Customer Reviews

The Wild Wild West - The Complete First Season

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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

There are no words to adequately express the excitement created by this DVD boxed set release of the complete first season of The Wild, Wild West. While several episodes were only available on DVD in recent years through a pricey enrollment club, this represents the first time the ENTIRE first season of this landmark TV Western icon has been available in ANY format!

Starring Robert Conrad as Agent James T. West, along with the late and deeply lamented, Ross Martin, who portrayed his partner, Artemis Gordon, master of disguise and invention, the series ran on CBS from 1965-1969.

The series focused on their adventures as the country's first secret service agents, working for President Ulysses S. Grant, to thwart all manner of evil doers who directed their villainy at individuals and/or the nation. Mixing espionage, thrilling adventure, western cliff-hanger suspense and high-tech, sci-fi gadgetry the likes of which had never been seen on network TV, the series propelled the actors into international stardom. On the series, West and Gordon traveled in style on a personal train equipped with the amazing gear they used each week to save the day and/or world (the interior of which was used in the epic Gunsmoke episode, "Death Train.")

(Note: Martin, who suffered a heart attack during the first season, was replaced during the last season by the network because they were concerned about his health, which probably resulted in the series' demise. Actor Charles Aidman joined the cast, portraying Jeremy Pike, also a master of disguise, who was supposedly West's former partner. Two later made-for-TV movies, The Wild, Wild West Revisited in 1979, and More Wild, Wild West in 1980, reunited Conrad and Martin.)

The series (set in 1868 primarily in or around San Francisco) continues to be a source of fevered worldwide fan devotion. Like The Avengers, which also aired in the 1960s, The Wild, Wild West was made into a simply awful "blockbuster" big-screen feature film in the 1990s, which failed in every way to capture the quality, fun, adventure, action and entertainment of the original, beloved series.

The brilliant actor, the late Michael Dunn, guest starred in 10 episodes during the show's run (several considered the best in the series) as the diabolical nemesis of West and Gordon, Dr. Miguelito Loveless, who suffered from delusions of grandeur. (At 3 feet-10-inches tall, Dunn suffered from chondrodystroyphy, which eventually took his life. He was also a child prodigy with an IQ of 178 and became a concert pianist at age 15, and was a remarkable singer.)

Dr. Loveless was ably assisted by the devoted Voltaire, portrayed by Richard Kiel (best known for his portrayal of the evil "Jaws" in the James Bond films, "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker"), who is a towering 7-feet-two-inches tall! The juxtaposition of the two actors increased the pathos that Dunn used in his unforgettable performances expressing the doctor's jealousy and hatred of West for his "perfect body" and society in general for its embrace of physical beauty and harsh rejection of those who do not meet that superficial, rigid criteria.

Throughout the series, Conrad insisted on performing all of his own stunts (which were minion) and viewed himself as a tough-guy, developing a devoted stunt crew "family." Dunn, who was no slouch himself, also performed his stunts at the urging of Conrad, despite network fears that both actors would be seriously injured (Conrad did suffer numerous injuries and Dunn injured an ankle.)

As of this writing, the studio had not announced what, if any, special features would be included in the boxed set. The first season (the only one in black and white) had 28 episodes: The Night of the Inferno; The Night of the Deadly Bed; The Night the Wizard Shook the Earth (introducing Dr. Loveless); The Night of Sudden Death; Night of the Casual Killer (the only episode in the entire series to omit "The" before "Night of" in a title); The Night of a Thousand Eyes; The Night of the Glowing Corpse; The Night of the Dancing Death; The Night of the Double-Edged Knife; The Night that Terror Stalked the Town (also featuring Dr. Loveless); The Night of the Red-Eyed Madmen; The Night of the Human Trigger; The Night of the Torture Chamber; The Night of the Howling Light; The Night of the Fatal Trap; The Night of the Steel Assassin; The Night the Dragon Screamed; The Night of the Grand Emir; The Night of the Flaming Ghost; The Night of the Whirring Death (third Dr. Loveless episode); The Night of the Puppeteer; The Night of the Bars of Hell; The Night of the Two-Legged Buffalo; The Night of the Druid's Blood; The Night of the Freebooters; The Night of the Burning Diamond; The Night of the Murderous Spring (Dr. Loveless' final appearance in Season 1); and The Night of the Sudden Plague.

The Wild Wild West was a landmark series in the 1960s. Only two other series from the Sixties stands out in my mind and that is "Star Trek" and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.". I find it fascinating the two best, TWWW and Star Trek, had main characters with the name James and middle initial T. Their cast, directing, writers, music, and the rest the ingredients made these series ahead of their time and unforgettable. Although there had been a couple other secret agent TV shows before TWWW like Danger Man aka Secret Agent Man and Avengers and several that followed it, it was unique in it's approach. Slightly techie for the old West but not overly unrealistic. Several of the devices shown were actually used around that historical period, just watch the history channel. They obviously did their research and tried to keep it somewhat plausible. Certainly not as politically correct or ridiculously implausible as the Will Smith movie, there is no comparison. Robert Conrad and Martin Ross were outstanding as the lead roles and the guest stars where a who's who of current stars for that time period. Many unknowns in it went on to gain stardom. Robert Conrad doing his own stunts made the show more impressive since even us kids could spot stunt doubles easy enough in most series. A couple good reviews here will actually give you the details of the stars since they are obvious fans themselves. It will be good to see those animated drawings duplicate the scene just before a commercial break, but no commercials. Michael Dunn and the rest the villians in this series were masterfully done. Dunn as Miguelito Loveless in particular was excellent and actually made you think about what he was, a complicated man. Unlike previous bad guys there was no black and white easy answer to stopping him. He wanted to accomplish good things, he just had the wrong way of going about it. This set is a must have not only for those of us that watched it when it first aired, but for any fan of westerns or just good TV entertainment.

This price is outstanding and you can choose free shipping. I don't think you will find a better price. I pre-ordered mine here. I hope this set includes interviews. No matter I am sure it will be much better picture and sound quality than the VHS set I currently have. I got my TWWW set and it is great. The picture and sound quality are excellent. To top it off Robert Conrad gives an audio intro before each episode and there are a couple interviews with the production staff. They aren't very good as far as audio-visual since when the series was made they did not think about this sort of thing, but they are at least understandable and give some insight into the making of the series. The reason the interview sound isn't very good is they are from old reel-to-reel tapes, but they are still interesting to listen to for background on the series. I highly recommend this, especially to fans of the series.

This show is my dream come true, I always searched for this show in many sites looking for a complete set without luck during the past several years. Finally my dream came true.

The show first telecasted on September 17th, 1965 until it's last telecast on September 7th, 1970 running for a total of Four seasons and a total of 104 episodes which I hope will be released soon.

The First season was rated 23rd out of the best 30 TV shows getting 22% of viewers according to the Nielsen rating (The Nielsen Rating is the percentage of all TV-equipped homes tuned to the program on an average night, as measured by Nielsen Media Research).

The First Season consist of 28 episodes and they are as follows:

1- The Night Of The Inferno - Aired 9/17/1965
2- The Night Of The Deadly Bed - Aired 9/24/1965
3- The Night The Wizard Shook The Earth - Aired 10/1/1965
4- The Night Of Sudden Death - Aired 10/8/1965
5- The Night Of The Casual Killer - Aired 10/15/1965
6- The Night Of A Thousand Eyes - Aired 10/22/1965
7- The Night Of The Glowing Corpse - Aired 10/29/1965
8- The Night Of The Dancing Death - Aired 11/5/1965
9- The Night Of The Double-Edged Knife - 11/12/1965
10- The Night That Terror Stalked The Town - Aired 11/19/1965
11- The Night Of The Red-Eyed Madmen - Aired 11/26/1965
12- The Night Of The Human Trigger - Aired 12/3/1965
13- The Night Of The Torture Chamber - Aired 12/10/1965
14- The Night Of The Howling Light - Aired 12/17/1965
15- The Night Of The Fatal Trap - Aired 12/24/1965
16- The Night Of The Steel Assassin - Aired 1/7/1966
17- The Night The Dragon Screamed - Aired 1/14/1966
18- The Night Of The Flaming Ghost - Aired 1/21/1966
19- The Night Of The Grand Emir - Aired 1/28/1966
20- The Night Of The Whirring Death - Aired 2/18/1966
21- The Night Of The Puppeteer - Aired 2/25/1966
22- The Night Of The Bars Of Hell - Aired 3/4/1966
23- The Night Of The Two-Legged Buffalo - Aired 3/11/1966
24- The Night Of The Druid's Blood - Aired 3/25/1966
25- The Night Of The Freebooters - Aired 4/1/1966
26- The Night Of The Burning Diamond - Aired 4/8/1966
27- The Night Of The Murderous Spring - Aired 4/15/1966
28- The Night Of The Sudden Plague - Aired 4/22/1966

The First & Second season each consisted of 28 episodes and each of the Third & Fourth season consisted of 24 episodes for a total of 104 episodes.

I hope all the remaining three seasons will be released shortly after the 1st season. Thank Yoy for reading my review.

President Grant enlists the aid of James West and Artemus Gordon to help battle increasingly nefarious criminals throughout the fairly new Western Territories. West and Gordon are equipped with a special train car and ride to various destinations throughout, battling wits with some crazed people along the way. During their adventures, West uses his wits and physical prowess while Gordon uses his skills at disguise and invention to come up with some interesting "James Bond"-like gadgets.

Basically, my one previous exposure to "The Wild, Wild West" came with the horrible 1999 movie adaptation of the popular 1960's television series. I couldn't believe Barry Sonnenfeld, Will Smith, Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh would perpetuate such a terrible film on the public, but there you have it. So, when I recently heard they were releasing the first season of the television series, starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin, on DVD, I decided to give it a look.

From the first episode I was hooked. Combining elements of James Bond films, "Mission: Impossible" and the typical Western, series creator Michael Garrison came up with a fun, off-the-wall series which is surprisingly good.

The first thing that struck me was the show is played remarkably straight. Because Conrad and Martin, as Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon, respectively, take everything fairly serious, it makes the threat of danger more palpable and all of the fantastical elements more believable. Yes, they are frequently dealing with mad scientists and crazy generals, but they simply believe these people are real and provide real threat. So, when Burgess Meredith pops up as a mad geologist who sets off devastating earthquakes in Montana using nitroglycerin in an effort to take over the state, we believe it can happen. When Robert Drivas appears as a handsome scientist who can melt diamonds and use their properties to make him move at a speed undetectable to the human eye, we see the recognition of fear in West and Gordon's eyes. Then, during their run-ins with the popular Dr. Miguelito Loveless (Michael Dunn), we understand why they believe he wants to reclaim California for himself and realize why they have to stop him. A friend told me the series got progressively wild, which may have led to it's downfall after only four seasons, but during this first year, there is a remarkable sense of believability, the various elements just skirt the point of no return.

The second thing that struck me was the production value. Using a special train car provided by President Grant, West and Gordon travel through the West, trying to prevent various plots from coming true. The train is outfitted with a special room providing the duo with an arsenal to choose from and Gordon, an inventor, frequently comes up with new inventions, some of which are introduced early in the story and prove helpful later, some of which conveniently appear when the timing is right, much like a new addition to Batman's utility belt.

As they travel from 1880s San Francisco, to Denver, to a fort in the Arizona desert, to Montana, to Mexico, every location appears to have been researched at least a little. Clearly, they were built on sets, but there is a lot of attention to detail. Often, they have scenes set in mansions, or consulates, and the interiors are as grand as you would expect. A story involving a mad, blind Sea Captain and his Chinese lover is set in a particularly gloomy and wet lighthouse. All of these details add to the look, feel and mood of the stories.

On the DVDs, Robert Conrad provides an audio introduction to each episode and talks briefly about the story, or the idea, or how historically accurate the story was. One interesting thing he talks about is how the first executive producer on the show made the episodes he worked on too much like a conventional western. He was replaced and the new executive producer embraced the more outlandish elements of the series, making it more like a spy story. These early, more traditional western episodes are interspersed throughout the season and they are the least satisfying because they seem the most artificial. We don't want to see West and Gordon involved in shootouts, we want to see the duo outwit their opponents with wits and clever inventions. Then a third executive producer was brought in later who began to take the show in an even more fantastical direction, such as when West and Gordon have to save a Supreme Court Justice from life-size killer marionettes.

As you watch Robert Conrad, you begin to realize that he is better than you might remember. Yes, it is funny to watch him in highly choreographed fight movements, swinging his arm and stopping at a precise moment when the henchman falls to the ground. Or when he uses a combination of karate and ballet to create some unusual and theatrical fight moves. It is also amusing to watch the producers come up with endless ways to get his shirt off to show off Conrad's buff body for the delight of many viewers. The producers clearly wanted to give the female portion of their audience something to watch and since they couldn't get him out of his pants, they did the next best thing and made sure his pants were always a couple of sizes too small. Also, almost every episode ends with Conrad in a lip lock with one of the female characters. Occasionally, he ends up kissing a female villain, who they have conveniently decided was forced to participate in the scheme against their will.

Ross Martin is also enjoyable as the right hand man Artemus Gordon. Providing a little comic relief throughout (he frequently dons the disguise of a woman, at one point, an elderly grandmother, at another, a Senorita) and coming up with crazy accents and inventions, he often lightens the mood. A remarkable number of the episodes provide for him to disappear for long stretches of time, giving Conrad the spotlight. These episodes are less successful because "The Wild, Wild West" is all about the teamwork of the duo, their friendship, their camaraderie, their skill at catching criminals.

Each of the episodes is titled "The Night of...", a not uncommon method of titling used in television. The popular show "Friends" named each of its episodes "The One With..." The standouts in season 1 are:

The Night The Wizard Shook The Earth - Marking the first appearance of Dr. Miguelito Loveless (Michael Dunn) and his henchman, Voltaire (Richard Kiel, who would later play `Jaws" in the James Bond films), this episode has the element of surprise. It isn't often we see a diminutive villain like Dr. Loveless. And his plan to use a professor's new explosive to reclaim California as his birthright sets the tone for his future appearances.

The Night of the Sudden Death - West and Gordon investigate a theft at the U.S. Mint in Denver. The best part of this episode is the actual theft, watching a series of black clad henchmen scaling the wall, entering a high window and infiltrating the Mint.

The Night of a Thousand Eyes - An early example of the sort of outlandishness that would become a hallmark of the series; West and Gordon do battle with a blind sea captain who lives in a lighthouse on the Mississippi river. He wants to take revenge on the shipping companies so he and his crew go about sinking any ship that comes near. The blind sea captain's lover is a Chinese woman who speaks in a strange sort of tone.

The Night of the Whirring Death - West and Gordon help the Governor of California, a man they dislike, pick up bribes from shady types who are buying respectability. The Governor of California needs these bribes to prevent the state from going bankrupt. Naturally, Dr. Loveless learns of the plan and begins killing the people who are "contributing" to the fund.

The Night of the Puppeteer - West and Gordon are out to prevent the further assassinations of Supreme Court Justices. At the home of one of these jurists, West is invited to a puppet show for his granddaughter's birthday. Then he notices one of the marionettes pull out a gun. He stops the assassination attempt and soon realizes there are stranger forces at work.

The Night of the Burning Diamond - San Francisco is hosting an exhibit of rare gems from around the world. West makes a personal plea to the Minister of the Balkans to protect their famous diamond and asks them not to show it. Some recent high profile thefts have everyone concerned. Just as he visits, a strange force enters the room and steals the diamond, literally right before their eyes. Soon, West and Gordon meet Morgan Midas (Robert Drivas), a young scientist who melts down the diamonds and drinks the elixir, speeding his metabolism until he is moving so fast, he can't be seen by the naked eye.

The last thing that occurred to me as I watched the first season of "The Wild, Wild West" is that despite the fact it is shot in black and white, or maybe because of this, the show appears remarkably timeless. Thankfully, the producers refrained from trying to introduce the 60s style of music or dress to the series. They centered their creative efforts on creating early examples of inventions which would later become a reality. For instance, in one episode, a madman uses an early example of a tank, which would've been invented a couple of decades later. In early episodes, Gordon talks about tubes that can transmit pictures and the like, adding a fun, lighthearted air to the stories.

"The Wild, Wild West: Complete Season 1" is a mix of wild west, spy, "Mission Impossible" and lighthearted elements which should appeal to a large number of people.

I grew up watching The Wild Wild West. So when I discovered the first season was to be released on DVD I started salivating. But I was also wary. I mean, I remember the show through the eyes of an eight- or nine-year-old. What would I think about it now nearly 40 years later? (Cases in point: Time Tunnel -- cool as a kid, nearly unwatchable now. Or Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea...ditto.)

Frankly, I'm blown away by The Wild Wild West -- now more than ever. It holds up. And, in fact, surpasses contemporary TV shows for sheer imagination and storytelling. This was an incredible show. And still is thanks to the magic of DVD.

Star Robert Conrad narrates an introduction to every episode and I'm so thankful that he did. If there's one star in Hollywood that I'd love to meet it's Robert Conrad. I've been a fan of his for, literally, four decades. So it's great to hear his voice providing recollections and behind-the-scenes factoids about the episode. Thank you, Mr. Conrad!

Speaking of Mr. C. -- holy cow! -- the man is astonishingly dapper. Toned to perfection. Abs (and cojones) of steel. He did all of his own stunts. And some of them were extremely difficult (like hanging upside down in a straightjacket and then lifting himself up with nothing but his abs to support him while he untied his feet...or scaling a vertical wall with a rope, or just his fingertips). All of his athleticism was probably lost on me as a kid. But now I watch him and think, "Wow. I can't believe he just did that."

My wife and I watched every episode as soon as we got the box set home. She had never seen the series before. Probably never even heard of it. But she was as thrilled by the episodes as I was.

Ross Martin as Artemus Gordon was the perfect counterpoint to Robert Conrad's super-suave James West. The two have a delightful chemistry. Ross was a great character actor and it was always fun to see him show up in some improbable costume with a new accent -- often just in time to save Jim.

The stories! Unreal. Way ahead of their time. A combination of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and the Old West. With a bit of the dire espionage of 24 thrown in for good measure.

The villians! I never forgot Michael Dunn as recurring bad guy Dr. Miguelito Loveless. It was great to see him again in these episodes.

The women! To my mind, James West was much cooler than James Bond. His quips and come-ons are fantastic. Once my wife figured out the "format," she always watched for the beautiful woman to appear -- be she the villian's daughter, neice, or wife. At some point, a gorgeous woman will appear and James West will be all over her like white on rice.

The theme song! Unforgettable. One of the best ever created for television.

The opening sequence graphics! Clever. The various panels are replaced with frozen images from the episode, sort of counting down to the finale. My only quibble with the opening animation is that these DVDs appear to use the PC version -- the one in which James West doesn't wallop the woman with the dagger about to do him in. That version is provided. But it's not used to open each episode.

I can't praise The Wild Wild West DVD box set enough. This is an amazing collection of episodes that entertain, delight, and amaze to this day.

Robert Conrad was my hero when I was eight. He still is, nearly 40 years later.

Thank you to one and all for releasing The Wild Wild West on DVD!

Now...

How about Season Two? :)

More a spy show than western or science fiction, The Wild Wild West actually succeeds in being the closest thing to a James Bond TV series than any of the other secret agent programs, great as they are(despite THE MAN FROM UNCLE being an indirect idea of Ian Fleming's). One may find it difficult to name a recurring or even one-shot arch-villian from UNCLE, I SPY, or MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, but Dr. Migelito Loveless and Count Manzeppi(two WEST episodes) can hold their own against Dr. No, Goldfinger, and Ernst Stavro Blofeld any day of the week. In general, the British did do spy TV first and best, with the superb DANGERMAN and even production of Roger Moore's THE SAINT pre-dating 007's cinema success. Yep, DANGERMAN premiered in 1960 and THE SAINT in '62, same year as Connery's Bond. And who can argue that there is better entertainment than THE AVENGERS? The Brits also eventually added such fantastic elements to their spy programs as super-normal powers in THE CHAMPIONS. In addition, this type of show continued to be produced across the pond long after the US had cancelled all of it's secret agent-type series. Witness THE PROTECTORS, THE PERSUADERS, and the NEW AVENGERS for some rollicking 70's spy stuff. America did manage to create the masterpiece series MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE to hold up against it's foreign-produced competitors as a candidate for "Best Spy Show of All Time". And the long-running GET SMART had a monopoloy on spoofing spys till AUSTIN POWERS came along an eternity later. But what show do we love the most? What show do we have the fondest memories of? What show was cooked up from the finest action-packed ingredients gathered from the finest elements of classic grand high adventure? The answer is THE WILD WILD WEST. A derringer up the sleeve, explosives in a boot heel, a faithful friend behind the moustache, a tricked-out train, a midget bent on world domination, henchmen in monks' robes, the villian singing a duet with his lovely Antoinette, sinister circus's and carnivals, beautiful women who always come in pairs, a puppet-master with human marionettes, a regular and reliable homing pigeon communication system, a torpedo disguised as a dragon, an escape from Devil's Island, under-ground Victorian-style bad guy lairs extraordinaire, cliffhangers at every commercial break... These are just a few of the things that make THE WILD WILD WEST an indescribable memory for countless guys and gals who watched re-run after syndicated re-run through-out the 60's, 70's and 80's. This series deserves to become the most purchased TV show on DVD of all time. Don't deprive yourself. But beware, that old bearded geezer who rings up your DVD purchase is actually federal agent Artemus Gordon. "Arty, is that you?" Wink...

When I received the first season DVD I played it on my laptop computer. I was blown away by the clarity and the quality of the DVD. Considering that this was digitalized from 40 year old film I was amazed. I grew up watching The Wild Wild West in the 1960's and love Ross Martin's portrayal of Artemus Gordon. The world lost a great actor when he passed away but if he could see these DVD's I think he would say with a big smile "James by boy, this is a great DVD." And of course who could forget
Robert Conrad's Jim West. Now you can see all of those fight scenes in greater detail. I also have season two. The B&W is great but the color episodes are fantastic. I can't wait for season 3 & 4. Katheryn, Ohio

Spy movies with gadgets were very popular in the 1960's. Westerns were popular, though that popularity was waning by 1965. Michael Garrison combined the still popular western with the newly popular James Bond and created the "Wild Wild West." Robert Conrad was James T. West, the star of the show who did his own stunts and had an array of gadgets at his disposal, many of them courtesy of Artemus Gordon (the late Ross Martin), Jim West's equivalent of James Bond's Q. The show was occasionally campy, but it was fun and imaginative.

I had forgotten about many of the stars who appeared in the first season of this series. Though modern audiences may have forgotten many of these stars, they were very well known in the 1960's. Don Rickles played a criminal in one episode. Mild mannered Arthur O'Connell played a very different character in yet another episode. Even Burgess Meredith appeared in an episode. I could spend a page detailing the list of actors who guest starred in the first season of this show; Richard Kiel, Michael Dunn (who appeared in eleven episodes as Dr. Loveless), Nick Adams, Dana Wynter, Yvonne Craig, Richard Jaekel, Philip Ahn, Martin Landau, Leslie Nielson, Katherine Ross, John Barrymore (Drew Barrymore's father), Ruta Lee, Robert Loggia, Suzanne Pleshette, and Victor Buono are just a few of the dozens of guest stars.

The 28 stories are extremely varied. There are episodes that are nearly classic westerns. There are other stories that are highly imaginative spy stories. Yet others have a science fiction flavor to them. A few are also surreal in places.

Though many of the devices in this first season would eventually become real devices, in many cases the devices would not be invented for many years yet. The best example I can think of is the electric chair, which was not used until at least a decade after the era in which the series is set. Another example is a mobile tank, which did not appear until World War I.

Some of the devices used in the series were certainly possible, and appear as though they may have been "borrowed" from James Bond. James West's boots had compartments in the heels that could hide a derringer or other helpful equipment. James West also sometimes had a gun up his sleeve. There were smoke bombs and other high explosives. Perhaps the best device of all was the train on which Artemus and Jim traveled. The train had a small arsenal, a lovely room with a pool table and wet bar, and sundry devices helpful in repelling intrusions. Every western James Bond equivalent should have a train like the one in this series.

I was surprised and pleased at the quality of the DVD transfer and the sound. Both were excellent. I am glad the studio decided to release the first season in its original black & white rather than doing an artificial colorizing. There are also numerous extras, several of which I find very fascinating. There is a television interview with Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. There is also an old commercial with Robert Conrad asking you to knock a battery off his shoulder. One of the best features is an introduction to each episode by Robert Conrad.

I was a big fan of the television series when it came out. The series has aged. I find it much easier to pick out when sets are used. The special effects in many cases are no longer quite as special. Yet, the series remains charming and frequently very clever. I found myself intrigued by the method that Jim and Artemus used to get themselves out of each, almost impossible predicament.

"Wild Wild West" has joined the array of television shows that have become classic television. The show was inspired and creative. The show used its unique premise to come up with plots that few other shows could encompass. I enjoyed every moment of these DVD's and I look forward to watching them again.

Enjoy!

Wild Wild West had something that has never been seen before or since. As is proven by it's enormous popularity 40 years later. Finally, it has been released in a box set, at least season one has, and in three days has rocketed to #1 seller. I've already bought two sets from Amazon, and there are a lot of people who are going to get this from me as a present. I can hardly wait for seasons 2, 3 and 4 to come out in this same format.

The interviews, commentary, and all the other wonderful extras are why so many of us that have it in other forms have pounced on this set. Robert Conrad does audio commentary for every episode, and its so wonderful.

Recommended buy. Incredible show, incredible packaging of same.

I remember watching "Wild Wild West" when it first came out and I became a fan immediately. Watching the pilot was a treat because I missed it when the show first aired. I am glad that CBS DVD released this in black and white because it adds to the intrigue and atmosphere of the show.

Robert Conrad as "James West" and Ross Martin as "Artemus Gordon" made their characters come to life. I fell in love with James West as a kid and I still feel he is one of the best characters ever on TV. Watching him again has been fun and entertaining. He is a cross between James Bond and MacGyver yet set in the old west. He is charming, handsome, always has what he needs to get out of a scrape, and great with the ladies.

I also looked forward to seeing what disguises Artemus would use to assist West. Ross Martin, in truth, played many characters and he excelled as an actor in doing so.

The DVD set is packed with commentary and extras. This, along, with a great premise, excellent acting and writing-it is worth the price. I can't wait for the remaining three seasons to be released.