Markham is an American crime drama series starring Ray Milland, which aired on CBS from May 2, 1959, until September 22, 1960, following Gunsmoke on Saturday nights (later appearing on Thursday nights at 9:30 P.M. Eastern, after January 1960), under the sponsorship of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. At the beginning of the second season, Liggett & Myers became an alternate sponsor, succeeded by Renault when the series moved to Thursdays.
Plot Milland played private investigator and attorney Roy Markham (previously introduced in a June 1958 Suspicion episode, "Eye For An Eye", itself based on a Leigh Brackett novel). In that Markham had been a successful lawyer, he had the leisure to take detective cases based on his own interest. His fees could vary from the very considerable for his wealthier and corporate clients, to nothing for those who desperately needed his services but had few financial means. Markham's cases could take him almost anywhere in the world, although he was based in New York City.
In the early episodes of this program, Markham had an assistant, John Riggs (Simon Scott), but the Riggs character was written out after only eight programs had aired. From then on Markham solved crimes solo.
Guest stars Dayton Lummis appeared as Howard Fulton in the 1959 episode titled "The Father". Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., played Chief Gomez in the 1959 episode "The Bay of the Dead". Carole Mathews appeared as Jan Van Pelt in another 1959 episode, "The Glass Diamond". Elen Willard—as Ellen Willard—appeared as Markham's niece, Deidre Waugh, in the series' penultimate episode, "The Bad Spell", in September 1960."Tonight's Viewing: Booby Traps Plague Markham". Fort Lauderdale News. September 8, 1960. p. 10-B. Retrieved January 12, 2026. "[T]onight's Markham features some intricate booby traps. [...] In this one, Ray Milland gets a niece (Ellen Willard) who walks around in a towel and almost steps into a booby trap herself." See also: "Tonight's TV Tips". The Los Angeles Mirror. September 15, 1960. pt. II, p. 10. "Slipping in a rerun in what has otherwise been a Summer series of new films. This one, first shown March 3, finds private investigator Roy Markham at the mercy of an insanely jealous husband." "The Journal Pre-Views Tonight's TV". The Jersey Journal. September 22, 1960. p. 23. "9:30 2 MARKHAM: Last year a winner, and this year a man with a dropped option. That's the fate of Ray Milland who bids adieu with Markham this week, the victim of a switch in time slot. The last show is based very loosely on the Anastasia caper with Erika Peters, a Swiss actress, putting in a winning performance."
Episodes Season 1 (1959)
Season 2 (1959–60)
Production Warren Duff and Joe Sistrom were the show's producers.
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