGunsmokeappears on Top 10 Streaming Charts for the week of March 3 to March 9,taking the eighth spot in the Acquired Top 10 list with 646 million minutes viewed. The Acquired Top 10 refers to shows that are available to stream but did not originally air on a streaming service. This marks a first forGunsmoke, which streams on Peacock and Peacock, though Nielsen notes thatthe Western generated 10 billion minutes of viewing in 2024 overall.
It’s worth noting that, for anyone hoping to watch the entirety ofGunsmokefor free, all episodes are available on Pluto TV, which doesn’t require a subscription. Peacock and Paramount still have a large number of seasons for anyone wanting to revisitGunsmoke’s Dodge Cityor discover it anew.
Our Take On Gunsmoke’s Significance
It May Be Hard To Grasp In A Modern Sense
To make a horror comparison,Gunsmokeis comparable toHalloween. It may be difficult for horror fans to grasp just how important the John Carpenter slasher was, because just about everything that followed carries its style. This TV western is the same, making it a vital watch.Gunsmokeis arguably the most influential Western of all time, and the continued interest in revisiting the classic helps reinforce its stellar reputation.
Gunsmoke
Cast
Set in the American West, Gunsmoke follows Marshal Matt Dillon as he maintains law and order in Dodge City, Kansas. This Western drama explores the challenges of frontier justice and the complex relationships between settlers, outlaws, and Native Americans during the settlement period.
