Can you name the two longest running nighttime dramatic TV series ever? The longest was a Western and ran from 1955-1975, the second longest was set in the western half of the US, but was a modern drama and ran from the 1970's through the 80's.

For an incredible twenty seasons, from 1955 to 1975, Gunsmoke set the standard for television dramas and became the longest-running series of its kind. Centered on the steadfast Marshal Matt Dillon in Dodge City, the series actually began as a popular radio show before making the leap to television, where it became a cultural institution. For decades, it held the record for the most episodes of any scripted primetime series, defining the Western genre for an entire generation.

A few years after the Marshal hung up his spurs, a new kind of Western drama took hold of the airwaves. Dallas, which ran for fourteen seasons from 1978 to 1991, traded frontier justice for corporate backstabbing. The series followed the wealthy and dysfunctional Ewing family of Texas oil barons and became a global phenomenon. Its legendary 1980 "Who shot J.R.?" cliffhanger became one of the most-watched television events in history, cementing the show's place as a titan of primetime television.