James Arness had every right to be proud of “Gunsmoke.” The long-lived western boasts one of the lengthiest runs on American television at twenty seasons and was once even the primetime series with the most episodes. But when fans asked if Arness — who played central gunslinger Marshal Matt Dillon — was upset that the ensemble wasn’t always focused on him, he admitted it was never a concern. 

“Often we get letters that say, ‘Why can’t we see more of Matt?’ or ‘Give us more of Kitty.’ That’s when the CBS fellows get uptight and suggest we appear more. But to me, that’s the best kind of fan mail. When you get letters saying ‘We get too much of Matt’— that’s when you should start worrying,” Arness told The Gazette in a vintage interview (as quoted by MeTV). It’s a comment that’s especially funny in hindsight, since Arness ended up being the only “Gunsmoke” actor to appear in every episode.

The old showbiz adage of leaving them wanting more definitely applied to “Gunsmoke” itself which, in spite of its extremely long original run, was resurrected through a string of TV movies released throughout the 1980s and 1990s. But when it came to who was watching those movies and shows, Arness also confessed that he wasn’t that tuned into the metrics.

Even back in the 1960s, when “Gunsmoke” was in its heyday, network brass was concerned with the ups and downs of their ratings. After all, knowing who was watching helped pair commercials with programing. But James Arness wasn’t one to rest on his laurels, no matter how high the show’s ratings became. “You never can tell until you get the word,” he told The Gazette. “Sure, the ratings have been good, but that isn’t the whole story anymore. They have this thing about the nature of the audience – demographics, it’s called. What are our demographics? I haven’t the slightest idea.”

Whatever the demographic for “Gunsmoke” happened to be at the time, the series brought in viewers by the millions to see Matt bring in the bad guys and Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) sling beers at her saloon. And even despite the show’s controversial ending, “Gunsmoke” and its beloved cast remain a cultural institution — no matter which of them is holding the audience’s attention.