John Meston(1914-1979)
- Writer
John Meston was one of radio and television's most important
storytellers, and yet oddly enough his contributions are often
overlooked today. He is the writer credited with creating "Gunsmoke,"
along with producer Norman MacDonnell, essentially starting the adult
western on radio and television and setting the tone and style which
would make both the radio and television versions of the series so
memorable. Meston began in the program practices department at CBS in
the 1940s before becoming a writer and editor. Overall, he wrote 183 of
the "Gunsmoke" radio episodes (413 were produced in all between 1952
and 1961), and 196 of the 635 episodes produced for television between
1955 and 1975. While he never won any major award for his work, Meston
was a master writer, serving up memorable characters in authentic
western settings.
