Wanted: Dead or Alive is an American Western television series starring Steve McQueen as the bounty hunter Josh Randall. It aired on CBS for three seasons from 1958–61. The black-and-white program was a spin-off of a March 1958 episode of Trackdown, a 1957–59 western series starring Robert Culp. Both series were produced by Four Star Television in association with CBS Television.
The series launched McQueen into becoming the first television star to cross over into comparable status on the big screen.
Montana Kid (Episode 1)
Air date: 1959-09-05
Overview: A kid is the key for Josh to find Johnny Deuce who cheated during a poker game and took a lot of money off Josh. Now Josh goes after Deuce in order to get his money back.
The Healing Woman (Episode 2)
Writer: Charles Beaumont
Air date: 1959-09-12
Overview: Tom takes his very ill son away from medical help and takes him to a witch a so called healer jeopardizing his sons full recovery.
The Matchmaker (Episode 3)
Writer: Fred Freiberger
Air date: 1959-09-19
Overview: Josh reluctantly plays matchmaker and enlists the aid of Amy Williams to teach Charlie the proper way to behave and act so that he can confidently find his own bride.
Breakout (Episode 4)
Air date: 1959-09-26
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Prison officials allow Randall to help Tom Dunn escape in order to retrieve the missing fifty thousand dollars Dunn had stolen.
Estralita (Episode 5)
Air date: 1959-10-03
Runtime: 26 min
Overview: While hot on the trail of a murderer, Josh comes across a man about to be lynched by a group of vigilanties. The victim happens to be the same man that Randall has been chasing.
The Hostage (Episode 6)
Writer: Don Brinkley
Air date: 1959-10-10
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh delivers Jumbo Kane, a highly dangerous and already sentenced to death man. Soon after he has handed him over to the sheriff, Kane takes the sheriff by surprise and kills him.
The Empty Cell (Episode 7)
Air date: 1959-10-17
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh delivers a prisoner to the sheriff, in the morning Josh realizes that there was an impostor and that the prisoner has successfully escaped with his cohort.
Bad Gun (Episode 8)
Air date: 1959-10-24
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: After selling a customer a defective gun, Josh is hired to retrieve the dangerous weapon.
The Tyrant (Episode 9)
Writer: Tom Gries
Air date: 1959-10-31
Overview: Recruited by the army, Josh seeks the horses and the deserter who stole them. And he finds both the horses and the man - in custody of the town's marshal. But the marshal, who's ruling the town with an iron fist, isn't willing to give them back.
Reckless (Episode 10)
Writer: Robert Leslie Bellem
Air date: 1959-11-07
Overview: Well-known businessman Tate Bradley hires Josh and other bounty hunters to find Tony Egan who killed his son, but was ruled an accident. When Randall finds the supposed killer and returns him. Bradley refuses to pay the bounty because Egan is still alive.
Desert Seed (Episode 11)
Air date: 1959-11-14
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh manages to track down Juan Gomez in the desert near the Mexican border where he's living now with his family. His nephew Pachito rides in to protect his uncle. (Afterall he is the future Pancho Villa).
Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse (Episode 12)
Air date: 1959-11-21
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh delivers Dan Murdock, wanted for multiple murders, in Mesa City. Josh learns that the local sheriff is the brother of Crazy Horse's deputy, one of the victims, and it's unlikely that Murdock will arrive safely. Josh goes along to make sure that he does.
No Trail Back (Episode 13)
Air date: 1959-11-28
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Joe Hooker, after raiding a bank on behalf of his brother Ben, is bitten by a dog with rabies. Upon learning this, the sheriff ends his pursuit. Josh, however, decides to go after Hooker anyway.
Man on Horseback (Episode 14)
Air date: 1959-12-05
Overview: Charley Red Cloud is blamed for the murder of Will Bascomb. Bascomb's brother, Merv places a high bounty on Red Cloud.
Chain Gang (Episode 15)
Writer: Robert Leslie Bellem
Air date: 1959-12-12
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: After being arrested for a minor offence, Josh is put on the chain gang and put to work on the local mine.
Vanishing Act (Episode 16)
Air date: 1959-12-26
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: On the trail of bank robber Bart McCready, Josh discovers that he is posing as an escape artist named ""The Great Bartolo"".
Mental Lapse (Episode 17)
Air date: 1960-01-02
Overview: An amnesia victim has posters up asking for help finding information about himself.
Angela (Episode 18)
Writer: Tom Gries
Air date: 1960-01-09
Overview: Angela Pryor is seeking revenge against the man who murderer her father during a burglary. Josh is also after the same man for other crimes.
The Monster (Episode 19)
Writer: Don Brinkley
Air date: 1960-01-16
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh goes after an elephant trainer who is using the animal to scare away the whole town so he can rob the town blind.
The Most Beautiful Woman (Episode 20)
Air date: 1960-01-23
Overview: John Garth comes to town looking for his darling Lil, he feels something terrible has happened. There was a fire in the saloon and he thinks she died.
Jason (Episode 21)
Air date: 1960-01-30
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh caught 'Doc' Phillips, the partner of Clell Fennon, and now wants to use him as a bait to get Fennon - worth $5.000 - himself.
The Partners (Episode 22)
Air date: 1960-02-06
Overview: Josh gets arrested - for horse theft. Then he finds out it was Jason who wants him behind bars because Jason wants to go after Billy Joe Henry alone.
Tolliver Bender (Episode 23)
Air date: 1960-02-13
Overview: Josh needs Tolliver's testimony in a nearby town unfortunately Amos McKenna wants to hang Tolliver and will only allow him to go if one of the two Josh or Jason stays in his place.
A House Divided (Episode 24)
Air date: 1960-02-20
Overview: Josh is hired by an attractive woman to find and clear the name of her father wrongly accused of murder. The real killer hires Jason to find the same man too.
Triple Vice (Episode 25)
Writer: Fred Freiberger
Air date: 1960-02-27
Overview: Josh and Jason go to Mexico Al Hemp's brother Billy. Al took the blame for Billy's crime and ends up waiting for his brother a no show.
Black Belt (Episode 26)
Air date: 1960-03-19
Overview: Josh goes after a Korean named Sammy Wong wanted for murder. His hands are his deadly weapon, being the karate expert that he is.
The Pariah (Episode 27)
Writer: Fred Freiberger
Air date: 1960-03-26
Overview: The good townspeople hire gunmen to kill Randy Holleran who is responsible for several deaths and trouble in the town. Josh is asked by the father to help protect his son.
Vendetta (Episode 28)
Air date: 1960-04-09
Overview: Josh captures and returns a wanted recruit to an Army Camp. The commanding officer re-instates the wanted man and refuses to pay Randall his bounty money.
Death Divided by Three (Episode 29)
Writer: Don Brinkley
Air date: 1960-04-23
Overview: Josh and Jason are on the trail of an outlaw wanted for murder in Arizona. The outlaw's wife is also seeking her husband.
The Inheritance (Episode 30)
Writer: George W. George
Air date: 1960-04-30
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Clint Davis a blind and dying rancher hires Josh to find his renegade son.
Prison Trail (Episode 31)
Air date: 1960-05-14
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Josh and Jason are delivering four criminals unaware that a stranger is following them to seek revenge on those criminals.
Pay-Off at Pinto (Episode 32)
Air date: 1960-05-21
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Bank of Pinto having been robbed hires Josh to go to Santa Fe to replenish the funds.
