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Gunsmoke season 8

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Gunsmoke
Season 8
Starring
No. of episodes38
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 15, 1962 (1962-09-15) –
June 1, 1963 (1963-06-01)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 7
Next →
Season 9
List of episodes

Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name.[1] The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history.[2][3]

The first episode of season 8 aired in the United States on September 15, 1962, and the final episode aired on June 1, 1963. All episodes were broadcast in the U.S. by CBS.[4]

Season 8 of Gunsmoke was the second season of one hour episodes filmed in black-and-white. Seasons 1-6 were half-hour episodes, and color episodes were not filmed until season 12.

Synopsis

Gunsmoke is set in and around Dodge City, Kansas, in the post-Civil War era and centers on United States Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) as he enforces law and order in the city. In its original format, the series also focuses on Dillon's friendship with three other citizens of Dodge City: Doctor Galen "Doc" Adams (Milburn Stone), the town's physician; Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake), saloon girl and later owner of the Long Branch Saloon; and Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver), Dillon's assistant.[5] In season eight, a fifth regular character was added to the cast: blacksmith Quint Asper (Burt Reynolds), who remained until the end of season 10.[6]

Cast and characters

Main

Production

Season 8 consisted of 38 one-hour black-and-white episodes produced by Norman Macdonnell and Frank Paris as associate producer.

Season 8 included the first of two episodes directed by William Conrad, who played the role of Matt Dillon on the radio version of Gunsmoke from 19521961. In this season, he directed episode 31, "Panacea Sykes".

Casting

Episode 13, "Us Haggens", is the first episode to feature Ken Curtis as Festus, who would become a regular character in later seasons.

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
2681"The Search"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteSeptember 15, 1962 (1962-09-15)
2692"Call Me Dodie"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteSeptember 22, 1962 (1962-09-22)
2703"Quint Asper Comes Home"Andrew V. McLaglenJohn MestonSeptember 29, 1962 (1962-09-29)
2714"Root Down"Sobey MartinKathleen HiteOctober 6, 1962 (1962-10-06)
2725"Jenny"Andrew V. McLaglenJohn MestonOctober 13, 1962 (1962-10-13)
2736"Collie's Free"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteOctober 20, 1962 (1962-10-20)
2747"The Ditch"Harry HarrisLes CrutchfieldOctober 27, 1962 (1962-10-27)
2758"The Trappers"Andrew V. McLaglenJohn DunkelNovember 3, 1962 (1962-11-03)
2769"Phoebe Strunk"Andrew V. McLaglenJohn MestonNovember 10, 1962 (1962-11-10)
27710"The Hunger"Harry HarrisJack CurtisNovember 17, 1962 (1962-11-17)
27811"Abe Blocker"Andrew V. McLaglenJohn MestonNovember 24, 1962 (1962-11-24)
27912"The Way It Is"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteDecember 1, 1962 (1962-12-01)
28013"Us Haggens"Andrew V. McLaglenLes CrutchfieldDecember 8, 1962 (1962-12-08)
28114"Uncle Sunday"Joseph SargentJohn MestonDecember 15, 1962 (1962-12-15)
28215"False Front"Andrew V. McLaglenStory by : Hal Moffett
Screenplay by : John Meston
December 22, 1962 (1962-12-22)
28316"Old Comrade"Harry HarrisJohn DunkelDecember 29, 1962 (1962-12-29)
28417"Louie Pheeters"Harry HarrisJohn MestonJanuary 5, 1963 (1963-01-05)
28518"The Renegades"Andrew V. McLaglenJohn MestonJanuary 12, 1963 (1963-01-12)
28619"Cotter's Girl"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteJanuary 19, 1963 (1963-01-19)
28720"The Bad One"Charles MartinGwen BagniJanuary 26, 1963 (1963-01-26)
28821"The Cousin"Harry HarrisStory by : Marian Clark
Screenplay by : Kathleen Hite
February 2, 1963 (1963-02-02)
28922"Shona"Ted PostJohn MestonFebruary 9, 1963 (1963-02-09)
29023"Ash"Harry HarrisJohn MestonFebruary 16, 1963 (1963-02-16)
29124"Blind Man's Bluff"Ted PostJohn MestonFebruary 23, 1963 (1963-02-23)
29225"Quint's Indian"Fred Jackman, Jr.Story by : Marian Clark
Screenplay by : John Meston
March 2, 1963 (1963-03-02)
29326"Anybody Can Kill a Marshal"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteMarch 9, 1963 (1963-03-09)
29427"Two of a Kind"Andrew V. McLaglenMerwin GerardMarch 16, 1963 (1963-03-16)
29528"I Call Him Wonder"Harry HarrisKathleen HiteMarch 23, 1963 (1963-03-23)
29629"With a Smile"Andrew V. McLaglenStory by : Bud Furillo & George Main
Screenplay by : John Meston
March 30, 1963 (1963-03-30)
29730"The Far Places"Harry HarrisJohn DunkelApril 6, 1963 (1963-04-06)
29831"Panacea Sykes"William ConradKathleen HiteApril 13, 1963 (1963-04-13)
29932"Tell Chester"Joseph SargentFrank ParisApril 20, 1963 (1963-04-20)
30033"Quint-Cident"Andrew V. McLaglenKathleen HiteApril 27, 1963 (1963-04-27)
30134"Old York"Harry HarrisJohn MestonMay 4, 1963 (1963-05-04)
30235"Daddy Went Away"Joseph SargentStory by : John Rosser
Screenplay by : Kathleen Hite
May 11, 1963 (1963-05-11)
30336"The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner"Andrew V. McLaglenPaul SavageMay 18, 1963 (1963-05-18)
30437"Jeb"Harry HarrisPaul SavageMay 25, 1963 (1963-05-25)
30538"The Quest for Asa Janin"Andrew V. McLaglenPaul SavageJune 1, 1963 (1963-06-01)

Release

Broadcast

Season eight aired Saturdays at 10:00-11:00 pm (EST) on CBS.[4]

Home media

The eighth season was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment in a two volumes set on May 7, 2013.

Reception

Gunsmoke season 8 dropped to number 10 in the Nielsen ratings[8]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Barbaras 1990, p. 74–75.
  2. ^ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 570–571.
  3. ^ McNeil 1996, p. 351–352.
  4. ^ a b Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 570.
  5. ^ Barbaras 1990, p. 87–102.
  6. ^ Barbaras 1990, p. 114–116.
  7. ^ Costello 2006, p. 353–370.
  8. ^ "1962-1963 TV Ratings". classictvguide.com.

References