"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" was the first western television series written for adults, premiering four days before Gunsmoke on September 6, 1955.
It is loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black-and-white program aired for 229 episodes on ABC from September 6, 1955 – June 27, 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian in the title role.