About This Quiz
They were two of the most popular and long-running western dramas in the history of television. Gunsmoke ran for 20 seasons and Bonanza ran for 14 seasons, covering a span of three decades, each starting in the '50s and ending in the '70s. How much do you know about two of the earliest powerhouse shows on television? Can you distinguish them from one another? Here's a quiz where you can find out just that!
Gunsmoke and Bonanza are ranked respectively as the longest-running western dramas ever to hit American television, competing directly against one another, as Gunsmoke ran on CBS and Bonanza on NBC. Few shows could challenge these two goliaths when they originally ran rampant through the homes of Americans or even now.Â
After all, both shows have received numerous awards and are consistently included in rankings of greatest shows of all time. Even today, their popularity refuses to die, with reruns and DVD sales drawing new audience members and entertaining fans who have been with the shows when they first started.Â
Whether you grew up with the shows or came upon them years after their series finales aired, here's your chance to revisit each one. Get started and put your Gunsmoke and Bonanza knowledge to the test!Â
Hop Sing was a welcomed member of the Cartwright household, usually very considerate of others. However, he would get angry when the family showed up to dinner late.
This line became an idiom in popular culture after it was heard on the show. Occasionally, it still comes up today.
Dodge City is an actual city in Kansas. It was founded in 1872 and incorporated in 1875.
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When the show originally ran, many fans wondered if Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell were ever in an actual relationship on the show. Over 40 years later, those fans are still asking the same question.
The Ponderosa Ranch was located near Lake Tahoe in Nevada. A real ranch named after the one in the show was used as an amusement park from 1967 until 2004.
Gunsmoke started off as a radio series. Matt Dillon was voiced by William Conrad on the radio and played by James Arness on the show.
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Cowboys aren't meant to settle down. That was certainly the case for Ben Cartwright, though not by choice.
Dr. Galen Adams was played by Milburn Stone. Stone was awarded an Emmy in 1968 for his portrayal of the character on Gunsmoke.
Sam Noonan was played by Glenn Strange. Strange died in 1973 of lung cancer while still a character on the show.
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Sheriff Coffee was up in age and many people considered him unfit to run the town. In the episode "No Less a Man," he proves them wrong by running off a gang of thieves.
Originally, the Cartwright family is made up of Ben Cartwright and his three sons. For most of the series, none of them are married. This was more of a studio decision than a story decision, as married men were unpopular on television at the time.
Dusty Rhoades is an old friend of Ben Cartwright. He brings Jamie Hunter to the Cartwright's ranch.
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"Candy" Canaday left the Army and became a cowboy on the Cartwright's ranch. Eventually, he climbed the ranks and became the ranch foreman.
Quint Asper was half-Comanche, often referred to as a "halfbreed." He struggles with his commitment to the tribe and to justice.
Will Mannon uses brutality to draw out Matt Dillon and get the duel of a lifetime. However, he should be careful what he wishes for.
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In the late 19th century, Mexico is full of corrupt officials and bandits. That won't stop Marshall Matt Dillon from catching the bad guy.
Substance abuse was only one issue the show dealt with. It also discussed domestic violence and environmental issues, among many others.
It all started with a mining tycoon and an actress. With the Cartwright family solving this dilemma, the show was off and running.
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Festus Haggen arrives in Dodge City after the death of his twin brother. After his first appearance, his twin brother is never brought back up. Some things are better left forgotten.
Bonanza wasn't afraid to dive into issues like anti-semitism. Luckily, the morally guided Ben Cartwright is always willing to step in and have his view heard.
The Cartwright's cook, Hop Sing, falls in love with a white woman and asks her to marry him. Sadly, the marriage never occurs because of race laws governing the region.
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"The Pursued" is a two-part episode in season 8. In the two episodes, the Cartwright family must stand between the town and a family of Mormons who owns a ranch. This is another storyline showing the boundaries​ this show was willing to push.
Jaime is eventually adopted by Ben Cartwright. This gives the father of the Cartwright's another ear to teach lessons to.
Clayton "Thad" Greenwood has an episode titled after him. In the episode, Thad comes to Dodge City to arrest criminals with a warrant that's no good outside Oklahoma​.
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In the episode, Matt Dillon forms a friendship with Paco, a boy from the village. Paco respects Dillon's desire to arrest the outlaws instead of killing them.
This was a controversial episode, especially in the 1960s. Two television stations in the South wouldn't air it.
Clem Foster first appears in the episode "Half a Rogue." In the episode, "Hoss" Cartwright is wrongfully accused of a murder and has to prove his innocence.
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Marshall Matt Dillon goes to sleep sick in an abandoned shack. When he wakes up, he's been framed for murder. Next time, he'll be careful before he falls asleep.
Griff King didn't make his first appearance on the show until the final season. Seeking redemption, he was quickly put under the guidance of Ben Cartwright, working on the Cartwright ranch.
Kyle Kelly was played by Ken Curtis. Curtis was also a guest star in four other episodes, though as different characters.
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This was the final episode of the popular show Gunsmoke. It wasn't written as a series finale, as both cast and crew expected to have a 21st season.
"Robin Hood" follows the criminal John Henry Jordan who saves his crimes for the wealthy. He's eventually stopped after being forced to go after the poor as well.
Bill Tanner sets his eyes on "Little Joe" Cartwright. Joe survives the encounter, but in future years, he dies in the Spanish-American War.
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In this two-part episode, "Little Joe" Cartwright falls in love and marries Alice Harper. However, their marriage ends with Alice's murder, and "Little Joe" seeks revenge.
Chen, a Chinese immigrant, has his pigtail cut off by two men. He claims that he can't return to China without killing the men, which is a lot to go through for hair.