Gunsmoke was a popular western TV series that aired from 1955 to 1975 on CBS. Like just about all TV dramas, it was eventually canceled, ending a truly phenomenal run that brought great stars like James Arness and Amanda Blake into our lives and living rooms week after week for all kinds of frontier fun.
Unfortunately, no one told the cast that the show was being taken off the air! What happened? A breakdown in communication? Was there a disconnect between the network execs who let the curtain fall for the last time on Gunsmoke and the cast who didn't even know its fate?
We took a look back into the demise of this well-liked TV staple to find out what occurred. Here's the scoop.
Gunsmoke Nearly Got Axed Once Before
Gilligan's Island Was Canceled Instead
Somehow, Gunsmoke managed to escape the higher-ups' red pen that would have crossed it off the schedule for good at an earlier date, according to MeTV. "Gilligan's Island got the boot instead." But sadly, the reprieve was not permanent.
James Arness Was Seemingly Disappointed By How The Show's End Was Handled
He Bemoaned The Lack Of Closure
MeTV noted that Arness said (via the Associated Press), "We didn't do a final, wrap-up show. We finished the twentieth year, we all expected to go on for another season, or two, or three. The [network] never told anybody they were thinking of canceling."
The most hurtful aspect of Gunsmoke's cancellation, in Arness's opinion, was that the cast found out about it when they saw the news in industry publications. They were allegedly not accorded the respect of being told by those in charge that Gunsmoke was going to be allowed to fade away into the dusty vault of television history.
Arness Could Look Back At His Extraordinary Run As Marshal Matt Dillon
He Played One Of TV's Most Memorable Characters
Hopefully, James Arness found comfort in knowing that he played one of the medium's most beloved and well-liked fictional characters in Matt Dillon. A strapping man at a towering 6-feet-7 inches, Arness was well-suited for the role of law-and-order Marshal Dillon.
The Los Angeles Times reported that he earned three Emmy nominations for the part. He was in some Gunsmoke TV films after the show ended. James Arness died in 2014 at age 88.
The character he portrayed for so many years clearly meant a lot to Arness. He reportedly said, "Matt is very human and has all the failings and drives common to anyone who is trying to do a difficult job the best he knows how."
