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''Gunsmoke'' was a long-running Old-time Radio and Television Western drama created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston . The stories took place in Dodge City , Kansas during the settlement of the American West. RADIO ''Gunsmoke'' was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest Old-time Radio programs. The Radio series, which first aired April 26 , 1952 and ran until June 18 , 1961 on CBS , starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon , Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant (but not his deputy) Chester Proudfoot. On the television series, Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed. Some listeners, such as vintage radio authority John Dunning , have argued that the radio version of ''Gunsmoke'' was far more realistic than the TV series. Episodes were aimed at adults and featured explicit content, including violent crimes, Scalping s, massacres and Opium addicts. Miss Kitty's occupation as a Prostitute was made far more obvious on radio than on TV. Many episodes ended on a somber note, and villains often got away with their crimes. TELEVISION The television series ran from September 10 , 1955 to September 1 , 1975 on CBS for 635 episodes. To this day, it is the longest run of any single entertainment series with continuing characters in American primetime television. Conrad was the first choice to play Dillon on TV, having established the role, but his increasing Obesity led to more photogenic actors being considered. Losing the role he had created embittered Conrad for many years to come. Raymond Burr was considered, but he too was seen as too heavyset for the part. Rumors that the role was offered to John Wayne have been largely debunked. The primary roles were recast. Macdonnell had nothing to do with the TV version of ''Gunsmoke'', but Meston stayed on as head writer. James Arness played Marshal Matt Dillon throughout its 20-year run, the longest uninterrupted period any actor has played the same role in the same show in Prime Time . ( Kelsey Grammer has since tied the role-playing record as Frasier Crane , but that role spanned two different shows, '' Cheers '' and '' Frasier ''). Actors possibly asked to play Matt Dillon on TV before Arness included Denver Pyle . It was John Wayne who recommended Arness for the part, and Wayne also introduced the first episode of the series. Dillon's assistant/deputy was at first Chester Goode, played by Dennis Weaver , then Festus Haggen, played by Ken Curtis . Other important ongoing characters were the town doctor, Doc Adams ( Milburn Stone ) and the saloon girl, later saloon owner, Miss Kitty ( Amanda Blake ). While Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty clearly had a close personal relationship, viewers were seldom offered a deep look into that side of Dodge City life. There were character differences between the radio and TV characters. The radio series Doc was acerbic, somewhat mercenary, and at times, came close to being alcoholic. The television Doc, though crusty, was in many ways softer and warmer. Another difference in characters was Miss Kitty, who in the radio series was just a saloon girl, not the owner, and it was often hinted that she did more than serve customers drinks. Producer Norman MacDonnell put it bluntly in a '' Time '' interview: "We never say it, but Kitty is a prostitute, plain and simple." On television, if the Long Branch did house prostitutes, the show put a good spin on Miss Kitty and viewers were never made privy to what exactly she did besides run the Long Branch saloon. From 1955 to 1961 , ''Gunsmoke'' was a half-hour show. It then went to an hour-long format for the rest of its long run. From 1955 to 1966 , it was in Black And White , then in color from 1966 to 1975 . In the early 1960s , older episodes of the series were rebroadcast under the title ''Marshal Dillon''. In 1967 , the show's 12th season, CBS planned to cancel the series, but widespread viewer response — it was even mentioned in Congress — along with domestic pressure on the CBS head of programming by his wife, convinced them to continue it in the early evening on Mondays instead of Saturday nights. This seemingly minor change led to a spike in ratings that saw the series once again reach the top 20 in the Nielsen Ratings before fading again before its cancellation in 1975. ''Gunsmoke'' was the show that ushered in the age of the adult western, which brought about '' Bonanza '', '' Wagon Train '' and literally a hundred others. Ironically, it also was the last western still airing when it was cancelled. James Arness and Milburn Stone were the only two original series regulars to remain with the series for the entire duration of its 20-season run. In '' ( 1994 ). The series also inspired a ''Gunsmoke'' Video Game produced for the NES by Capcom . As of April 2006 , two American series are aiming at matching or beating ''Gunsmoke's'' 20-year record. The Sitcom '' The Simpsons '', now in its 17th season, has been renewed through its 20th season, while the Police Procedural / Courtroom Drama '' Law & Order '', now in its 16th year, is also expected to be a possible 20-year survivor. NBC announced on April 27, 2006 that ''Law & Order'' would be picked up for a 17th season, despite slipping ratings. '' WWE RAW '' claims to have aired more shows than ''Gunsmoke'' as of a July 25th airing; this claim has yet to be conclusively validated and ''RAW'' is considered a sports, rather than dramatic or comedic, series. In syndication, the entire 20-year run of ''Gunsmoke'' is separated into three packages by CBS Paramount Television:
REGULAR CAST, MAJOR CHARACTERS
REGULAR CAST, MINOR CHARACTERS
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