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Post by Salzmank on Apr 1, 2018 2:33:52 GMT
Do we have a thread on this? Sorry if we do, I couldn’t find one. One of my favorites, mostly for the surrealism and the delightful convolutedness of the plots. Though billed as a combination between westerns and Bond, regarding the first it has hardly anything to do with contemporaneous westerns, and regarding the second it’s tonally and thematically closer to The Avengers than it is to Bond.  Anyhoo, I was rather amused by “The Night of the Simian Terror,” which MeTV showed recently: the plot was a rather close re-working of The Hound of the Baskervilles, of all things! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2018 3:16:25 GMT
Ah! I loved this, watched this with my dad when I was a kid. Haven't thought about it or seen it in ages. I don't get "MeTV".
...Just looked it up on Netflix but unfortunately all that came up is the newer movie with Will Smith.
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Post by alpha128 on Apr 1, 2018 3:32:50 GMT
Do we have a thread on this? Sorry if we do, I couldn’t find one. There are two threads. One of which was created by me. These were created on the Cult TV board, and relocated here to Classic TV. The Wild Wild WestEpisode Analysis: The Four Elements of The Wild Wild WestEDIT 01/16/2021: Starting with Season 1 Episode 13, I posted reviews in this thread, which definitely got more thorough for Seasons 2-4. An episode index, with hyperlinks to each of my reviews, can be found here.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 1, 2018 4:17:34 GMT
I MOSTLY ONLY WATCHED THE ONES WITH MIGELITO LOVELESS. ESPECIALLY LIKED THE ONES WHERE HE SANG. Salzmank |
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Post by wanton87 on Apr 1, 2018 14:21:30 GMT
That was a pretty good show Salzmank , I also liked Ross Martin. The Wild Wild West was steampunk before steampunk was steampunk. If you like that one, you would probably also like Brisco County Jr. It’s a very similar show. |
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Post by Salzmank on Apr 2, 2018 12:04:13 GMT
Ah, mea culpa. Well, in my defense I didn’t even remember we had a “cult TV” board! But I hope this thread will serve as a complement to those. |
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Post by alpha128 on Apr 2, 2018 12:37:19 GMT
Ah, mea culpa. Well, in my defense I didn’t even remember we had a “cult TV” board! But I hope this thread will serve as a complement to those. No problem. I understand that users could be looking for this show under the heading of '60s TV. Now they'll have another way of finding the threads on the Cult TV board. |
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Apr 2, 2018 19:23:45 GMT
Excellent show. One of those shows that symbolizes the uniqueness of 1960's TV.
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Post by Salzmank on Apr 3, 2018 23:11:05 GMT
I MOSTLY ONLY WATCHED THE ONES WITH MIGELITO LOVELESS. ESPECIALLY LIKED THE ONES WHERE HE SANG. … Salzmank In all-caps, Signor Pipistrello?  I haven’t actually seen any of the Loveless ones—strike that, I have seen “The Night of the Surreal McCoy,” which I expected to be a hoax and ended up with Dr. Loveless actually having a method for inserting people into paintings! Gotta love the TWWW wackiness… Anyone have some favorite episodes? There are still many I have yet to see. |
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Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 3, 2018 23:16:34 GMT
I recommend the Loveless episodes as I am big fan of Michael Dunn ! Salzmank sorry about the CAPS ... sticky lock needed a good cleaning  |
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Post by Salzmank on Apr 3, 2018 23:22:54 GMT
I recommend the Loveless episodes as I am big fan of Michael Dunn ! Salzmank sorry about the CAPS ... sticky lock needed a good cleaning BY THE WAY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN POSTING PICTURES OF KANSAS? IS AUNTIE EM’S HOUSE REALLY THERE LIKE IN THE WIZARD OF OZ (A MOVIE FROM THE 1950s ABOUT A DOG THAT GETS STUCK IN A TORNADO)?  to your P.S. THIS IS NOT OFF-TOPIC, IS IT? MAYBE I SHOULD ASK THE @op IF HE OR SHE MINDS. |
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Post by outrider127 on Apr 4, 2018 0:38:25 GMT
Do we have a thread on this? Sorry if we do, I couldn’t find one. One of my favorites, mostly for the surrealism and the delightful convolutedness of the plots. Though billed as a combination between westerns and Bond, regarding the first it has hardly anything to do with contemporaneous westerns, and regarding the second it’s tonally and thematically closer to The Avengers than it is to Bond. Anyhoo, I was rather amused by “The Night of the Simian Terror,” which MeTV showed recently: the plot was a rather close re-working of The Hound of the Baskervilles, of all things! It was a great show and it had the best theme music for a TV show ever |
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Post by alpha128 on Apr 4, 2018 0:54:36 GMT
Anyone have some favorite episodes? There are still many I have yet to see. My favorite episode is the black and white "The Night of The Puppeteer". But honestly, there are very few episodes that I would consider poor. As you see in my thread on The Four Elements of The Wild Wild West, it is a formulaic show, but for me that's part of the charm. |
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Post by Salzmank on Apr 4, 2018 1:12:25 GMT
Anyone have some favorite episodes? There are still many I have yet to see. My favorite episode is the black and white "The Night of The Puppeteer". But honestly, there are very few episodes that I would consider poor. As you see in my thread on The Four Elements of The Wild Wild West, it is a formulaic show, but for me that's part of the charm. I don’t think I’ve seen “The Night of the Puppeteer.” Thanks! I read and enjoyed your thread; though I love your analysis of the, er, elements, I’m afraid that my skepticism rises up with with the connections to the four classical elements. I’m sure we’ll both certainly agree, at least, that such a connection wasn’t intentional. I’m always intrigued, by the way, at the concept of a show’s “formula”—not because I think the concept is unwarranted but, rather, because the kind of storytelling I like in television seems generally formulaic—yet at times I can criticize it anyway when it becomes too repetitive. (Now there’s a run-on sentence.) I’m thinking over my favorite TV shows—offhand, The Avengers, Batman, The Twilight Zone, Gilligan’s Island, Columbo, Frasier—and they all seem to have an element of formula (with only TZ as a major exception) that, in a way, makes them so appealing. Perhaps it’s only that we should differentiate between dullness and formula; a program can be formulaic while still being immensely entertaining. Whereas I am deathly bored by the epic-style “overarching storyline” format that has taken over television nowadays. Perhaps we need a little more formula again… |
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Post by Salzmank on Apr 4, 2018 1:17:40 GMT
Another element that runs through all the TV shows I like, including Wild Wild West and those I mentioned above, is what we may call “pop surrealism,” with bizarre but not impossible* events—a gentle exaggeration of reality. This “gentle exaggeration” is of the elements that many fans mention when talking about Steed and Mrs. Peel’s adventures in The Avengers, and it applies to many ‘60s shows—but precious few nowadays. (It’s also present in several favorite authors, especially Ellery Queen.)
At first glance, Columbo would seem to be the main exception here, but some of the alibis he has to break down border on the surreal as well. While it may not be self-evident, I think that Frasier (and to a lesser degree Seinfeld), with its wild plotting, also holds true to the principle.
*This point should be clarified, especially in light of the silliness in Gilligan’s Island and Dr. Loveless miniaturizing people in Wild Wild West. Once one accepts the show’s premise, the show’s universe, then the events are possible. These shows do not generally break their own rules; if they do, it’s at their own peril. Dr. Loveless may miniaturize people, but if he suddenly discovers unicorns, then all bets are off. Perhaps part of the Chestertonian principle that we may accept the impossible but never the improbable.
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Post by alpha128 on Apr 4, 2018 1:33:41 GMT
I don’t think I’ve seen “The Night of the Puppeteer.” Thanks! You're welcome. I think you will enjoy it. I read and enjoyed your thread; though I love your analysis of the, er, elements, I’m afraid that my skepticism rises up with with the connections to the four classical elements. I’m sure we’ll both certainly agree, at least, that such a connection wasn’t intentional. Yes, I agree with you. The connection to the four classical elements wasn't my idea. I posted that thread originally on the old IMDb TWWW board, and another user asked about the connection. That's why that section is prefaced with, "For those looking for an analogy with the four Greek elements." But I must it admit that the connection actually does work! I’m always intrigued, by the way, at the concept of a show’s “formula”—not because I think the concept is unwarranted but, rather, because the kind of storytelling I like in television seems generally formulaic—yet at times I can criticize it anyway when it becomes too repetitive. (Now there’s a run-on sentence.) I’m thinking over my favorite TV shows—offhand, The Avengers, Batman, The Twilight Zone, Gilligan’s Island, Columbo, Frasier—and they all seem to have an element of formula (with only TZ as a major exception) that, in a way, makes them so appealing. Perhaps it’s only that we should differentiate between dullness and formula; a program can be formulaic while still being immensely entertaining." That's one of the things that makes "The Wild Wild West" special. Although the same elements keep reappearing, they mix things up enough that it generally doesn't become repetitive. The one exception I can think of is Season 2's "The Night of the Deadly Blossom" that was practically remade in Season 4 as "The Night of the Pelican". But otherwise, you watch wondering when Artie is going to show up in disguise, how they're going to introduce gas, etc. |
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Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 4, 2018 3:40:12 GMT
OT REPLY   and Wamego, Kansas :  Don't let that OP catch ya, he's a stickler for topicality, I hear tell , Salzmank |
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Apr 4, 2018 14:28:58 GMT
I’m thinking over my favorite TV shows—offhand, The Avengers, Batman, The Twilight Zone, Gilligan’s Island, Columbo, Frasier—and they all seem to have an element of formula (with only TZ as a major exception) that, in a way, makes them so appealing. Perhaps it’s only that we should differentiate between dullness and formula; a program can be formulaic while still being immensely entertaining. Whereas I am deathly bored by the epic-style “overarching storyline” format that has taken over television nowadays. Perhaps we need a little more formula again… I completely agree with that last sentence. Back OT. It's been a very long time since I've seen The Wild Wild West so I only have partial memories of the episodes. I remember the episode with Robert Duvall trying to sell a super weapon to the highest bidder. I remember greatly enjoying the show. The great animated opening credits scene, the great music and the great transitions to commercials. I also remember the great fight scenes. They had a gritty realism too them and I think were much better than a lot of the over-choreographed kung fu stuff we see so often these days. |
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Post by vrkalak on Apr 5, 2018 11:16:12 GMT
West is the best! METV is showing episodes Monday through Saturday. They are finally going to start showing the first season black & white episodes in a day or so.
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Post by vrkalak on Apr 5, 2018 18:23:40 GMT
Ah! I loved this, watched this with my dad when I was a kid. Haven't thought about it or seen it in ages. I don't get "MeTV"...Just looked it up on Netflix but unfortunately all that came up is the newer movie with Will Smith.
Many episodes are on YouTube.
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