Why Was Doc Adams Replaced On Gunsmoke?

There would be no replacing Doc Adams in "Gunsmoke" fans' eyes. From the jump, Milburn Stone took control of the character that he would go on to play for 20 years. In an interview with Kansas State Historical Society, Stone revealed he butted heads with show creator Charles Marquis Warren during his screen test. After Warren questioned his attire, Stone told him, "Look, it's my test, and it's going to be my wardrobe. I know who I'm playing." Warren informed him he would be playing an Eastern doctor, and Stone fired back with, "'Not the Doc I see. I'm going to play what I see.'"

In a move well before its time, Stone also negotiated an iron-clad residual contract." "I wanted to be paid for every 'Gunsmoke' that ever showed, forever, no matter where," he said. CBS granted his terms because he was so perfect for the role. 

Stone even found himself doing medical research for the role. In a 1964 interview with The Asbury Park Press (per MeTV), Stone revealed he was alerted to a major medical mistake in an early "Gunsmoke" script. The actor became upset that the writers hadn't accurately researched and took matters into his own hands by studying medical textbooks. With real Doc knowledge under his belt, Stone then fixed any medical mistakes he found in subsequent "Gunsmoke" scripts.