What is Gunsmoke?
{{Infobox television |image = |caption = |runtime = 26 minutes (1955–1961),<br /> 50 minutes (1961–1975) |creator = [[Norman MacDonnell]]<br>[[John Meston]] |starring = [[James Arness]]<br>[[Milburn Stone]]<br>[[Amanda Blake]] <small>(Seasons 1-19)</small><br>[[Dennis Weaver]] <small>(Seasons 1-9)</small><br>[[Ken Curtis]] <small>(Seasons 9-20)</small><br>[[Burt Reynolds]] <small>(Seasons 8-10)</small><br>[[Buck Taylor]] <small>(Seasons 13-20)</small><br>[[Glenn Strange]] <small>(Seasons 7-18)</small><br>[[Roger Ewing]] <small>(Seasons 11-12)</small> |theme_music_composer = [[Rex Koury]]<br>[[Glenn Spencer (composer)|Glenn Spencer]] |company = [[CBS Television Studios|CBS Productions]]<br>[[Filmaster Productions]]<br>The Arness Production Company (1961–'64) |country = United States |network = [[CBS]] |first_aired = {{start date|1955|09|10}} |last_aired = {{end date|1975|03|31}} |num_seasons = 6 ('Marshal Dillon', syndication re-titling of half-hour episodes)<br>14 ('Gunsmoke'),<br>20 (total seasons) |num_episodes = 233 ('Marshal Dillon', syndication re-titling of half-hour episodes), 402 ('Gunsmoke')<br>635 (total episodes) |list_episodes = List of Gunsmoke television episodes }} '''''Gunsmoke''''' was a [[Western (genre)|western]] [[drama]] [[television series]]. John Meston created the series. It ran for twenty years from 1955 to 1975. Each episode ran for 1 hour. In 1955, [[CBS]] [[television network]] tried to hire [[John Wayne]]. They finally decided on [[James Arness]] to play the role of Matt Dillon in the ''Gunsmoke'' series. The main [[cast member|cast]] was Arness, [[Dennis Weaver]] playing Chester Goode, [[Milburn Stone]] as Doc Adams, and [[Amanda Blake]] as saloon keeper Miss Kitty Russell. Ken Curtis played Festus Haggen and [[Burt Reynolds]] played a blacksmith. Between 1955 - 1961, the [[Wikt:episode|episodes]] were 30 minutes long. After that, they were one hour long. 635 episodes were made between 1955 to 1975. Many well known [[actors]] have been on the series. These include John Wayne (pr