Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) (whose "supposed" origins figured in the very first episode of the radio series), and he often referred to Wild Bill Hickok as being a close personal friend. In the television version (which ran from 1955 until 1975), and subsequent TV-movies (1987 to 1994), Matt was portrayed by James Arness. Since most of the early television episodes were based on stories and scripts from the radio version, Arness's initial interpretation and portrayal was similar to William Conrad's. However, as the television version continued, Arness's Marshal Matt Dillon evolved in a number of ways. In the television version, Dillon became more resigned
Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) with death. According to Trimble, Dodge City's federal marshal was shot no less than 56 times, knocked unconscious 29 times, stabbed on three occasions, and poisoned once. During the 9-year run of the radio version of "Gunsmoke" and the 20-year run of the television version, surprisingly little was revealed about Matt's family history or about events in his past that may have shaped his views or his attitude toward his work. In both the radio and the television episodes, stories would occasionally center around individuals with whom he had once been close friends. Usually his experiences with these friends involved