Premium movie outlet Encore has acquired the rights to air several classic Western series from CBS TV Distribution, including “Gunsmoke” and “Rawhide.”
Black and white episodes of “Gunsmoke” will return to TV in January on the company’s Encore Westerns channel, with “Have Gun Will Travel” and “Rawhide” airing sometime next year.
“Our Westerns viewers are made up of true and diehard fans of the genre,” said Nancy Silverstone, vp, program acquisitions for Starz Entertainment. “They were devastated when ‘Gunsmoke’ went off the channel four long years ago. The series is still relevant today as it was over 50 years ago. We have no doubt that our fans will also be excited by the addition of the classic series ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ and ‘Rawhide.'”
“Gunsmoke” aired on CBS from 1955-75; “Gun Will Travel” aired on CBS from 1957-63 and “Rawhide” aired on CBS from 1959-66.
