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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Gunsmoke’ marks 50th anniversary

Kevin McDonough United Feature Syndicate

The Encore Westerns channel celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Gunsmoke” (6 p.m., Western) with a 50-episode marathon of the vintage series that will run all weekend, concluding Sunday evening.

“Gunsmoke” ran from 1955 to 1975, and starred James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, the lawman of Dodge City, Kan. Arness played Dillon for all 20 seasons, setting a longevity record for a television character only recently surpassed by Kelsey Grammer’s portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane on both “Cheers” and “Frasier.” Amanda Blake, who played Miss Kitty, owner of the Long Branch Saloon, only lasted for 19 seasons.

“Gunsmoke” proved so successful that it generated a glut of imitations during the late 1950s and early ‘60s. At one point, there were 30 Westerns playing on the three major networks. And you thought the reality fad was out of control.

With the exception of “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke” was the only Western to survive the changes in programming tastes, from quiz shows to escapist comedies, police and medical dramas, and socially relevant sitcoms. When “Gunsmoke” debuted in 1955, “The $64,000 Question” was the No. 1 show. When it finally left the airwaves, “All in the Family” held that position. But even after 20 seasons, “Gunsmoke” ranked in the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings. It ranked No. 2 as late as 1969-70.

In addition to Arness, “Gunsmoke” introduced American viewers to dozens of young actors, including Dennis Weaver and Burt Reynolds. The series also featured guest stars from John Wayne to Charles Bronson. Directors such as Sam Peckinpah and Mark Rydell worked on “Gunsmoke.” And while Glenn Spencer and Rex Koury wrote the show’s theme, it also employed some of the most accomplished composers in the business, including Bernard Herrmann (“Psycho”), Elmer Bernstein (“The Magnificent Seven” and “The Great Escape”) and Jerry Goldsmith (“The Omen”).

Speaking of guest stars, country singer Wynonna Judd appears on the first of two episodes of “Hope & Faith” (9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., ABC), about the two sisters appearing in a “Wife Swap”-type reality show.

On a similar theme, Dolly Parton guest stars as a real estate agent on “Reba” (9 p.m., WB), starring fellow country-music superstar Reba McIntire.

Tonight’s other highlights

Note: schedules may vary due to local coverage of major league baseball and preseason football.

Scheduled on “60 Minutes II” (8 p.m., CBS): the AARP and Social Security reform.

Scheduled on “Dateline” (8 p.m., NBC): an American soldier, declared missing and then dead during the Vietnam War, resurfaces decades later in New Zealand and answers questions about the American wife and family he left behind.

The Washington Redskins host the Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL preseason action (8 p.m., Fox).

Ice Cube and Mike Epps stars in the 2002 heist drama “All About the Benjamins” (8 p.m., UPN).

Craig goes off his medication and loses control on “Degrassi: The Next Generation” (8 p.m., Noggin).

Tommy Hilfiger hosts “The Cut” (9 p.m., CBS).

A professor from Quantico (Lou Diamond Phillips) aids in the hunt for a sniper on “Numb3rs” (10 p.m., CBS).

Murder in the morgue on “Crossing Jordan” (10 p.m., NBC).

Scheduled on “20/20” (10 p.m., ABC): Novelist Elizabeth Kostova travels to Transylvania to discuss her best-selling book “The Historian” (Little, Brown, 2005) and discuss vampire lore, fact and fiction.

Cult choice

The 2005 documentary “Midnight Movies” (9:45 p.m., Encore) celebrates an era of audacious cinema and insomniac audiences, followed by a late-night marathon of cult classics from the era, including “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (8 and 11:45 p.m.), “Night of the Living Dead” (1 a.m.), “Pink Flamingos” (2:40 a.m.) and “The Harder They Come” (4:30 a.m.).

Late night

John Cusack appears on “Late Show with David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jay Leno hosts Dr. Phil McGraw, Roger Ebert, Richard Roper and Kathleen Edwards on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC)