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"Gunsmoke" was CBS' groundbreaking foray into the world of television westerns for an adult audience, and it paid off incredibly well for them. The popular western drama lasted for 20 seasons and five television movies, all of which were led by James Arness as the steadfast Marshal Matt Dillon. Although he was the face of "Gunsmoke," the series grew out its ensemble cast with characters like Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) and Long Branch Saloon owner Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake). For the series' first nine seasons, the role of Dillon's right hand man went to Dennis Weaver as the timid, boyish non-deputy Chester Goode. The character was a holdover from the popular radio series who couldn't keep up physically with the Marshal on account of his limp, but his spirit made him a valuable presence in the show.

When Weaver left the show to take on new career opportunities, there was...

Before Burt Reynolds went on to have a legendary and illustrious career on the silver screen, he first made his reputation doing television. He appeared in a myriad of shows between 1959 and 1972. He had one-episode roles in such classic shows as "The Twilight Zone," Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry Mason," and Lee Marvin's "M Squad." Yet one of his most memorable recurring roles was arguably in Charles Marquis Warren's western drama, "Gunsmoke" (based on John Meston and Norman Macdonnell's radio series of the same name), which ran on CBS for an outstanding 20 (!) years between 1955 and 1975. Compared to today's TV Westerns, which are lucky if they last more than two seasons, that's an astonishing accomplishment for the unapologetically honest series.

Out of those 20 seasons, Reynolds starred in three, from 1962 to 1965, as Quint Asper, a half-white and half-Comanche blacksmith, introduced as the member of Angela Clarke's Topsanah's tribe...

It's hard to undersell the impact "Gunsmoke" had on the television landscape when it first aired. Westerns for the small screen were largely occupied by kid-friendly fare like Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy at the time, but the presence of an adult-driven series led to the development of countless genre programs in its wake. But the series outlasted all of them as the longest-running television western of all time with 20 seasons under its holster, with "Death Valley Days" wagon-trailing just behind it. The town of Dodge City was like a beacon for all manner of stories, with James Arness' steadfast Marshal Matt Dillon often finding himself in the center of the episode's conflict. The lawman would often be surrounded by a recurring cast of characters, like saloon owner Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) and resident bullet extractor Doc Adams (Milburn Stone), with one of them being his first right-hand man.

For...

A new show is burning up the Nielsen streaming charts — and it aired its last episode almost fifty years ago. Gunsmoke, the longest-running Western TV show in history, has just ridden on to the Acquired streaming charts, landing at #8. The series, which starred James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Peacock.

It's no surprise to see a Western on the streaming charts: shows like Yellowstoneand 1923 have been solid successes for Paramount+. However, even on Nielsen's list of Acquired streaming shows, which includes shows that premiered on linear TV before making their way to streaming, Gunsmoke stands out. It's up there with shows like NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, and Bob's Burgers — venerable series all, but they all made their debuts this century. Not so for Gunsmoke, which aired its first episode on CBS in 1955. According to Nielsen, this has been a long time coming,...

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The workplace can be quite the adventure. Ideally, regardless of what you do, you clock in, perform your task to the best of your ability, behave courteously, and clock out. Because no one likes to have unnecessary drama in their life, you're probably careful not to ruffle any feathers. Even if you work with an absolute crank or a total slob, you don't take it upon yourself to police their objectionable actions. If it ever gets to the point where you can no longer abide a coworker's behavior, you take the matter to a superior or human resources and let them deal with it.

Some people, however, aren't afraid of direct conflict. If someone is repeatedly doing something they consider beyond the pale, they call the person out in the hopes of curtailing their misconduct. This can get awkward if...

It's curious that "Gunsmoke" isn't talked about more in the modern pop discourse, given how persistent and ubiquitous it once was. Perhaps "Gunsmoke" is seen as something of a relic because Westerns, as many famous ones as there are, aren't dominating the present-day landscape. If "Gunsmoke" were a sci-fi or superhero show, many pundits might be pointing to it as a precedent for everything that is currently popular. The long-running Western, however, still kind of is. Its characters and settings -- having so deeply entrenched themselves into the zeitgeist over a full two decades of airtime -- can serve as a widespread template for just about everything that came after. "Gunsmoke" is one of televised medium's grandparents. It ran on the radio from 1951 until 1961, and on TV from 1955 until 1975 when it was somewhat abruptly canceled.

For those unfamiliar, "Gunsmoke" takes place in Dodge City, Kansas in the years following the U.

Norman Macdonnell and John Meston's "Gunsmoke" drama series aired on CBS for 20 uninterrupted seasons (!), a feat that feels even more impressive due to the consistent quality maintained throughout its run. Initially a radio series that broadcast between 1952 and 1961, "Gunsmoke" gained steady enough popularity to warrant a television adaptation in 1955, whose half to one-hour episodes culminate to form an epic Western saga for the ages. The nexus of "Gunsmoke" is one lawman Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) tasked to maintain order in Dodge City, Kansas, and his exploits underline the brutality of the Old West, challenging stereotypes attached to similar figures molded as unambiguously heroic. Although the show did employ archetypal characters — such as the loyal sidekick Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver) and the trustworthy town physician Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) — an appropriate amount of nuance grounds "Gunsmoke," which works best when rooted in morally grey vignettes.

However, we're not here...

Where to Watch Powered by Reynolds made a smart decision to leave Gunsmoke and pursue his movie career while he was gaining some recognition, like other successful actors. Gunsmoke allowed Reynolds to showcase his talent and prepare him for iconic roles like Smokey and the Bandit, proving he could be a leading man beyond Westerns.

Gunsmoke was the Western TV show that made Burt Reynolds a star, but the '70s icon left the series after just 3 years. 'Gunsmoke remains one of the longest-running television series in history and was popular well before Reynolds was made part of the cast by following Marshal Dillon (James Arness) as he attempts to keep lawlessness from sweeping over Kansas. It started in 1955 and the actor joined the cast in 1962 playing Quint Asper, a half-Comanche blacksmith that ended up appearing in 50 episodes between then and 1965 when he decided to leave.

Reynolds managed to...

Some may say that television hasn’t been too good to senior citizens in terms of their stereotypical depictions. Regardless of the unflattering portrayals there had been some memorable oldsters (in this case over 60) that have given us equal shares of both laughs and cries. In “For Mature Audiences Only”, let’s take a look at some of the more mature characterizations that had an impact on our daily doses of entertainment on the glorious boob tube.

Instead of doing a typical top ten or top twenty listing let’s go in between with a top fifteen selection, shall we? The “For Mature Audiences Only” choices are not necessarily a tasting that everyone will agree on. Perhaps you have your own preferences that were omitted or something that you feel should be added? Anyway, here are the candidates in alphabetical order…

Now for our pop cultural Pepto Bismol personalities:

1.) Doc Galen Adams,...

CBS is slowly rolling out on DVD television's longest running show, Gunsmoke. Season 7 (Volume 1) of this 20-year series continues the saga of Dodge City, Kansas, where American western tropes are hashed out—and rehashed—each week. There are cowboys, prostitutes, and outlaws galore in this surprisingly heartwarming series.

Just like Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, too, has an episodic formula. Each episode features a small group of new characters who in some way get involved with Dodge City and the main characters of the show. Usually they cause trouble that requires the attention of Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) and almost always results in the death of one of the guest stars. Other main characters include saloon-owner Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake), Doc Adams (Milburn Stone), and Dillon's deputy sidekick Chester (Dennis Weaver). While there are no real recurring stories, there are solid relationships between the main characters that keep viewers engaged—especially...

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Legendary 'Gunsmoke' star James Arness, a bigger-than-life actor who kept the peace as Marshal Matt Dillon during the show's remarkable 20-year run, died Friday of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, Calif., his family told the Los Angeles Times. He was 88.

'Gunsmoke' debuted on CBS in 1955 and ran until 1975, in the process making Arness one of the more enduring stars on television and the Matt Dillon character one of its most beloved and trusted.

The 6' 7" Arness towered over the cast, including Dillon's deputy, Chester, played by Dennis Weaver. Other supporting stars included Amanda Blake as Kitty and Milburn Stone as Doc Adams.

 

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It looks like A-lister Brad Pitt and fanboy favorite Ryan Reynolds are going to be dueling it out cowboy style for the lead role in CBS Films’ big-screen adaptation of the long running western series, Gunsmoke.

Both stars are said to be in the running for the lead role of Matt Dillon (the character, not the actor) who was played by William Arness in the original Gunsmoke series. The studio apparently has their sights set on Pitt, which isn’t surprising considering that he’s one of the names atop nearly every casting list in Hollywood, but Reynolds is also supposed to be interested in the role of the Dodge City Marshall.

Who will get the role remains a mystery. Pitt is the bigger… ahem… draw at the box office, but his last western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford died a grisly death at the...

Gunsnoke is I believe the longest running show about cowboys in history. As far as it being the longest running show ever, I think The Simpsons passed it up, but who's counting.A big screen version of Gunsmoke is coming and it looks like some A-listers are fighting to play the part of Marshall Dillon.The La Times has more:As incarnated first on the mid-century radio serial and later in the CBS prime-time hit, Dillon is the Western hero charged with maintaining law and order in a period Kansas town filled with colorful vagrants, misfits and desperadoes. He carries on in these adventures with the help of town physician Doc Adams and tavern owner Miss Kitty Russell. The studio is high on Pitt, who with his turn in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is one of the few boldface names to star in a Western.

It remains the longest running prime time drama series in the history of television (1955-1975), and with Hollywood's current fascination with remakes, it was just a matter of time before Gunsmoke received a contemporary big screen makeover, a subject about which we first reported last August.

The Los Angeles Times is now reporting that CBS Films is moving forward with their big screen adaptation of the classic Western, and the project is attracting some of Hollywood's top actors to play the lawman Marshal Matt Dillon.

Brad Pitt has emerged as the leading candidate for the gun-slinging role, with Ryan Reynolds also a contender for the role.

On the 1955 show, Dillon is the Western hero charged with maintaining law and order in a period Kansas town filled with colorful vagrants, misfits and desperadoes. He carries on in these adventures with the help of town physician Doc Adams and tavern owner Miss Kitty Russell.

First there was the news that The Big Valley is going big screen. Now it's Gunsmoke getting the silver screen adaptation. Are westerns coming back and nobody told me?

Gunsmoke, the long running CBS western, the series that made a star of James Arness and was a fixture on the Tiffany network from 1955-1975, will be turned into a motion picture.

CBS Films has turned to the writer of National Treasure: Book of Secrets to craft a new incarnation of the exploits of Marshal Matt Dillon in the western town of Dodge City. The Marshal, as fans of the show or those who've seen the drama on TVLand, was ably assisted by Miss Kitty -- owner of the Long Branch Saloon -- and Doc Adams, the Dodge City doctor.Continue reading Gunsmoke getting the big screen treatment

 

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