Bat Masterson
License to Cheat
TV Flash files “License to Cheat” as hour 17 of 108 in the TV Flash guide — Bat Masterson (1958–1961) on NBC, season 1, episode 17, aired 1959-02-04, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S01E17: listed hour 17 of 108 in the Bat Masterson guide, hour 17 of 37 in season 1. It aired 1959-02-04 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “A Personal Matter” (S01E16). Next is “Sharpshooter” (S01E18).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
Bat sees a poker game break up when a player accuses the dealer of cheating. Bat learns that all the games in town are rigged with the Sheriff collecting a payoff so Bat tries to start an honest game but he is jailed and banned from cards.
Viewer FAQ
Where does License to Cheat sit in the Bat Masterson guide?
S01E17 is listed hour 17 of 108 — hour 17 of 37 in season 1, season 1 episode 17.
When did Bat Masterson S01E17 air?
License to Cheat aired 1959-02-04 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…