1958: NBC Introduces Dandy Lawman 'Bat Masterson'
On this day in 1958, NBC introduced Bat Masterson, a Western-themed series loosely based on the life of real-life frontier lawman William Barclay "Bat" Masterson.
Masterson, as played by star Gene Barry, was not your typical Old West resident. He wore a black derby and expensive Eastern clothing and carried a cane instead of a gun. He was a gambler, a womanizer and a defender of the unjustly accused.
The half-hour show ran four seasons.