The series ran nine years on radio and twenty on television--the all-time longest running prime-time program with continuing characters. It introduced to the American people a cast of characters that quickly took on mythic proportions.

There are 74 ­in-depth interviews and reminiscences by principal performers (Arness, Blake, Weaver, et al.), guest stars (Hartley, O'Connor, Leachman, Reynolds, Conrad, et al.), and directors, writers and producers associated with the radio and television programs. A 128-page section contains 246 photographs of guest stars and leads.

A comprehensive episode-by-episode guide provides entries for more than 1,000 radio and television programs, spanning 23 years, and for each includes title, synopsis, air date, cast, director, writer, producer and anecdotal information. Eleven appendices: memorable quotes, the writers, TV schedules, radio and TV awards; principal performers' credits… Enormous index.