Season 18 (1972)

Gunsmoke: Season 18
"Gunsmoke" Season 18 DVD cover.
Program information
Episodes aired:
24
Dates aired:
September 11, 1972 - March 5, 1973
Network/Country:
CBS-TV / United States
Previous Season: Season 17
Next Season: Season 19

This page lists all the episodes aired in the eighteenth season of the CBS-TV series Gunsmoke. A total of 24 episodes were aired. The season opener "The River (Part 1)", which was part of a two-part episode story arc, premiered on September 11, 1972; the season finale episode, "This Golden Land", aired on March 5, 1973.

Episodes

Season 18 (1972-1973)

Season 18 episodes
No.in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
564 565	1 2	"The River (Part 1)" "The River (Part 2)"	Herb Wallerstein	Jack Miller	September 11, 1972 September 18, 1972
Part 1: Bandits chase Matt down Oregon's Rogue River. Part 2: Matt's adventure on Oregon's Rogue River comes to a thrilling conclusion.
566	3	"Bohannan"	Alf Kjellin	William Kelley	September 25, 1972
A faith healer is asked to cure a terminally ill boy.
567	4	"The Judgement"	Philip Leacock	Shimon Wincelberg	October 2, 1972
A gunman plots revenge against the man who turned him in as an Army deserter.
568	5	"The Drummer"	Bernard McEveety	Richard Fielder	October 9, 1972
A salesman is forced to face his past.
569	6	"Sarah"	Gunnar Hellström	Calvin Clements, Sr.	October 16, 1972
An old flame of Matt's gets him involved with stage robbers.
570	7	"The Fugitives"	Irving J. Moore	Charles Joseph Stone	October 23, 1972
Doc is kidnapped and forced to save an outlaw's life.
571	8	"Eleven Dollars"	Irving J. Moore	Paul Savage	October 30, 1972
Festus sets out to settle an $11 estate.
572	9	"Milligan"	Bernard McEveety	Ron Bishop	November 6, 1972
A farmer is accused of shooting someone in the back.
573	10	"Tatum"	Gunnar Hellström	Jim Byrnes	November 13, 1972
A dying gunman endures a long, sad journey to see his estranged daughters.
574	11	"The Sodbusters"	Robert Butler	Ron Bishop	November 20, 1972
A sodbuster fights a cattle baron for her water supply.
575	12	"The Brothers"	Gunnar Hellström	Calvin Clements, Sr.	November 27, 1972
An outlaw's brother seeks revenge on Kitty for shooting him.
576	13	"Hostage!"	Gunnar Hellström	Paul F. Edwards	December 11, 1972
After Matt kills a member of the Dog Soldiers, the rest of the gang shoot Kitty for revenge.
577	14	"Jubilee"	Herb Wallerstein	Story by: Jack Freeman Screenplay by: Paul Savage	December 18, 1972
A poor sodbuster leaves his farm to race his prized quarter horse.
578	15	"Arizona Midnight"	Irving J. Moore	Dudley Bromley	January 1, 1973
A midget claims that he will turn into an elephant at midnight.
579	16	"Homecoming"	Gunnar Hellström	Calvin Clements, Sr.	January 8, 1973
A pair of outlaws return to Dodge to see their dying mother and take Kitty and Doc hostage.
580	17	"Shadler"	Arnold Laven	Jim Byrnes	January 15, 1973
A condemned man posing as a priest is forced to help a stricken town.
581	18	"Patricia"	Alf Kjellin	Calvin Clements, Sr.	January 22, 1973
Newly gets engaged to a leukemia victim.
582	19	"A Quiet Day in Dodge"	Alf Kjellin	Jack Miller	January 29, 1973
Matt has a trying day as he deals with a vicious prisoner, a brawl at the Long Branch, a nine-year-old thief and Kitty giving him the silent treatment.
583	20	"Whelan's Men"	Paul F. Edwards	Ron Bishop	February 5, 1973
A gang of outlaws take over Dodge while Matt is away, but a poker game with Kitty proves to be their undoing.
584	21	"Kimbro"	Gunnar Hellström	Jim Byrnes	February 12, 1973
Matt's mentor in law enforcement is now on the skids.
585	22	"Jesse"	Bernard McEveety	Jim Byrnes	February 19, 1973
Festus runs into a friend who has escaped from prison.
586	23	"Talbot"	Vincent McEveety	Jim Byrnes	February 26, 1973
An outlaw's plans to rob the bank are sidetracked by his attraction to the woman whose husband he killed.
587	24	"This Golden Land"	Gunnar Hellström	Hal Sitowitz	March 5, 1973
A Jewish family's faith is tested by the son's senseless death.