The Best Episodes of Checkmate
Every episode of Checkmate ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Checkmate!
Checkmate is an American detective television series starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes and was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue Studios. Guest stars included Charles Laughton, Peter Lorre, and Lee Marvin, among many other commensurately prominent performers.
Top Episode Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Checkmate" is "The Murder Game", rated 8/10 from 15 user votes. It was directed by Douglas Heyes and written by Douglas Heyes. "The Murder Game" aired on 12/17/1960 and is rated 0.2 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Don't Believe a Word She Says".
8.0/10 15 votes#1 - The Murder Game
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/17/1960
Attorney Emory Olivant invites Corey, Sills and Dr. Hyatt to a party. Once all the guests have arrived, Olivant announces that they are going to play a game—a murder game in which he will be the killer.
Director: Douglas Heyes
Writer: Douglas Heyes
- 7.8/10 16 votes
#2 - Don't Believe a Word She Says
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/28/1961
No description available
Director: Sidney Lanfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 33 votes
#3 - Voyage Into Fear
Season 1 Episode 30 - Aired 5/6/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 17 votes
#4 - To the Best of My Recollection
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/27/1961
An amnesiac woman is taken home from the hospital by a man claiming to be her husband, but the woman doesn't believe that she could be his wife, and despite her memory lapse believes she has reason to fear for her life. Checkmate investigates.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/10 20 votes
#5 - Runaway
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/1960
No description available
Director: Don Medford
Writer: James Gunn
- 7.6/10 19 votes
#6 - One for the Book
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 3/18/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/10 19 votes
#7 - Portrait of a Man Running
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 10/4/1961
A fictional state governor running for re-election stages a phony assassination attempt to boost his chances for victory, and hires Checkmate, ostensibly for protection, but in reality to provide an appearance of credibility. The governor's son is vocal in opposing his father's tactics, but dutifully goes along, mindful of a future political career of his own. Meanwhile, as the campaign winds down, a real threat to the governor's life emerges from within his own campaign.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 23 votes
#8 - Lady on the Brink
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1960
Checkmate comes to the aid of a woman with a traumatic past when it becomes evident that someone is trying to make it appear she's mentally unstable. discrediting her eye-witness testimony at a murder trial.
Director: N/A
Writer: Howard Browne
- 7.5/10 19 votes
#9 - Tight As a Drum
Season 1 Episode 31 - Aired 5/13/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 13 votes
#10 - Referendum on Murder
Season 2 Episode 28 - Aired 4/25/1962
Checkmate is hired by a woman to protect her husband, Stephen Jordan, who publishes a newspaper opposed to a referendum on legalized gambling in the city of Midvale. He has been receiving death threats and, thanks to Dr. Hyatt, survived an attempt to kill him by poisoning. The culprit at first is thought to be a supporter of the referendum, but there may be something in Jordan's past that could shed light on a different motive.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.3/10 28 votes
#11 - Death Runs Wild
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/17/1960
Story tells of a demented woman out to kill private eye Anthony George. The instrument of death, as it turned out, was, a wild stallion she stocked on her ranch. Her motive was revenge. On a previous case, the private eye had brought her lover to justice and the gas chamber.
Director: Jules Munshin, Jules Bricken
Writer: James Gunn, John Kneubuhl
- 7.3/10 14 votes
#12 - The Button Down Break
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/11/1961
Luther Gage, an egomaniacal, methodical killer whom Dr. Hyatt helped send to prison, vows revenge and conducts a plot planned to the last detail to carry it out. Checkmate employs the services of Chris Devlin, seen here for the first time, to enter the prison posing as a new inmate to figure out and thwart Gage's plan.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/10 23 votes
#13 - Waiting for Jocko
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/1961
Jocko, a man whom Dr. Hyatt recommended be remanded to a psychiatric facility for treatment at his parole hearing five years earlier, still holds a grudge, believing that Hyatt wanted him confined for life as a psychopath. On his birthday, Hyatt gets a surprise visit from Jocko, who holds him at gunpoint with the intention of forcing him to concoct nitro for deadly use.
Director: Don Taylor
Writer: Juarez Roberts
- 7.2/10 16 votes
#14 - The Star System
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 1/10/1962
Jed poses as a publicity man on a movie set to keep a close watch on suicidal actress Vicky Page, accused of trying to kill another actress who she suspects is having an affair with her boyfriend, director Ernie Chapin.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/10 15 votes
#15 - Remembrance of Crimes Past
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 2/28/1962
Karen Vale, who served five years for acting as a courier for enemy agents, is staying at a halfway house for women run by a senator's widow, Mrs. Creighton, and faces the hostility of her fellow citizens and from protesters outside the house. Mrs. Creighton hires Checkmate to protect her. In the course of their services, the Checkmate team finds Karen's greatest threat is from her former comrades who have infiltrated the protesters and even the house itself to try and bring her back into their circle, or eliminate her.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 29 votes
#16 - Interrupted Honeymoon
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/24/1960
No description available
Director: Herschel Daugherty
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 24 votes
#17 - Face in the Window
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/1960
No description available
Director: Robert Florey
Writer: Leigh Brackett
- 7.1/10 47 votes
#18 - The Human Touch
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/14/1961
Arguably the finest episode of the series, featuring guest star Peter Lorre as an ex-con criminal mastermind determined to wreak revenge on master criminologist Sebastian Cabot. An intricate series of cat and mouse moves between the two geniuses culminates in a surprise and ultimately poignant ending, befitting the episode title. This episode stresses the close friendships between the three detectives of CHECKMATE INCORPORATED as it contrasts with that of the brilliant, but soulless Lorre. Directing, writing and acting are all exemplary.
Director: Don Weis
Writer: James Gunn
- 7.1/10 18 votes
#19 - Laugh Till I Die
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/4/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 13 votes
#20 - Phantom Lover
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/4/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 15 votes
#21 - The Deadly Silence
Season 1 Episode 27 - Aired 4/8/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 16 votes
#22 - Goodbye Griff
Season 1 Episode 28 - Aired 4/15/1961
""Ex-convict Griff Nolan is jealous because his wife Libby earns more as a magazine editor than he does as a mechanic. More domestic strife develops when Griff becomes jealous of Libby's boss Lewis Bates --- and buys a gun."" -- TV Guide
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 14 votes
#23 - The Thrill Seeker
Season 1 Episode 33 - Aired 5/27/1961
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/10 15 votes
#24 - Through a Dark Glass
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 11/1/1961
Gina Burton is a photo-journalist who has pictures that prove sensitive to a prominent men's club. In an effort to fend off an intruder trying to gain possession of the pictures while she's developing them, she accidentally gets acid in her eyes, resulting in permanent blindness. Hired to provide protection, Corey also helps her cope with her blindness.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: Richard De Roy
- 7.1/10 17 votes
#25 - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Game
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 1/3/1962
In a mostly comedic episode, Jack Benny guest stars as Jack Bowen, a beloved TV comedian much like Benny himself, who is serving as the Grand Marshal of the Pioneer Bowl Parade and football game. Also in town for the big game is the Checkmate team, and while there they end up mixing business with pleasure after Jack becomes the apparent target of a would-be assassin.
Director: Don Taylor
Writer: N/A