Wanted: Dead or Alive
Josh Randall: Bounty Hunter
On CBS
A classic 1950s Western procedural following a lone bounty hunter across the frontier, built on action and pursuit rather than psychological depth or serialized character development.
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.
Questions people ask
Is Wanted: Dead or Alive violent? Somewhat. More violent than 71% of series.
Is Wanted: Dead or Alive sad? Not especially. Less sad than 68% of series.
Does Wanted: Dead or Alive leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is Wanted: Dead or Alive scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is Wanted: Dead or Alive easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Wanted: Dead or Alive
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Wanted: Dead or Alive
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Wanted: Dead or Alive, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Wanted: Dead or Alive, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Wanted: Dead or Alive, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
