Gunsmoke The 18th and 19th Seasons

Gunsmoke has the distinction of being the longest running primetime Western of all time clocking in at 20 seasons.

That’s pretty impressive considering the show originally started out as black and white half-hour episodes and premiered with other primetime Westerns.

In fact, in the late 1950s and early 1960s upward of 30 Westerns could be seen on primetime TV.

But, there was something different about Gunsmoke.

The TV series strived to portray the Old West as it really was: gritty, dirty, tough, dangerous and populated by tough-as-nails individuals determined to make a go of it.

While other TV Westerns primarily focused on one individual with a supporting cast and tended to romanticize the Old West, Gunsmoke stood out for its authenticity.

When Gunsmoke was first visualized its creators wanted John Wayne to play the title role of Marshall Matt Dillon.  Wayne declined but recommended a young man in his talent pool: James Arness.  An imposing six foot five inches tall Arness dominated the small screen.

His gentle but strong portrayal of Matt Dillon coupled with his dry sense of humor made him a Western fan favorite.

Accompanying him was a stellar cast of characters all of whom strived to make the show the best it could be.

Their chemistry and obvious affection of each other (on and off the screen) is evident on the small screen.

CBS/Paramount has faithfully translated the TV series to a set of DVDs.  All the episodes are remastered and restored and include some pretty cool Special Features.

In its twin release of Gunsmoke The Eighteenth Season and Gunsmoke The Nineteenth Season DVD Collections viewers get to see the series as it draws close to it finale.

Yet despite years of performances together the cast turns in some of the best episodes of the series.

Matt leaves his badge and goes after the man that almost kills Kitty, some offbeat humor is included in two memorable episodes, Matt goes undercover, a intense study of tolerance and prejudice is seen in the 19th Season and Matt comes close to loosing his ability to use a firearm.

Other intense and thought-provoking (and relevant) stories make the 18th and 19th Seasons some of the best of Gunsmoke's 20 year run.

Both DVD collections include commentaries and featurettes about the series.

Relive the Old West and enjoy a classic TV series that set the standard by which all other TV Westerns must meet.