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At long last, the final season of Wild Wild West hits
the DVD format. Running from 1965-1969, this was one of
the freshest and most interesting shows on TV during its
day and age. More than just another Bonanza or Gunsmoke
clone, the series follows the exploits of two government
agents of the 19th century, who have a number of gadgets
at their disposal in their quest for justice. With intriguing
plots, fun characters, and gadgetry that has gained the
show numerous comparisons to the James Bond franchise, it's
a fantastic show that has stood the test of time. ***
This set contains every episode of the show's fourth
and final season. Episodes included in the set are as follows:
The Night of the Big Blackmail, The Night of the Doomsday
Formula, The Night of the Juggernaut, The Night of the Sedgewick
Curse, The Night of the Gruesome Games, The Night of the
Kraken, The Night of the Fugitives, The Night of the Egyptian
Queen, The Night of Fire and Brimstone, The Night of the
Camera, The Night of the Avaricious Actuary, The Night of
Miguelito's Revenge, The Night of the Pelican, The Night
of the Spanish Curse, The Night of the Winged Terror (two-parter),
The Night of the Sabatini Death, The Night of the Janus,
The Night of the Pistoleros, The Night of the Diva, The
Night of Bleak Island, The Night of the Cossacks, The Night
of the Plague, and The Night of the Tycoons. ***
While this is a show that always entertained, I won't
deny that the show did slip a little in its latter seasons.
Most of this was due to outside influences, and Ross Martin's
health problems, which forced the show to create new partners
for our hero James West. And sadly, none of the characters
got off the ground the way Martin's Gordon did. Still, that
doesn't mean the last season was bad. ***
I'm glad to see that Paramount decided to release the
series in complete season sets, rather than the half-season
sets they have opted for with a number of other retro TV
series (Untouchables, Love Boat, etc.) ---
Image And Sound:
The show has gotten a fabulous transfer to DVD in earlier
seasons, and the fourth and final season doesn't change
things any. The picture is clear and colorful, free of any
major issues. This is the best the show has EVER looked,
in any format. Audio tends to show its age, as with most
shows of the day it was recorded in mono and suffers from
the lack of an upgrade. But the dialogue and other assorted
sounds are clear and audible, and by no means of poor quality.
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