James Arness died.
He was Marshal Dillion.

Marshal Dillion wasn’t faster, but he was more accurate.

The other guy always shot first, week after week after week. But Marshal Dillion always was the last man standing.

Bloggers should learn the same lesson. Accurate is better than fast. But keywording is King.

Remember: James Arness and Peter Graves were brothers.

Were there two more classic, iconic television shows than Gunsmoke and Mission Impossible?

But the stoic Matt Dillion was no match for the cold-hearted tee vee executives…

Gunsmoke, was TV’s No. 1 ranked show from 1957-61. The ratings declined when CBS expanded the show to an hour, and in 1967, the network planned to cancel the series. But viewers were ready for a showdown with the network.

CBS decided to kill Gilligan’s Island to make room for Gunsmoke on Mondays. The show climbed in the ratings again. But in 1975, still ranked among the top 30 shows, Gunsmoke was canceled without warning and without a final episode where Marshal Dillion gets eaten by a horse, Miss Kitty reveals she is a dude, Doc is gay, and Chester was faking it just to get Social Security disability.

A couple of babes replace Marshal Dillion: Rhoda and Phyllis.
Life imitates art.