The classic western Gunsmoke originally got its start as a radio drama series which was created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The storyline of Gunsmoke centered around Matt Dillion, the Marshal of a western town called Dodge City, located in the state of Kansas.
The original radio version of the series aired from 1952 to 1961, and many believe the broadcast was one of the best ever. The same can also be argued for the television version, which ran a record 20 seasons from 1955 to September 1975. During its impressive 20 year run there were 30 television western shows that had came and went. Gunsmoke was the only show still airing original episodes right up until it was canceled.
After the legendary actor John Wayne turned down the television role of Matt Dillion, James Arness was given the lead upon the recommendation of John Wayne himself. Wayne actually introduced the first episode of the series, giving it and James Arness his seal of approval. James Arness end up doing something that no other actor at the time had ever done, playing the same character on the same scripted television series for 20 years.
Along with Arness, other stars of the show included Dennis Weaver, who played the character Chester Goode, Millburn Stone played Doc Adams and Amanda Blake took on the role of Marshall Dillion’s love interest, Miss Kitty, the owner of the Long Branch Saloon.
To its credit as an iconic television series, Gunsmoke was TV’s No. 1 ranked show from 1957 to 1961. When its number fell in 1967, instead of canceling the series, CBS decided to move the show from Saturday nights to early Mondays which turned out to be a genius move. This seemingly minor change led to a spike in ratings that saw the series once again reach the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings until the 1973-1974 season.
I can’t recall a time in my life that Gunsmoke wasn’t on television – it’s still broadcast today. I can recall my father watching the show Saturday afternoons back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Along with Bonanza, Big Valley, Rawhide and other classics, watching westerns was a long-standing tradition in our home.
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