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Gunsmoke was an American staple for almost 20 years, starting in 1952 and ending in 1975! The series actually began as a radio show for its first three years before turning to viewers' television screens in 1955! Created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston, America would fall in love with the characters of Dodge City, among them man of the law "Matt Dillon" played by James Arness and saloon owner, "Miss Kitty", played by Amanda Blake!
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Next on our list is The Virginian, TV's first 90 minute long Western series! Starring the handsome James Drury as "the Virginian" and his rival "Trampas" played by Doug McClure, the series ran for 9 wonderful seasons from 1962 to 1971!
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One of TV's earliest Westerns filmed in black and white was The Rifleman starring Chuck Connors as rancher and veteran "Lucas McCain" and Johnny Crawford as his son "Mark McCain". The show was one of the first US prime time series to show a single parent raising a child and would run for 5 seasons from 1958-1963!
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Based on the series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie still remains a popular TV series today! Following the simple frontier lifestyle of "Charles" and "Caroline Ingalls" and their three daughters "Mary", "Laura", and "Carrie", Little House on the Prairie ran for 9 seasons starting in 1974 and ending in 1983!
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One of the more modern Westerns on our list is crime series Walker, Texas Ranger! Starring Chuck Norris as Dallas, Texas ranger "Cordell Walker", the CBS series was based on the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade also starring Chuck Norris! The series ran from 1993-2001 for a total of 8 seasons!
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Children of the 1950s will all remember this Western classic! The Roy Rogers Show ran for 6 seasons starting in 1951 and at the time was a contemporary twist on the traditional Western, introducing automobiles, telephones, and electricity into the classic frontier town!
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Behind Gunsmoke, Bonanza is the second longest-running Western series running for a total of 14 seasons and 430 episodes from 1959-1973! Following the adventures of the "Cartwright" family, Bonanza starred Lorne Greene as the three-time widowed father "Ben" and his three sons played by Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. You can still catch reruns of Bonanza on TV today!
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This classic Walt Disney series starring Fess Parker as frontiersman "Daniel Boone" and his best friend "George Russel" played by Buddy Ebsen, only ran for 3 seasons in the 1950s, but the popularity of the show has led to many revival series since! The coonskin caps and bubble gum cards became a Davy Crockett trademark in the 1950s and the effects are still present in many of Disney's theme parks today!
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Next on our list is the woman who would do the impossible and make it big in a Western at a time that was predominately a man's world! Annie Oakley starring Gail Davis as the famous sharpshooter "Annie Oakley" fictionalized the real-life adventures of the inspiring woman, and the show would produce a total of 81 episodes from 1954-1957!
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True Westerns fans will never forget the legendary singing cowboy Gene Autry in this 1950s classic! The Gene Autry Show, which was a sequel to the already famous Gene Autry radio shows and films, ran for 5 seasons and produced a total of 91 extraordinary episodes!
The Western is one of the oldest genres around and has been entertaining audiences for over a century! From classics like Gunsmoke to more modern Westerns like Walker, Texas Ranger, here is a look back at some of the most successful Western series of all time!
Enjoy the gallery!
