John Meston was one of radio and television's most important storytellers, and yet oddly enough his contributions are often overlooked today. He is the writer credited with creating "Gunsmoke," along with producer Norman MacDonnell, essentially starting the adult western on radio and television and setting the tone and style which would make both the radio and television versions of the series so memorable. Meston began in the program practices department at CBS in the 1940s before becoming a writer and editor. Overall, he wrote 183 of the "Gunsmoke" radio episodes , and 196 of the 635 episodes produced for television between 1955 and 1975. While he never won any major award for his work, Meston was a master writer, serving up memorable characters in authentic western settings.
The 1992 CBS television movie "Gunsmoke: To the Last Man" is dedicated to his memory.
A news article about Mestons grandson, Daja, who was active in the Tibetan freedom movement, can be found on the front page of the March 15, 2005 edition of the "Wall Street Journal."
Mestons birthplace of Pueblo is mentioned in many of his scripts, with characters either coming from it or (most often) headed for it.
On "Gunsmoke" - "If I had known it would last this long, I would never,have created the darn thing. ",Our attempt to create as realistic and entertaining a program as,possible is not, of course, the only one of its kind. But we did,precede and were on the air, trying, before the release of such,pictures as "High Noon" and "Shane. .
