45 minSeason 20 • Episode 24
LatestA comedy of errors puts Festus behind a plow, farming for a family of shiftless sharecroppers.
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.
Acting
James Arness's towering, weathered presence defines TV's stoic hero archetype.
Writing
Meston's scripts elevated Westerns from pulp to psychological drama.
Production
Authentic Dodge City sets that aged like well-worn leather.
Creator
John Meston
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
James Arness was recommended by John Wayne himself, who filmed an introduction for the premiere that networks later buried.
Gunsmoke killed the radio Western and birthed the 'adult Western' TV genre — proving cowboys could cry and audiences would still watch.
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