A late entry in the television Western boom of the late 1950s. Shotgun Slade was unlike other show heroes. He wasn't a Marshal, Sheriff, or gunfighter for hire, but Slade was a private detective, hired to track down criminals, return stolen money, or solve mysteries surrounding the death of townspeople. The show had more in common with shows like Peter Gunn (1958) and 77 Sunset Strip (1958), than Gunsmoke (1955) and Bonanza (1959). This show depended on strong characters and storylines than action.