Charlene Brooks and James Arness in season one of 'Gunsmoke.' Everett Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment On Sept. 10, 1955, the iconic Western series Gunsmoke premiered on CBS from 10 p.m.-10:30 p.m. The James Arness-starrer went on to have a 20-season, 635-episode television run, picking up 5 Emmy Awards and 15 nominations along the way.