Bat Masterson
Double Showdown (Pilot)
TV Flash files “Double Showdown (Pilot)” as a desk essential hour — Bat Masterson (1958–1961) on NBC, season 1, episode 1, aired 1958-10-08, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S01E01: listed hour 1 of 108 in the Bat Masterson guide, first listed hour of season 1. It aired 1958-10-08 (30 min). No earlier hour is listed in this guide. Next is “Two Graves for Swan Valley” (S01E02).
Essential hour: “Double Showdown (Pilot)”. Double Showdown (Pilot): derby and gold-tipped cane, Barry's dandy lawman fighting with style, fashion already a plot point.
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
Bat responds to cry for help when a friend's small gambling house is threatened by rival casino owned by Big Keel Roberts. Roberts suggest that he and Bat play one hand of poker, with the winner gaining ownership of both casinos.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Double Showdown (Pilot) sit in the Bat Masterson guide?
S01E01 is listed hour 1 of 108 — first listed hour of season 1, season 1 episode 1.
When did Bat Masterson S01E01 air?
Double Showdown (Pilot) aired 1958-10-08 and is listed at 30 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with Barry's derby and cane. The dandy-lawman brief is visual immediately; style is the premise, not a subplot.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Bat Masterson gave Gene Barry a derby, a gold-tipped cane, and a dandy lawman who fought with style. Urban polish in a cowboy field; fashion as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. Watch it now as the western that dressed up — proof the genre could sell a natty hero instead of another dusty hat.
The merch is the cane. Bat Masterson (NBC, 1958–1961) gave Gene Barry a derby, a gold-tipped cane, and a dandy lawman who fought with style — **108 episodes, three seasons**, urban polish in a cowboy field, fashion as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. Frank Pittman and Andy White. Loosely inspired by the historical Bat Masterson's colorful career. Natty hero instead of another dusty hat. The cane was not a joke; it was the brand. Rex will toast the West. The chart toasts a **dressed-up SKU** that diversified…
Filed against
- Gene Barry as Bat Masterson
Gene Barry's Bat Masterson wore a derby and a gold-tipped cane into a 1950s cowboy field — a dandy lawman who fought with style when the genre usually sold dust. Urban polish as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. TV Flash files him as…