This western series premiered on CBS on September 10, 1955 and completed its network run on September 1, 1975, making it the longest running dramatic series in the history of television. Two of its stars, James Arness and Milburn Stone, stayed with it through all 20 seasons, while Amanda Blake departed the series after 19 years.
Although it started out as a half-hour show, it was expanded to an hour beginning with its seventh season. "Gunsmoke" was one of two TV series that introduced the "adult western" to television audiences.
"Gunsmoke" originated on radio in 1952, with William Conrad playing the role of Marshal Matt Dillon. When CBS decided to create the television version, Conrad was deemed to hefty for the part, yet he continued in the radio role until the early 1960s. The role of the marshal was initially offered to John Wayne, who was not interested in doing a weekly series, yet he did introduce the first broadcast of the program.
"Gunsmoke" started the trend for TV westerns, which ultimately led to there being 30 of them on the air at one time. However, it outlasted all of them and at the time of its cancellation in 1975, it was the only show of its kind still on the air.
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