The fourty-first TV show: #23 Gunsmoke
Our first western for the list is also special for its place in TV history. As the longest running scripted show (and even more so if you look at the number of episodes made) it certainly felt special to watch it - even if we didn't have the stamina to sit through it all.
If you need to make a choice, the shorter (half hour) black and white episodes generally feel more fun, as they are less padded and more focused instead. The later episodes have some really good entries, but they also feel like they drag on a bit at times. Beyond that, some feel a bit offensive as you'd expect from a fifties show, and they hit a lot of western cliches. It takes a while before they start experimenting, but again, once they work they really work well.
I wouldn't want to watch all 600-odd episodes, but jumping around as we did for our watch, it has been a good, fun expierence.