Gunsmoke

[monkrules]

While gunfights and other action adventures scenes are pure Hollywood, the characters and stores were not. The stories were about relationships and real life problems people faced in those days. Just as in real life the characters run the gauntlet from hard working everyday people to the eccentric. The first six seasons were half hour episodes, just vignette, not long enough to really involve the audience. Beginning with season 7 the show went to a hour black & white format for 4 years, going to color in season 12. IMHO, seasons 7 thru 11 were the best. They had better stories, better guest stars and the lead characters characters were well established in their roles. When the series when to color I believe the episodes lost much of their dramatic impact. It looked more like Bonzana and a half dozen other westerns. By the last season, Matt was showing his age and gut. Kitty, unlike the beautiful young proprietor of the Long Branch looked more like a worn out whorehouse madam and poor old doc missed half the last season due his failing heart.

I don't care for most of the crap that fills broadcast TV these days, so the old westerns, Blue Bloods, Law & Order, and a few others are a blessing.

Most of the new game and variety shows seem to have been created with the brain-dead in mind. Lol.

 

[Flopper]

I just caught a Gunsmoke episode earlier, clicking through the channels. It was a pretty early color one I think. The guests were Jack Elam (had the funny eye) and Slim Pickins. Good ol' Slim.

Gunsmoke just doesn't look right in color to me. Seasons 12-20 where shot in color which has never been restored resulting in color bleeding, and over saturation. Aside from the quality of the color, most of the Gunsmoke episode are very dramatic which is best captured in the stark realism of b&w. IMHO, seasons 7-11 which are b&w 1hr episode were the best.