ENCORE WESTERNS CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF CLASSIC SERIES "GUNSMOKE" WITH 12-HOUR MARATHON ON SEPTEMBER 13

"Gunsmoke" Episode One to Air on ENCORE WESTERNS to Commemorate its 1955 Premiere Date on September 10

Beverly Hills, Calif., September 10, 2015 - ENCORE WESTERNS will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the hit classic series "Gunsmoke" with a 12-hour marathon beginning with the first episode on Sunday, September 13 beginning at Noon ET/PT and continuing through midnight. ENCORE WESTERNS will also air episode one of the series on Thursday, September 10 at 8:00PM ET/PT to celebrate the show's original run beginning on the same date in 1955.

"Gunsmoke" is an American drama series, originally adapted from radio and created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. The show ran for 20 seasons with 635 episodes from 1955 to 1975, and stands as the United States' longest-running, prime time live-action drama of the 20th century. "Gunsmoke" was American television's No. 1 ranked show from 1957 - 1961, winning numerous awards and nominations including Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Dramatic Series with Continuing Characters (1958) and Best Editing of a Film for Television (1958). The series led to the production of five films based on the original show, including Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987), Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (1990), Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992), Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993), and Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice (1994).

"Gunsmoke" stars James Arness as "Marshal Matt Dillon," who played the role for the duration of the show's 20-year run. Arness performed in many western-themed movies and television series, including "How the West Was Won" (1976-1979) and the "McClain's Law" (1981-1982). In addition, Arness was nominated for Emmy(R) Awards for Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series (1957) and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series (1959) for his role in "Gunsmoke." He currently holds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was also inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 1981.

"Gunsmoke" Synopsis

"Gunsmoke" follows the story of "Marshal Matt Dillon" (James Arness) who is in charge of Dodge City, Kansas, a town in the Wild West where people have no respect for the law. Through the help of various assistants and deputies over the years, Dillon does his best to keep the lawless element out of his town and his territory. Throughout the series, he deals on a daily basis with problems associated with frontier life: cattle rustling, Indian raids, bank robberies, gunfights, land fraud and more.

ENCORE WESTERNS "Gunsmoke" Marathon - Sunday, September 13th beginning at Noon ET/PT

12:00 pm "Matt Gets It" - Episode 1/Season 1
12:30 pm "Magnus:" - Episode 12 / Season 1
1:00 pm "Reed Survives" - Episode 13 / Season 1
1:30 pm "The Pest Hold" - Episode 24 / Season 1
2:00 pm "Hack Prine" - Episode 26 / Season 1
2:30 pm "Chester's Mail Order Bride" - Episode 34 / Season 1
3:00pm "Unmarked Grave" - Episode 38 / Season 1
3:30pm "Cow Doctor" - Episode 1 / Season 2
4:00pm "Brush at Elkador" - Episode 2 / Season 2
4:30pm "Custer" - Episode 3 / Season 2
5:00pm "The Round Up" - Episode 4 / Season 2
5:30pm "Greater Love" - Episode 10 / Season 2
6:00pm "No Indians" - Episode 11 / Season 2
6:30pm "Poor Pearl" - Episode 13 / Season 2
7:00pm "Kick Me" - Episode 18 / Season 2
7:30pm "Skid Row" - Episode 22 / Season 2
8:00pm "Last Fling" - Episode 26 / Season 2
8:30pm "Chester's Murder" - Episode 27 / Season 2
9:00pm "The Photographer" - Episode 28 / Season 2
9:30pm "Wrong Man" - Episode 29 / Season 2
10:00pm "Who Lives By The Sword" - Episode 34 / Season 2
10:30pm "Crack-Up" - Episode 1 / Season 3
11:00pm "Gun for Chester" - Episode 2 / Season 3
11:30pm "Blood Money" - Episode 3 /Season 3

About Starz

Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ(R) and ENCORE(R) pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of June 30, 2015, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.8 million subscribers, including 23.5 million at STARZ, and 33.3 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ(R) and ENCORE(R), along with Starz Networks' third network MOVIEPLEX(R), air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution's home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.