I don’t know if it’s just me but it seems it gets harder and harder to find anything fit to watch on television. Oh, there are some good shows but fewer of them. My husband and I have found ourselves watching the golden oldies or as I’d rather call them the “classic” television shows. There’s the Andy Griffith Show and good old Mayberry, where everybody would have loved to have made their home. The classic comedy shows are enjoyed as they are nothing like the modern day shows where the jokes are nasty and political. There are shows like the Honeymooners, MASH and The Dick VanDyke Show, where the whole family can watch and laugh at together. The variety shows featuring popular musical talent of the time are also appreciated today.
Westerns can still be watched at the punch on the remote control. One I thought I’d never watch again, is Gunsmoke as I had to sit every Saturday night and watch it with my parents and sisters. It was Dad and Mom’s favorite, but now I’m drawn back to it once in a while. It brings back so many memories. Dad and Mom liked to watch western television shows so about 10 minutes before Gunsmoke was set to start, Dad was sent outside to begin turning the tall metal television antenna pole. The antenna would be turned toward Lincoln, Neb., as Gunsmoke was on the CBS station there. One of us girls were stationed at the window so Dad could hear and see the hand instructions, and Mother would be watching the television to see when the screen was without any snow or static lines. When the screen appeared clear, we’d let out a shout and wave Dad inside. The music started, da—da----da—da.. The tall Marshal Matt Dillon would sway out onto the street with his back to the camera. He’d draw his gun quickly from it’s holster and fire it. We were taken back in time to the streets of Dodge City, Kansas. Each week an outlaw had to be hunted down, some mysterious murder had to be solved, a Dodge City resident was taken hostage so Dillon had to save the day. Right always won, and the bad was always brought to justice one way or another.
Today, the movies and television shows do not feature westerns like they did in the 40s, 50s and 60s, though Gunsmoke still holds the record for being the longest running dramatic series in network television. The show began in 1952 as a radio show and was put on television on Sept. 10, 1955. Its last episode was in 1975. The show put Kansas on the map of importance. To this day Dodge City draws visitors to its old town, acting out gun fights and the popular saloon, The Long Branch, features dancers. What made it so popular? Was it the story line of each week’s episode, the 6’7” star James Arness as Matt Dillon? Was it the well known Dodge City residences such as the gruff Doc Adams, the limping Chester, the rusty old Festus? Then there was the red head beauty, Miss Kitty, who never was able to “get her man” Matt.
One can only imagine how many times Matt was wounded, how many trips he made to the court at Fort Hays, or how many cups of Chester’s coffee he drank. Doc was always there to pull Matt and others through sicknesses and bullet wounds. Chester, Festus and Newly were ready to help Matt out when needed. There were 635 episodes so it certainly was well watched, and not just by the Boyles family.
Several years ago while attending the Phillipsburg Rodeo, we got to see Ken Curtis who played Festus on Gunsmoke. He was also a famous singer and once was a member of The Sons of the Pioneers. He was the featured star at the rodeo that year. Then about five years ago, we happened to meet the only living cast member of Gunsmoke, Matt Dillon’s sidekick, Buck Taylor, who played Newly, the gunsmith. We were staying for a few days in Branson, Mo. and went into a booth where Taylor was there promoting his paintings. We had no idea he was an artist. He was dressed the part in his buckskin jacket, and cowboy hat. He allowed us to take our picture with him. We purchased two of his paintings, one that was later sold at my husband’s church auction and the other to hang on our living room wall. We were glad he agreed to sign both paintings.
I sure wished they would make more television shows to match these golden oldies or “classics,” but I suppose it won’t happen. It makes me wonder what the next generation will look back on as their “classics.”
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