Some claims are just too wrong to respond to. ‘Gunsmoke’ featured stories where the hero failed to save the day, involved prostitution, rape, failed redemption, opium addiction, etc.
And I can’t think of recent ‘realistic’ Western that show that shows a ‘realistic’ “human waste ditch running through the town”.
I prefer the old westerns which had stars like Steve McQueen. I grew up on those, most in reruns. It gave me a positive ideal of masculinity which I still believe in. And I prefer the western films of the past as well.
I remember one episode, which I have not seen in reruns, involving Matt and Chester trailing a bad guy across the prairie. After days and days of riding, running low on food and water, they lose the trail. Matt turns to Chester and says something like, "Lets' go back to Dodge. We can't catch them all."
I can't remember any episode of any other show depicting a scene in which the good guys give up. It was not only memorable, but a refreshing change.