Wanted: Dead or Alive
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.
Seasons
1. The Martin Poster
Air Date: 1958-09-06
Josh takes matters into his own hands after Marshall Jeff Wilcox is killed by the Martin brothers.
2. Fatal Memory
Air Date: 1958-09-13
While on the trail of an Army deserter, Josh is surprised to find fake wanted posters for Colonel Sykes; the Army Commander that he served under.
3. The Bounty
Air Date: 1958-09-20
A vicious Bounty Hunter named Daimler is sought by Josh after Daimler gunned down an elderly fugitive.
4. Dead End
Air Date: 1958-09-27
After being hired to apprehend a ranch worker who stole money and disappeared, Josh undercovers more than he bargained for.
5. Passing of Shawnee Bill
Air Date: 1958-10-04
After a crooked poker game, Josh is led to believe that his opponent is Shawnee Bill.
6. The Giveaway Gun
Air Date: 1958-10-11
Josh is looking for an unknown gunman which can only be identified by the peculiar way he draws his gun.
7. Ransom for a Nun
Air Date: 1958-10-18
Mother Superior asks Josh to find Sister Grace who is being held by outlaws.
8. Miracle at Pot Hole
Air Date: 1958-10-25
Josh hands over a criminal to Sheriff Wilson and finds out the sheriff is a crook. He begins to doubt the guilt of his so-called criminal.
9. The Fourth Headstone
Air Date: 1958-11-01
Josh is hired on the help transport a female prisoner who has murdered three men to another jail.
10. Til Death Do Us Part
Air Date: 1958-11-08
Beautiful Stacy Torrance is wanted for the murder of her husband, but when Josh finds her husband still alive he tries to have the charges cleared.
11. The Favor
Air Date: 1958-11-15
Josh searches for a robbery suspect in a town called VanHorne run by outlaws.
12. Ricochet
Air Date: 1958-11-22
Josh is hired to look for a missing husband and ends up in a murder conspiracy.
13. Sheriff of Red Rock
Air Date: 1958-11-29
The Sheriff of Red Rock allows his prisoners to escape, so two bounty hunters can collect the reward and split it three ways.
14. Die by the Gun
Air Date: 1958-12-06
Aboard a stagecoach with prisoner in hand, Josh and the Coach driver are attacked by escapees heading for the Mexican border.
15. Rawhide Breed
Air Date: 1958-12-13
The Kreager brothers are on the trail of Josh and his prisoner, when a sudden attack by Apaches leaves his prisoner dead.
16. Eight Cent Reward
Air Date: 1958-12-20
A poor family with not much and hopes destroyed by storms and rustlers who want their land. Josh tries to help and right at Christmas a small miracle does occur.
17. Drop to Drink
Air Date: 1958-12-27
After a Pony Express carrier is held up and the courier with a $20,000 diamond ring go missing. Josh is hired to find him.
18. Rope Law
Air Date: 1959-01-03
Josh returns with his prisoner Brace Logan and a lynch mob overtakes him. A little too late the townspeople realize that Logan was innocent and that the guilty party is some well respected.
19. Six-Up to Bannach
Air Date: 1959-01-10
Josh is on his way to Bannach to prevent the execution of an innocent man and he must travel by stagecoach one that is carrying boxes of dynamite.
20. The Spur
Air Date: 1959-01-17
Josh is hunting for wanted murderer Vic Warsaw when he finds out that his bounty was gunned down.
21. Reunion for Revenge
Air Date: 1959-01-24
Intent on revenge several escaped convicts confront Josh's prisoner who is responsible for them going to jail.
22. Competition
Air Date: 1959-01-31
Josh is confronted by two bounty hunters who think he is onto a big paying job.
23. Call Your Shot
Air Date: 1959-02-07
Josh is hired by Gabe Henshaw to find his son Will.
24. Secret Ballot
Air Date: 1959-02-14
Randall's old war buddy Ned Easter is running for mayor in a town governed by corrupt mayor Barney Pax and his brother Steve, whom he has made sheriff. The Pax brothers avoid honest competition by shooting up Ned's rallies and such. Ned's wife Carole has summoned Randall to stand by Ned in case of trouble, but doesn't want Ned to know she did so. It so happens that Randall has a wanted poster on Steve, for ""shooting up half of Colorado.""
25. The Corner
Air Date: 1959-02-21
Accused of killing a friend, bounty hunter Josh Randall tries to prove himself innocent.
26. Eager Man
Air Date: 1959-02-28
Fugitive Ted Nelson will surrender to his friend Josh Randall, if his wife shares the reward. Gar Foley also a bounty hunter has other ideas.
27. The Legend
Air Date: 1959-03-07
Josh is hired by Sam McGarrett to lead him with his son and daughter into the Mesa desert to find a hundred year old treasure.
28. Railroaded
Air Date: 1959-03-14
Josh comes to the defense of a boy accused of murdering an Undercover Pinkerton detective aboard the train.
29. Double Fee
Air Date: 1959-03-21
An Opera Singer hires Josh to find her sister who has been kidnapped and is being held ransom.
30. The Kovack Affair
Air Date: 1959-03-28
Josh is called by his old friend Jesse to help Meaghan keep her hotel from the hands of corrupt Kovack.
31. Bounty for a Bride
Air Date: 1959-04-04
A man hires Josh Randall to persuade his daughter to come back home. The girl, who was kidnapped by Indians years before, refuses to return because she feels that the Indians are now her people.
32. Crossroads
Air Date: 1959-04-11
Josh is on the track of a suspected murderer, when the father tries to avert his sons capture.
33. Angels of Vengeance
Air Date: 1959-04-18
Josh kills a young man in self-defense, the victim's father, the head of a religious cult, then orders Josh's death.
34. Littlest Client
Air Date: 1959-04-25
Josh is hired by a 10 year old girl to find her father, she refuses to believe that he is dead.
35. The Conquerers
Air Date: 1959-05-02
A Banker hires Josh to find his runaway son. The boy has joined a mercenary army that preys on small Mexican villages.
36. Amos Carter
Air Date: 1959-05-09
Josh tries to reconcil two families whose feud has reached dangerous proportions.
1. Montana Kid
Air Date: 1959-09-05
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.
2. The Healing Woman
Air Date: 1959-09-12
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.
3. The Matchmaker
Air Date: 1959-09-19
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.
4. Breakout
Air Date: 1959-09-26
Prison officials allow Randall to help Tom Dunn escape in order to retrieve the missing fifty thousand dollars Dunn had stolen.
5. Estralita
Air Date: 1959-10-03
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.
6. The Hostage
Air Date: 1959-10-10
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.
7. The Empty Cell
Air Date: 1959-10-17
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.
8. Bad Gun
Air Date: 1959-10-24
After selling a customer a defective gun, Josh is hired to retrieve the dangerous weapon.
9. The Tyrant
Air Date: 1959-10-31
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.
10. Reckless
Air Date: 1959-11-07
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.
11. Desert Seed
Air Date: 1959-11-14
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).
12. Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse
Air Date: 1959-11-21
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.
13. No Trail Back
Air Date: 1959-11-28
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.
14. Man on Horseback
Air Date: 1959-12-05
Charley Red Cloud is blamed for the murder of Will Bascomb. Bascomb's brother, Merv places a high bounty on Red Cloud.
15. Chain Gang
Air Date: 1959-12-12
After being arrested for a minor offence, Josh is put on the chain gang and put to work on the local mine.
16. Vanishing Act
Air Date: 1959-12-26
On the trail of bank robber Bart McCready, Josh discovers that he is posing as an escape artist named ""The Great Bartolo"".
17. Mental Lapse
Air Date: 1960-01-02
An amnesia victim has posters up asking for help finding information about himself.
18. Angela
Air Date: 1960-01-09
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.
19. The Monster
Air Date: 1960-01-16
Josh goes after an elephant trainer who is using the animal to scare away the whole town so he can rob the town blind.
20. The Most Beautiful Woman
Air Date: 1960-01-23
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.
21. Jason
Air Date: 1960-01-30
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.
22. The Partners
Air Date: 1960-02-06
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.
23. Tolliver Bender
Air Date: 1960-02-13
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.
24. A House Divided
Air Date: 1960-02-20
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.
25. Triple Vice
Air Date: 1960-02-27
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.
26. Black Belt
Air Date: 1960-03-19
Josh goes after a Korean named Sammy Wong wanted for murder. His hands are his deadly weapon, being the karate expert that he is.
27. The Pariah
Air Date: 1960-03-26
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.
28. Vendetta
Air Date: 1960-04-09
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.
29. Death Divided by Three
Air Date: 1960-04-23
Josh and Jason are on the trail of an outlaw wanted for murder in Arizona. The outlaw's wife is also seeking her husband.
30. The Inheritance
Air Date: 1960-04-30
Clint Davis a blind and dying rancher hires Josh to find his renegade son.
31. Prison Trail
Air Date: 1960-05-14
Josh and Jason are delivering four criminals unaware that a stranger is following them to seek revenge on those criminals.
32. Pay-Off at Pinto
Air Date: 1960-05-21
Bank of Pinto having been robbed hires Josh to go to Santa Fe to replenish the funds.
1. The Trial
Air Date: 1960-09-21
Daniel Trenner is wanted for court martial because of his cowardice several men is his platoon lost their lives. Josh is after Trenner for other reasons and wants to stop the trial.
2. The Cure
Air Date: 1960-09-28
Emily Kendrick hires Josh to keep her beloved Harry from drinking himself to death, she has matrimony on her mind and with the arrival of Harry's brother for the wedding, she wants to make sure that all goes as planned.
3. Journey for Josh
Air Date: 1960-10-05
Josh is delivering a female prisoner and becomes smitten with her, unknown to him is her accomplice, who is following them to break her loose.
4. The Looters
Air Date: 1960-10-12
Josh is on his way to River City to pick up three prisoners, when an unexpected tornado destroys the jail, killing the sheriff. Josh is on the hunt to recapture the escapees.
5. The Twain Shall Meet
Air Date: 1960-10-19
Josh allows an Eastern newspaper reporter to go with him on a manhunt for a story.
6. The Showdown
Air Date: 1960-10-26
Johnny Haywood, a childhood friend of Josh's claims to be innocent of the crime he is accused of. When he escapes, Josh is ordered to bring him back - dead or alive.
7. Surprise Witness
Air Date: 1960-11-02
Josh captures a notorious killer but no one wants to testify against him, until a surprise witness come forward, his mother.
8. To the Victor
Air Date: 1960-11-09
Josh is hired by the men of the town to try and persuade the ladies to return to their homes after rebelling against their husbands gunplay.
9. Criss-Cross
Air Date: 1960-11-16
When Josh brings in the wrong man mistakenly and after his release he finds the real criminal notifying Josh of the mans whereabouts.
10. The Medicine Man
Air Date: 1960-11-23
Josh and a phony medicine man help out a man who was framed and falsely accused of the theft of a huge sum of money.
11. One Mother Too Many
Air Date: 1960-12-07
Josh is hired by Beth a widow, to find her runaway son, who is currently in the care of her vindictive mother-in-law.
12. The Choice
Air Date: 1960-12-14
Jane Koster asks Josh's help with her husband, Frank who is also a bounty hunter. He is out looking for Stacy Lenz with a score to settle and Jane fears for his life.
13. Three for One
Air Date: 1960-12-21
Josh with prisoner Tom Fellows in tow, stops in the town of Center City overnight, unaware that one of Tom's cohorts is devising a plan to free him.
14. Witch Woman
Air Date: 1960-12-28
Esperanza is not in love with the notorious Guerra and loves another but is too frightened to tell him because he kills any man who looks at her twice. Josh tries to reason with Guerra.
15. Baa-Baa
Air Date: 1961-01-04
Josh is hired to find Baa-Baa a beloved pet of Mrs. Goode's. Her husband is desperate to find Baa-Baa as he is in the dog house with her until Baa-Baa returns. Josh reluctantly goes and looks for the lost sheep admist much ridicule from other ranchers and cowboys alike.
16. The Last Retreat
Air Date: 1961-01-11
Sarah Lawton's identification led to killer Clem Robinson's conviction. Now Clem has escaped from prison, and Josh is hired for protection by Mrs. Lawton because her lawyer husband is a coward.
17. Bounty on Josh
Air Date: 1961-01-25
Josh is asked to meet a client at the hotel, at his arrival he is shot. Josh tries to figure out who is behind the shooting.
18. Hero in the Dust
Air Date: 1961-02-01
Josh is hired by Harry Weaver to find his twin brother Pete. Pete is using his resemblence to his brother to get away with murder.
19. Epitaph
Air Date: 1961-02-08
Josh has to find his friend a Sheriff guilty of robbing a bank for a woman. Several other bounty hunters are out looking for the sheriff as well, Josh has to get there first.
20. The Voice of Silence
Air Date: 1961-02-15
Josh is hired by Frank Hagen to protect his deaf-mute daughter Carol Hagen while he's away on business. During Josh's stay at the Hagen Farm, he encounters a strange drifter and former bank robber named Harry Brice accompanied by his criminal partners.
21. El Gato
Air Date: 1961-02-22
A timid photographer named Archie Warner comes west with hopes of being the first to shoot a photo of a famous Mexican bandit. Josh happens to be a friend of 'El Gato', and is hired by Archie to met him.
22. Detour
Air Date: 1961-03-01
Martin Fairweather has two lovely daughters which are the objects of a young man's affection. Papa doesn't want to lose his best cook and best cleaner so he proceeds to chase any possible suitors away. Josh's job is to distract Papa long enough for the girls to elope!
23. Monday Morning
Air Date: 1961-03-08
Overridden with guilt Charlie Glover hires Josh to help him return the money he stole from his employer. Complications arise when the head head of operations, Sam Vickers finds out.
24. The Long Search
Air Date: 1961-03-15
Yoshika Nakamura comes west to find a man named Bill Timmons who promised to marry her when he visited Japan. Yoshika hires Josh to help her locate Timmons, and during his venture learns about Japanese culture.
25. Dead Reckoning
Air Date: 1961-03-22
Paul Decker is wanted for murder. His wife asks Josh to find her husband and bring him back alive before the Taggert brothers catch up with him for murdering their brother.
26. Barney's Bounty
Air Date: 1961-03-29
Josh stops at his friend Barney's to get horses for his two prisoners, they manager to escape, leaving Josh and Barney to get them back for the reward.
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Rating
6.9/10
Release Date
1958-09-06
Episodes
94 (3 seasons)
Status
Ended
Cast
Production Companies
Malcolm Enterprises
CBS
Four Stars Productions