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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. There was also an implication that the Haggen family would disown him for what he'd done. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed. He's appointed temporary deputy as needed(as explained why Chester wasn't a deputy, the US government wouldn't authorize pay for deputies unless there was an emergency), until season 13 where it seems more permanent.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. There was also an implication that the Haggen family would disown him for what he'd done. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed. He's appointed temporary deputy as needed(as explained why Chester wasn't a deputy, the US government wouldn't authorize pay for deputies unless there was an emergency), until season 13 where it seems more permanent. The rest of the Haggen family also held him in high regard- they thought he was the "smart" one of the family(which considering how most of the Haggens behaved, wasn't too far from the truth).
** Elbert Moses, a hill man from later seasons, was originally a scumbag who beat his cousin Merry Florene mercilessly and tried to rob the general store, even willing to take hostages and threaten to kill. In his second appearance after getting out of the work farm he was sentenced to, he was more of a comedy character, with his abuse to Merry toned down, and in his third appearance is even more of a goofy comedic individual, still willing to commit crime but only harmless ones, and seems almost protective of Merry.
** Elbert Moses, a hill man from later seasons, was originally a scumbag who beat his cousin Merry Florene mercilessly and tried to rob the general store, even willing to take hostages and threaten to kill. In his second appearance after getting out of the work farm he was sentenced to, he was more of a comedy character, with his abuse to Merry toned down, and in his third appearance is even more of a goofy comedic individual, still willing to commit crime but only harmless ones, and seems almost protective of Merry.
** Later seasons had Merry Florene, Elbert Moses and their family show up on occasion, a grou pf hill people who made the Haggens look civilized.
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* {{Retcon}}: It was clear that the earlier episodes of the show had yet to establish when the series was set... 1873 seems to be the official year, but some of the headstones on Boot Hill in the early episodes had dates of death in the 1880s. One episode took place shortly before the battle of Little Big Horn... which was 1876. A grave marker in season 9 has a date of death of 1878 on it.
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* {{Retcon}}: It was clear that the earlier episodes of the show had yet to establish when the series was set... 1873 seems to be the official year, but some of the headstones on Boot Hill in the early episodes had dates of death in the 1880s. One episode took place shortly before the battle of Little Big Horn... which was 1876. A grave marker in season 9 has a date of death of 1878 on it.it, then a marker in season 15 has a date of 1874! To make it even worst, starting around season 13 they start mentioning that certain characters have been in town at their jobs for X number of years- the same as the show had been running, which would indicate a passage of time.
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* HumansAreWhite: No doubt a result of southern stations unwilling to air shows with non-whites as the show began before the civil rights movement. Aside from occasional Indian characters, and a single Chinese character, we didn't get a non-white main character until season 8(Quint, and even then he was half white), and the first black character didn't appear until season 9. A few non-speaking Chinese character appear in the background on occasion, with one episode centered on a Chinese-run laundry in season 13. It wasn't until late in the 14th season that the show began to feature more black characters, first in "Mark Of Cain" and then a group of ex-slaves in "The Good Samaritans". Despite this, non-white characters were generally treated with respect whereas a few racist white characters were often killed or humiliated.
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* HumansAreWhite: No doubt a result of southern stations unwilling to air shows with non-whites as the show began before the civil rights movement. Aside from occasional Indian characters, and a single Chinese character, we didn't get a non-white main character until season 8(Quint, and even then he was half white), and the first black African-Americans character didn't appear until season 9. A few non-speaking Chinese character appear in the background on occasion, with one episode centered on a Chinese-run laundry in season 13. It wasn't until late in the 14th season that the show began to feature more black African-Americans characters, first in "Mark Of Cain" and then a group of ex-slaves in "The Good Samaritans". Despite this, non-white characters were generally treated with respect whereas a few racist white characters were often killed or humiliated.
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* HumansAreWhite: No doubt a result of southern stations unwilling to air shows with non-whites as the show began before the civil rights movement. Aside from occasional Indian characters, and a single Chinese character, we didn't get a non-white main character until season 8(Quint, and even then he was half white), and the first black character didn't appear until season 9. A few non-speaking Chinese character appear in the background on occasion, with one episode centered on a Chinese-run laundry in season 13. It wasn't until late in the 14th season that the show began to feature more black characters, first in "Mark Of Cain" and then a group of ex-slaves in "The Good Samaritans". Despite this, non-white characters were generally treated with respect whereas a few racist white characters were often killed or humiliated.
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* ShipTease: Matt and Miss Kitty. The two of them definitely seem to have feeling for each other, but they never officially become a couple.
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* ShipTease: Matt and Miss Kitty. The two of them definitely seem to have feeling feelings for each other, but they never officially become a couple.
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* ShipTease: Matt and Miss Kitty. The two of them definitely seem to have feeling for each other, but they never officially become a couple.
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* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: WordOfGod says that Miss Kitty is this. The television show never states what she does for a living, but in one episode of the radio series it was hinted that Miss Kitty is a prostitute (which would have been pretty edgy back in 1952).
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* CallBack: Actually not all that common despite a 20 year run, but it did happen
** Season 13's "Wonder" features two of the characters from season 8's "I Call Him Wonder".
** Season 13's "Wonder" features two of the characters from season 8's "I Call Him Wonder".
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** A few of Miss Kitty's dresses in season 10 showed a fair amount of cleavage.
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** Newly started the same way before becoming a full cast member.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. There was also an implication that the Haggen family would disown him for what he'd done. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. There was also an implication that the Haggen family would disown him for what he'd done. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed. He's appointed temporary deputy as needed(as explained why Chester wasn't a deputy, the US government wouldn't authorize pay for deputies unless there was an emergency), until season 13 where it seems more permanent.
** Thad's final appearance was the 2-parter that ended season 12. he vanishes when season 13 starts with no word why.
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** Festus Haggen.
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** Festus Haggen. Though he was not full-time deputized until season 13.
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* TheWorfEffect: Happened in the first episode! Matt was gunned down and nearly killed in the series premiere, and several more times in the series. Matt may have been a head taller than most everyone, a fast draw and usually a better fist fighter than most but there were a fair few who could equal him, not to mention a few that were willing to cheat.
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* ColorCodedCharacters: When the show went to color in season 12, some... interesting wardrobe choices were made to show it off.
** Matt wore a reddish-purple shirt with yellow vest
** Festus wore a lot of bright blue
** Miss Kitty wore purple
** Matt wore a reddish-purple shirt with yellow vest
** Festus wore a lot of bright blue
** Miss Kitty wore purple
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*** What? Festus admitted plenty of times that he couldn't read.
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*** Quint's leaving without mention was finally averted in season 12, when Festus says their current blacksmith is the best they've had since Quint left.
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*** Both were only "clueless" if the script called for comedic moments- given half the chance, both of them could be qite competent and skilled at their jobs- Chester especially so.
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*** Both were only "clueless" if the script called for comedic moments- given half the chance, both of them could be qite quite competent and skilled at their jobs- Chester especially so.so.
** Thad could be this at times, generally because he grew up in a peaceful Oklahoma town and took some adjustment to get used to life in Dodge.
** Thad could be this at times, generally because he grew up in a peaceful Oklahoma town and took some adjustment to get used to life in Dodge.
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* RecurringCharacter: Quint Asper was more this than a main character- he wasn't seen every episode, and between seasons 8 and 10, was only in around 40 episodes total.
** Both Festus and Thad started as this before becoming main characters
** Chester was more this in seasons 8 and 9, being seen only around half the episodes before vanishing.
** Various Dodge businessmen- Mr. Botkin, Mr. Jonas, Moss Grimmick(who vanished from appearing when his actor died, becoming an off-screen mention afterwards), Ma Smalley, etc.
** A few attempts were made to add such characters, only for the character to appear twice and never again. Cale was one example, as well as a criminal defense attorney who tried to set up shop in Dodge.
** Both Festus and Thad started as this before becoming main characters
** Chester was more this in seasons 8 and 9, being seen only around half the episodes before vanishing.
** Various Dodge businessmen- Mr. Botkin, Mr. Jonas, Moss Grimmick(who vanished from appearing when his actor died, becoming an off-screen mention afterwards), Ma Smalley, etc.
** A few attempts were made to add such characters, only for the character to appear twice and never again. Cale was one example, as well as a criminal defense attorney who tried to set up shop in Dodge.
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** Finally subverted in season 11, when the word "rape" was allowed to be said directly to reference the crime itself instead of merely vague hints of it.
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* BittersweetEnding: downer endings were the frequent ones, happy endings not so common, and this happened quite a bit in between. Epsecially so if an innocent man is sentenced to hang for a murder he didn't commit- the real killer might be caught, but perhaps not in time to clear the innocent man.
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** Also happened with Clayton Thadeus Greenwood- he first showed up as an Oklahoma deputy after wanted men, only to be invited to move to Dodge at the end of the episode. He eventually appeared again, became a recurring character, and was elevated to main cast status when added to the show's opening credits in season 12.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. There was also an implication that the Haggen family would disown him for what he'd done. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed.
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** This happens again in season 11- one episode has the mystery third cell added back in, and another rearranges the cells to move the office's back door into the cell room, all for plot convenience.
** Matt's office was a main room with 3 doors, and a rear room with two cells- but plot reasons would change the layout as needed. Even though many episodes would lampshade the fact they only had two cells.
** Matt's office was a main room with 3 doors, and a rear room with two cells- but plot reasons would change the layout as needed. Even though many episodes would lampshade the fact they only had two cells.
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*** In the season 12 opener he rents a room at the Dodge House, instead of going to his house from the earlier episode.
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** Actually a frequent bit of surgery any time someone got shot and the bullet didn't go straight through- but likely necessary to facilitate proper healing.
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*** Later seasons? This happened a few times even in earlier episodes. Matt would either show up at the beginning and end, or not be seen at all.
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* AllCrimesAreEqual: Stealing a horse is a hanging offense. (May fall under RealityIsUnrealistic, as horse theft in the old west was a capitol offense that was punished by execution.)
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* AllCrimesAreEqual: Stealing a horse is a hanging offense. (May fall under RealityIsUnrealistic, as horse theft in the old west was a capitol offense that was often punished by execution.)execution- it was originally a capital offense, but even after the laws changed lynchings were still common.)
* AscendedExtra: Festus, of all characters, initially showed up in a single episode of season 8, out to kill an uncle who had shot Festus' twin brother. Prior to that, Ken Curtis had played other characters in previous episodes, and even played a different character in the season 9 opener before Festus was brought back as a permanent character.
* AscendedExtra: Festus, of all characters, initially showed up in a single episode of season 8, out to kill an uncle who had shot Festus' twin brother. Prior to that, Ken Curtis had played other characters in previous episodes, and even played a different character in the season 9 opener before Festus was brought back as a permanent character.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: When Festus first showed up we were given the impression that the Haggen family were primarily criminals and that he only worked with Matt because he wanted revenge on an uncle for the death of his twin brother during a botched bank robbery. When he showed up in season 9 he leans more towards honest work and associating with Matt, and in the season 11 opener he was ready to take the job of Marshal when he thought Matt had been killed.
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* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season often featured an opening scene where Matt walked through Boot Hill, lamenting on the people there and the violence in Dodge. These opening segments were quickly dropped.
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** Quint Asper vanishes without a word in season 10
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*** Both were only "clueless" if the script called for comedic moments- given half the chance, both of them could be qite competent and skilled at their jobs- Chester especially so.
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** This was also frequent between Doc and Chester.
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** At least from season 1 through 10, downer endings were the norm- happy endings were the rare ones.
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* SeriesContinuityError: Matt's office has two cells in the back, with one in the back and one along the wall. Except for one episode in season 10 where a 3rd cell pops up for no reason in a area that's usually walled off, only to vanish after that episode.
** Another episode featured Matt's home- even though every other episode implies that he lives out of the office. It was never seen after that episode.
** Another episode featured Matt's home- even though every other episode implies that he lives out of the office. It was never seen after that episode.
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* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: It may not have been obvious to viewers back then, but at least two episodes have instances where a man enters a home on the prairie with a lone woman inside, and the next thing we know the woman is injured. To modern audiences, the circumstance combined with Matt's reaction make it clear the woman had been raped but they could not say as much at the time these episodes had been made.
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The battle was in 18whatever, and I assume the rest of these dates are meant to be too.
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* {{Retcon}}: It was clear that the earlier episodes of the show had yet to establish when the series was set... 1973 seems to be the official year, but some of the headstones on Boot Hill in the early episodes had dates of death in the 1880s.
** One episode took place shortly before the battle of Little Big Horn... which was 1976. A grave marker in season 9 has a date of death of 1978 on it.
** One episode took place shortly before the battle of Little Big Horn... which was 1976. A grave marker in season 9 has a date of death of 1978 on it.
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* {{Retcon}}: It was clear that the earlier episodes of the show had yet to establish when the series was set... 1973 1873 seems to be the official year, but some of the headstones on Boot Hill in the early episodes had dates of death in the 1880s.
**1880s. One episode took place shortly before the battle of Little Big Horn... which was 1976. 1876. A grave marker in season 9 has a date of death of 1978 1878 on it.
**
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** One episode took place shortly before the battle of Little Big Horn... which was 1976. A grave marker in season 9 has a date of death of 1978 on it.
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* HollywoodHealing: Matt took bullet after bullet, yet healed up like he was in a video game.
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* AssholeVictim: Wife beaters who got shot by the abused spouse, or much any psychopath who either beat women, abused their kids or was on some deranged moral crusade that Matt had to shoot. It was obvious that Matt hated having to arrest certain people when the victim was such an absolute monster who was asking for it.
* ConvenientTerminalIllness: Painter from "Anyone Can Kill A Marshall" only took the job to shoot Matt as he was dying from illness and needed the money to help a friend- he probably had no real intention of even killing Matt as he aimed for the legs and figured getting shot to death was better than wasting away.
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* OnlyAFleshWound
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* OnlyAFleshWoundOnlyAFleshWound: Played straight at times, subverted others when Matt either suffered from a severe bullet wound, or came close to death.
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* {{Retcon}}: It was clear that the earlier episodes of the show had yet to establish when the series was set... 1973 seems to be the official year, but some of the headstones on Boot Hill in the early episodes had dates of death in the 1880s.
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** This actually happens with a lot of episode titles- though as the titles were never shown on screen it wasn't a problem on first airing.
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* SuperDrowningSkills: Shoving someone's head under water for 5 seconds on this show was enough to kill them.
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At 20 seasons, the TV version was/is the longest running prime time American dramatic series (''Series/LawAndOrder'' tied this record in 2010, though ''Gunsmoke'' produced more episodes) and the archetypical television example of the Western genre.
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At 20 seasons, the TV version was/is the longest running [[LongRunner longest-running]] prime time American dramatic series (''Series/LawAndOrder'' tied this record in 2010, though ''Gunsmoke'' produced more episodes) and the archetypical television example of the Western genre.
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A long running [[TheWestern Western]] series about the adventures of the Marshal and citizenry of Dodge City, Kansas. It started as [[{{Radio/Gunsmoke}} a radio series]], then moved to television (with a completely different cast) in 1955. It lasted to 1975.
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A long running [[TheWestern Western]] series about the adventures of the Marshal and citizenry of Dodge City, Kansas. It started as [[{{Radio/Gunsmoke}} a radio series]], then moved to {{CBS}} television (with a completely different cast) in 1955. It lasted to 1975.
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extracted from Radio.Gunsmoke
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[[quoteright:310:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gunsmoke-cast_1691.jpg]]
A long running [[TheWestern Western]] series about the adventures of the Marshal and citizenry of Dodge City, Kansas. It started as [[{{Radio/Gunsmoke}} a radio series]], then moved to television (with a completely different cast) in 1955. It lasted to 1975.
At 20 seasons, the TV version was/is the longest running prime time American dramatic series (''Series/LawAndOrder'' tied this record in 2010, though ''Gunsmoke'' produced more episodes) and the archetypical television example of the Western genre.
The show's cast included some of the most memorable characters in television history, including Marshal Matt Dillon and the sassy Miss Kitty. A good example of its impact: the planet on which the "SpaceWestern" series ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' is set is called "Gunsmoke".
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!!This TV series provides examples of:
* AdaptationNameChange: Chester's surname went from "Proudfoot" in the radio series to "Goode" in the TV version.
* AdultFear
* AllCrimesAreEqual: Stealing a horse is a hanging offense. (May fall under RealityIsUnrealistic, as horse theft in the old west was a capitol offense that was punished by execution.)
* TheBartender: Sam, Miss Kitty's right-hand man, who was eventually killed in a bar fight.
* TheBlacksmith: Quint Asper, played by a young Burt Reynolds.
* BloodlessCarnage: For all the times people are getting shot, you'd think there'd be more blood.
* BookDumb: Festus.
* BountyHunter: "Dead or Alive" usually comes with a reward.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Chester disappears without explanation in season 9, as does Miss Kitty in season 20.
* CluelessDeputy:
** Festus Haggen.
** Chester more or less served as this in the first few TV seasons, although the character was never officially deputized.
* CorruptHick: A few are inevitable in TheWildWest.
* DeadpanSnarker: Doc Adams
* DeterminedHomesteadersWife: Matt meets a few.
* DeterminedWidow: Some of these, too.
* DownerEnding: A lot of the earlier episodes had these, before ReverseCerebusSyndrome set in.
* FiveManBand
* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: There's an episode where a woman cares for a wounded prisoner and falls in love with him.
* FrontierDoctor: Doc Adams
* FrozenInTime: 1873 somehow managed to last for 20 years.
* GorgeousPeriodDress: Kitty's entire wardrobe.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Miss Kitty
* HostageSituation: Used as a plot device a few times.
* IHaveYourWife: At least one episode included villains who kidnapped Miss Kitty in order to trap Matt.
* IllGirl: Newly's wife. Her death prompted him to become Doc's apprentice.
* InstrumentalThemeTune: Probably among the most famous of these.
* LoveableRogue: JJ, in the episode "The Widow and the Rogue".
* MauveShirt: Even when killing off characters a few minutes after they're introduced, there's often at least some effort at characterization.
* MiscarriageOfJustice:
** In one episode, a thief is executed for a murder he didn't commit.
** Another time, a man is convicted of stealing a horse that he paid for. It's subverted in that Matt believes he's innocent, and doesn't.
* MissKitty: Miss Kitty Russell is now more or less universally assumed to be a Madam as well as saloonkeeper, and her impeccably dressed and coiffed girls up to more activity than just dancing and playful flirting. (The producer-director is quoted in a 1953(!) Time magazine [[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806658,00.html interview]]: "We never say it, but Kitty is a prostitute, plain and simple.") But these implications were subtle enough to go over the heads of younger and more naive viewers.
* TheMountainsOfIllinois: The show features mountain and desert landscapes. In ''Kansas''.
* TheMovie: There were a couple of made-for-television movie sequels to the series, including one that introduced the character of Matt's daughter.
* NeverLearnedToRead: Festus' illiteracy is often brought up; sometimes it serves as a critical plot point, but often is used as comedic fodder, particularly as a target of Doc's sarcastic mockery. This can come off as insensitive to modern-day viewers; however, such humor was not unusual in the show's broadcast era, and illiteracy would have hardly been uncommon in the 19th Century frontier setting.
** It wasn't so much Festus being unable to read that drew Doc's mockery, so much as his stubborn refusal to admit it. This went as far as refusing to learn to read, as that would require admitting that he couldn't read in the first place, and once creating his own language just so throw the mockery back at Doc for not being able to read it.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: There's a boy whose father is killed, and says the man never loved him. He is chastised by a judge, who shows him that his father ''did'' love him, he just didn't know how to show it.
* OneManArmy: Matt Dillon
* OnlyAFleshWound
* OpeningNarration: Some episodes opened with a voice-over introducing the show and James Arness as Matt Dillon.
* {{Outlaw}}: Oodles and oodles.
* PistolWhipping
* RedRightHand: A few of the bad guys have had scars and such.
* RedShirt: Shootouts would be boring if nobody ever died.
* ReverseCerebusSyndrome
* TheRustler: People who steal livestock
* SaloonOwner: Miss Kitty
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Doc, occasionally.
* SoundToScreenAdaptation
* SpoiledBrat: In the episode "Susan was Evil", Susan is selfish and unkind because she always got whatever she wanted. When it appears as if she isn't going to get her way, [[spoiler:she betrays her aunt's fiance to [[BountyHunter bounty hunters]].]]
* SpoilerTitle: The episode "The Widow and the Rogue". Her husband dies.
* StealthInsult: Doc once told Festus that he would never die of [[BookDumb overusing his cranial faculties]]. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Festus thought it was a good thing]]. Doc does this sort of thing quite a few times.
* SyndicationTitle: The half-hour TV episodes were retitled ''Marshal Dillon'' in order to differentiate them from the hour-long episodes that were later made.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: The show never entirely specified ''what'' the relationship between Matt and Miss Kitty was, but it seemed generally understood by the rest of the cast that they were somehow involved. The producers toyed with having them get married, but ultimately held off as they thought it would change the formula too much, in those days when StatusQuoIsGod was absolutely the norm.
* USMarshal: Matt Dillon
* VictimOfTheWeek
* VitriolicBestBuds: Doc Adams and Festus. Much of the show's humor lies in their constant bickering and sarcastic snarking, but just let one or the other get sick/injured or in any kind of trouble, and their underlying affection and respect becomes apparent.
* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: In an episode where an outlaw gets shot, they remove the bullet.
* TheWestern
* WesternCharacters
* TheWildWest
* WrittenInAbsence:
** Many later-season episodes barely feature star James Arness at all, a concession to his physical ailments (war injuries and his height led to chronic leg and joint pain). Often, Matt Dillon would be featured only in the opening and closing scenes, with his absence in-between explained by some out-of-town errand. Several episodes' worth of these brief scenes would be filmed in a few days, giving Arness more rest time between Dillon-heavy episodes.
** Milburn Stone's 1971 heart surgery caused his absence for a number of episodes. His character, Doc Adams, was said to have unexpectedly left town for updated medical training after he believes his rural isolation and lack of newer skills contributed heavily to the death of a young girl.
* YouLookFamiliar: Over the 20 season run, a few actors came back to play other characters.
----
A long running [[TheWestern Western]] series about the adventures of the Marshal and citizenry of Dodge City, Kansas. It started as [[{{Radio/Gunsmoke}} a radio series]], then moved to television (with a completely different cast) in 1955. It lasted to 1975.
At 20 seasons, the TV version was/is the longest running prime time American dramatic series (''Series/LawAndOrder'' tied this record in 2010, though ''Gunsmoke'' produced more episodes) and the archetypical television example of the Western genre.
The show's cast included some of the most memorable characters in television history, including Marshal Matt Dillon and the sassy Miss Kitty. A good example of its impact: the planet on which the "SpaceWestern" series ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' is set is called "Gunsmoke".
----
!!This TV series provides examples of:
* AdaptationNameChange: Chester's surname went from "Proudfoot" in the radio series to "Goode" in the TV version.
* AdultFear
* AllCrimesAreEqual: Stealing a horse is a hanging offense. (May fall under RealityIsUnrealistic, as horse theft in the old west was a capitol offense that was punished by execution.)
* TheBartender: Sam, Miss Kitty's right-hand man, who was eventually killed in a bar fight.
* TheBlacksmith: Quint Asper, played by a young Burt Reynolds.
* BloodlessCarnage: For all the times people are getting shot, you'd think there'd be more blood.
* BookDumb: Festus.
* BountyHunter: "Dead or Alive" usually comes with a reward.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Chester disappears without explanation in season 9, as does Miss Kitty in season 20.
* CluelessDeputy:
** Festus Haggen.
** Chester more or less served as this in the first few TV seasons, although the character was never officially deputized.
* CorruptHick: A few are inevitable in TheWildWest.
* DeadpanSnarker: Doc Adams
* DeterminedHomesteadersWife: Matt meets a few.
* DeterminedWidow: Some of these, too.
* DownerEnding: A lot of the earlier episodes had these, before ReverseCerebusSyndrome set in.
* FiveManBand
* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: There's an episode where a woman cares for a wounded prisoner and falls in love with him.
* FrontierDoctor: Doc Adams
* FrozenInTime: 1873 somehow managed to last for 20 years.
* GorgeousPeriodDress: Kitty's entire wardrobe.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Miss Kitty
* HostageSituation: Used as a plot device a few times.
* IHaveYourWife: At least one episode included villains who kidnapped Miss Kitty in order to trap Matt.
* IllGirl: Newly's wife. Her death prompted him to become Doc's apprentice.
* InstrumentalThemeTune: Probably among the most famous of these.
* LoveableRogue: JJ, in the episode "The Widow and the Rogue".
* MauveShirt: Even when killing off characters a few minutes after they're introduced, there's often at least some effort at characterization.
* MiscarriageOfJustice:
** In one episode, a thief is executed for a murder he didn't commit.
** Another time, a man is convicted of stealing a horse that he paid for. It's subverted in that Matt believes he's innocent, and doesn't.
* MissKitty: Miss Kitty Russell is now more or less universally assumed to be a Madam as well as saloonkeeper, and her impeccably dressed and coiffed girls up to more activity than just dancing and playful flirting. (The producer-director is quoted in a 1953(!) Time magazine [[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806658,00.html interview]]: "We never say it, but Kitty is a prostitute, plain and simple.") But these implications were subtle enough to go over the heads of younger and more naive viewers.
* TheMountainsOfIllinois: The show features mountain and desert landscapes. In ''Kansas''.
* TheMovie: There were a couple of made-for-television movie sequels to the series, including one that introduced the character of Matt's daughter.
* NeverLearnedToRead: Festus' illiteracy is often brought up; sometimes it serves as a critical plot point, but often is used as comedic fodder, particularly as a target of Doc's sarcastic mockery. This can come off as insensitive to modern-day viewers; however, such humor was not unusual in the show's broadcast era, and illiteracy would have hardly been uncommon in the 19th Century frontier setting.
** It wasn't so much Festus being unable to read that drew Doc's mockery, so much as his stubborn refusal to admit it. This went as far as refusing to learn to read, as that would require admitting that he couldn't read in the first place, and once creating his own language just so throw the mockery back at Doc for not being able to read it.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: There's a boy whose father is killed, and says the man never loved him. He is chastised by a judge, who shows him that his father ''did'' love him, he just didn't know how to show it.
* OneManArmy: Matt Dillon
* OnlyAFleshWound
* OpeningNarration: Some episodes opened with a voice-over introducing the show and James Arness as Matt Dillon.
* {{Outlaw}}: Oodles and oodles.
* PistolWhipping
* RedRightHand: A few of the bad guys have had scars and such.
* RedShirt: Shootouts would be boring if nobody ever died.
* ReverseCerebusSyndrome
* TheRustler: People who steal livestock
* SaloonOwner: Miss Kitty
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Doc, occasionally.
* SoundToScreenAdaptation
* SpoiledBrat: In the episode "Susan was Evil", Susan is selfish and unkind because she always got whatever she wanted. When it appears as if she isn't going to get her way, [[spoiler:she betrays her aunt's fiance to [[BountyHunter bounty hunters]].]]
* SpoilerTitle: The episode "The Widow and the Rogue". Her husband dies.
* StealthInsult: Doc once told Festus that he would never die of [[BookDumb overusing his cranial faculties]]. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Festus thought it was a good thing]]. Doc does this sort of thing quite a few times.
* SyndicationTitle: The half-hour TV episodes were retitled ''Marshal Dillon'' in order to differentiate them from the hour-long episodes that were later made.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: The show never entirely specified ''what'' the relationship between Matt and Miss Kitty was, but it seemed generally understood by the rest of the cast that they were somehow involved. The producers toyed with having them get married, but ultimately held off as they thought it would change the formula too much, in those days when StatusQuoIsGod was absolutely the norm.
* USMarshal: Matt Dillon
* VictimOfTheWeek
* VitriolicBestBuds: Doc Adams and Festus. Much of the show's humor lies in their constant bickering and sarcastic snarking, but just let one or the other get sick/injured or in any kind of trouble, and their underlying affection and respect becomes apparent.
* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: In an episode where an outlaw gets shot, they remove the bullet.
* TheWestern
* WesternCharacters
* TheWildWest
* WrittenInAbsence:
** Many later-season episodes barely feature star James Arness at all, a concession to his physical ailments (war injuries and his height led to chronic leg and joint pain). Often, Matt Dillon would be featured only in the opening and closing scenes, with his absence in-between explained by some out-of-town errand. Several episodes' worth of these brief scenes would be filmed in a few days, giving Arness more rest time between Dillon-heavy episodes.
** Milburn Stone's 1971 heart surgery caused his absence for a number of episodes. His character, Doc Adams, was said to have unexpectedly left town for updated medical training after he believes his rural isolation and lack of newer skills contributed heavily to the death of a young girl.
* YouLookFamiliar: Over the 20 season run, a few actors came back to play other characters.
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