Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958)

Name: Wanted: Dead or Alive
Genre: Western
Rating: 8
Cast: Steve McQueen

Western

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.

IMDb rating: 8.0 (3,224 votes)
Episode average: 7.7 -0.3 vs IMDb
Seasons: 3
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 3 seasons indexed

Cast

Steve McQueen Josh Randall

Seasons

Season 1 (1958)

7.62 avg 36 episodes 7.5 → 7.5 25 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Martin Poster	7.5	305
2	Fatal Memory	7.4	238
3	The Bounty	7.9	219
4	Dead End	7.3	182
5	Passing of Shawnee Bill	7.6	185
6	The Giveaway Gun	7.9	193
7	Ransom for a Nun	7.4	215
8	Miracle at Pot Hole	7.7	190
9	The Fourth Headstone	8.1	227
10	Til Death Do Us Part	7.4	206
11	The Favor	8.0	185
12	Ricochet	7.6	177
13	Sheriff of Red Rock	8.0	178
14	Die by the Gun	8.0	189
15	Rawhide Breed	7.6	166
16	Eight Cent Reward	7.8	217
17	Drop to Drink	7.7	166
18	Rope Law	7.9	167
19	Six-Up to Bannach	8.0	180
20	The Spurs	7.7	181
21	Reunion for a Revenge	7.5	188
22	Competition	7.6	159
23	Call Your Shot	8.0	165
24	Secret Ballot	7.2	159
25	The Corner	7.5	140
26	Eager Man	7.3	155
27	The Legend	7.8	179
28	Railroaded	8.0	175
29	Double Fee	7.1	149
30	The Kovack Affair	8.0	171
31	Bounty for a Bride	6.6	160
32	Crossroads	7.7	154
33	Angels of Vengeance	7.3	166
34	Littlest Client	7.4	161
35	The Conquerors	7.3	142
36	Amos Carter	7.5	165

Season 2 (1959)

7.69 avg 32 episodes 7.9 → 7.5 27 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Montana Kid	7.9	170
2	The Healing Woman	7.5	154
3	The Matchmaker	7.5	158
4	Breakout	7.9	156
5	Estralita	7.7	150
6	The Hostage	8.1	175
7	The Empty Cell	8.1	168
8	Bad Gun	8.0	144
9	The Tyrant	8.1	146
10	Reckless	7.2	135
11	Desert Seed	7.9	133
12	Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse	7.6	134
13	No Trail Back	7.4	137
14	Man on Horseback	8.0	140
15	Chain Gang	7.8	150
16	Vanishing Act	7.8	151
17	Mental Lapse	7.7	124
18	Angela	7.7	158
19	The Monster	7.4	160
20	Most Beautiful Woman	7.6	139
21	Jason	7.9	156
22	The Partners	7.6	128
23	Tolliver Bender	7.6	157
24	A House Divided	7.4	131
25	Triple Vise	7.1	126
26	Black Belt	7.5	135
27	The Pariah	7.4	149
28	Vendetta	7.9	140
29	Death Divided by Three	7.6	139
30	The Inheritance	7.7	128
31	Prison Trail	8.1	147
32	Pay-off at Pinto	7.5	117

Season 3 (1960)

7.62 avg 26 episodes 7.7 → 7.7 25 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Trial	7.7	158
2	The Cure	7.0	133
3	Journey for Josh	7.9	159
4	The Looters	7.8	143
5	The Twain Shall Meet	8.1	163
6	The Showdown	7.4	124
7	Surprise Witness	7.5	122
8	To the Victor	6.7	131
9	Criss Cross	7.6	115
10	The Medicine Man	7.4	132
11	One Mother Too Many	7.5	147
12	The Choice	7.8	143
13	Three for One	8.0	138
14	Witch Woman	7.3	137
15	Baa-Baa	7.2	137
16	The Last Retreat	7.6	152
17	Bounty on Josh	8.1	144
18	Hero in the Dust	7.7	132
19	Epitaph	7.8	138
20	The Voice of Silence	8.4	190
21	El Gato	7.7	123
22	Detour	7.5	135
23	Monday Morning	7.8	116
24	The Long Search	7.0	139
25	Dead Reckoning	8.0	112
26	Barney's Bounty	7.7	127