Gunsmoke Gunsmoke Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television. When aired in the UK, the television series was initially titled Gun Law, later reverting to "Gunsmoke". The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961. John Dunning wrote that among radio drama enthusiasts, ""Gunsmoke" is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind
Gunsmoke asks him for help in saving her. Dodge City was never again seen. Other films included "" (1992), "" (1993), and "" (1994). Arness appeared in all five films. All 635 episodes of the television series, and almost all 480 episodes of the radio show, still exist. In syndication, the entire 20-year run of "Gunsmoke" is separated into three packages by CBS Television Distribution: In 2006, as part of "Gunsmoke"s 50th anniversary on TV, certain selected episodes were released on DVD in three different box sets. Twelve episodes, from 1955 to 1964, were selected for the "Gunsmoke: Volume I" box