‘Gunsmoke’: Only 1 Show Has Surpassed the Iconic Series in Number of Seasons and Episodes
Gunsmoke is one of the most iconic television shows of all time. During its twenty-year run, its popularity took over the television world in spectacular fashion.
For many years, it held the record for the longest-running show of all time. Additionally, it was also boasting about having the highest number of episodes made and released to the public.
IMDbTV’s website has a trivia page for every show. On this page, they put into context just how incredible Gunsmoke‘s television run was.
“At twenty years and six hundred thirty-five episodes, it is the second-longest-running American primetime television series to date. The Simpsons (1989) surpassed it with seasons in 2009 and with episodes in 2018.”
“Gunsmoke” Enjoyed a Twenty Year Run Of Unparalleled Success
Gunsmoke‘s popularity spoke for itself. The show hit the ground running, and didn’t look back for a second. As the show was just starting to kick off, a legendary actor was there for the inaugural episode to introduce the show.
In September of 1955, the cast members of the new show were watching the premiere together. John Wayne came out to introduce the show, and during his introduction of the show, he gave a few remarks. His words were specifically about the leading actor, James Arness.
“I’ve made a lot of pictures, some of them have been Westerns… and that’s why I’m here to tell you about tonight… a new television show called Gunsmoke.”
Then, he added a few words about James Arness, saying “He’s a young fellow and maybe new to some of you. I predict he’ll be a big star.”
John Wayne was certainly right about the show and James Arness. Gunsmoke had an incredible run on television for twenty years, becoming the longest-running tv show ever. Again, the show also held the record for most episodes until the Simpson’s came about. This show likely won’t see much competition in the television world for a long time, if ever again.
