How long did the tv series gunsmoke run

Amanda Blake (born Beverly Louise Neill, February 20, 1929 [1] – August 16, 1989) was an American actress best known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the western television series Gunsmoke. Along with her fourth husband, Frank Gilbert, she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs ...

Wagon Master. The Big Trail. Wagon Train is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). Wagon Train debuted on September 18, 1957 and reached the top of the Nielsen ratings. It is the fictional adventure story of a large westbound wagon ... Mar 24, 2022 ... When Gunsmoke premiered in 1955, the network schedules were dominated by comedies, game shows, drama anthologies, and variety series. Within a ...Gunsmoke was an iconic American radio and television Western drama series that won millions over with its engaging storytelling and memorable characters. Starting its run in 1952 and running 20 seasons long, "Pat & Chester Goode: Prime-time Memoirs of an Irascible Genius" quickly established itself as one of the longest-running prime-time ...Connecting the battery or batteries to your RV is simple and can be done two ways: parallel and series. Parallel is needed to double the power that the batteries put out for use in...Stars James Arness, James Brolin, and Ali MacGraw. James Arness returns as Marshal Matt Dillon in this thrilling Gunsmoke movie. Fans of the long-running series will be delighted to find that, as always, Marshal Dillon delivers all of the brains, brawn, action and adventure of the original TV show.The Fugitive is an American crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television.It aired on ABC from September 17, 1963 to August 29, 1967. David Janssen starred as Dr. Richard Kimble, a physician who is wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and sentenced to death. En route to death …

Roger Ewing. Actor: None But the Brave. Roger Ewing was born January 12, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. His acting career entailed several guest shots on TV shows, sitcoms and movies but he is best known for his role of a part-time deputy marshal and handy man, Clayton Thaddeus "Thad" Greenwood in thirty-six episodes (October 2, 1965 - September 25, 1967) of the popular TV western series ..."Bottleman" was the 28th episode of Season 3 of Gunsmoke, also the 106th overall episode of the series. Directed by John Rich, the episode, which was prepared for TV as a screenplay by Sam Peckinpah from an original story written by John Meston, was originally broadcast on CBS-TV on March 22, 1958. Tom Cassidy (John Dehner, the town drunk, tries to pick a fight with Dan Clell (Ross Martin ... Amanda Blake (born Beverly Louise Neill, February 20, 1929 [1] – August 16, 1989) was an American actress best known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the western television series Gunsmoke. Along with her fourth husband, Frank Gilbert, she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs ... Gunsmoke began as a radio series in 1952. When the decision was made to bring these nail-biting tales to television, a search began to find Dodge City its defender. Fortunately, it was as if a heavenly spotlight shined down on then-32-year-old James Arness. ... By venturing into unexplored emotional territories, the Gunsmoke TV movies offered a ...The Preacher: Directed by Robert Stevenson. With James Arness, Dennis Weaver, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake. A brutal prize fighter who has been punching on a meek preacher, kidnaps him and tells Dillon he will beat the man to death.Now That April's Here: Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Burt Reynolds. Festus, returning to Dodge after doing some trapping, sees his girl, April, and they argue over a gift she received. Running off, she hides but her perch gives her a bird's eye view of a murder, one no one believes she witnessed but the killers.Many popular television shows, including the famous Gunsmoke, didn’t end quite like the creatives involved imagined.The cast and crew didn’t even expect the long-running series to end when it ...Before he passed away in 2018 at the age of 82, Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds looked back on his life and fondly recalled his three years working on the television Western series “Gunsmoke” as his “happiest years.” From 1962-1965, Reynolds starred on “Gunsmoke” as the blacksmith Quint Asper.

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television 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 American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.Connecting the battery or batteries to your RV is simple and can be done two ways: parallel and series. Parallel is needed to double the power that the batteries put out for use in...Starting out on radio with William Conrad in the lead role the series premiered on TV in 1955. It ran an astounding 20 years and was the longest running live action TV-series of all time until 2019 when LAW & ORDER: SVU passed it. The role of the main character in the show, Marshall Matt Dillon, was offered to John Wayne who turned it down ...Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke, America's longest running television Western, aired on CBS from 1955-75. In 1956, its second season on the air, the series entered the list of top ten programs on U.S. television and moved quickly to number one. It remained in that position until 1961 and in the top twenty until 1964.Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 - May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch Samantha Stephens on the popular television series Bewitched, which earned her five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations.. The daughter of actor, director and producer Robert ...Here's the shot of the mansion that appears while the closing credits roll at the end of episodes of "The Big Valley." The one-hour series aired for four seasons and 112 episodes on ABC, from 1965-1969, and was part of a wave of TV Westerns including "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "The Virginian" that helped transition the genre from its primary role in the 1950s as children's entertainment into a ...

How to make dollar store solar lights brighter.

Long-running television series can create relationships of both comfort and discord between its actors; there have been reports that Stone may have experienced discord among some of his peers on “Gunsmoke”, including James Arness himself, which may have encouraged Stone to move on to other projects after leaving “Gunsmoke.” 5.Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history. The first episode aired in the United States on September 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on March 31, 1975. All episodes were broadcast in the U.S. by CBS. In the ...Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch Samantha Stephens on the popular television series Bewitched, which earned her five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations.. …Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history. The first episode aired in the United States on September 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on March 31, 1975. All …

Help Me, Kitty: Directed by Harry Harris. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Burt Reynolds. When a young pregnant woman seeks Kitty's aid in escaping from the child's father, the two women take the stagecoach from Dodge and meet with greater danger.A staple of the shoot-em-up TV craze, the roots of "Gunsmoke" go back to 1952 when the series first aired as a radio program. The TV show came a few years later in 1955, and both programs would ...Stars James Arness, James Brolin, and Ali MacGraw. James Arness returns as Marshal Matt Dillon in this thrilling Gunsmoke movie. Fans of the long-running series will be delighted to find that, as always, Marshal Dillon delivers all of the brains, brawn, action and adventure of the original TV show."Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood" was the third episode of Season 11 of Gunsmoke, also the 380th overall episode of the series. Directed by Joseph Sargent, the episode, which was written by Calvin Clements, Sr., was originally broadcast on CBS-TV on October 2, 1965. Thad Greenwood (Roger Ewing), son of and deputy to an Oklahoma sheriff, arrives in Dodge pursuing vandals on his father's warrant, not ...McCloud is an American police drama television series created by Herman Miller, that aired on NBC from September 16, 1970, to April 17, 1977. The series starred Dennis Weaver, and for six of its seven years as part of the NBC Mystery Movie rotating wheel series that was produced for the network by Universal Television.The show was centered on Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud of the small western ...But the TV show that made him a star was, of course, Gunsmoke. He played the role of Chester Goode in 290 episodes from 1955 to 1964. Gunsmoke was a Western series that followed Marshall Matt Dillon who aimed to keep the peace in the otherwise chaotic and violent Dodge City. The character of Chester Goode assisted Matt Dillon and the other ...Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Steven Hill, 1967. Mission: Impossible is an American espionage television series that aired on CBS from September 1966 to March 1973. It was revived in 1988 for two seasons on ABC.It also inspired the series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise beginning in 1996.. Created and initially produced by Bruce Geller, the show chronicled the exploits of a ...635 Episodes. Ken Curtis. Festus. 368 Episodes. Dennis Weaver. Chester. 341 Episodes. Glenn Strange. Sam Noonan, Sam (uncredited), Man. 193 Episodes. Burt Reynolds. Quint. 50 Episodes. Howard Culver. Howie, …A satellite signal runs through a lot of cabling before it reaches your television. Satellite cabling begins at the satellite dish, runs through your house and ends up at your rece...Answer: Her last appearance in Gunsmoke was April 1, 1974's "The Disciple". Did Amanda Blake return to Gunsmoke following cancer treatment? Answer: No. Amanda did not return after leaving for cancer treatments. Why did Amanda Blake's departure affect Gunsmoke ratings? Answer: As Miss Kitty was such an iconic part of Gunsmoke, its ratings took an immediate dip when Amanda left.

Gunsmoke was the Western TV show that made Burt Reynolds a star, but the '70s icon left the series after just 3 years. 'Gunsmoke remains one of the longest-running television series in history and was popular well before Reynolds was made part of the cast by following Marshal Dillon (James Arness) as he attempts to keep …

Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history. The first episode aired in the United States on September 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on March 31, 1975. All episodes were broadcast in the U.S. by CBS. In the ...Louie Pheeters: Directed by Harry Harris. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, John Larkin. The town drunk who saw a man drowned, believes it was dream, until he meets up with the guy who did the drowning.A look into the western series LAWMAN! Why it's 3 Main characters made it one of the best westerns of all time!The two-decade run of 'Gunsmoke' is honored by Kanab fest. Published: Aug 19, 2005, 12:00 a.m. MDT. View Comments. View 1 more. James Arness Deseret Morning News archives. alt= Carma Wadley. By Carma Wadley. On Sept. 10, 1955, cast members of a new television show gathered to watch the first episode. Much to their surprise, legendary actor John ...This appearance takes place early in Lewis's acting career. He would go on to play roles in many television shows and films. He can often be seen throughout the 1970s in films with Clint Eastwood. Hal Baylor seemingly had parts in every television western, including seven episodes of Gunsmoke. He plays the character known only as Toke in this ...The Virginian (later renamed The Men from Shiloh in its final year) is an American Western television series starring James Drury in the title role, along with Doug McClure, Lee J. Cobb, and others.It originally aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971, for a total of 249 episodes. Drury had played the same role in 1958 in an unsuccessful pilot that became an episode of the NBC summer series Decision.During its run, 635 episodes were broadcast, of which 233 were 30 minutes and 402 were 60 minutes in length. Of the hour-long episodes, 176 were in black-and-white and 226 were in color. During season two, Gunsmoke became one of the 10 most popular programs on American television and moved to number one in the third season. It remained at ...S1.E1 ∙ Matt Gets It. Sat, Sep 10, 1955. Matt is critically wounded while attempting to arrest super-fast gunman Dan Grat. Grat runs rampant in Dodge while Matt recovers, but is unpleasantly surprised when the recovered marshal challenges him again. 8.1/10 (489)Howard McNear , the radio Doc Adams, was replaced by Stone, who gave the role a harder edge consistent with his screen portrayals. He stayed with Gunsmoke through its entire television run, with the exception of 7 episodes in 1971, when Stone required heart surgery and Pat Hingle replaced him as Dr. Chapman.

Ironman income tax.

2016 honda civic dashboard lights.

Buck, the buckskin horse renowned for his role in the iconic TV series “Gunsmoke,” is a memorable figure in television history. Portraying Matt Dillon’s loyal steed, Buck became a symbol of the rugged Western spirit that the show epitomized. A New Chapter Beyond the Screen. Following his successful stint in show business, which …The television series was the longest-running, primetime, live-action television series at 20 seasons, until September 2019 with the 21st-season premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU). Gunsmoke is the longest-running, primetime, live-action series of the 20th century.A Quiet Day in Dodge: Directed by Alf Kjellin. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis. Matt Dillon rides wearily into Dodge City after thirty-six hours in the saddle. At the office he can't get to sleep because Festus is so exuberant about everything. In the course of the day Matt fights with a prisoner and is stabbed with a fork.Colt's single action revolver, serial number 147056, in 45 caliber with 7 1/2 inch barrel and plastic stag grips was one of many firearms rented by Stembridge Gun Rentals (SGR) to the extremely popular TV western series "Gunsmoke." This Colt was one of several used by James Arness during the twenty-year run of the show - 1955 - 1975.Printed in the paper daily, its run was actually far longer than Dell's, and perhaps surprisingly even outlasted the TV series, ending in 1978. It got Gilligan's Island cancelled CBSMatt Dillon, the series protagonist, is famously portrayed by James Arness. The U.S Marshal works hard to keep criminals at bay on the streets of small-town Kansas in the 1870s. The Leading Man / Getty Images Photo by CBS Photo Archive. The fictional city of Dodge was full of shenanigans and interesting characters.Gilbert Alexander Ralston (January 5, 1912 - March 18, 1999) was a British-American screenwriter, journalist and author. He was a television producer in the 1950s and a screenwriter in the 1960s. He created the television series The Wild Wild West and wrote scripts for Star Trek, Gunsmoke, Ben Casey, I Spy, Hawaii Five-O, and The Naked City. Wagon Master. The Big Trail. Wagon Train is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). Wagon Train debuted on September 18, 1957 and reached the top of the Nielsen ratings. It is the fictional adventure story of a large westbound wagon ... "Gunsmoke" Deputy Festus (TV Episode 1965) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. ….

Family Honeymoon. The Pathfinder. The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold. Too Many Girls. The Story of Will Rogers. Captain From Castile. Unconquered. Legend of the Lone Ranger. Walk the Proud ...At the end of its 10th season, the series was the most-watched television series in the U.S. during the 2012-13 network television season. NCIS is on its 21st season. NCIS also surpassed Gunsmoke ' s record for longest running scripted primetime television series to airGunsmoke was a popular TV series of 20 seasons that ran from September 10, 1955 to March 31, 1975. It was the second Western television series written for adults, [1] …The eighth longest-running scripted U.S. primetime television series (after The Simpsons, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Gunsmoke, Law & Order, Family Guy, NCIS, and American Dad), the show ran for 17 seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to ...Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which was a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal, gambler, and journalist Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry, and the half-hour black-and-white series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The show was produced by Ziv Television Productions. "Bat" is a ...The Pretender is an American action drama television series created by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle, that aired on NBC from September 19, 1996, to May 13, 2000.. The series follows Jarod, a young man who is a "Pretender", a genius impostor able to quickly master the complex skill sets necessary to impersonate a member of any …Michael Landon (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 - July 1, 1991) was an American actor and filmmaker.He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959-1973), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983), and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984-1989). Landon appeared on the cover of TV Guide 22 times, second only to Lucille Ball.2 hours and 30 minutes. Maximum time. 25 to 30 minutes. The series MASH ended in 1983. The seasons of MASH came in black and white post-production. The funny creative scenes in the series made it extremely popular. The capability of Hawkeye to sniff his food before having it made it quite interesting for the viewers. How long did the tv series gunsmoke run, Matt helps a young boy find his mom while finding an outlaw., New Doctor in Town: Directed by Philip Leacock. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis. Kitty finds and reads a letter from Doc Adams, who has disappeared from Dodge. Doc writes that he was so distraught over the death of a young girl under his care, who was suffering from an illness he didn't know how to treat, that he has gone East to re-enter medical school and catch up ..., Kitty Russell was played by actress Georgia Ellis on radio, and by Amanda Blake on TV. Ellis first appeared in the radio episode "Billy the Kid" (April 26, 1952) as "Francie Richards" - a former girlfriend of Matt Dillon's and the widow of a criminal - but the character of "Miss Kitty" did not appear until the May 10, 1952, episode "Jaliscoe". Sometime in 1959, Ellis …, Festus Haggen (played by Ken Curtis) is Matt Dillon's deputy marshal and one of the main characters of Gunsmoke who would first appear in the Season 8 episode "Us Haggens" (episode #13, December 8, 1962). Originally starting as a scruffy hillman who wanted revenge on his uncle for killing his brother, he eventually became Matt Dillon's deputy and one of his friends. From his first appearance ..., He was 88. Arness died of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, said family spokeswoman Ginny Fazer. "Gunsmoke" debuted Sept. 10, 1955, on CBS and, with the start of "The Life and Legend ..., The Still: Directed by Gunnar Hellström. With Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis, Buck Taylor. Merry Florene is back - but this time she has herself a good job as an interim school teacher in Dodge. But when her kinfolks arrive, we are again in for more buffoonery from her family members., Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history. The first episode of season 10 aired in the United States on September 26, 1964, and the final episode aired on June 29, 1965., “Gunsmoke” debuted on CBS on Sept. 10, 1955, and, with the start of “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp” on ABC four days earlier, a new era in television horse operas was launched: the ..., Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which was a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal, gambler, and journalist Bat Masterson.The title character was played by Gene Barry, and the half-hour black-and-white series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The show was produced by Ziv Television Productions. "Bat" is a nickname for …, 633. 634. 635. Seasons 1-6 are only 30 minutes in length and are often shown under the title "Marshal Dillon." Seasons 7-11 are 1 hour long but still in black & white. Seasons 12-20 are 1 hour long and in color. A guide listing the titles AND air dates for episodes of the TV series Gunsmoke., Gunsmoke is an American radio and television 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 American West. The radio version ran from 1952 to 1961 and is commonly regarded as one of the finest radio dramas of all time., The Virginian (later renamed The Men from Shiloh in its final year) is an American Western television series starring James Drury in the title role, along with Doug McClure, Lee J. Cobb, and others.It originally aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971, for a total of 249 episodes. Drury had played the same role in 1958 in an unsuccessful pilot that became an episode of the NBC summer series Decision., Feb 5, 2024 · When the Western drama television series Gunsmoke ended in 1975 after twenty seasons and a whopping 635 episodes, it was the longest-running live-action primetime series in history and had the ... , Roger Ewing was born January 12, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. His acting career entailed several guest shots on TV shows, sitcoms and movies but he is best known for his role of a part-time deputy marshal and handy man, Clayton Thaddeus "Thad" Greenwood in thirty-six episodes (October 2, 1965 - September 25, 1967) of the popular TV western series, Gunsmoke, starring James Arness as Dodge ..., Snap Decision: Directed by Mark Rydell. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis. Matt quits his job as Marshal when he shoots Ray Gilcher, a prisoner and wartime buddy, dead in apparent self defense and it turns out Gilcher was actually trying to save Matt's life., Gunsmoke. Premiering on CBS in September 1955 and completing its network run September 1975, Gunsmoke is the longest running dramatic series in the history of television. Two of its stars, James Arness and Milburn Stone, remained all 20 seasons, with Amanda Blake a close second, departing after 19 years. The series started out as a half-hour ..., Dodge City, Kansas was the setting of the long-running radio and television series Gunsmoke. The series followed the adventures of fictional U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, who was portrayed on radio by William Conrad and then on television by James Arness, as he dealt with gunfighters, cattle rustlers, gamblers and other criminals while enforcing the …, See Nick Nolte full list of movies and tv shows from their career. Find where to watch Nick Nolte's latest movies and tv shows ... Gunsmoke. 1974. Emergency. 1974. Cannon. 1973. Everybody Wins ..., "Gunsmoke" The Long Night (TV Episode 1969) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. ... Gunsmoke ( 1955 TV Series) -IMDb a list of 635 titles created 16 Sep 2015 My List of the Best of Television and Streaming a list of 5477 titles ..., The star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). Born of Norwegian heritage (the family name, Aurness (formerly had been Aursness) in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. His father was a traveling salesman of medical supplies and his mother later became a newspaper columnist. James attended West High School in Minneapolis. Although ..., We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us., During a preamble for the first show, Wayne appeared on camera and predicted the show would be a classic. Whether blessing or curse, "Gunsmoke" reigned as the longest running, prime-time, television shows in CBS-TV history. The sun rose on the show in 1955 and then set on it in 1975. The time limit format would change, too., Gunsmoke: The Long Ride is a 1993 western TV series based on the popular series Gunsmoke, in which the main character, Matt Dillon is again played by James Arness. 1994-02-10T05:00:00Z Special 5 Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice, Best Answer. Gunsmoke aired on radio from 1950 to 1961. The television series lasted from 1955 until 1975 and five Made-for-TV Movies appeared between 1987 and 1995. for 18 years. Wiki User., When the Western drama television series Gunsmoke ended in 1975 after twenty seasons and a whopping 635 episodes, it was the longest-running live-action primetime series in history and..., Apr 23, 2017 ... And our favorite MeTV show is “Gunsmoke” — especially the early half-hour black-and-white episodes of the iconic western that began airing in ..., "Gunsmoke" Hill Girl (TV Episode 1968) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. TV Shows., …series were revamped for television: Gunsmoke became a long-running success on TV, but it had an entirely different cast from the radio version, and it lost much of its grit and tension in the transition. Dragnet fared better creatively; Jack Webb looked the part of detective Joe Friday, and he… Read More, Starting out on radio with William Conrad in the lead role the series premiered on TV in 1955. It ran an astounding 20 years and was the longest running live action TV-series of all time until 2019 when LAW & ORDER: SVU passed it. The role of the main character in the show, Marshall Matt Dillon, was offered to John Wayne who turned it down ..., When the Western drama television series Gunsmoke ended in 1975 after twenty seasons and a whopping 635 episodes, it was the longest-running live-action primetime series in history and had the..., These days it's around 41-42 min (on traditional networks). For half hour shows, it's around 21-22 mins these days and used to be around 25 or so... Some 1-hour shows averaged over 50 minutes w/o commercials. This was the case with the 1970-71 series The Immortal, of which all episodes are about 51-52 minutes., Veteran character actor Glenn Strange made a big mark on the popular Western series Gunsmoke, and his sudden departure left a hole that was never truly filled.Starting its unprecedented TV run in 1955, Gunsmoke follows Marshall Matt Dillon (James Arness) as he tries to maintain law and order in the Wild West town of Dodge …, Gunsmoke will be remembered as the finest television western series of all time. I remember watching Gunsmoke in the late 1950's. In black and white or in color it was consistently good, in large part, due to its talented cast. Originally John Wayne was offered the part but felt TV was not his cup of tea.