Wild Wild West – Steampunk Before Steampunk Was Cool

With all my favorite shows on hiatus, I’ve taken to watching classic TV shows thanks to my extensive TV on DVD collection. This week, I pulled out my full series box set of Wild Wild West and I fell in love again in an instant.

Wild Wild West appears to be a western – but that’s just because it’s set in the late 1800′s in the Western United States. Beneath the surface, Wild Wild West is the ultimate steampunk spy show. Robert Conrad (Jim West) and Ross Martin (Artemus Gordon) play Secret Service agents from back when agents actually investigated crimes in addition to protecting the president. They live in a luxurious private train and the survive thanks to the use of high-tech (1880′s high tech) gadgets.

Thanks to Artie’s talent for tech, Jim has a gun that slides down a track inside his sleeve, an explosives kit in heel of his boot and an incredibly tough but compact wire that Jim can use to haul himself up a building or swing across a pit of acid.

But when it comes to steampunk gadgetry, it’s the villains who have the best stuff.

In “The Night of the Puppeteer,” Lloyd Bochner commands an entire army of marionettes by playing on the keys of a machine that uses steam to send singles to the animatronic figures.

In “The Night of the Flying Pie Plate,” bejeweled aliens arrive in a Victorian-style flying saucer and in “The Night of the Watery Death,” a very modern torpedo is disguised as a Chinese dragon to scare the fishermen.

And then there was Doctor Loveless.  Michael Dunn, played West’s most devious recurring villain — a man short on size but long on hatred for the world. His episodes are full of steampunk gadgets including a box that can produce pictures from nothing but an invisible signal sent through the air from a transmitting station. What a far-fetched idea! Imagine such a thing.

Wild Wild West was never afraid to stray into the scifi or wander into the field of the paranormal. Some of the best episodes are based on unexplained mysteries such as “The Night of the Man Eating House” and “The Night of the Returning Dead.”

In “House,” West, Gordon, a sheriff and his prisoner take refuge in an abandoned house when they’re caught in a storm. But this isn’t any house, this one is haunted and the lady behind the sobs doesn’t want the men to leave – ever. Very creepy and one of the best.

Another of my favorite episodes is “The Night of the Returning Dead.” It’s stars Sammy Davis Jr as a young man who can control animals with his thoughts. He also happens to be the only witness to a horrible murder that involved the town bigwig played by Peter Lawford.

If you’ve never seen Wild Wild West, you’re missing out. Invest in a used box set (I’d recommend Season 2 if you’re only going to get one set) and schedule a marathon. It’s clever, it’s loaded with amazing guest stars and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even if you don’t like Westerns, you’ll love Wild Wild West.

Here’s a great music video a fan made for “The Night of the Man-Eating House.” Follow the YouTube link for more videos from other episodes.

Photo: Amazon