The Wild Wild West, the Series

Rating:
Summary: Makes you want to wat the show!
Review: I bought this book years ago when I knew little about the program. However it stimulated my interest in it and I watch it every day on TNT.

Well researched and entertainingly written, this book is a must for all fans of Jim and Artie. One of the most interesting books of it's kind, I only wish every episode had her comments. About of third of them Ms. Kesler does not comment on. Otherwise, great work, great book!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Guide for Any WWW Fan
Review: Yes, long before the World Wide Web, "WWW" stood for something else :)

I have been a Wild Wild West fan since I first caught a rerun on Fox back in the late 80's. The show was corny and predictable at times, yet the setting and premise behind it was original and rather clever. Moreover, it made for good entertainment: exciting, yet not as excessively violent or sexy as today's action shows (nowadays, it's hard to believe WWW was cancelled for being TOO violent).

Kesler's guide offers WWW Fans a peak at the show behind the scenes. One learns how the stunts were performed and how gadget ideas were developed (two very crucial aspects to the show), plus one gets a glimpse at the lives of Bob Conrad and Ross Martin. Like most t.v. show biographies, Kesler's book offers a fairly detailed account of how the show was born, its relationship to the
network (which was usually pretty strained) and its ultimate death.

But the most useful part of the book for me were the summaries and commentary on each episode. As with any show, there are dozens of little gaffes and subtleties that escape notice. Kesler points out many of these making the reader want to go back and rewatch each episode. Her commentary can also be illuminating. I've changed my opinion (usually for the better) on a few episodes after learning what the writers and director were trying to accomplish in them.

Alas, there are several typos and printing errors in the book. Though a nuissance, they do not destract too much from the overall text. I get the feeling that this book was largely Kesler's own doing, and a low budget project; so mistakes like that are unavoidable.

I recommend this book for both dedicated fans of Wild Wild West and people who have only faint acquaintance with the show. It will probably encourage the latter to want to watch more of the show (though I don't know if it's on TNT or anything else currently). It will surely stir up memories of watching specific epiodes for the former. And it provides a lot of interesting facts for both.