The television series "The Wild,Wild West",represented CBS at it's most daring that in 1965,creator-producer Michael Garrison developed a television show like no other. A show that was part Western and part Espionage/Spy genre with elements of Ian Fleming, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Louis L'Amour,and Lewis Carroll. A series that came at the peak of the James Bond/007 craze not to mention when there were a slew of espionage shows on all three television networks when it was virtually inundated with 'secret agent' series with "The Man From UNCLE" becoming the most successful. Not to mention other espionage-spy laced series that were dazzling and eye-popping ranging from "The Avengers","The Saint","Danger Man","I Spy",and some that were not like the short-lived "Amos Burke,Secret Agent",just to name a few. But the most unabashedly entertaining series of the genre was also the most far fetched that stood out from all the rest. Set in the 1870's in the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant,the series featured two secret service agents operating out of private train with an assortment of special gadgets while saving the nation and the world from the forces of evil.
"The Wild,Wild West" lived up to its title,and had more imagination,romance, and exciting action-packed episodes than any other series of it's day. Created and Produced by Michael Garrison along with Producers John Mantley, Phillip Leacock, Bruce Lansbury, Gene L.Coon, and Leonard Katzman(who served as Executive Producer),the series aired on September 17,1965 and was placed in prime-time on CBS' Friday night schedule for the remainder of it's run,lasting four seasons on the air and producing 104 episodes until it's abrupt cancellation on April 11, 1969. Out of the 104 episodes that this series produced only 26 episodes in it's first season were telecast in black and white from September 17,1965 until April 22, 1966. Seasons 2 thru 4 produced 78 color episodes that ran from September 16, 1966 until April 11, 1969.
The Espionage/Western series starred Robert Conrad(of "Hawaiian Eye") as James West,the dedicated,handsome,resourceful secret agent. While Conrad's acting skills stood out as impressive,he was in superb physical condition for the part,and performed all of his own stunts, throughout the series entire run. Dressed in a waist coat and tight toreador pants he exuded a sex appeal that no other star of that decade could match. His partner,Artemus Gordon,was portrayed by respected character actor Ross Martin(an actor with impeccable credentials ranging from his work in television series like "Mr. Lucky",to his guest star appearances on "The Twilight Zone","Bonanza","Peter Gunn","One Step Beyond","Naked City",and "Richard Diamond",along with his theatrical work in such movies as "The Great Race","An Experiment In Terror", and "Geronimo" just to name a few)who was the master of disguise.
The premise of the show was simple with episodes entitled "The Night Of.." in which this week's villain or villainess would come up with a nefarious scheme that would involved weapons of mass destruction or a murder or an attempt to assassinate a politician that brings our leading agents West and Gordon to solve either the mystery of clues or a murder of who done it in the meantime while our heroes would have to defeat the henchmen(group of stuntman who would reappear in every episode in a variety of disguises),while West ends up seducing the inevitably girl in distress who is involved with the villain's schemes. Each episode would feature several spectacular fight scenes between West and the henchmen,or one or two disguises for Gordon where our heroes are captured by the villain which leads to a climax where our heroes,held prisoner or trapped inside one of the villain's surprise chambers would find a clever means to escape with an incredible array of special gadgets. Once freed,they solve the mystery or the murder that goes along with the plot and towards the end they end up in another spectacular fight scene with West or Gordon destroying the villain's weapon of destruction or having a bare-knucking climated fight cliffhanger between West and the villain while West and Gordon captures our evil villain or villainess and they henchmen to justice.
Many of Hollywood's legendary actors ranging from Boris Karloff to Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Victor Buono, Ida Lupino,and Ted Knight would guest star as this week's villain,but the one actor who became the most popular,by far,and would reappear the most frequently throughout the show's entire run was the brilliantly funny,unpredictable,yet evil dwarf Dr. Miguelito Loveless,portrayed by the gifted actor Michael Dunn who became more popular than Conrad and Martin,but what made the show stand out was the Loveless episodes of the series which were the most stylish and entertaining. Not to mention as far as guest stars go,Robert Conrad recruited his former "Hawaiian Eye" stars for several episodes with included Anthony Eisley and Connie Stevens. Not to mention other guest stars from Jim Backus, Alan Hale, Jr., Dabbs Greer, Ray Walston, Martin Landau, Leslie Nielsen, Carroll O'Connor, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tina Louise, Dawn Wells, Ricardo Montalban, Suzanne Pleshette, William Windom, John Dehner, Yvonne Craig, Richard Pryor, Michelle Carey, Pernell Roberts, and Keenan Wynn just to name a few that made guest star appearances on the show.
The phenomenal success of "The Wild,Wild West" holds a unique position among the spy shows of the 1960's with a huge fan base that is extremely loyal and to those babyboomers who remember watching the show during it's run on CBS. The success after it's cancellation spawned two made for television movies in 1979 with "The Wild,Wild West Revisited" and in 1980 with "More Wild,Wild West" featuring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin in their original roles. A show that even 50 years after its debut still entertains. Happy Anniversary to "The Wild,Wild,West"
"The Wild,Wild West" lived up to its title,and had more imagination,romance, and exciting action-packed episodes than any other series of it's day. Created and Produced by Michael Garrison along with Producers John Mantley, Phillip Leacock, Bruce Lansbury, Gene L.Coon, and Leonard Katzman(who served as Executive Producer),the series aired on September 17,1965 and was placed in prime-time on CBS' Friday night schedule for the remainder of it's run,lasting four seasons on the air and producing 104 episodes until it's abrupt cancellation on April 11, 1969. Out of the 104 episodes that this series produced only 26 episodes in it's first season were telecast in black and white from September 17,1965 until April 22, 1966. Seasons 2 thru 4 produced 78 color episodes that ran from September 16, 1966 until April 11, 1969.
The Espionage/Western series starred Robert Conrad(of "Hawaiian Eye") as James West,the dedicated,handsome,resourceful secret agent. While Conrad's acting skills stood out as impressive,he was in superb physical condition for the part,and performed all of his own stunts, throughout the series entire run. Dressed in a waist coat and tight toreador pants he exuded a sex appeal that no other star of that decade could match. His partner,Artemus Gordon,was portrayed by respected character actor Ross Martin(an actor with impeccable credentials ranging from his work in television series like "Mr. Lucky",to his guest star appearances on "The Twilight Zone","Bonanza","Peter Gunn","One Step Beyond","Naked City",and "Richard Diamond",along with his theatrical work in such movies as "The Great Race","An Experiment In Terror", and "Geronimo" just to name a few)who was the master of disguise.
The premise of the show was simple with episodes entitled "The Night Of.." in which this week's villain or villainess would come up with a nefarious scheme that would involved weapons of mass destruction or a murder or an attempt to assassinate a politician that brings our leading agents West and Gordon to solve either the mystery of clues or a murder of who done it in the meantime while our heroes would have to defeat the henchmen(group of stuntman who would reappear in every episode in a variety of disguises),while West ends up seducing the inevitably girl in distress who is involved with the villain's schemes. Each episode would feature several spectacular fight scenes between West and the henchmen,or one or two disguises for Gordon where our heroes are captured by the villain which leads to a climax where our heroes,held prisoner or trapped inside one of the villain's surprise chambers would find a clever means to escape with an incredible array of special gadgets. Once freed,they solve the mystery or the murder that goes along with the plot and towards the end they end up in another spectacular fight scene with West or Gordon destroying the villain's weapon of destruction or having a bare-knucking climated fight cliffhanger between West and the villain while West and Gordon captures our evil villain or villainess and they henchmen to justice.
Many of Hollywood's legendary actors ranging from Boris Karloff to Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Victor Buono, Ida Lupino,and Ted Knight would guest star as this week's villain,but the one actor who became the most popular,by far,and would reappear the most frequently throughout the show's entire run was the brilliantly funny,unpredictable,yet evil dwarf Dr. Miguelito Loveless,portrayed by the gifted actor Michael Dunn who became more popular than Conrad and Martin,but what made the show stand out was the Loveless episodes of the series which were the most stylish and entertaining. Not to mention as far as guest stars go,Robert Conrad recruited his former "Hawaiian Eye" stars for several episodes with included Anthony Eisley and Connie Stevens. Not to mention other guest stars from Jim Backus, Alan Hale, Jr., Dabbs Greer, Ray Walston, Martin Landau, Leslie Nielsen, Carroll O'Connor, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tina Louise, Dawn Wells, Ricardo Montalban, Suzanne Pleshette, William Windom, John Dehner, Yvonne Craig, Richard Pryor, Michelle Carey, Pernell Roberts, and Keenan Wynn just to name a few that made guest star appearances on the show.
The phenomenal success of "The Wild,Wild West" holds a unique position among the spy shows of the 1960's with a huge fan base that is extremely loyal and to those babyboomers who remember watching the show during it's run on CBS. The success after it's cancellation spawned two made for television movies in 1979 with "The Wild,Wild West Revisited" and in 1980 with "More Wild,Wild West" featuring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin in their original roles. A show that even 50 years after its debut still entertains. Happy Anniversary to "The Wild,Wild,West"