A true legend of the Wild West, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok has been portrayed in numerous films and television series. The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok aired during the golden age of TV Westerns, for eight seasons during the 1950s.

Guy Madison played the title role and the show was inspired by Wild Bill's wild life, but wasn't too concerned with historical accuracy. Madison was too handsome for some critics who were obviously well-acquainted with the real Wild Bill's scary-looking puss but the actor pulled off the role with rugged daring and dignity. Bringing in the laughs was Wild Bill's sidekick, Jingles, who served as comic relief for the dour gunslinger. Andy Devine, host of popular kids' show Andy's Gang, played the role of Jingles

The two friends traveled the West on their trusty steeds, Buckshot and Joker (guess which belonged to whom) and fought off the various criminal elements that were so common in the lawless territories. For the first five years of the series' broadcast, Madison and Devine also played Hickok and Jingles on the radio version of the show, ensuring that all fans of Westerns got their fill of action and adventure whether they owned a TV or not.

Wild Bill Hickok proved so popular that it moved from syndication to network play during the last few seasons. Many of the episodes were also re-edited into feature length films, like The Titled Tenderfoot and Border City Rustlers, shown in movie theaters.