Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
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see all options Availability data: JustWatch
- Seasons
- 20
- Episodes aired
- 635
- Latest aired
- S20E24
- Total runtime
- 16d 18h
Timeline when each season aired
- Season 1 September 1955 – August 1956 39 episodes
- Season 2 September 1956 – July 1957 39 episodes
- Season 3 September 1957 – June 1958 39 episodes
- Season 4 September 1958 – June 1959 39 episodes
- Season 5 September 1959 – June 1960 39 episodes
- Season 6 September 1960 – June 1961 38 episodes
- Season 7 September 1961 – May 1962 34 episodes
- Season 8 September 1962 – June 1963 38 episodes
- Season 9 September 1963 – June 1964 36 episodes
- Season 10 September 1964 – May 1965 36 episodes
- Season 11 September 1965 – May 1966 32 episodes
- Season 12 September 1966 – April 1967 29 episodes
- Season 13 September 1967 – March 1968 25 episodes
- Season 14 January 1968 – March 1969 26 episodes
- Season 15 September 1969 – March 1970 26 episodes
- Season 16 September 1970 – March 1971 24 episodes
- Season 17 September 1971 – March 1972 24 episodes
- Season 18 September 1972 – March 1973 24 episodes
- Season 19 September 1973 – April 1974 24 episodes
- Season 20 September 1974 – March 1975 24 episodes
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S01E01 Matt Gets It
September 10 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Dan Grat, a gunman hunted by Texas authorities, seeks refuge in Dodge City. Marshal Dillon goes into action against this outlaw who shoots before he talks.
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S01E02 Hot Spell
September 17 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Matt intercedes on behalf of ex-con Cope Borden, when Rance Bradley accuses Cope of horse theft and attempts to lynch him. Cope is proven innocent of the charge, but later kills Bradley's nephew in a fair fight during a gambling dispute. Matt is caught in an awkward situation when he must defend the unsavory Cope against the decent people of Dodge.
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S01E03 Word of Honor
October 1 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Hank Worth, son of wealthy rancher Jake Worth, is kidnapped by three men and held for $20,000 ransom. They shoot him in the back for trying to escape. They call on Doc but Hank dies. The killers decide to let Doc go because he is the only doctor within 400 miles and they fear they might need his services someday. Before sparing his life and freeing him, they force the reluctant Doc to give his word of honor that he will never reveal their identities.
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S01E04 Home Surgery
October 8 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
When returning to Dodge, Chester and Matt are confronted by Holly Hawtree, whose father is desperately ill with gangrene. His only hope for survival is amputation of the affected leg. Matt performs the surgery, but the gangrene has spread too far and the old man dies. Matt later discovers that the presumed accident leading to Mr. Hawtree's condition was actually caused by Ben Walling, who has his sights on Holly.
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S01E05 Obie Tater
October 15 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Two outlaws seek the rumored hidden fortune of old prospector Obie. They drag him to get him to tell. Obie forgets his cares and disappears on honeymoon with newcomer Ella May. Matt suspiciously questions the simple Obie about Ella May's motives and finds Obie is deeper than he seems.
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S01E06 Night Incident
October 29 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Little Timmy Wyatt witnesses a series of bizarre murders. He has a habit of telling tall tales, so no one will believe him.
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S01E07 Smoking Out the Nolans
November 5 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Clay Young is trying to evict Josh Nolan, who says he paid for the property. Matt and Chester are tied up in reluctantly enforcing eviction law unless they can find another way.
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S01E08 Kite's Reward
November 12 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Matt warns skilled gunman Andy Travis, of his choice between quitting the gun or else being constantly hunted and forced to prove himself. Matt finds a way to foil the $1000 bounty on Andy's head.
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S01E09 The Hunter
November 26 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Buffalo hunter Jase Murdock is warned by storekeeper Ross to stay out of Indian territory. Matt talks with Murdock's skinner, Golden Calf, who determines that Murdock's medicine is no longer good.
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S01E10 The Queue
December 3 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Two bullies cut off Chen's pig-tail, gravely dishonoring him in Chinese culture. Chen vows vengeance.
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S01E11 General Parsley Smith
December 10 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Old-timer Smith is a former Army officer considered a butcher. He arrives in Dodge City speading rumors about the new Banker, Drew Holt.
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S01E12 Magnus
December 24 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Chester is embarrassed at a visit by his estranged mountain man brother Magnus. To prove that Magnus is too uncivilized for town, Chester tours him through the highlights of Dodge: card gambling, drinking, and talking with Kitty. Meanwhile, the Long Branch women plan a Christmas Eve dance which is busted by the spiteful Lucifer Jones.
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S01E13 Reed Survives
December 31 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Lucy professes her love for handsome Booth Rider, and concocts a scheme against Ephram. Booth becomes the unwitting pawn in a homicide that culminates in an ironic twist of fate.
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S01E14 Professor Lute Bone
January 7 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Doc is enraged by traveling medicine man Professor Lute Bone and his opium elixir, and digs up a gun to shoot him with. A lad also hunts him because his father died drinking his elixir, so Bone reconsiders the patent medicine business.
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S01E15 No Handcuffs
January 21 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A dishonest deputy sheriff steals a prisoner from Matt's jail, so Matt and Chester hunt them.
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S01E16 Reward for Matt
January 28 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Matt kills a man and his widow posts a $1,000 bounty in vengeance. Everyone from sodbusters to gunslingers are out for that reward.
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S01E17 Robin Hood
February 4 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Witnesses refuse to testify against a notorious outlaw.
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S01E18 Yorky
February 18 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Yorky, a white boy who was brought up by Arapahoes, is victimized by horse thieves. Accused of their crime, he is shot by the vengeful Abe Brandt and his son. Matt is also targeted by the horse thieves.
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S01E19 20-20
February 25 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A former lawman tries to keep his failing eyesight a secret from his enemies.
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S01E20 Reunion '78
March 3 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A well-liked hardware drummer is actually a man wanted for multiple murders.
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S01E21 Helping Hand
March 17 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A would-be tough guy picks on the wrong man in an attempt to make a name for himself when he tries to involve Marshal Matt Dillon by staging a street fight.
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S01E22 Tap Day for Kitty
March 24 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
An old sodbuster comes to town and decides he wants to marry Kitty. When he won't leave her alone she declares she'll shoot him if he pesters her anymore.
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S01E23 Indian Scout
March 31 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
When an old Indian scout (Eduard Franz) murders a man (DeForest Kelley), Matt pursues him into Comanche territory.
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S01E24 The Pest Hole
April 14 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Doc must find a way to thwart a typhoid epidemic in Dodge (Howard McNear appears).
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S01E25 The Big Broad
April 28 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Matt has to figure a way around a six-foot-tall, 200-pound woman with a six-gun.
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S01E26 Hack Prine
May 12 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Hack Prine, a friend of Matt's rides into Dodge. However he is there as a gunman, for Matt Dillon.
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S01E27 Cooter
May 19 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A dishonest gambler (Vinton Hayworth) uses a mentally challenged man (Strother Martin) in a plot against Matt (Robert Vaughn appears).
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S01E28 The Killer
May 26 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Charles Bronson guest stars as a cowardly gunslinger who only goes after old men or young kids who aren't very experienced with guns. But, when Matt Dillon gives him an ultimatum, he shows his true colors.
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S01E29 Doc's Revenge
June 9 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A stranger comes to Dodge, and Doc bewilders and dismays Chester and Matt by arming himself and vowing to kill the man.
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S01E30 The Preacher
June 16 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Seth, a newcomer to Dodge is bullied by Keeler, a boxer.
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S01E31 How to Die for Nothing
June 23 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
The brother of a man Matt was forced to kill vows to kill Matt by any means necessary (Mort Mills appears).
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S01E32 Dutch George
June 30 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Matt's Childhood hero, Dutch George is now the leader of a notorious gang of horse thieves he must now stop.
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S01E33 Prairie Happy
July 7 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A bitter old man spreads rumors of an impending Indian raid on Dodge.
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S01E34 Chester's Mail Order Bride
July 14 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
When Chester's mail-order bride arrives, neither she nor Chester are what the other are expecting (first credited appearance of Bert Rumsey as 'Sam').
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S01E35 The Guitar
July 21 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
An ex-Union soldier is forced to use violence against a pair of diehard Rebels (Jacques Aubuchon appears). First episode without the "Boot Hill" intro.
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S01E36 Cara
July 28 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
Matt encounters an ex-girl friend---who's now working on the wrong side of the law.
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S01E37 Mr. and Mrs. Amber
August 4 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A self-styled religious prophet (Ainslie Pryor) is making life miserable for his daughter and new son-in-law..
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S01E38 Unmarked Grave
August 18 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
A young outlaw uses an old woman as a pawn in his bid for freedom.
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S01E39 Alarm at Pleasant Valley
August 25 · 26min find the promo
Show synopsis
While on the way back to Dodge, Matt and Chester discover a homsteading family fleeing Pleasant Valley, which is besieged by Indians.