The fifties and sixties were full of cowboy shows, but Gunsmoke stands out among them. 

Gunsmoke first began as radio show in 1952, but it's instant popularity  quickly started conversations of adapting it to television. By 1955, it had made the jump to TV, and it proved to be an even bigger hit. Gunsmoke was one of the first Westerns written for adults, and its influence led to iconic films such as The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, and The Magnificent Seven.

See the making of one of America's first smash-hits that made the Western the beloved genre it is today.