The Wild Wild West: The Complete First Season

One of the most intriguing TV spin-offs of the 1960s spy craze, The Wild Wild West was a genre-bending espionage-Western starring Robert Conrad in his signature role as West…James West, the frontier 007. With his partner, master of disguise Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin)—the "Q" to West's Bond—he foils diabolical plots and fights bad guys. One nemesis is the diminutive Dr. Miguelito Loveless (Michael Dunn), who makes a memorable first impression in "The Night the Wizard Shook the Earth" (and that's Richard Kiel, more popularly known as “Jaws” in The Spy Who Loved Me, as Loveless' menacing, mute henchman, Voltaire). Like The Avengers, The Wild Wild West could get downright bizarre: take "Night of the Puppeteer," for example, in which West defends himself before a jury of marionettes, or "The Night of the Druid's Blood," featuring Don Rickles as a sinister magician. Among the more traditional of the 28 episodes included in this 1965-66 first season boxed set is "The Night of the Double-Edged Knife," in which Cheyenne Indians are blamed for a series of attacks on railroad workers. Guest stars include Leslie Nielsen (playing it straight as an embittered Army general), Katharine Ross, Elisha Cook Jr., and John Barrymore (Drew's dad). Political correctness probably dictated use of the tamer animated opening credit sequence in which West merely kisses a knife-wielding femme fatale into submission, but the original opening, in which West clocks his attacker, is included as an extra feature. Also note that while Conrad's audio introductions for each episode are fun, he's a little too free and easy with spoilers. Other DVD extras include audio interviews, an audio commentary by Conrad on the pilot episode, and a photo gallery. After the Will Smith feature film debacle, it's great to have the original series available on DVD. Go West, old fans! Recommended. (D. Liebenson)