Why People Continue to Watch Gunsmoke

Why people continue to watch Gunsmoke can be hard to figure. Back in the 1950's my grandmother wouldn't let an episode sneak by without sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate and watching James Arness do his thing. Now more than 50 year's later her great-granddaughter is watching the same episodes that caught my grandmother's attention and with growing enthusiasm. What common threads of appeal have bound Americans to Gunsmoke in record numbers?

My own observation first points to the simplicity of the show. The selection of Gunsmoke shows that I have seen have never dazzled me with deep plots or hard to follow story lines. The characters are strongly drawn. Marshal Dillon, Doc, Kitty are the same from week to week. Viewers can get comfortable with these kinds of bedrock characters. Even if they haven't tuned in to Gunsmoke in years, when they do catch an episode they know what to expect from the local heroes of Dodge City. This simplicity helps people to connect and to stay connected.

There is a romanticism about Gunsmoke stories that touches our reverence for the history of the old west. Even in the 21st Century Americans still enjoy returning to those times when men rode about on horses, women wore high button dresses and everybody seemed to know everyone in town. Even in some of the more violent episodes of the Gunsmoke series you could always rely on a little old fashioned humor, some western cooking, or a quickly concluded bar room brawl. People, at least the heroes, all had morals and were folks you would like to invite to next week's barbecue.

Lots of credit for the longevity of the show must also go to the cavalcade of visiting actors that appeared from week to week. The list of characters actors and stars in waiting is legendary. If you watched long enough and paid close attention as shows have been replayed you would marvel as actors like Ralph Bellamy, Leslie Nielsen, Martin Landau and Melissa Gilbert appeared and disappeared to be replaced by other now well know personalities. Waiting to see what big name actor is going to play some small cameo part in a single Gunsmoke episode is draw enough in itself.

Finally for those who chose to see it, Gunsmoke is not without its lesson. Not a preachy show even by today's standards, Gunsmoke still had a message to share. It wasn't necessarily that good triumphs over evil; that kindness is more important than wealth; or that friendship wins over all other virtues though sometimes the show hinted at such. More often the show's message was about the people who lived in those challenging times. Gunsmoke made it one thing clear almost every week - life in the west was hard and demanding and worthy of respect.

With the announcement that "Law and Order" will not be back on the air in Sept. 2010, hats are off once again to James Arness and his little band for putting out a product that continues to hold the record and the hearts of Americans.

Sources: www.gunsmoke.libsyn.com