Wanted: Dead or Alive

1958

Seasons & Episodes

  • 3
  • 2
  • 1

8| 0h30m| TV-G| en
Synopsis

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.

Director

Producted By

CBS

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Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews
Tacticalin An absolute waste of money
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
strykker5410-990-699708 As a Boomer, McQueen's always been on my radar just from Bullit alone. Then I read Greg Laurie's 2017 biography of the man, further piquing my interest. Laurie mentioned this series which, being born in '54, was on when I was too young to remember it. Do remember seeing it in the listings on late at night cable, but never caught it, and never knew it was even a western, let alone starring McQueen. The guy has the "It" factor, as we all know. Like Charles Bronson, Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, he's the good-hearted loner we're always rooting for. But what I've really come to enjoy, some nine episodes into the 94 episode DVD set is the co-stars that boomers will recognize. Alan Hale Jr (The Skipper!), Michael Landon, and Clair Griswald so far, many more to come. This was Clair's first appearance on TV and even dressed as a nun, you could see she had the chops to become quite an actress. Her chemistry with McQueen is there too. Just a great series, corny sure, but just watching McQueen ride a horse, move, shoot, and flash that smile of his just makes for great 'stretch out on the couch and relax ax' back-in-the-day video; black and white film, no CGI, raw sex, psycho violence, and when good or bad was just as plain black or white. We miss Steve McQueen.
laroche-3 "Wanted-Dead or Alive" was a half hour western series appearing on CBS television for three seasons from 1958-1961. The series actually got its start as an episode of another popular TV series of the time, "Trackdown", during the second half of the '57-'58 TV season. "Wanted-Dead or Alive" starred Steve McQueen as bounty hunter Josh Randall in what was a very good start to an outstanding acting career in feature films. As played by McQueen, Josh Randall was the most laconic of a broad television landscape of would-be laconic western series heroes.Josh Randall carried a sawed-off 44/40 Winchester carbine (his "Mare's Leg", as he called it) on his hip instead of the traditional Colt 45 pistol. This of course played into the TV "cool factor" as his weapon made a much louder, more devastating sound when fired and of course had much more "stopping power" upon impact with the intended victim. Cool! Although "Wanted-Dead or Alive" was truly nothing out of the ordinary in terms of content or quality compared to other like fare of the period but Steve McQueen as Josh Randall and his unique weapon made this a "must watch" series. Only Paladin was better and "cooler" than Josh.
Ralph Take my review with some grains of salt as I haven't watched the whole series yet (got the entire run from a collector and watching the first season now), and other than vague recollections from youthful viewings (not a good sign that I don't remember more), I'm sorry but I don't see much interest to keep watching "Wanted Dead Or Alive". To clarify my background since most other reviewers here have done theirs, I watch WDOA in the 70's and 80's in the odd repeat on syndicated TV channels, and I only remembered it had Steve McQueen and a cool gun, a sawed off Winchester. With that said, I also watched shows such as Have Gun Will Travel, Bonanza, and The Rifleman, two of which were 30 minute western dramas aired during the same years as WDOA. Unlike WDOA, I remembered a lot of details of those other shows, the reason being, character development. I don't blame McQueen, he was a starting actor, and his persona is clearly evident thankfully or else this would be totally forgettable. But other than the cool intro and ending credits that's all I remember from my youth of this show. 30 minute (really 23 minute when you take out the commercials) are tough to do, they require a really fast intro and usually need some heavy moral dilemma to make a memorable impact as good drama. HGWT and Rifleman did this very well, WDOA does have a little of this but the level of morality and injustice doesn't come close to those other two shows. Maybe its that or maybe its that Josh is a bounty hunter who isn't seen making a whole lot of money like Pallidan does, so the show looses realism. I don't know, I can't put my finger on it, but if the show's selling point is the gun, it looses that point to the other two shows as well, since in the few episodes I've watched recently, I'm really loosing interest, Josh uses the gun as a club more than a gun. Rifleman showed what a man could do with a rifle quick so the point of sawing it off seems really stupid, I'd just use a pistol and also a rifle. Palladin has a wicked creep when he's ready to draw, I do NOT want to mess with him in a draw! Anyway, if your looking for the best of the 30 minute westerns, I'd check out those other two shows first. I'm still a big McQueen fan, when his material is good.
clinteastwood3202 Wanted: Dead or Alive has always been my favourite TV western. I first watched it as a seven year old in the mid '60s, even then it was in reruns.Right from the start the show had the coolest lead-in ever with the camera focused squarely on Josh Randall's 'hogleg' as he slowly walks up to a wanted poster and rips it away from the board. There was something 'mighty' intriguing about the lone bounty hunter who brought in many more bad guys alive than dead. And then there was that sawed-off Winchester '86 and those large 45-70 caliber cartridges. I never did figure out how Josh could load so fast. It couldn't have taken more than three rounds in its magazine, but Josh could easily get off four or five rounds in rapid succession. What about Josh's horse? He/she seemed to prefer to walk sideways but could back up as well as Trigger. Great memories, no doubt. I've viewed countless westerns over the years and I am firmly convinced that absolutely no one but Steve McQueen could have played TV's purest bounty hunter. Todays version is colourized and I think that's fantastic. Even my kids will sit and watch from time to time.