The WILD, WILD WEST

   US tv series (1965-9). A Michael Garrison Production/CBS TV. Created Michael Garrison. Prods Garrison, Fred Freiberger, Gene L. Coon, Collier Young, John MANTLEY, Bruce Lansbury. Writers included Henry Sharp, John Kneubuhl, Ken Kolb, Ken Pettus. Dirs included Paul Wendkos, Richard Donner, Irving Moore, Robert Sparr, Alan Crosland Jr, Marvin Chomsky. 4 seasons; 104 50min episodes. Season 1 b/w; colour thereafter.

   An amusing, sophisticated and successful mixture of Western and secret-agent fantasy, TWWW series had Robert Conrad playing Jim West, an 1870s James Bond. Theplots usually involved anachronistic, futuristic devices and often featured mad scientists attempting to overthrow the government, using everything from manmade earthquakes to time machines. At its best TWWW had something of the bizarre quality of The AVENGERS (1961-8), to which it was the nearest US equivalent, but its stylization was not always light or witty enough. Low-angle shooting and clever use of sets ensured a genuine sense of decadent menace in the more baroque episodes. Michael Dunn played an often reappearing villain, the dwarf scientist Dr Loveless who invents ANDROIDS, miniaturization, hallucinogens and a lot more. The bland personaof the hero was offset by Ross Martin's jovial performance as his partner, Artemus Gordon. The series can be seen as anticipating STEAMPUNK. 2sequels appeared a decade later as made-for-tv movies: The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) and More Wild Wild West (1980), both dir Burt Kennedy.

   JB/PN