Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name.
In its original format, the series also focuses on Dillon's friendship with three other citizens of Dodge City: Doctor Galen "Doc" Adams (Milburn Stone), the town's physician; Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake), saloon girl and later owner of the Long Branch Saloon; and Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver), Dillon's assistant.
The Long Branch saloon has a longer bar with a high shelve on the wall above it, the huge brass adornment that sits center stage is missing, unfamiliar taxidermy and wall decor, and the most notable change is a bartender that we have never seen in past or future episodes.
Lawrence Dobkin played the character "Jacklin", in both the radio and television versions of episode 31, "How to Die for Nothing".
This helps date the series from late 1877 to 1878 since Billy the Kid's first wanted poster identified him as 18 years old.
Wanted posters for the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang and Lewt McCanles are added to the Marshal's bulletin board in episode 8, "Kite's Reward".
In episode 16, "Reward for Matt", the sign at the bottom of the stairs leading to Doc Adams's office was added and it remained there through the entire run of the series.
Episode 30, "The Preacher", is an example of camera tricks and angles to make the 6' 7" James Arness appear smaller than Chuck Conners, who was 6' 5½" (1.9m) tall.
In the beginning scene of episode 39, "Alarm at Pleasant Valley", Matt and Chester see a distant fire, which includes a desert of majestic saguaros, not something that would be part of the Kansas prairie of Dodge City.