Did you know that the final episode of Gunsmoke wasn’t the final episode filmed and that its plot barely even revolved around main character Marshal Matt Dillon? Gunsmoke was a beloved Western television series that premiered in 1955 and went on to make history with its unprecedented 20-season run. By the time the show came to an end in 1975, it had been on the air for two decades and had yielded 635 episodes. Given the fact that the show was apparently successful enough to last for 20 seasons, one might expect that its producers would’ve taken the time to give the show a proper send-off for its series finale. However, unfair treatment from the CBS network made this impossible.
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Sadly, the producers of Gunsmoke were not aware that the show’s 20th season was going to be its last. According to star James Arness, who portrayed the character of Marshal Matt Dillon for all of the series’ 20 seasons, the cast and crew believed that the show was going to continue for at least one more season. As a result of this miscommunication, the producers didn’t get the chance to plan a proper series finale for the show. Thankfully, the character of Marshal Matt Dillon was brought back over a decade after Gunsmoke’s cancellation for the made-for-television feature Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge, which was followed by three sequels. These films provided a more fitting ending for Gunsmoke than the original finale.
The final episode of Gunsmoke to air was dubbed “The Sharecroppers”. The episode revolved predominantly around the character of Festus, portrayed by country music singer and actor Ken Curtis. Join Facts Verse as we take a look behind the scene that took Gunsmoke off the air.
The Scene That Took Gunsmoke off the Air
By: Facts Verse Title: The Scene That Took Gunsmoke off the Air Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3OuDO3WRq0
