<P> The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961 . John Dunning wrote that among radio drama enthusiasts , `` Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time . '' The television series ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975 , and lasted for 635 episodes . At the end of its run in 1975 , Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith wrote : `` Gunsmoke was the dramatization of the American epic legend of the west . Our own Iliad and Odyssey , created from standard elements of the dime novel and the pulp Western as romanticized by ( Ned ) Buntline , ( Bret ) Harte , and ( Mark ) Twain . It was ever the stuff of legend . '' </P>
<P> The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961 . John Dunning wrote that among radio drama enthusiasts , `` Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time . '' The television series ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975 , and lasted for 635 episodes . At the end of its run in 1975 , Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith wrote : `` Gunsmoke was the dramatization of the American epic legend of the west . Our own Iliad and Odyssey , created from standard elements of the dime novel and the pulp Western as romanticized by ( Ned ) Buntline , ( Bret ) Harte , and ( Mark ) Twain . It was ever the stuff of legend . '' </P>
how long did gunsmoke stay on the air
how long did gunsmoke stay on the air
for 20 seasons
for 20 seasons