The BEST episodes of Gunsmoke season 11

Every episode of Gunsmoke season 11, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Gunsmoke season 11!

Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in the rough and tumble Dodge City.

Last Updated: 9/21/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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The Bounty Hunter
star
8.28
18 votes

#1 - The Bounty Hunter

Season 11 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1965

Lured out of retirement with the promise of land, a bounty hunter is aimed by his boss at the man who killed his son. He just doesn't tell him the reward and charges had been dropped.

Directors: Harry Harris
Writer: Paul Savage
Watch Now:Amazon
Seven Hours to Dawn
star
8.25
36 votes

#2 - Seven Hours to Dawn

Season 11 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1965

Matt has to get Dodge City back from outlaws.

Directors: Vincent McEveety
Writer: Clyde Ware
Watch Now:Amazon
Kioga
star
8.18
17 votes

#3 - Kioga

Season 11 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/23/1965

A young Pawnee arrives in Dodge to seek his own revenge on a murderer, not trusting in the white man's justice.

Directors: Harry Harris
Writer: Robert Lewin
Watch Now:Amazon
Gold Mine
star
8.08
48 votes

#4 - Gold Mine

Season 11 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/25/1965

When Matt is too busy to escort Kitty to a gold mine she inherited, she travels there alone and meets with claim jumpers and other difficulties.

Directors: Abner Biberman
Watch Now:Amazon
Byline
star
7.95
43 votes

#5 - Byline

Season 11 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/9/1966

The new newspaper in town seems to be in the business of fomenting trouble, starting with its employment as a reporter of the illiterate Festus.

Directors: Allen Reisner
Watch Now:Amazon
Sanctuary
star
7.95
40 votes

#6 - Sanctuary

Season 11 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/26/1966

An outlaw gang shoots it out fleeing Dodge City. When one of them is injured real bad, he hides out in the church where the reverend is fearful but not for himself.

Directors: Harry Harris
Watch Now:Amazon
The Storm
star
7.86
51 votes

#7 - The Storm

Season 11 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/25/1965

A man is convicted of robbing and murdering his partner, but the sons of Matt's old friend are responsible. Matt must arrest the remaining son after the other's dying declaration and make it to Hays City in time to stop the hanging.

Directors: Joseph Sargent
Writer: Paul Savage
Watch Now:Amazon
Sweet Billy, Singer of Songs
star
7.85
47 votes

#8 - Sweet Billy, Singer of Songs

Season 11 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/15/1966

Festus's nephew arrives, seeking a bride who can read and write. He soon finds one, but runs into difficulties earning the money he needs for her dowry.

Directors: Alvin Ganzer
Watch Now:Amazon
Malachi
star
7.81
47 votes

#9 - Malachi

Season 11 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/1965

While Matt's out of town, his friends play along with a drifter's innocent impersonation of the marshal, but a man comes to town determined to get revenge on the marshal, and he's not playing.

Directors: Gary Nelson
Watch Now:Amazon
The Raid (2)
star
7.71
14 votes

#10 - The Raid (2)

Season 11 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/29/1966

When one of the gang is hurt after robbing Dodge, the Doc is taken to patch him up. The posse was preparing to go after them but a new problem has been set they must take care of before they can recover their friend.

Directors: Vincent McEveety
Writer: Clyde Ware
Wishbone
star
7.65
17 votes

#11 - Wishbone

Season 11 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/19/1966

Festus has a habit of using the wishbone from a dead chicken for making wishes on. When he comes across Doc Adams, alone and snakebit, he uses that wish to help him, if it can. Meanwhile, Matt searches for three outlaws who held up a stage, killing the driver and guard.

Directors: Marc Daniels
Writer: Paul Savage
The Avengers
star
7.43
21 votes

#12 - The Avengers

Season 11 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/18/1965

A retired judge and his sons abduct Kitty, Festus, and Doc after Festus shoots his other son in order to defend Kitty. The judge "tries" Kitty and Festus for murder, pressing Doc into service as their defense attorney.

Directors: Vincent McEveety
Which Doctor
star
7.25
12 votes

#13 - Which Doctor

Season 11 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/19/1966

While on a fishing trip with Festus, Doc is abducted and forced to operate on a sick child, then ordered to be a bridegroom in a true shotgun wedding.

Directors: Peter Graves
South Wind
star
7.22
18 votes

#14 - South Wind

Season 11 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/27/1965

A twelve-year-old boy recovers in Doc's office and then goes with a gun after the man who robbed and killed his father.

Directors: Allen Reisner
Death Watch
star
6.75
48 votes

#15 - Death Watch

Season 11 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/8/1966

Two Bounty hunters bring in a wounded Mexican bandit worth $30,000 and find out the Mexican government might not pay for a man who dies a natural death, so they get the idea of shooting him dead.

Directors: Mark Rydell
The Hostage
star
6.72
50 votes

#16 - The Hostage

Season 11 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/4/1965

Twenty-two men escape from a territorial prison. The remaining 4 kidnap Matt hoping to get safe passage into Mexico. One of them has another agenda which he reveals to Matt as they get closer to the border.

Directors: Vincent McEveety
Taps for Old Jeb
star
6.64
42 votes

#17 - Taps for Old Jeb

Season 11 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/1965

After a successful search for gold, two prospectors hire a man, who shows up at their campfire, as a bodyguard.

Directors: James Sheldon
My Father's Guitar
star
6.57
46 votes

#18 - My Father's Guitar

Season 11 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/12/1966

A talented guitarist impresses all who hear him on an instrument that is more precious to him than a man's life.

Directors: Robert Totten
Writer: Hal Sitowitz
Harvest
star
6.56
41 votes

#19 - Harvest

Season 11 - Episode 27 - Aired 3/26/1966

Some homesteaders have chosen a piece of land that is free to use per the government but Ben Payson has other ideas. When his daughter starts to care about the homesteaders' son, Ben decides to force them off the property regardless the cost.

Directors: Harry Harris
Killer at Large
star
6.56
43 votes

#20 - Killer at Large

Season 11 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/5/1966

In Matt's absence, Festus is accused of drawing first on a drunken man. Though innocent, Festus leaves town to avoid Matt having to arrest him, and takes refuge across the border with a widow and her son.

Directors: Marc Daniels
Ten Little Indians
star
6.55
47 votes

#21 - Ten Little Indians

Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1965

Someone has placed a fabulous price on Matt's head, and there are many competing to earn it.

Directors: Mark Rydell
Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood
star
6.51
47 votes

#22 - Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood

Season 11 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1965

Thad, son of and deputy to an Oklahoma sheriff, arrives in Dodge pursuing vandals on his father's warrant, not realizing the Oklahoma warrant isn't executable in Dodge.

Directors: Joseph Sargent
Parson Comes to Town
star
6.50
40 votes

#23 - Parson Comes to Town

Season 11 - Episode 31 - Aired 4/30/1966

A mysterious man rides into town and says he is after one of two men responsible for killing his brother. When he starts crowding a stranger in town, Matt must decide how to make sure he doesn't take the law into his own hands.

Directors: Marc Daniels
Writer: Verne Jay
Treasure of John Walking Fox
star
6.49
41 votes

#24 - Treasure of John Walking Fox

Season 11 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/16/1966

When old Jacob is shot dead in self defense, his loyal Indian partner, John Walking Fox, starts paying for things with $50 gold pieces, and he becomes the talk of the town, and a target for would be robbers.

Directors: Marc Daniels
The Brothers
star
6.48
42 votes

#25 - The Brothers

Season 11 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/12/1966

Billy has always looked up to his brother Ed. During a robbery gone wrong, he is arrested. Matt begins to open Billy's naive eyes when his brother tries to free him from jail.

Directors: Tay Garnett
Writer: Tom Hanley