Gunsmoke was first broadcast on the CBS Television Network on September 10 1955, "Matt Gets It." It’s last broadcast was September 1, 1975, a rerun of "The Busters." The show was on TV for 20 years, from 1955 to 1975. There were a total of 633 television episodes. The first eleven seasons were filmed in black and white, the last nine seasons were filmed in color. Norman Macdonnell and John Meston were the creators of Gunsmoke. There were other producers, but Norman Macdonnel produced Gunsmoke on television as well as radio. Most Gunsmoke episodes were filmed in the CBS Studio Center in California.

The television cast members in order of character impact and time on the show.

Jamess Arness played Matt Dillon, a US Marshal, on Gunsmoke for 20 years.

Milburn Stone played Galen "Doc"Adams, a doctor, on Gunsmoke for 20 years.

Amanda Blake played Kitty Russell, owner of the Long Branch Saloon, on Gunsmoke for 19 years.

Dennis Weaver played Chester Goode, Matt’s sidekick, on Gunsmoke for nine years.

Ken Curtis played Festus Haggen, Matt’s debuty, on Gunsmoke for eleven years.

Burt Reynolds played Quint Asper, a black smith, on Gunsmoke for three years.

Roger Ewing played Clayton Thaddeus "Thad" Asper, a part time deputy, on Gunsmoke for two years.

Buck Taylor played Newly O’Brian, a gunsmith, part time deputy, apprentice doctor, and lawyer, on Gunsmoke for seven years.

Gunsmoke started out a radio show. The first broadcast was in April 26, 1952, "Billy the Kid." The last broadcast was on June 18, 1961, a rerun of "Letter of the Law." Gunsmoke was on the radio for nine seasons, from 1952 to 1961. Six of those seasons coincided with the televioion series. There were 413 radio stories, broadcast 480 times.

William Conrad played Matt Dillon.

Howard Mcnear played Charles "Doc" Adams.

Georgia Ellis played Kitty Russell.

Parley Bear played Chester Wesley Proudfoot.

The actor originally slated to play Matt Dillon was Denver Pyle, yes that’s right Uncle Jesse from the Dukes of Hazzard and Mad Jack from Grizzly Adams. Gunsmoke was actually canceled at the end of the 15^th season. People were so outraged that CBS brought it back. And when they brought it back, it was Gilligan’s Island that was canceled to make room for Gunsmoke.

The only spin-off from Gunsmoke was Dirty Sally, based on the character Sally Fergus from the two part Gunsmoke episode "Pike." The TV show Dirty Sally only ran form January 11^th to July 19^th of 1974. Another western premiered in the same season, also centered around a peace officer in Dodge City was "Wyatt Earp." The Genre is obiously western, but to gain a better insight of the show, it is worth mentioning that when Gunsmoke first premiered, TV guide described Gunsmoke as a Western Dragnet.

In the 1950’s Gunsmoke had it’s own comic books. And in 1958 Gunsmoke was so popular, like baseball cards, there were Gunsmoke cards, 15 cards were made. In terms of yearly ranking, Gunsmoke is by far the most successful and longest running of all weekly prime time dramas in the history of television, ranked #2 is Bonanza.