Gunsmoke: Difference between revisions

From Good Old TV Fan Wiki
m (1 revision imported)
 
(Replaced content with "<span style="font-size:xx-large; font-weight:600">Gunsmoke <Span Style="font-style: italic; color: MidnightBlue">on Wikipedia</span></span> {{#iDisplay:https://en.wikipedi...")
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{About|the radio and television series|other uses|Gun Smoke (disambiguation){{!}}Gun Smoke}}
<span style="font-size:xx-large; font-weight:600">Gunsmoke <Span Style="font-style: italic; color: MidnightBlue">on Wikipedia</span></span>
 
{{#iDisplay:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunsmoke|100%}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2011}}
[[Category:Wikipedia Link]]
[[File:James Arness Gunsmoke 1956.JPG|thumb|right|[[James Arness]] as [[Marshal Matt Dillon|Matt Dillon]] in the television version of ''Gunsmoke'' (1956)]]
'''''Gunsmoke''''' is an American radio and television [[Western (genre)|Western]] drama series created by director [[Norman Macdonnell]] and writer [[John Meston]]. The stories take place in and around [[Dodge City, Kansas]], during the settlement of the [[Western United States|American West]]. The central character is lawman [[Marshal Matt Dillon]], played by [[William Conrad]] on radio and [[James Arness]] on television. When aired in the UK, the television series was initially titled '''''Gun Law''''',<ref>{{cite news |title=James Arness, symbol of power with restraint |author=Nicholaus Mills |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 8, 2011 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jun/08/james-arness-gunsmoke |accessdate=October 10, 2014}}</ref> later reverting to ''Gunsmoke''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047736/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_dt_dt#akas |publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]] |title=Gunsmoke (1955 – 1975) Release Info|accessdate=October 10, 2014}}</ref>
 
The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961. [[John Dunning (writer)|John Dunning]]<ref>See Dunning. p. 305.</ref> wrote that among radio drama enthusiasts, "''Gunsmoke'' is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time." The television series ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975, and lasted for 635 episodes. At the end of its run in 1975, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' columnist Cecil Smith wrote: "''Gunsmoke'' was the dramatization of the American epic legend of the west. Our own ''Iliad'' and ''Odyssey'', created from standard elements of the dime novel and the pulp western as romanticized by [Ned] [[Ned Buntline|Buntline]], [Bret] [[Bret Harte|Harte]], and [Mark] [[Mark Twain|Twain]]. It was ever the stuff of legend."<ref>{{cite news |author=Cecil Smith |title=Gunsmoke |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 1975}}</ref>
 
== Radio series (1952-1961) ==
 
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name    = Gunsmoke
|image        = Gunsmoke22.jpg
| imagesize    = 220px
| caption      = Title card of Gunsmoke's radio version (title card of 1954)
|cast          = The cast of radio's ''Gunsmoke'': [[Howard McNear]] (Doc), [[William Conrad]] (Matt), [[Georgia Ellis]] (Kitty) and [[Parley Baer]] (Chester)
| format        = [[Western (genre)|Western]]
| runtime      = 30 minutes
| country      = United States
| language      = English
| television    = [[Gunsmoke#Television version|Gunsmoke]]
| starring      = [[William Conrad]]<br>[[Parley Baer]]<br>[[Howard McNear]]<br>[[Georgia Ellis]]
| creator      = [[Norman Macdonnell]]<br>[[John Meston]]
| producer      = Norman Macdonnell
| first_aired  = April 26, 1952
| last_aired    = June 18, 1961
| num_series    = 9
| num_episodes  = 432
| audio_format  = Monaural
}}
 
In the late 1940s, [[CBS]] chairman [[William S. Paley]], a fan of the [[Philip Marlowe]] radio serial, asked his programming chief, Hubell Robinson, to develop a hardboiled Western series, a show about a "Philip Marlowe of the Old West". Robinson instructed his West Coast CBS Vice President, [[Harry Ackerman]], who had developed the Philip Marlowe series, to take on the task.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
 
Ackerman and his scriptwriters, Mort Fine and David Friedkin, created an audition script called "Mark Dillon Goes to Gouge Eye" based on one of their [[Michael Shayne]] radio scripts, "The Crooked Wheel". Two auditions were created in 1949. The first was very much like a hardboiled detective series and starred [[Michael Rye]] (credited as Rye Billsbury) as Dillon; the second starred ''[[Straight Arrow]]'' actor [[Howard Culver]] in a more Western, lighter version of the same script. CBS liked the Culver version better, and Ackerman was told to proceed.
 
A complication arose, though; Culver's contract as the star of ''Straight Arrow'' would not allow him to do another Western series. The project was shelved for three years, when producer [[Norman Macdonnell]] and writer John Meston discovered it while creating an adult Western series of their own.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
 
Macdonnell and Meston wanted to create a radio Western for adults, in contrast to the prevailing juvenile fare such as ''[[The Lone Ranger]]'' and ''[[The Cisco Kid]].'' ''Gunsmoke'' was set in Dodge City, Kansas, during the thriving cattle days of the 1870s. Dunning<ref>Dunning, p. 303.</ref> notes, "The show drew critical acclaim for unprecedented realism."
 
=== Radio cast and character biographies ===
The radio series first aired on CBS on April 26, 1952 with the episode "Billy the Kid", written by [[Walter Newman (screenwriter)|Walter Newman]], and ended on June 18, 1961. The show stars [[William Conrad]] as Marshal Matt Dillon, [[Howard McNear]] as Doc Charles Adams, [[Georgia Ellis]] as Kitty Russell, and [[Parley Baer]] as Dillon's assistant, Chester Wesley Proudfoot.
 
==== [[Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke)|Matt Dillon]] ====
[[File:William Conrad 1952.JPG|thumb|right|[[William Conrad]] in 1952, when Matt Dillon was created on radio]]
Dillon was played on radio by [[William Conrad]] and on TV by [[James Arness]].
Two versions of the same pilot episode titled "Mark Dillon Goes to Gouge Eye" are in the archives with two different actors, Rye Billsbury and Howard Culver, playing Marshal "Mark" Dillon<!-- sic --> as the lead, not yet played by Conrad. Conrad was one of the last actors to audition for the role of Marshal Dillon. With a resonantly powerful and distinctive voice, Conrad was already one of radio's busiest actors. Though Meston championed him, Macdonnell thought Conrad might be overexposed. During his audition, however, Conrad won over Macdonnell after reading only a few lines. Dillon as portrayed by Conrad was a lonely, isolated man, toughened by a hard life. Macdonnell later claimed, "Much of Matt Dillon's character grew out of Bill Conrad."<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/79-WilliamDillon.htm "Matt Dillon's character grew out of Bill Conrad"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>
 
Meston relished the upending of cherished Western fiction clichés and felt that few Westerns gave any inkling of how brutal the Old West was in reality. Many episodes were based on man's cruelty to man and woman, inasmuch as the prairie woman's life and the painful treatment of women as [[Personal property|chattels]] were touched on well ahead of their time in most media. As originally pitched to CBS executives, this was to be an adult Western, not a grown-up [[Hopalong Cassidy]].
 
Dunning writes that Meston was especially disgusted by the archetypal Western hero and set out "to destroy [that type of] character he loathed". In Meston's view, "Dillon was almost as scarred as the homicidal psychopaths who drifted into Dodge from all directions."<ref name="Dunning, 304">Dunning, 304.</ref>
 
==== Chester ====
Chester was played by [[Parley Baer]] on radio, and by [[Dennis Weaver]] on TV.
Chester's character had no surname until Baer [[Ad libitum|ad lib]]bed "Proudfoot" during an early rehearsal. Initial Gunsmoke scripts gave him no name at all; his lines were simply slugged to be spoken by "Townsman". Again, Conrad's sense of what the program would be supervened, and Chester was born. Chester's middle initial was given as "W" in the June 15, 1958 episode "Old Flame", and a few episodes later, on the July 7, 1958 episode "Marshal Proudfoot", it is revealed that his middle name, as are his 10 siblings, is Wesley. The amiable Waco expatriate was usually described as Dillon's "assistant", but in the December 13, 1952, episode "Post Martin", Dillon described Chester as Dillon's deputy. Contradicting this description, in the July 5, 1954, episode "Hank Prine" (episode 116, minute 3:02) Dillon corrects a prisoner who describes Chester as his "deputy" stating "Chester is not my deputy", though they both agree Chester acts like he is.  Whatever his title, Chester was Dillon's foil, friend, partner, and in an episode in which Chester nearly dies ("Never Pester Chester"), Dillon allows that Chester was the only person he could trust. The TV series changed the newly limping Chester's last name from Proudfoot to Goode.  Chester was played by Dennis Weaver who went on to star in the TV Police drama ''[[McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]''.  Weaver, himself an impressive 6'2", often looked small alongside Arness' 6'7", this could be partly due to the character Chester having a limp.
 
==== Doc Adams ====
[[Howard McNear]] starred as Dr. Charles Adams in the radio series, with [[Milburn Stone]] portraying Dr. Galen Adams in the television version.
In the radio series, "Doc" Adams was initially a self-interested and somewhat dark character with a predilection for constantly attempting to increase his revenue through the procurement of autopsy fees.  However, McNear's performances steadily became more warm-hearted and sympathetic.  Most notably, this transformation began during (and progressed steadily following) the July 1952 episode "Never Pester Chester," in which a physician with a more compassionate and devoted temperament is essential to the plotline when Chester is near-fatally injured by two trouble-making Texas drovers.  Doc Adams' backstory evokes a varied and experienced life: In some episodes, he had educational ties to Philadelphia; in others, he spent time as ship's doctor aboard the gambling boats that plied the Mississippi River, which provided a background for his knowledge of New Orleans (and acquaintance with Mark Twain). In the January 31, 1953, episode "Cavalcade", a fuller history is offered, though subsequent programs kept close listeners' heads spinning. In "Cavalcade", his real name is Calvin Moore, educated in Boston, and he practiced as a doctor for a year in [[Richmond, Virginia]], where he fell in love with a beautiful young woman who was also being courted by a wealthy young man named Roger Beauregard. Beauregard forced Doc into fighting a duel with him, resulting in Beauregard's being shot and killed. Though it was a fair duel, because Doc was a Yankee and an outsider, he was forced to flee. The young woman fled after him and they were married in St. Louis, but two months later, she died of [[typhus]]. Doc wandered throughout the territories until he settled in Dodge City 17 years later under the name of "Charles Adams". The Adams moniker was another Conrad invention, borrowing the surname from cartoonist [[Charles Addams]] as a testament to Doc's initially ghoulish comportment.
 
==== Miss Kitty ====
Kitty was played by [[Georgia Ellis]] on radio, and by [[Amanda Blake]] on TV.
Georgia Ellis first appeared in the radio episode "Billy the Kid" (April 26, 1952) as "Francie Richards", a former girlfriend of Matt Dillon and the widow of a criminal. "Miss Kitty" did not appear until the May 10, 1952, episode "Jaliscoe". Kitty's profession was hinted at, but never explicit; in a 1953 interview with ''Time,'' Macdonnell declared, "Kitty is just someone Matt has to visit every once in a while."<ref name="Dunning, 304"/> An out-take from the program makes this hilariously obvious.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/GunsmokeRehearsals|title=Gunsmoke Rehearsals|work=Internet Archive|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref> The television show first portrayed Kitty as a saloon employee (dance-hall girl/prostitute) then later as the owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Sometime in 1959, Ellis was billed as Georgia Hawkins instead of Georgia Ellis.
 
=== Distinction from other radio westerns ===
[[File:Long Branch Saloon interior.jpg|thumb|right|Photograph of the actual interior of the real-life [[Long Branch Saloon]] in [[Dodge City, Kansas]], taken between 1870 and 1885]]
''Gunsmoke'' was often a somber program, particularly in its early years. Dunning writes that Dillon "played his hand and often lost. He arrived too late to prevent a lynching. He amputated a dying man's leg and lost the patient anyway. He saved a girl from brutal rapists then found himself unable to offer her what she needed to stop her from moving into ... life as a prostitute."<ref name="ReferenceA">(Dunning, 304)</ref> Some listeners, such as Dunning, argue the radio version was more realistic. Episodes were aimed at adults and featured some of the most explicit content of their time, including violent crimes, [[scalping]]s, [[Wiktionary:massacre|massacres]], and [[opium]] addicts. Many episodes ended on a somber note, and villains often got away with their crimes. Nonetheless, due to the subtle scripts and outstanding ensemble cast, over the years, the program evolved into a warm, often humorous celebration of human nature.
 
Apart from the doleful tone, ''Gunsmoke'' was distinct from other radio Westerns, as the dialogue was often slow and halting, and due to the outstanding [[sound effect]]s, listeners had a nearly palpable sense of the prairie where the show was set. The effects were subtle but multilayered, giving the show a spacious feel. [[John Dunning (writer)|John Dunning]] wrote, "The listener heard extraneous dialogue in the background, just above the muted shouts of kids playing in an alley. He heard noises from the next block, too, where the inevitable dog was barking."<ref name="Dunning, 305">(Dunning, 305)</ref>
 
''Gunsmoke'' was also unique from other Westerns in that it was unsponsored for the first few years of production. The program got its support from CBS for the first two years. Series producers felt that if the show were sponsored, they would have to "clean the show up".<ref>(''Time'', 1953)</ref> The producers wanted to find a sponsor that would allow them to keep the show the way it was.<ref>{{cite news |title=Weeks of Prestige |newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=1953-03-23 |page=106}}</ref>
 
=== Talk of adapting ''Gunsmoke'' to television ===
 
Not long after the radio show began, talk began of adapting it to television. Privately, Macdonnell had a guarded interest in taking the show to television, but publicly, he declared, "our show is perfect for radio," and he feared, as Dunning writes, "''Gunsmoke'' confined by a picture could not possibly be as authentic or attentive to detail." "In the end", wrote Dunning, "CBS simply took it away from Macdonnell and began preparing for the television version."<ref name="Dunning, 305"/>
 
Conrad and the others were given auditions, but they were little more than token efforts—especially in Conrad's case, due to his obesity. However, Meston was kept as the main writer. In the early years, a majority of the TV episodes were adapted from the radio scripts, often using identical scenes and dialogue. Dunning wrote, "That radio fans considered the TV show a sham and its players impostors should surprise no one. That the TV show was not a sham is due in no small part to the continued strength of Meston's scripts." <ref name="ReferenceA"/>
 
Macdonnell and Meston continued the radio version of ''Gunsmoke'' until 1961, making it one of the most enduring vintage radio dramas.
 
Conrad directed two television episodes, in 1963 and 1971, while McNear appeared on six, playing characters other than Doc, including three times as storekeeper Howard Rudd.
 
== Television series (1955-1975) ==
 
{{Infobox television
| show_name = Gunsmoke
| image  = Gunsmoke (title screen).jpg
| caption = Gunsmoke title card
| developer = [[Charles Marquis Warren]]
| based_on = ''Gunsmoke'' created by<br>[[John Meston]]<br>[[Norman Macdonnell]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[James Arness]]
* [[Milburn Stone]]
* [[Amanda Blake]]
* [[Dennis Weaver]]
* [[Burt Reynolds]]
* [[Ken Curtis]]
* [[Roger Ewing]]
* [[Buck Taylor]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = [[Rex Koury]]<br>[[Glenn Spencer (composer)|Glenn Spencer]]
| country = United States
| num_seasons = 6 ('Marshal Dillon', syndication retitling of half-hour episodes)<br>14 ('Gunsmoke'),<br>20 (total seasons)
| num_episodes = 233 ('Marshal Dillon', syndication retitling of half-hour episodes), 402 ('Gunsmoke')<br>635 (total episodes)
| list_episodes = List of Gunsmoke television episodes
  | runtime = 26 minutes (1955 – 1961),<br /> 50 minutes (1961 – 1975)
| company = [[CBS Television Studios|CBS Productions]]<br>[[Filmaster Productions]]<br> Arness and Company (1959 – 1961)<br> The Arness Production Company (1961 – '64)
| distributor = [[CBS Television Distribution]]
| network = [[CBS]]
| picture_format = [[Black-and-white|Black and white]] (1955 – 1966) <br> [[Color television|Color]] (1966 – 1975)
| first_aired = September 10, 1955
| last_aired = March 31, 1975
|}}
 
The TV series ran from September 10, 1955, to March 31, 1975, on CBS, with 635 total episodes. It was the second [[Western (genre)|Western]] [[television series]] written for adults,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Burris|first1=Joe|title=The Eastern Earps|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-05-10/features/0505100100_1_wyatt-earp-genealogy-indentured|accessdate=October 20, 2014 |date=May 10, 2005|publisher=Baltimore Sun}}</ref> premiering on September 10, 1955, four days after ''[[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp]]''.<ref>{{IMDb title|tt0047750}}</ref><ref>{{IMDb title|tt0047736}}</ref>  The first 12 seasons aired Saturdays at 10 pm, seasons 13 through 16 aired Mondays at 7:30&nbsp;pm, and the last four seasons aired Mondays at 8 pm. During its second season in 1956, the program joined the list of the top ten television programs broadcast in the United States. It quickly moved to number one and stayed there until 1961. It remained among the top 20 programs until 1964.<ref>[http://www.museum.tv/eotv/gunsmoke.htm ''Gunsmoke''] Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved October 23, 2014</ref>
 
=== Longevity records ===
 
The television series remains the longest-running, prime time live-action series of the 20th century. {{As of|2016}}, it has the highest number of scripted episodes for any U.S. prime-time, commercial, live-action television series. Other TV show fans sometimes question its position as having the [[List of longest running United States television series|longest run]]. Outside the United States,  some foreign-made programs have been broadcast in the United States which contend for the position as the longest-running series.<ref group=notes>Because the show was a "primetime" series, the competition does not include such long-lived shows as ''[[Captain Kangaroo]]'' (1955–84) and many daytime serials. As a "commercial" series, it cannot be compared to shows such as the PBS program ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]'' (1966–2001). As a "live-action" series, programs such as the adult animated series ''[[The Simpsons]]'' (1989–) are not included, whose voice-over actors age off-screen. Some foreign countries have broadcast series over a longer duration, but these programs have employed an array of actors in their principal lead roles.</ref> {{As of|2016}}, ''Gunsmoke'' is rated fourth globally, after ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1963–89, 2005–present), ''[[Taggart]]'' (1983–2010),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13374238|title=Taggart police drama axed by ITV|work=BBC News|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref> and ''[[The Bill]]'' (1984–2010).
 
=== Character longevity ===
 
[[James Arness]] and [[Milburn Stone]] portrayed their ''Gunsmoke'' characters for 20 consecutive years, a feat later matched by [[Kelsey Grammer]] as the character [[Frasier Crane]], but over two half-hour sitcoms (''[[Cheers]]'' and ''[[Frasier]]'').<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/107_FrasierDillon.htm "What do Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) have in common?"] GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> George Walsh, the announcer for ''Gunsmoke'', began in 1952 on radio's ''Gunsmoke'' and continued until television's ''Gunsmoke'' was canceled in 1975.<ref name="Wayne">Bill O'Hallaren, [http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/24-walsh.htm "When Chester Forgot to Limp and other fond recollections of 20 years on Gunsmoke"], ''TV Guide'', August 23, 1975.</ref> The first seven seasons were jointly sponsored by [[L&M]] cigarettes and Remington shaving products.
 
=== Transition to TV from radio ===
 
When ''Gunsmoke'' was adapted for television in 1955, in spite of a campaign to persuade the network, the network was not interested in bringing either Conrad or his radio costars to the television medium. Conrad's weight was rumored to be a deciding factor. [[Denver Pyle]] was also considered for the leading role, as was [[Raymond Burr]], who was ultimately also seen as too heavy for the part. [[Charles Marquis Warren|Charles Warren]], television ''Gunsmoke'''s first director, said "His voice was fine, but he was too big. When he stood up, his chair stood with him."<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/91-MattBurr.htm "Raymond Burr auditioned for the role of television's Matt Dillon"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> According to Dennis Weaver's comments on the 50th Anniversary DVD, Disc One, Episode "Hack Prine", John Wayne was never considered for the role; to have done so would have been preposterous since Wayne was a top movie leading man. The belief that Wayne was asked to star is disputed by Warren. Although he agrees Wayne encouraged Arness to take the role, Warren says, "I hired Jim Arness on the strength of a picture he's done for me ... I never thought for a moment of offering it to Wayne."<ref name="Wayne" />
 
According to Thomas "Duke" Miller, a TV/movie/celebrity expert, this story was told to him by legendary actor [[James Stewart]]: "Jimmy said he was in the office with Charles Warren when Mr. Wayne came in. Mr. Warren asked Wayne if he knew James Arness, and Mr. Wayne said yes. Mr. Warren told Mr. Wayne about the transition of the show from radio to TV, and Mr. Wayne readily agreed that James Arness would be a terrific choice for the part of Matt Dillon. I have no reason to doubt the story, because Jimmy absolutely knew everybody."
 
In the end, the primary roles were all recast, with Arness taking the lead role of Marshal Matt Dillon (on the recommendation of Wayne, who also introduced the pilot); [[Dennis Weaver]] playing Chester Goode; [[Milburn Stone]] being cast as Dr. G. "Doc" Adams (later Galen "Doc" Adams); and [[Amanda Blake]] taking on the role of Miss Kitty Russell. Macdonnell became the associate producer of the TV show and later the producer. Meston was named head writer.
 
{{quotation|Good evening. My name's Wayne. Some of you may have seen me before; I hope so. I've been kicking around [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]] a long time. I've made a lot of pictures out here, all kinds, and some of them have been Westerns. And that's what I'm here to tell you about tonight: a Western—a new TV show called ''Gunsmoke''. No, I'm not in it. I wish I were, though, because I think it's the best thing of its kind that's come along, and I hope you'll agree with me; it's honest, it's adult, it's realistic. When I first heard about the show ''Gunsmoke'', I knew there was only one man to play in it: Jim Arness, who is actually my friend. He's a young fellow, and maybe new to some of you, but I've worked with him and I predict he'll be a big star. So you might as well get used to him, like you've had to get used to ''me''! And now I'm proud to present my friend Jim Arness in ''Gunsmoke''.|[[John Wayne]], first ''Gunsmoke'' TV episode, "Matt Gets It".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHVSCribt3U John Wayne's introduction of television's first ''Gunsmoke'', September 10, 1955]. YouTube.com</ref> | medium=TV-Show | publisher=CBS | quotewidth=30px | quoteheight=30px }}
 
=== Additional casting ===
[[File:Ken Curtis James Arness Gunsmoke 1968.JPG|thumb|right|[[Ken Curtis]] as [[Festus Haggen|Festus]] and Arness as Dillon, 1968]]
Chester and Festus Haggen are perhaps Dillon's most recognizable [[sidekick]]s, though others became acting deputies for {{frac|2|1|2}}- to {{frac|7|1|2}}-year stints: Quint Asper ([[Burt Reynolds]]) (1962–65), Thad Greenwood ([[Roger Ewing]]) (1966–68), and Newly O'Brian ([[Buck Taylor]]) (1967–75), who served as both back-up deputy and doctor-in-training, having some studies in medicine via his uncle, which then continued under Doc Adams.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}
 
In 1962, [[Burt Reynolds]] was added to the show's lineup, as the "halfbreed" blacksmith Quint Asper, and performed that role elipsing the years just before the departure of [[Chester Goode]] and just after the appearance of Festus Haggen. Three of the actors, who played Dodge deputies, Ken Curtis, Roger Ewing, and Buck Taylor, had previous guest roles. Curtis, a big band and Western singer ([[Tommy Dorsey]] Orchestra, [[Shep Fields]] Band, [[Sons of the Pioneers]]), had five previous guest roles, including one in 1963 as a shady ladies' man named Kyle Kelly ("Lover Boy", season 9, show 2 [episode 307]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0594225/?ref_=ttep_ep24|title="Gunsmoke" Lover Boy (TV Episode 1963)|author=Morganalee|date=November 16, 2010|work=IMDb|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
 
Curtis first appeared in the 1959 episode "Jayhawkers" (season 4, episode 21 [episode 138]), where he played Phil Jacks, a Texas cowboy, with Jack Elam as his boss during a cattle drive from Texas. The second was another 1959 episode entitled "Change of Heart" (season 4, episode 32 [episode 149]), where he played Brisco. The third appearance is the 1960 episode "The Ex-Urbanites" (season 5, episode 30 [episode 186]), where he plays Jesse. He also had a small role as an Indian named Scout in the episode "Speak Me Fair" (season 5, episode 34 [episode 190]) in 1960. Curtis was reared in [[Las Animas, Colorado]], and for a time was a son-in-law of director [[John Ford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0594366/|title="Gunsmoke" Speak Me Fair (TV Episode 1960)|author=dougdoepke|date=April 30, 2013|work=IMDb|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
 
In 1963, Weaver left the series to pursue a broader acting career in TV series and films. In 1964, Curtis was signed as a regular to play the stubbornly illiterate hillbilly Festus Haggen. The character, heretofore a comic feature, came to town in a 1962 episode titled "Us Haggens", to avenge the death of his twin brother Fergus, and decided to stay in Dodge when the deed was done. Initially on the fringes of Dodge society, Festus was slowly phased in as a reliable sidekick/part-time deputy to Matt Dillon when Reynolds left in 1965. In the episode "Alias Festus Haggen", he is mistaken for a robber and killer whom he has to expose to free himself (both parts played by Curtis). In a [[comic relief]] episode ("Mad Dog"), another case of mistaken identity forces Festus to fight three sons of a man killed by his cousin. As a side note, only one episode has all three actors in it playing their respective roles. It is the 1964 episode entitled "Prairie Wolfer" (season 9, episode 16 [episode 321]), with Dennis Weaver as Chester, Burt Reynolds as Quint, and Ken Curtis as Festus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047736/|title=Gunsmoke (TV Series 1955–1975)|work=IMDb|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
 
When Milburn Stone left the series for health reasons for several episodes in 1971, [[Pat Hingle]] played his temporary replacement, Dr. John Chapman, whose presence was at first roundly resisted by Festus, a bickersome but close friend of Doc Adams.
 
=== Character back stories ===
 
[[File:Gunsmoke main cast 1967.JPG|left|thumb|Clockwise from top: Ken Curtis (Festus), James Arness (Matt), Amanda Blake (Kitty), and Milburn Stone (Doc) in 1968]]
The back stories of some of the main characters were largely left to the imagination of the viewer. Matt Dillon spent his early years in foster care, knew the Bible, was a wayward, brawling cowboy, and later mentored by a caring lawman. In a few episodes he mentioned having spent some time in the army. Kitty Russell, born in New Orleans and reared by a flashy foster mother (who once visited Dodge), although her father visited Dodge on one occasion and wished to have her return to New Orleans. <!-- (See "Miss Kitty" in the following section "Differences between the characters on the radio & TV versions".) --> Barkeep Sam was said to be married, but no sightings of a wife were made (In the episode "Tafton", he is seen side-by-side with a woman in a church singing). Quint Asper's white father was killed by white scavengers. Thad Greenwood's father, a storekeeper, was harassed to death by a trio of loathsome ne'er-do-well thieves. Chester Goode was known to be one of many brothers raised by an aunt and uncle, and he mentions his mother on one occasion; he referred to past service in the cavalry, and years as a [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle driver]] in Texas. The cause of Chester's stiff right leg was never given, but it was shown as his own leg and not a prosthesis. No direct reference was ever made to his disability in the script, although some oblique moments painted the free-spirited, comic deputy with a darker tone. Newly O'Brien was named after a physician uncle, who ignited his interest in medicine.
 
While Dillon and Miss Kitty clearly had a close personal relationship, the two never married. In a July 2, 2002, [[Associated Press]] interview with Bob Thomas, Arness explained, "If they were man and wife, it would make a lot of difference. The people upstairs decided it was better to leave the show as it was, which I totally agreed with." In the episode "Waste", featuring [[Johnny Whitaker]] as a boy with a prostitute mother, her madam questions Dillon as to why the law overlooks Miss Kitty's enterprise. It appears that bordellos could exist "at the law's discretion" (meaning the marshal's).  As an historical matter, prior to the [[First World War]], there were few laws criminalizing [[prostitution in the United States]].<ref>http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/when-prostitution-wasnt-crime-fascinating-history-sex-work-america</ref>  Miss Kitty was written out in 1974. The actress sought more free time and reportedly missed her late co-star, [[Glenn Strange]], who played her Long Branch barkeep, Sam. When Blake decided not to return for the show's 20th (and final) season, the character was said to have returned to New Orleans. She was replaced by the hoarse-voiced, matronly actress [[Fran Ryan]] (known to many as the second Doris Ziffel on CBS' ''[[Green Acres]]'').
 
For over a decade on television, a sign hung over Doc's office that read "Dr. G. Adams". Milburn Stone was given free rein to choose the character's first name. The actor chose the name of an ancient Greek physician and medical researcher named [[Galen]].<ref>[[Galen]]</ref> He is first referred to in this manner by [[Theodore Bikel]] as "Martin Kellums" in the season-10 episode, "Song for Dying", aired February 13, 1965.<ref>[[List of Gunsmoke television episodes]]</ref>
 
=== Radio and TV character differences ===
 
[[File:Dennis Weaver Mariette Hartley Gunsmoke 1962.JPG|thumb|right|[[Dennis Weaver]] and [[Mariette Hartley]], 1962.]]
Differences were noted between the characters on the radio and TV versions of ''Gunsmoke.'' In the radio series, Doc was acerbic, somewhat mercenary, and borderline alcoholic—at least in the program's early years. On radio's ''Gunsmoke'', Doc Adams's real name was Dr. Calvin Moore.<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/76-DocsRealName.htm "On radio's ''Gunsmoke'', Doc Adams' real name was Dr. Calvin Moore"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> He came west and changed his name to escape a charge of murder. The television Doc, though still crusty, was in many ways softer and warmer.
 
Nothing in the radio series suggested that Chester Proudfoot was disabled; this merely visual feature was added to the Chester Goode character on television because of actor Dennis Weaver's athletic build, to emphasize Chester's role as a follower and not an independent agent.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}
 
Miss Kitty, who after the radio series ended, was said by some to have engaged in prostitution, began in that role in the television series, working in the Long Branch Saloon. In an earlier 1956 episode, the owner of the Long Branch was named Bill Pence. A later 1956 episode begins with Chester pointing out to Matt (who had been out of town) a new sign under the Long Branch Saloon sign stating "Russell & Pence, Proprietors". In that same episode, John Dehner portrayed a dubious New Orleans businessman claiming to be Kitty's father, who tried to talk her into selling her half interest in the Long Branch and returning to New Orleans with him as a partner in his alleged freight business. In another 1956 episode (involving a new saloon girl named "Rena Decker" who causes four deaths by provoking men into fighting over her), Miss Kitty identifies herself as half-owner of the Long Branch with Mr. Pence (played by Judson Pratt). Subsequently, Miss Kitty transitioned to sole owner. Although early film episodes showed her descending from her second-floor rooms in the saloon with Matt, or showed her or one of her girls leading a cowboy up to those same rooms, these scenes disappeared later on, and viewers were guided to see Miss Kitty just as a kindhearted businesswoman.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}
 
=== Format ===
 
From 1955 to 1961, ''Gunsmoke'' was a half-hour show (retitled ''Marshal Dillon'' in syndication). It then went to an hour-long format. The series was retitled ''Gun Law'' in the UK. The ''Marshal Dillon'' syndicated rerun lasted from 1961 until 1964 on CBS, originally on Tuesday nights within its time in reruns.
 
=== Popularity ===
 
''Gunsmoke'' was TV's number one-ranked show from 1957 to 1961 before slipping into a decline after expanding to an hour. In 1967, the show's 12th season, CBS planned to cancel the series, but widespread viewer reaction (including a mention in Congress and the behind-the-scenes pressure from the wife of CBS's president) prevented its demise. On the Biography Channel's ''Behind The Scenes: Gilligan's Island'' (2002); ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'' producer [[Sherwood Schwartz]] states that the wife of CBS's president pressured her husband not to cancel ''Gunsmoke'' in 1967, so the network cut ''Gilligan's Island'' instead. The show continued in its new time slot at 8&nbsp;pm on Mondays. This scheduling move led to a spike in ratings that had it once again rally to the top 10 in the [[Nielsen ratings]] until the 1973–74 television season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1973.htm|title=ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1970's|publisher=|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref> In September 1975, despite still ranking among the top 30 programs in the ratings, ''Gunsmoke'' was canceled after a 20-year run; it was replaced by ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show|Mary Tyler Moore]]'' spin-offs ''[[Rhoda]]'' and ''[[Phyllis (TV series)|Phyllis]]'' (though ''Rhoda'' actually debuted while ''Gunsmoke'' was still airing first-run). Thirty TV Westerns came and went during its 20-year tenure, and ''Gunsmoke'' was the sole survivor, with ''[[Alias Smith and Jones]]'' and ''[[Bonanza]]'' both leaving the airwaves in January 1973.
 
<!--not related [[Image:Coffeepot at Cracker Barrel, Lubbock, TX IMG 4686.JPG|200px|right|thumb|For most of its run, ''Gunsmoke'' ran its closing credits over a photograph of a coffee pot sitting on a stove in the [[Dodge City, Kansas|Dodge City]] jail. Pictured here is a pot similar to the one used on the TV show.]] -->
Arness and Stone remained with the show for its entire run, though Stone missed seven episodes in 1971.
 
The entire cast was stunned by the cancellation, as they were unaware that CBS was considering it. According to Arness, "We didn't do a final, wrap-up show. We finished the 20th year, we all expected to go on for another season, or two or three. The (network) never told anybody they were thinking of canceling." The cast and crew read the news in the trade papers.<ref>Associated Press, July 2, 2002, Bob Thomas.</ref>
 
=== TV movies ===
 
In 1987, CBS commissioned a reunion movie entitled ''[[Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge]]''. James Arness and Amanda Blake returned in their iconic roles of Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty, with Fran Ryan returning in her role as Kitty's friend/saloon-owner Hannah and Buck Taylor returning as Newly O'Brian. Doc Adams and Festus Haggen were not featured in the film. Milburn Stone died in 1980 and the role of Doc was not recast. Ken Curtis, meanwhile, balked at the salary offer he received and said that he should be paid based on Festus' importance in the character hierarchy. The screenwriters responded to Curtis' absence by making Newly the new Dodge City marshal. The film, shot in [[Alberta]], featured a now-retired Marshal Dillon being attacked and a vengeful former rival returning to Dodge City to entrap him.
 
In 1990, the second telefilm, ''Gunsmoke: The Last Apache'', premiered. Since Amanda Blake had died the year before from [[AIDS]]-related complications, the writers decided to revisit a 1973 episode for the movie. The episode was based on "Matt's Love Story", which was noted for the marshal's first overnight visit to a female's lodgings. In the episode, Matt loses his memory and his heart, during a brief [[affair|liaison]] with "Mike" Yardner (played by [[Michael Learned]]). In the film, Learned returned and Mike reveals to Marshal Dillon that he is the father of their daughter Beth (played by [[Amy Stock-Poynton]]) and asks him for help in saving her. Dodge City was never again seen.
 
Other films included ''[[Gunsmoke: To the Last Man]]'' (1992), ''[[Gunsmoke: The Long Ride]]'' (1993), and ''[[Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice]]'' (1994). Arness appeared in all five films.
 
=== Broadcast history and ratings ===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Season
! rowspan="2"| Time slot
! colspan="3"| Nielsen Ratings
|-
! Rank
! Viewers
! Rating
|-
| [[1955–56 United States network television schedule|1 (1955–56)]]
| rowspan="6"|Saturday at 10:00-10:30 pm ET
| colspan="4" {{n/a}}
|-
| [[1956–57 United States network television schedule|2 (1956–57)]]
| #8
| 12,720,300
| 32.7
|-
| [[1957–58 United States network television schedule|3 (1957–58)]]
| rowspan="4"| #1
| 18,067,520
| 43.1
|-
| [[1958–59 United States network television schedule|4 (1958–59)]]
| 17,404,200
| 39.6
|-
| [[1959–60 United States network television schedule|5 (1959–60)]]
| 18,437,250
| 40.3
|-
| [[1960–61 United States network television schedule|6 (1960–61)]]
| 17,605,600
| 37.3
|-
| [[1961–62 United States network television schedule|7 (1961–62)]]
| rowspan="6"|Saturday at 10:00-11:00 pm ET
| #3
| 13,741,065
| 28.3
|-
| [[1962–63 United States network television schedule|8 (1962–63)]]
| #10
| 13,581,000
| 27
|-
| [[1963–64 United States network television schedule|9 (1963–64)]]
| #20
| 12,126,000
| 23.5
|-
| [[1964–65 United States network television schedule|10 (1964–65)]]
| #27
| 11,910,200
| 22.6
|-
| [[1965–66 United States network television schedule|11 (1965–66)]]
| #30
| 11,470,050
| 21.3
|-
| [[1966–67 United States network television schedule|12 (1966–67)]]
| #34<ref>James W. Roman, [https://books.google.com/books?id=h8AqrjoCueUC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=Gunsmoke+1966-67+ratings&source=bl&ots=AjLOfZ—W4&sig=DB7_XpJGruyeYoS66jL3liWoMHE&hl=en&ei=94AJTKXlNIKdlgf18-mPDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=Gunsmoke%201966-67%20ratings&f=false ''From Daytime to Primetime: The History of American Television Programs''], Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, Inc., 2005, p. 34. Retrieved June 4, 2010.</ref>
| colspan="2" {{n/a}}
|-
| [[1967–68 United States network television schedule|13 (1967–68)]]
| rowspan="4"|Monday at 7:30-8:30 pm ET
| #4
| 14,450,850
| 25.5
|-
| [[1968–69 United States network television schedule|14 (1968–69)]]
| #6
| 14,504,250
| 24.9
|-
| [[1969–70 United States network television schedule|15 (1969–70)]]
| #2
| 15,151,500
| 25.9
|-
| [[1970–71 United States network television schedule|16 (1970–71)]]
| #5
| 15,325,500
| 25.5
|-
| [[1971–72 United States network television schedule|17 (1971–72)]]
| rowspan="4"|Monday at 8:00-9:00 pm ET
| #4
| 16,146,000
| 26
|-
| [[1972–73 United States network television schedule|18 (1972–73)]]
| #7
| 15,292,800
| 23.6
|-
| [[1973–74 United States network television schedule|19 (1973–74)]]
| #15
| 14,630,200
| 22.1
|-
| [[1974–75 United States network television schedule|20 (1974–75)]]
| #28
| 14,042,500
| 20.5<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/index.htm|title=ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings|publisher=|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
|}
 
=== [[Primetime Emmy Award]] wins and nominations ===
 
==== 1955 (presented March 17, 1956) ====
* Best Action or Adventure Series — nominated (winner: ''[[Walt Disney anthology television series|Disneyland]]'')
 
==== 1956 (presented March 16, 1957) ====
* Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series: James Arness — nominated (winner: [[Robert Young (actor)|Robert Young]] for ''[[Father Knows Best]]'')
 
==== 1957 (presented April 15, 1958) ====
* Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic or Comedy Series: James Arness — nominated (winner: Robert Young for ''Father Knows Best'')
* Best Continuing Supporting Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic or Comedy Series: Dennis Weaver — nominated (winner: [[Carl Reiner]] for ''[[Caesar's Hour]]'')
* Best Dramatic Series with Continuing Characters — won
* Best Editing of a Film for Television: Mike Pozen for "How to Kill a Woman" — won
* Best Teleplay Writing (Half-Hour or Less): [[John Meston]] for "Born to Hang" — nominated (winner: [[Paul Monash]] for ''[[Schlitz Playhouse of Stars]]'' - "The Lonely Wizard")
 
==== 1958 (presented May 6, 1959) ====
* Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series: James Arness — nominated (winner: [[Raymond Burr]] for ''[[Perry Mason (TV series)|Perry Mason]]'')
* Best Supporting Actor (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series: Dennis Weaver — won
* Best Supporting Actress (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series: [[Amanda Blake]] — nominated (winner: [[Barbara Hale]] for ''Perry Mason'')
* Best Western Series — nominated (winner: ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'')
 
==== 1965-1966 (presented May 22, 1966) ====
* Individual Achievements in Music - Composition: [[Morton Stevens]] for "Seven Hours to Dawn" — nominated (winner: [[Laurence Rosenthal]] for ''Michelangelo: The Last Giant'')
 
==== 1967-1968 (presented May 19, 1968) ====
* Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition: Morton Stevens for "Major Glory" (winner: [[Earle Hagen]] for ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' - "Laya")
* Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama: Milburn Stone — won
 
==== 1969-1970 (presented by June 7, 1970) ====
* Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing: Norman Karlin and Richard E. Raderman — won (tied with Alex Bamattre, Michael Colgan, Douglas H. Grindstaff, Joe Kavigan, Bill Lee, and Josef E. Von Stroheim for ''ABC Movie of the Week: The Immortal'')
 
=== Syndication ===
 
All 635 episodes of the television series, and almost all 480 episodes of the radio show, still exist.
 
In syndication, the entire 20-year run of ''Gunsmoke'' is separated into three packages by [[CBS Television Distribution]]:
 
* '''1955 – 61 half-hour episodes''': These episodes are sometimes seen in their original format and sometimes in the ''Marshal Dillon'' format. When first-run, prime-time episodes of ''Gunsmoke'' expanded to an hour in fall 1961, CBS-TV reran the half-hour episodes as ''Marshal Dillon'' on the network on Tuesday nights from 1961 through 1964. These were later rerun in syndication. General syndication ended in the 1980s, but they do air occasionally on cable TV. Local stations would show the retitled ''Marshal Dillon'' version of the series, while the series under the original ''Gunsmoke'' title (with some episodes under the ''Marshal Dillon'' retitling) were seen in the late 1990s on [[TV Land]] and later [[Hallmark Channel]]. [[Encore (TV channel)#Channels|Encore Westerns]] aired this version under the ''Marshal Dillon'' title. [[RetroPlex]] also aired two half-hour episodes under the original ''Gunsmoke'' title, although the episodes are advertised as ''Marshal Dillon'', on Saturday nights from 8 to 9 pm Eastern time. Me-TV announced that it will begin the half-hour black-and-white episodes beginning on January 2, 2017.
* '''1961 – 66 one-hour black-and-white episodes''': These episodes have not been widely seen in regular syndication since the 1980s, although selected episodes did air from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s on [[ABC Family|CBN Cable/The Family Channel]], and later on Encore Westerns on a three-year contract that ended around 2006. As of January 2010, Encore Westerns was again airing the episodes. In October 2015, Me-TV announced that it would begin airing the one-hour black-and-white episodes on October 26.<ref>[http://www.metv.com/lists/6-classic-black-and-white-episodes-of-gunsmoke Classic black and white episodes of ''Gunsmoke''] at MeTV.com</ref>
* '''1966 – 75 one-hour color episodes''': The last nine seasons of the Western, the most widely syndicated episodes of the entire series' run, are still aired on some local stations, as well as nationally on TV Land and Me-TV.
 
=== DVD releases ===
 
In 2006, as part of ''Gunsmoke''{{'}}s 50th anniversary on TV, certain selected episodes were released on DVD in three different box sets. Twelve episodes, from 1955 to 1964, were selected for the ''Gunsmoke: Volume I'' box set, and another twelve episodes, from 1964 to 1975, were selected for the ''Gunsmoke: Volume II'' box set. Both sets are also available as a combined single "Gift Box Set". A third unique DVD box set, known as ''Gunsmoke: The Directors Collection'', was also released with 10 selected episodes from certain seasons throughout the series' 20-year history. All of these box sets are available on Region 1 DVD from [[Paramount Home Entertainment]] and [[CBS Home Entertainment|CBS DVD]].
 
Additionally, Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS DVD have released the first 12 seasons (seasons one to six are known as the "half-hour years") on DVD in Region 1. All DVDs have been released with English audio and close captionning from season 1 to 5 and starting season 6 English SDH.
{|
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable"
!
! DVD Name
! Ep #
! Release Date
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#663300" |
| The First Season
| align="center"|39
| July 17, 2007
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#993300" |
| The Second Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|20
| January 8, 2008
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#336699" |
| The Second Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|19
| May 27, 2008
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#666666" |
| The Third Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|19
| December 9, 2008
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#6699cd" |
| The Third Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|20
| May 26, 2009
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#666699" |
| The Fourth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|19
| October 5, 2010
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#cd6633" |
| The Fourth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|20
| December 14, 2010
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#660000" |
| The Fifth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|20
| October 11, 2011
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#996600" |
| The Fifth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|19
| December 13, 2011
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#336666" |
| The Sixth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|19
| August 7, 2012
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#996633" |
| The Sixth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|19
| October 16, 2012
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#666666" |
| The Seventh Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|17
| December 11, 2012
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#776660" |
| The Seventh Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|17
| February 5, 2013
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#333333" |
| The Eighth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|19
| May 7, 2013
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#cd6660" |
| The Eighth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|19
| May 7, 2013
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#773433" |
| The Ninth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|18
| August 6, 2013
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#cd6566" |
| The Ninth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|18
| August 6, 2013
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#0000ff" |
| The Tenth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|18
| August 12, 2014
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#0000ff" |
| The Tenth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|18
| August 12, 2014
|}
 
|
{| class="wikitable"
!
!DVD Name
!Ep #
!Release Date
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#ffff00" |
| The Eleventh Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|16
| December 2, 2014
|-
| width="15" bgcolor="#ffff00" |
| The Eleventh Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|16
| December 2, 2014
|-
|
| The Twelfth Season, Volume 1
| align="center"|15
| September 20, 2016
|-
|
| The Twelfth Season, Volume 2
| align="center"|14
| September 20, 2016
|}
 
|}
 
=== Regular cast; major characters ===
 
* [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshal]] [[Marshal Matt Dillon|Matt Dillon]] (1955 – 75): [[James Arness]]
* Dr. Galen "Doc" Adams, [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D.]] (1955 – 75): [[Milburn Stone]]
* Kathleen "Kitty" Russell (1955 – 74): [[Amanda Blake]]
* Chester B. Goode (1955 – 64): [[Dennis Weaver]]; left series to star in unsuccessful series ''[[Kentucky Jones]]''
* Festus Haggen (1964 – 75): [[Ken Curtis]]
 
<gallery widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="6">
 
File:James Arness Matt Dillon Gunsmoke 1969.JPG|Matt Dillon, 1969
File:Gunsmoke supporting cast 1960.JPG|Chester, Doc, and Kitty, 1960
File:Amanda Blake Milburn Stone Gunsmoke 1958.jpg|Kitty and Doc, 1958
File:Amanda Blake Kitty Gunsmoke 1966.JPG|Miss Kitty Russell, 1966
File:Dennis Weaver Chester Gunsmoke 1960.JPG|Chester Goode
File:Ken Curtis Milburn Stone Gunsmoke 1974.JPG|Festus Haggen and Doc Adams, 1974
</gallery>
 
=== Cast ===
 
[[File:Gunsmoke cast 1963.JPG|thumb|right|180px|1963 cast with Burt Reynolds]]
 
* Sam Noonan (bartender; 1955 – 59): Bert Rumsey
* Clem (bartender; 1959 – 61): Clem Fuller
* Sam Noonan (bartender; 1961 – 73): [[Glenn Strange]]
* Jim Buck (stage driver; 1957 - 1962) and Floyd (bartender; 1974 – 75): [[Robert Brubaker]]
* Quint Asper (blacksmith; 1962 – 65): [[Burt Reynolds]]
* Deputy Marshal Clayton Thaddeus "Thad" Greenwood (1965 – 67): [[Roger Ewing]]
* Newly O'Brian (gunsmith/Deputy Marshal; 1967 – 75): [[Buck Taylor]]
* Wilbur Jonas (storekeeper, 1955 – 63): [[Dabbs Greer]]
* Howie Uzzell (hotel clerk, 1955 – 75): [[Howard Culver]]
* Moss Grimmick (stableman; 1955 – 63): George Selk
* Bill Pence (Long Branch owner/co-owner 1955?–56–?): [[Judson Pratt]]
* Bill Pence, (1958–61):  Barney Phillips
* Jim Buck (stagecoach driver; 1957 – 62): [[Robert Brubaker]]
* Louie Pheeters (town drunk; 1961 – 70): James Nusser
* Ma Smalley (boardinghouse owner; 1961 – 72): Sarah Selby
* Hank Miller (stableman; 1963 – 75): [[Hank Patterson]]
* Mr. Bodkin (banker; 1963 – 70): [[Roy Roberts]]
* Barney Danches (telegraph agent; 1965 – 74): Charles Seel
* Roy (townsperson; 1965 – 69): [[Roy Barcroft]]
* Halligan (rancher; 1966 – 75): Charles Wagenheim
* Mr. Lathrop (storekeeper; 1966 – 75): [[Woodrow Chambliss|Woody Chambliss]]
* Nathan Burke (freight agent; 1966 – 75): Ted Jordan
* Percy Crump (undertaker; 1966 – 72): Kelton Garwood (later credited as Jonathan Harper)
* Ed O'Connor (rancher; 1968 – 72): [[Tom Brown (actor)|Tom Brown]]
* Judge Brooker (1970 – 75): [[Herb Vigran]]
* Dr. John Chapman (1971): [[Pat Hingle]]
* Miss Hannah (saloon owner; 1974 – 75): [[Fran Ryan]]
 
== Awards ==
 
* In ''[[TV Guide]]''′s April 17, 1993, issue celebrating 40 years of television, the all-time-best-TV programs were chosen. "No contest, this [''Gunsmoke''] was ''the'' TV western."<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/20-THE.htm April 17 – 23, 1993, issue of ''TV Guide''] that celebrated the 40th anniversary of television and the best television programs of all time.</ref>
* ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' (February 19, 1999, issue) ranked the premiere of ''Gunsmoke'' as No. 47 in the "100 Greatest Moments in Television".<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/70-47InGreatness.htm "100 Greatest Moments in Television"], GunsmokeNet.com</ref>
* ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', in 1998, ranked ''Gunsmoke'' as No. 16 in The 100 Greatest TV Shows of all time.<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/57-etw.htm "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>
* In a 1998 ''[[TV Guide]]'' poll of 50,000, ''Gunsmoke'' was ranked as CBS's best western and James Arness was ranked as CBS's best "Gunslinger".<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/55-tvgd98.htm "CBS's best western"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>
* James Arness (Matt), Milburn Stone (Doc), Ken Curtis (Festus), Dennis Weaver (Chester), and Amanda Blake (Kitty) are all inductees of the [[National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum]].<ref>[http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/info/awards-hof/Western-Performers.aspx "The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum"], www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.</ref>
* In 1997, the episode "The Jailer" was ranked No. 28 on [[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time|''TV Guide''{{'}}s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time |work=[[TV Guide]] |date=June 28 – July 4, 1997}}</ref>
* In 2002, ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked ''Gunsmoke'' as No. 40 in the 50 greatest television shows of all time.<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/TVGuide/TV-Guide-020504/index.htm "''TV Guide'' Names Top 50 Shows"], ''TV Guide'', May 4, 2002.</ref>
* In 2013, ''TV Guide'' ranked it as #27 on their list of the 60 Best Series.<ref>[http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ ''TV Guide'' Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time]</ref>
 
== Miscellaneous ==
 
* [[Dodge City]]'s Boot Hill Museum has a tribute to ''Gunsmoke'', including furniture from the 1960s and an old television tuned to the show. Signed photographs from the show's actors and other memorabilia are on display including a vest worn by Sam the Bartender (actor [[Glenn Strange]]) and a dress worn by [[#Regular cast; major characters|Miss Kitty]], (actress [[Amanda Blake]]).<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/105_DodgeCity.htm "Today's Dodge City"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>
* Despite a rumor to the contrary, [[Albert Einstein]] never appeared on ''Gunsmoke.'' Albert Einstein died on April 18, 1955, 4 1/2 months before ''Gunsmoke'' aired. The fact checking website [[Snopes]] attributes the likely origin of the rumor to [[Stephen Hawking]] appearing in an episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' in 1993. Actor [[Brent Spiner]] was quoted at the time as saying it was "the most notable moment in television history since Albert Einstein guest-starred on ''Gunsmoke''." Although Spiner's remark was a joke, someone wrote to ''[[TV Guide]]'' in 1994 to ask if Einstein really had appeared on the show.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hopalong Einstein|url=http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/gunsmoke1.asp|website=Snopes.com|accessdate=4 May 2015}}</ref>
* The anime and manga [[Trigun]], a western themed gunslinger tale, directly reference the series by naming the planet on which it is set planet Gunsmoke.
 
== Notable guest stars ==
{{See also|List of Gunsmoke cast members}}
 
: ''(partial list, alphabetical):''
 
[[File:Amanda Blake Jack Albertson Gunsmoke 1969.JPG|thumb|Amanda Blake and Jack Albertson, 1969.]]
 
[[File:James Arness Amanda Blake Bette Davis Gunsmoke 1966.JPG|thumb|Guest star Bette Davis, 1966.]]
 
[[File:Anne Helm John Drew Barrymore 1964.JPG|thumb|Guest stars [[Anne Helm]] and [[John Drew Barrymore]], 1964.]]
 
[[File:James Arness Matt Dillon 1955.jpg|thumb|Arness as Dillon, 1955]]
 
[[File:Ben Gage Kent Marshall Maverick 1958.jpg|right|thumb|[[Marshall Kent]] and [[Ben Gage]] in famous ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' spoof "Gun-Shy" (1958)]]
 
* [[Willie Aames]], [[Rico Alaniz]], [[Jack Albertson]], [[Mabel Albertson]], [[Claude Akins]], [[Chris Alcaide]], [[John Anderson (actor)|John Anderson]] (12 times), [[Richard Anderson]], [[Tige Andrews]], [[R. G. Armstrong]], Jenny Lee Arness, [[Jean Arthur]],<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/103_VirginiaArness.htm "James Arness' first wife, Virginia"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> [[John Astin]]
* [[Edward Asner]], [[Val Avery]], [[Lew Ayres]], [[Jim Backus]], [[Trevor Bardette]], [[Patricia Barry]], [[John Drew Barrymore]], [[Richard Basehart]], [[Ed Begley]], [[Ralph Bellamy]], [[James Best]], [[Dan Blocker]], [[Randy Boone]], [[Bruce Boxleitner]], [[Ray Boyle]], [[Lane Bradbury]] (13 times),
* [[Scott Brady]], [[Eric Braeden]], [[Peter Breck]], [[Beau Bridges]], [[Morgan Brittany]], [[William Boyett]], [[Charles Bronson]], [[James Brown (Rin Tin Tin)|James Brown]], [[Joyce Bulifant]], [[Michael Burns (historian)|Michael Burns]], [[Gary Busey]],
* [[Sebastian Cabot (actor)|Sebastian Cabot]], [[Frank Cady]], [[David Canary]], [[Harry Carey, Jr.]], [[David Carradine]], [[John Carradine]], [[Conlan Carter]], [[Jack Cassidy]], [[Mary Castle]], [[Peggie Castle]], [[Lonny Chapman]], [[Andy Clyde]], [[Phyllis Coates]], [[Lee J. Cobb]], [[Michael Cole (actor)|Michael Cole]], [[Don Collier]], [[Chuck Connors]]
* [[Mike Connors]], [[Tim Considine]], [[Pat Conway]], [[Elisha Cook, Jr.]], [[Ben Cooper]], [[Glenn Corbett]], [[Noreen Corcoran]], [[Alex Cord]], [[Robert L. Crawford, Jr.]], [[Dennis Cross]], [[Brandon Cruz]], [[Robert Culp]], [[Royal Dano]] (13 times), [[Kim Darby]], [[Bette Davis]]
* [[Bette Davis]], [[Jim Davis (actor)|Jim Davis]] (multiple appearances), [[Richard Deacon (actor)|Richard Deacon]], [[Gloria DeHaven]], [[John Dehner]] (12 times), [[Bruce Dern]]
* [[William Devane]], [[Angie Dickinson]], [[James Doohan]], [[Richard Dreyfuss]], [[Buddy Ebsen]], [[Barbara Eden]], [[Jack Elam]], [[Sam Elliott]], [[Jena Engstrom]] (two episodes), [[Gene Evans]], [[Shug Fisher]], [[Paul Fix]]
* [[Jay C. Flippen]], [[Med Flory]], [[Constance Ford]], [[Harrison Ford]], [[Jodie Foster]], [[Ron Foster (actor)|Ron Foster]], [[Anne Francis]], [[Dean Fredericks]], [[Bert Freed]], [[Victor French]]
* [[Beverly Garland]], [[Leif Garrett]], [[Sean Garrison]], [[Lisa Gerritsen]], [[Melissa Gilbert]], [[Harold Gould]], [[Karen Grassle]], [[Virginia Gregg]], [[James Gregory (actor)|James Gregory]], [[Tom Greenway]]
* [[Kevin Hagen]], [[Ron Hagerthy]], [[Alan Hale, Jr.]], [[Lynn Hamilton (actress)|Lynn Hamilton]], [[Mariette Hartley]], [[Ron Hayes]], [[Anne Helm]], [[Katherine Helmond]], [[Earl Holliman]], [[Ron Howard]], [[Bo Hopkins]], [[Dennis Hopper]], [[Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr.]], [[Marsha Hunt (actress, born 1917)|Marsha Hunt]]
* [[Josephine Hutchinson]], [[Betty Hutton]], [[Steve Ihnat]], [[John Ireland (actor)|John Ireland]], [[Richard Jaeckel]], [[Vivi Janiss]], [[Salome Jens]], [[Arch Johnson]], [[Brad Johnson (Annie Oakley co-star)|Brad Johnson]], [[Ben Johnson (actor)|Ben Johnson]], [[Chubby Johnson]]
* [[I. Stanford Jolley]], [[L. Q. Jones]], [[Robert Karnes]], [[Don Keefer]], [[DeForest Kelley]], [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]], [[Ricky Kelman]], [[Dan Kemp]], [[Adam Kennedy (actor)|Adam Kennedy]], [[Douglas Kennedy (actor)|Douglas Kennedy]], [[George Kennedy]], [[Richard Kiley]], [[Brett King]], [[Wright King]] (eight times), [[Werner Klemperer]], [[Jack Klugman]], [[Robert Knapp (actor)|Robert Knapp]] (seven times) [[Ted Knight]], [[Diane Ladd]], [[Martin Landau]]
* [[Allan Lane]], [[Louise Latham]], [[Harry Lauter]], [[Anna Lee]], [[June Lockhart]], [[Jack Lord]], [[Keye Luke]], [[Dayton Lummis]], [[Tyler MacDuff]], [[Barton MacLane]], [[George Macready]], [[Rose Marie]], [[Scott Marlowe]], [[Nora Marlowe]], [[Ross Martin]]
* [[Strother Martin]], [[Darren McGavin]], [[Peggy McCay]], [[Howard McNear]], [[Patrick McVey]], [[Tyler McVey]], [[Vera Miles]], [[Denny Miller|Denny Scott Miller]], [[John Mitchum]], [[Roger Mobley]], [[Ricardo Montalbán]], [[Erin Moran]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Read Morgan]] (12 times)
* [[Wayne Morris (American actor)|Wayne Morris]], [[Anna Karen Morrow]], [[Richard Mulligan]], [[Diana Muldaur]], [[Burt Mustin]], [[Gene Nelson]], [[Leslie Nielsen]], [[Leonard Nimoy]], [[Jimmy Noel]], [[Jeanette Nolan]], [[Nick Nolte]], [[Carroll O'Connor]], [[Simon Oakland]], [[Warren Oates]], [[Susan Olsen]], [[Cliff Osmond]]
* [[Manuel Padilla, Jr.]], [[Gregg Palmer]] (20 times), [[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]], [[Brock Peters]], [[William Phipps (actor)|William Phipps]], [[John Pickard (American actor)|John Pickard]] (12 times), [[Slim Pickens]], [[Suzanne Pleshette]], [[Judson Pratt]], [[Andrew Prine]], [[Ainslie Pryor]], [[Denver Pyle]], [[Chips Rafferty]] (Australian actor), [[Dack Rambo]], [[Gilman Rankin]]
* [[Pernell Roberts]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Ruth Roman]], [[Katharine Ross]], [[Kurt Russell]], [[Albert Salmi]], [[John Saxon]], [[Jacqueline Scott]] (nine episodes), [[Johnny Seven (actor)|Johnny Seven]], [[Karen Sharpe]]
* [[William Shatner]], [[Dan Sheridan]], [[Tom Simcox]], [[Robert F. Simon]], [[Tom Skerritt]], [[Jeremy Slate]], [[John Smith (actor)|John Smith]], [[Quintin Sondergaard]], [[David Soul]], [[Aaron Spelling]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[Harry Dean Stanton]], [[Frank Sutton]], [[Gloria Talbott]], [[Russ Tamblyn]], [[William Tannen (actor)|William Tannen]], [[Vic Tayback]]
* [[Dub Taylor]], [[Robert Totten]] (also a director), [[Harry Townes]] (seven times), [[Daniel J. Travanti]], [[Forrest Tucker]], [[Lurene Tuttle]], [[Cicely Tyson]], [[Robert Urich]], [[Joan Van Ark]], [[Lee Van Cleef]], [[Warren Vanders]] (12 times), [[Mitch Vogel]], [[Joyce Van Patten]], [[Robert Vaughn]], [[Jan-Michael Vincent]], [[Gary Vinson]]
* [[Jon Voight]], [[Lesley Ann Warren]], [[Ruth Warrick]], [[David Wayne]], [[Adam West]], [[James Westerfield]], [[Jack Weston]], [[Johnny Whitaker]], [[James Whitmore]], [[Robert J. Wilke]], [[Elen Willard]], [[Bill Williams (actor)|Bill Williams]], [[Chill Wills]], [[Terry Wilson (actor)|Terry Wilson]], [[William Windom (actor)|William Windom]], [[Morgan Woodward]] (19 times), [[Ian Wolfe]], [[Dana Wynter]], and [[Anthony Zerbe]].
 
''Gunsmoke'' had one spin-off series, ''[[Dirty Sally]]'', a semi-comedy starring [[Jeanette Nolan]] as an old woman and [[Dack Rambo]] as a young gunfighter, leaving Dodge City for California in order to [[placer mining|pan for gold]]. The program lasted only thirteen weeks and aired in the first half of 1974, a year before ''Gunsmoke'' ended.
 
== Notable directors ==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2016}}
* [[Andrew McLaglen]]
* [[Richard Whorf]]
* [[Arnold Laven]]
* [[Arthur Hiller]]
* [[Dennis Weaver]]
* [[Gene Nelson]]
* [[Irving J. Moore]]
* [[John Rich (director)|John Rich]]
* [[Leo Penn]]
* [[Marc Daniels]]
* [[Mark Rydell]]
* [[Peter Graves (actor)|Peter Graves]]
* [[Philip Leacock]]
* [[Robert Totten]]
* [[Sam Peckinpah]]
* [[Sobey Martin]]
* [[Tay Garnett]]
* [[Victor French]]
* [[Vincent McEveety]]
* [[William Conrad]]
* [[William F. Claxton]]
* [http://akas.imdb.com/name/nm0375570/filmoseries#tt0047736 Gunnar Hellström]
 
== Music ==
 
The ''Gunsmoke'' radio theme song and later TV theme was titled [http://www.bobnolan-sop.net/Biographies/The%20Story%20of%20SOP/Ken%20Curtis/Ken%20Curtis.htm "Old Trails"], also known as "Boothill". The ''Gunsmoke'' theme was composed by [[Rex Koury]].<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/71-Lyrics.htm "The ''Gunsmoke'' Theme"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> The original radio version was conducted by Koury. The TV version was thought to have been first conducted by CBS west coast music director [[Lud Gluskin]]. The lyrics of the theme, never aired on the radio or television show, were recorded and released by [[Tex Ritter]] in 1955. Ritter was backed on that Capitol record by Rex Koury and the radio ''Gunsmoke'' orchestra.<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/Music/Ritter.htm "Tex Ritter sings ''Gunsmoke''"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>  William Lava composed the original theme music for television, as noted in the program credits.
 
Other notable composers included:
 
* [[Elmer Bernstein]]
* [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
* [[Bernard Herrmann]]
* [[Franz Waxman]]
 
== Products ==
 
The ''Gunsmoke'' brand was used to endorse numerous products, from cottage cheese<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/72-CottageCheese.htm "''Gunsmoke'' was used to sell cottage cheese"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> to cigarettes.
 
Lowell Toy Manufacturing Corporation ("It's a Lowell Game") issued ''Gunsmoke'' as their game No. 822.<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/64-BoardGame.htm "''Gunsmoke'' board games"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> Other products include ''Gunsmoke'' puzzles,<ref>[http://www.gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/66-Puzzles.html "''Gunsmoke'' puzzles were popular in 1950s"], GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>
 
In 1985, [[Capcom]] released a video game for the arcade (and its corresponding game for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] in 1988) with a Western theme, called [[Gun.Smoke]]. Other than the Western theme, the show and game have no relationship  whatsoever.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/gunsmoke/gunsmoke.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Gun.Smoke|website=www.hardcoregaming101.net|access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref>
 
=== Comics ===
 
* [[Dell Comics]] published numerous issues of their ''[[Four Color]]'' comics series on ''Gunsmoke''<ref name="Comix">{{cite web|url=http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Comix/comics-.htm|title=GunsmokeNet.com|publisher=|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}</ref> (including issues #679, 720, 769, 797, 844 and, in 1958 – 62, #6–27).<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Comix/Jun59/home.htm Gunsmoke Dell Comic] #15, June – July 1959, "Masked Vigilantes".</ref>
* [[Gold Key Comics]] continued with issues #1 – 6 in 1969–70.<ref name="Comix" /><ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Comix/Feb70/home.htm ''Gunsmoke'' Gold Key Comic], February – March 1970, "The Prophet" "The Guilty One"</ref>
* A comic strip version of the series ran in British newspapers for several years under the show's UK title, ''Gun Law''.
* Hardcover comic ''BBC Gunsmoke Annuals'' were marketed in Great Britain under the authority of the [[BBC]] which had broadcasting rights there.<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Comix/1974/index.htm ''Gunsmoke Annual 1974''], Comic Collection.</ref>
* ''Gunsmoke'' comics in Spanish were published under the title ''Aventura la ley del revolver''<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Comix/Dec60-s/index.htm ''Aventura la ley del revolver''], ''Gunsmoke'' comic book in Spanish, December 1960.</ref> (''Gun-Law Adventures'').
 
=== Books ===
 
* In 1957, [[Ballantine Books]] published a collection of short stories.<ref>Don Ward, [http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Books/Gunsmoke57/Gunsmoke57.htm ''Gunsmoke – Adventures of Marshal Matt Dillon''], Ballantine Books, 1957. (Second edition released in 1960.)</ref> Each story is based on a half-hour ''Gunsmoke'' episode. Although a photo of James Arness and the CBS TV logo are on the book cover, in at least one story Matt introduces Chester as "Chester Proudfoot", an indication that the stories are actually adapted from radio scripts.
* Whitman Books published
** ''Gunsmoke'' by Robert Turner in 1958, and
** ''Gunsmoke: "Showdown on Front Street"''<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Books/Showdown/HomeShowdown.htm*Paul S. Newman, ''Showdown on Front Street''], Whitman Books, 1969.</ref> by Paul S. Newman in 1969...
* In 1970, Popular Library published the following paperback book written by Chris Stratton:
**  ''Gunsmoke''
* In 1974, Award Books published the following paperback books written by Jackson Flynn based on the TV series:
** ''Gunsmoke #1: "The Renegades"<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/collectables/Books/Gunsmoke74%20The%20Renegades/home.htm Jackson Flynn, ''The Renegades''], Award Books, 1974.</ref>
** ''Gunsmoke #2: "Shootout"''
** ''Gunsmoke #3: "Duel at Dodge City"''
** ''Gunsmoke #4: "Cheyenne Vengeance"''
* In 1998, Boulevard Books published the following paperbacks written by Gary McCarthy based on the TV series:
** #1: ''Gunsmoke''
** #2: ''Gunsmoke: "Dead Man's Witness"''
** #3: ''Gunsmoke: "Marshal Festus"''
* A series of novels based upon the television series written by Joseph A. West with forewords by [[James Arness]] was published by Signet:
** ''Gunsmoke: "Blood, Bullets and Buckskin"'', January 2005 (ISBN 0-451-21348-3)
** ''Gunsmoke: "The Last Dog Soldier"'', May 2005 (ISBN 0-451-21491-9)
** ''Gunsmoke: "Blizzard of Lead"'', September 2005 (ISBN 0-451-21633-4)
** ''Gunsmoke: "The Reckless Gun"'', May 2006 (ISBN 0-451-21923-6)
** ''Gunsmoke: "Dodge the Devil"'', October 2006 (ISBN 0-451-21972-4)
** ''Gunsmoke: "The Day of the Gunfighter"'', January 2007 (ISBN 0-451-22015-3)
 
Independent E-book
** ''Gunsmoke: Battlefield Dodge'', June 2015, e-book, Amazon.com http://www.battlefielddodge.com
 
== Episodes ==
{{Further information|List of Gunsmoke radio episodes|List of Gunsmoke television episodes}}
 
== Reruns and syndication ==
The program currently airs on three major venues: [[TV Land]], which has carried the show since its inception in 1996, [[Encore Westerns]], and [[Weigel Broadcasting]]'s [[MeTV]] [[digital subchannel]] network. Individual stations such as [[KFWD]] in Dallas also carry the series in their markets. It has also been shown on satellite channel CBS Action in the UK, Ireland and Poland. The series also appears intermittently on MeTV's themed sister network [[Decades (TV network)|Decades]], which CBS holds a partial interest in; it appears on the schedule depending on the theme and year a particular day has.
 
== Notes ==
 
{{reflist |group=notes}}
 
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
 
== Additional reading ==
 
* John Dunning, ''On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio,'' [[Oxford University Press]], 1998. ISBN 0-19-507678-8
* SuzAnn Barabas & Gabor Barabas, ''Gunsmoke: A Complete History and Analysis of the Legendary Broadcast Series,'' McFarland & Company, Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-89950-418-3
* Associated Press, July 2, 2002, Bob Thomas
* Bill Carter, "NBC Will Bring Back All Three ''Law & Order'' Shows", ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 14, 2007.
* Matt's and Miss Kitty's romance referred to in Toby Keith song, "I Should've Been a Cowboy" (released February 1993).
 
== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
 
{{Commons category|Gunsmoke}}
 
* {{IMDb title|0047736}}
* [http://www.wrcwradio.com/ Listen to the entire ''Gunsmoke'' radio series]
* [http://www.otrwesterns.com/westerns/gunsmoke/ Listen to the complete series of the radio version of ''Gunsmoke'']
* [http://zootradio.com/Gunsmoke.php Zoot Radio, over 450 free ''Gunsmoke'' radio shows]
* [http://www.outlawsgameroom.com/gunsmoke/ Listen to radio version of ''Gunsmoke'' at Outlaws Old Time Radio Corner]
* [http://oldclassicradio.com/show/gunsmoke/ Listen to radio ''Gunsmoke'' at OldClassicRadio]
 
{{EmmyAward DramaSeries 1951-1975}}
 
{{TopUSTVShows}}
 
[[Category:1950s American television series]]
[[Category:1955 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1950s American radio programs]]
[[Category:1960s American radio programs]]
[[Category:1960s American television series]]
[[Category:1970s American television series]]
[[Category:1975 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American radio dramas]]
[[Category:Black-and-white television programs]]
[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:CBS Radio programs]]
[[Category:Dell Comics titles]]
[[Category:Dodge City, Kansas]]
[[Category:English-language television programming]]
[[Category:Gold Key Comics titles]]
[[Category:Nielsen ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period radio series]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners]]
[[Category:Radio programs adapted into television programs]]
[[Category:Television programs adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Television series based on radio programs]]
[[Category:Television series by CBS Television Studios]]
[[Category:Television series revived after cancellation]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Kansas]]
[[Category:Western (genre) television series]]

Latest revision as of 02:29, 8 August 2017

Gunsmoke on Wikipedia {{#iDisplay:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunsmoke%7C100%}}

Retrieved from "http://goodoldtv.com/index.php?title=Gunsmoke&oldid=11034"