Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) 1840) trying to take a bath in a wooden washtub without fully undressing left his soul a little warped. Anyway, there'd have to be something wrong with him or he wouldn't have hired on as a United States Marshal in the heyday of Dodge City, Kansas." Notwithstanding Meston's original vision, the character evolved considerably during "Gunsmoke"s nine-year run on CBS Radio and its 20-year run on CBS Television (Columbia Broadcasting System). On the radio series which ran from 1952 until 1961, Matt was portrayed by William Conrad, whose deep and resonant voice helped to project a larger than life presence.
Gunsmoke programs, i.e. produced outside the U.S., have been broadcast in the U.S. and contend for the position as the longest-running series. , "Gunsmoke" was rated fourth globally, after "Doctor Who" (1963–89, 2005–present), "Taggart" (1983–2010), and "The Bill" (1984–2010). James Arness and Milburn Stone portrayed their "Gunsmoke" characters for 20 consecutive years, a feat later matched by Kelsey Grammer as the character Frasier Crane, but over two half-hour sitcoms ("Cheers" and "Frasier"). George Walsh, the announcer for "Gunsmoke", began in 1952 on radio's "Gunsmoke" and continued until television's "Gunsmoke" was canceled in 1975. The first seven seasons were jointly sponsored by