5 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Wild Wild West’ With Robert Conrad
When fans remember The Wild Wild West, they’re usually smiling — because this imaginative blend of Western, spy thriller and science fiction was like nothing else on television at the time. Running from 1965 to 1969, the CBS series starred Robert Conrad as the dashing James West and Ross Martin as Artemus Gordon, two Secret Service agents who protected President Ulysses S. Grant from wild plots and villainous masterminds. It was a time-traveling fever dream set in the 1870s, complete with gadgets, disguises, steam-powered technology and a private train called The Wanderer. Although it ended after four seasons, its legacy lives on in reruns on Pluto TV.
Here are five fun facts you might not know about The Wild Wild West:
1 It was almost called The Wild West
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The show’s original title was going to be The Wild West, but creator Michael Garrison thought it needed a little extra flair, so it was changed to The Wild Wild West right before airing. The double “wild” helped set the tone for a series that didn’t play by the usual Western rules. Every episode title began with “The Night,” giving the show a mysterious, storybook quality. There was only one exception in the entire run, and that was “Night of the Casual Killer” in the first season.
2 Robert Conrad did his own stunts, but at a cost
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Conrad was famous for doing his own stunts, even the more dangerous ones. He choreographed many of the fight scenes himself, often pushing the limits of what could be done on a TV set. But during the episode “The Night of the Fugitives,” a stunt went wrong and nearly killed him.
But that injury didn’t slow him down for long. Conrad returned to filming quickly and kept doing stunts for most of the series. The tight costumes he wore added another challenge, often splitting open mid-scene. Some bloopers even caught his underwear showing.
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3 Ross Martin sketched his own costumes
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Before filming, Martin would sketch out his entire costume, down to posture and facial features. He worked closely with the makeup team to fully transform. He missed several episodes due to health issues, including a heart attack, but his presence was always felt and he loved the creative role.
4 The show’s creator died during season two
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Tragically, creator Michael Garrison died during the second season in a freak accident. He slipped on a drink spilled on the marble staircase of his new home and fell to his death. The show continued without him, but his vision was still very much present. Garrison was the one who pitched the idea of “James Bond on horseback.” His love of gadgets, theatrics and high-stakes drama made the series what it was.
5 The series inspired the “steampunk” genre
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Though the term “steampunk” didn’t exist in the 1960s, The Wild Wild West has since been recognized as a major influence on the style. The show featured 19th-century settings with futuristic gadgets, from hidden weapons in boots to communication devices disguised as pocket watches. The 1999 film adaptation leaned even harder into these themes, with mechanical spiders and over-the-top inventions.
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TV Westerns of the 50's & 60's
September 2021
’50s and ’60s TV Westerns roundup, celebrating the shows and stars of their golden age.
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