The creators and actors of the radio series discuss the preparation, presentation and camaraderie of putting on one of radio's most popular and respected western series. Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It is set in and around Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television. The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961. John Dunning wrote that among radio drama enthusiasts, "Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time."