Why the Longest-Running Western TV Show Ended So Abruptly
When the Western drama television series Gunsmoke ended in 1975 after twenty seasons and a whopping 635 episodes, it was the longest-running live-action primetime series in history and had the highest number of scripted episodes. Gunsmoke held the former record until September 2019, when the crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit entered its 21st season, while the animated sitcom The Simpsons surpassed Gunsmoke in total scripted episodes in April 2018.