Arness first joined Gunsmoke at the inception of its adaptation from radio to television in 1955. Fans of the radio program weren’t initially very happy to see William Conrad replaced, as they were ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. "Matt Dillon/James Arness is comfort food for viewers," he explains. "And not just for the older demographic who grew up on it.

Gunsmoke aired its series finale on March 31, 1975, and decades later, fans still don't want to get out of Dodge. The Emmy-winning Western, based on the eponymous radio show, premiered on CBS on Sept.