50 Years after Marshal Matt Dillon’s Last Draw: Gunsmoke Streaming Success

When “Gunsmoke” rode off into the sunset after a 20-year run in 1975, people couldn’t have predicted it would still be a hit 50 years later. Los Angeles Times critic Cecil Smith once said that even future moon colonizers might be tuning in to watch Marshal Matt Dillon. While we’re not quite watching TV on the moon just yet, Smith’s prediction about our viewing habits is spot on.

“Gunsmoke” is a classic western drama starring James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon. This year, it has been ranked among Nielsen’s top 10 most-streamed acquired series alongside modern favorites like “Family Guy,” “NCIS,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” The show racked up an impressive 646 million minutes viewed for one week and 570 million for another.

Originally released in 1952 as a radio drama before making the leap to television in 1955, “Gunsmoke” was an immediate hit. John Wayne, a close friend of Arness, even recommended him for the role of Marshal Dillon. The series outlasted other westerns of its time, moving from a half-hour show to a full hour in 1961.

Despite ending production five decades ago, “Gunsmoke” has never really disappeared. It can be found on cable channels like TV Land and INSP, as well as on platforms like Paramount+ and Peacock. Paramount Global’s free streaming service, Pluto TV, is where most fans continue to tune in.

Neal Sabin, vice chairman of Weigel Broadcasting, which has aired “Gunsmoke” since 2006, believes that great shows like this one will always have an audience, no matter where they are shown. The enduring popularity of “Gunsmoke” proves that even in today’s streaming age, classic TV still has a place in our hearts and on our screens.