The Checkmate TV show was a 60 minute crime, drama series on CBS about three men who worked together in order to stop crimes before they happened. Most of the episodes centered around people whose lives had been threatened or those who felt that, for some reason, they were likely targets for murder.

Checkmate Cast:

Anthony George ............ Don Corey
Doug McClure .............. Jed Sills
Sebastian Cabot ........... Dr. Carl Hyatt
Ken Lynch ................. Lieutenant Thomas Brand
Jack Betts ................ Chris Devlin

Checkmate Trivia:

Checkmate attracted some of the biggest stars in its day to appear as guest stars on the show. They included, Lee Marvin ("M-Squad"), Angie Dickinson ("Police Woman"), David Janssen ("The Fugitive"), Jack Lord ("Hawaii Five-0"), Lloyd Bridges ("Sea Hunt"), Robert Lansing ("12 O'Clock High"), Dorothy Malone ("Peyton Place"), and Elizabeth Montgomery ("Bewitched"), to name just a few!

During season one, "Checkmate Incorporated" operated from Don Corey's chic apartment on Nob Hill with a fantastic view of San Francisco. In season two, they moved to a plush office suite.

The role of Jed Sills (played by Doug McClure) was almost rewritten for a female detective and given to sexy actress Joan O'Brien who once dated Elvis Presley and played the hot, full-figured nurse in the 1959 film, "Operation Petticoat". If Joan had gotten the role, it would have been highly unusual for a female to play such a tough role in the early 1960s.

Checkmate had a big advantage when it premiered as it came on right after a hit legal drama series titled, "Perry Mason". Then, after Checkmate were two of the most popular westerns of that time, "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "Gunsmoke".

Checkmate won an Emmy Award in 1961 for "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design" by art director, "John J. Lloyd". In 1962, Checkmate was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Soundtrack Album or Recording or Score from Motion Picture or Television" for music composed by, "John Williams". Henry Mancini won that award, however, for composing the score for the 1961 film, "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

While Doug McClure had many other starring roles on TV and in films, he's probably best known for his role as "Trampas" on the series, "The Virginian". He went straight from working on "Checkmate" to his role on "The Virginian". No unemployment checks for Doug!

Sebastian Cabot also had a very busy career with more than 100 acting credits! He's probably best known for his role as "Giles French", the "Gentleman's Gentleman" on the series, "Family Affair". Mr. Cabot's most recent starring role on TV was as "Winston Essex", the host of the series, "Ghost Story".

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

The First Season

1. Death Runs Wild (9/17/1960)
2. Interrupted Honeymoon (9/24/1960)
3. The Cyanide Touch (10/1/1960)
4. Lady On The Brink (10/15/1960)
5. Face In The Window (10/22/1960)
6. Runaway (10/29/1960)
7. Target: Tycoon (11/5/1960)
8. The Deadly Shadow (11/12/1960)
9. The Dark Divide (11/19/1960)
10. Moment Of Truth (11/26/1960)
11. The Mask Of Vengeance (12/3/1960)
12. The Murder Game (12/17/1960)
13. The Princess In The Tower (12/31/1960)
14. The Terror From The East (1/7/1961)
15. The Human Touch (1/14/1961)
16. Hour Of Execution (1/21/1961)
17. Don't Believe A Word She Says (1/28/1961)
18. Laugh Till I Die (2/4/1961)
19. Between Two Guns (2/11/1961)
20. A Matter Of Conscience (2/18/1961)
21. Melody For Murder (2/25/1961)
22. Phantom Lover (3/4/1961)
23. The Gift (3/11/1961)
24. One For The Book (3/18/1961)
25. The Paper Killer (3/25/1961)
26. Jungle Castle (4/1/1961)
27. The Deadly Science (4/8/1961)
28. Goodbye Grief (4/15/1961)
29. Dance Of Death (4/22/1961)
30. Voyage Into Fear (5/6/1961)
31. Tight As A Drum (5/13/1961)
32. Death By Design (5/20/1961)
33. The Thrill Seeker (5/27/1961)
34. Hot Wind In A Cold Town (6/10/1961)
35. A Slight Touch Of Venom (6/17/1961)
36. State Of Shock (6/24/1961)

The Second Season

37. Portrait Of A Man Running (10/4/1961)
38. The Button-Down Break (10/11/1961)
39. The Heat Of Passion (10/18/1961)
40. Waiting For Jocko (10/25/1961)
41. Through A Dark Glass (11/1/1961)
42. Juan Moreno's Body (11/8/1961)
43. Kill The Sound (11/15/1961)
44. The Crimson Pool (11/22/1961)
45. The Two Of Us (11/29/1961)
46. Death Beyond Recall (12/6/1961)
47. Nice Guys Finish Last (12/13/1961)
48. To The Best Of My Recollection (12/27/1961)
49. A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To The Game (1/3/1962)
50. Star System (1/10/1962)
51. The Renaissance Of Gussie Hill (1/17/1962)
52. Very Rough Sketch (1/24/1962)
53. The Yacht Club Gang (1/30/1962)
54. Death Beyond Recall (2/7/1962)
55. The Sound Of Nervous Laughter (2/14/1962)
56. An Assassin Arrives, Andante (2/21/1962)
57. Remembrance Of Crimes Past (2/28/1962)
58. Heart Is A Handout (3/7/1962)
59. Shades Of Hamlet (3/14/1962)
60. A Chant Of Silence (3/21/1962)
61. Trial By Midnight (3/28/1962)
62. Ride A Wild Horse (4/4/1962)
63. So Beats My Plastic Heart (4/11/1962)
64. In A Foreign Quarter (4/18/1962)
65. Referendum On Murder (4/25/1962)
66. The Someday Man (5/2/1962)
67. Rendezvous In Washington (5/9/1962)
68. The Bold And The Tough (5/16/1962)
69. Will The Real Killer Please Stand Up? (5/23/1962)
70. Side By Side (5/30/1962)
71. Down The Gardenia Path (6/6/1962)