Norman Macdonnell an anthology series they had done. Their boss at CBS, Harry Ackerman, and other network executives dismissed that title, preferring "Gunsmoke", a program heading that Ackerman himself was credited with conceiving. Once given permission to proceed with "Gunsmoke", Macdonnell began developing a detailed production schedule for the new series' 30-minute episodes and arranging auditions to cast its recurring characters. His and Meston’s "Jeff Spain" soon became United States Marshal Matt Dillon, and veteran voice actor William Conrad was chosen by Macdonnell, Meston, and two other CBS screeners to portray that lead character. Other seasoned actors soon filled the needed regular
Matt Dillon Matt Dillon Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor and film director. He made his feature film debut in "Over the Edge" (1979) and established himself as a teen idol by starring in the films "My Bodyguard" (1980), "Little Darlings" (1980), "Tex" (1982), "Rumble Fish" (1983), "The Outsiders" (1983) and "The Flamingo Kid" (1984). From the late 1980s onward, Dillon achieved further success, starring in "Drugstore Cowboy" (1989), "Singles" (1992), "The Saint of Fort Washington" (1993), "To Die For" (1995), "Beautiful Girls" (1996), "In & Out" (1997), "There's Something About Mary" (1998), and "Wild Things" (1998).