Gentlemen, thank you for "congratulations." I'm glad you enjoyed Gunsmoke.
TRH, no, I did not write that episode.
Wabigoon, those were not fillers with Doc and Festus. They were written into the scripts.
I wrote mainly for cops-'n-robbers shows, from the old West, private eye shows, modern cops, and future "cops" (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century). I never wrote for any comedy shows ... unless you call The Dukes of Hazzard comedy. I wrote for Little House On The Prairie, but I'm not sure what genre that would fit in, other than "human Interest" where Mike Landon got to cry a lot. Mike was a good crier.
As an aside, each year at Christmas time the production company of Gunsmoke would throw a big Christmas party on the Dodge City sound stage at CBS Studio City. They'd invite G.S. writers, directors, some production people, etc. Kinda fun to saunter up to the bar of the Long Branch and swill down some good Scotch free gratis for nuthin'. None of that "bust head" whiskey (tea) served to the "cowboys" on the various shows. Food was good, too. No beans, sowbelly, nor biscuits. All catered. That Dodge City set was a standing set at CBS where all the Dodge City scenes were filmed over the years.
As the old adage goes, "Long ago and far away."
L.W.
