Gunsmoke, which is tied for the longest-running TV drama in history, is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary next month. To mark the CBS Western’s birthday, surviving members of the cast will reunite at an event in the real Dodge City, Kansas. Even Burt Reynolds will make the trip.
The reunion will take place at the Dodge City Wild West Fest, which has several Gunsmoke events scheduled between Sept. 25 and Sept. 27. The boot Hill Casino & Resort, The Wild West Heritage Foundation and the Roundup Rodeo host the event.
Getting Reynolds, who played Quint Asper from 1962 to 1965, was a major success for the organizers. Jessi Rabe, the casino’s director of marketing, told Kansas.com that they had been trying to get him for awhile. They tried their best to get as many surviving actors who appeared on the show to come.
In addition to Reynolds, Buck Taylor, Jess Walton, Lane Bradbury and Bruce Boxleitner are attending. Writer Jim Byrnes also signed on.
Gunsmoke ran from 1955 to 1975, and is tied with Law & Order as the longest-running drama on TV. Both shows ran 20 seasons. The show won several Emmys, including the 1958 Emmy for Best Dramatic Series.
As the Associated Press notes, several of the show’s main stars are no longer around sadly. James Arness, Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone have died.