Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West.
The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961. In 1955, the series was adapted for television and ran for 20 seasons. From 1955 to 1961, it ran in half-hour episodes, and one-hour episodes from 1962 to 1975. A total of 635 episodes were aired over its 20 year run.
The show won 15 Primetime Emmy awards as well as other accolades. It was frequently well-received, holding a top-10 spot in the Nielsen ratings for several seasons.
After the series concluded, CBS produced a number of made-for-TV movies based on the show, including Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987), Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (1990), and Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice (1994). Arness starred in all of them.
According to en.wikipedia; britannica.com. Source of photos: internet
