This exceptionally successful program is often referred to as the medium's first "adult western." The term is used to indicate differences between the Hollywood "B" westerns and versions of the genre designed for the small screen in the 1950s and 1960s. Without recourse to panoramic vistas, thundering herds of cattle, and massed charges by "Indians" or the United States Cavalry, the television western often concentrated on character relationships and tense psychological drama. Gunsmoke set the style and tone for many of these shows.

     Set in Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1890s, the series focused on the character of United States Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness. The part was designed for John Wayne, who chose not to complicate his still­ successful film career with commitment to a long-term television contract. Wayne, who appeared on-air to introduce the first episode of Gunsmoke, suggested the younger actor for the lead role. The tall, rugged­ looking Arness, who until this time had played minor film roles, became synonymous with his character during the next 20 years.

     Surrounding Dillon were characters who became one of television's best-known "workplace families." Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake) owned and managed a local saloon, The Longbranch, and over the years developed a deep friendship with Dillon that always seemed to border on something more intimate. Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) represented science, rationality, and crusty wisdom. His medical skills were never questioned, and he patched up everyone on the show, often more than once. Dennis Weaver portrayed tenderhearted and gullible Chester Goode, deputy marshal. Chester's openness and honesty were often played against frontier villainy, and his loyalty to Dil­ lon was unquestionable. When Weaver left the show in 1964 he was replaced by Ken Curtis as Festus Hagen, a character equally adept at providing humor in the often grim world of Dodge and a foil to the taciturn and sometimes obsessive professionalism of Dillon. Burt Reynolds appeared on Gunsmoke from 1962 to 1965 in the role of Quint Asper.

     While Gunsmoke had its share of shoot-outs, bank robberies, cattle rustlers, and the like, the great strength of the program was the ongoing exploration of life in this community, with these people, in this place, at this time. In Gunsmoke, Dodge City stands as an outpost of civilization, the edge of America at the end of a century. It is one of the central images of the west­ in any of its media creations-a small town, a group of professionals, perhaps a school and a church, surrounded by the dangers of the frontier, its values of peace, harmony, and justice always under threat from untamed forces. Such a setting becomes a magnified experiment for the exploration of fundamental ideas about American culture and society. Issues faced by the characters and community in Gunsmoke ranged from questions of legitimate violence to the treatment of minority groups, from the meaning of family to the power of religious commitment. Even topics drawn from American life in the 1950s and I 960s were examined in this setting. The historical frame of the western and television's reliance on well-known, continuing characters allowed a sense of distance and gave producers the freedom to treat almost any topic.

     The dramatic formula for the series, particularly in later years, was simple. Some type of "outsider"- a  family separated from a wagon train, an ex­ Confederate officer, a wandering theater troupe-entered the world of the regular characters. With the outsiders came conflict. With the conflict came the need for decision and action. If violence was called for, it was applied reluctantly. If compassion was the answer, it was available. Often, no solution so simple solved the problems. Many sides of the same issue could be presented, especially when moral problems. Many sides of the same issue could be presented, especially when moral problems, not action and adventure, were the central concerns. In such cases Gunsmoke often ended in ambiguity, requiring viewers to ponder the ideas and issues. As the series progressed into its last seasons, it became highly self-conscious of its own history. Characters explored their own motivations with some frequency, and memories became plot devices.

     In the history of American popular culture, Gun­ smoke has claimed a position of prominence. Innovative within traditional trappings, it testified to the breadth and resilience of the western genre and to tele­ vision's ability to interweave character, idea, and action into narratives that could attract and compel audiences for decades.