This is basically just about Matt Dillon getting shot by an outlaw, and focuses on his recovery and when is it too soon for Matt to go back out after him. Not much meat on the bones.
What is interesting to see is how the characters evolve. In the beginning Matt is much more impulsive than he is even later on in the first season. Doc Adams is acting like some kind of surrogate father to Matt. And Miss Kitty acts much more involved with Matt than later on in the series as their relationship becomes very low key. You do see a start of what is one of the fun teams on Gunsmoke - well meaning Chester annoying the rather irascible but dedicated Doc Adams.
It does do a good job of adapting to TV something that had been a staple of old time radio. If you ever see any other radio shows adapted to TV, often the more pedestrian ones act like they are still on the radio. The actors AND the writers deal with dialogue that makes it seem like the audience cannot see them. Early talkies had a similar problem - Actors behaving like the audience could not hear them.
What is interesting to see is how the characters evolve. In the beginning Matt is much more impulsive than he is even later on in the first season. Doc Adams is acting like some kind of surrogate father to Matt. And Miss Kitty acts much more involved with Matt than later on in the series as their relationship becomes very low key. You do see a start of what is one of the fun teams on Gunsmoke - well meaning Chester annoying the rather irascible but dedicated Doc Adams.
It does do a good job of adapting to TV something that had been a staple of old time radio. If you ever see any other radio shows adapted to TV, often the more pedestrian ones act like they are still on the radio. The actors AND the writers deal with dialogue that makes it seem like the audience cannot see them. Early talkies had a similar problem - Actors behaving like the audience could not hear them.