 There is some controversy among scholars of movie serials whether  this is a serial or a television series. It was originally intended  as a TV series, but contractual obligations forced Republic Pictures  to give it a theatrical release before allowing it to be broadcast  on TV. While each episode bears a "number" and title, the episodes  do not end in "cliffhangers", a hallmark of the classic movie  serial. Unlike TV series of that period, though, the episodes are  not completely self contained