The sixth season of the American Western television series Gunsmoke aired in the United States beginning on September 3, 1960, and the final episode aired on June 17, 1961. The season consisted of 38 black-and-white 30 minute episodes. All episodes were broadcast in the US by CBS, originally airing Saturdays at 10:00-10:30 pm (EST).
Gunsmoke was developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history.
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.
Season 6 consisted of 38 half-hour black-and-white episodes produced by Norman Macdonnell.
Occasionally, titles were re-used. Season six had three such episodes: episode 7, "The Squaw" was also the title of season 20, episode 14; episode 23, "Reprisal" was also the title of season 14, episode 20, and episode 33, "The Prisoner" was also the title of season 14, episode 25.
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Season six aired Saturdays at 10:00-10:30 pm (EST) on CBS.
The sixth season was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment in two volumes. 19 episodes were released on August 7, 2012 and 19 episodes were released on October 16, 2012.
Gunsmoke held the number one primetime spot in the Nielsen ratings four years straight, for the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons.