Lookwell

Last updated
Lookwell
Lookwell.jpg
Title screen featuring Adam West
Written by Conan O'Brien
Robert Smigel
Directed by E. W. Swackhamer
Starring Adam West
Ron Frazier
Todd Field
Bart Braverman
Brian Bradley
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes1
Production
Producer Lorne Michaels
Running time22 minutes
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseJuly 28, 1991 (1991-07-28)

Lookwell was a television pilot written and produced by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel, the latter of whom would become a primary creative voice for O'Brien's late night show. [1] It starred Adam West. Despite being a "personal favorite" of NBC chairman Brandon Tartikoff (who had left that position by the time the pilot aired and was replaced by Warren Littlefield), the pilot was not picked up as a series. It was broadcast on NBC on July 28, 1991, in a summer weekend timeslot reserved for burning off pilots which the network had passed on.

Contents

Plot

A washed-up TV action hero—who at the peak of his career was ceremonially deputized by local law enforcement—falsely believes he can solve crimes in real life. His student Jason becomes his sidekick.

Cast

Production

Development

Adam West was enthusiastic for the part of protagonist Ty Lookwell Adam West 1989 crop 2.jpg
Adam West was enthusiastic for the part of protagonist Ty Lookwell

The pilot was filmed as a single-camera comedy, which was uncommon for the time it was being developed. Writer Robert Smigel later expressed doubt that the project could sustain itself as a full-fledged television series, questioning if "viewers would really want to view that every week? I'm not so sure they would have." [2]

Smigel recollects main star Adam West being enthusiastic for the role, despite poking fun at his acting style:

I remember one day he ran into our office, and he was wearing shorts and a straw hat—but not as a gag. [...] And he announced, "I've got it!" He was dancing on air. He told us that he had been walking on the beach and he'd thought about everything and he finally understood the part. He had cracked the code, kind of like Batman would. He knew exactly what we wanted to do and he was exuberant. He was like a kid.

—  Robert Smigel, And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft, p. 255

Initial reception

The pilot was scrapped, despite NBC chairman Brandon Tartikoff taking interest in developing the pilot. O'Brien jokingly stated that when the pilot aired, it "was the second-lowest rated television show of all time. It’s tied with a test pattern they show in Nova Scotia." [3] Nielsen rated it 92nd out of 92 shows (2.3 million homes) for the week July 22–28. [4]

Smigel expressed his opinion on pitching for television in an interview with The A.V. Club , in that a "pitfall that you always face when you do any project for television, or in movies ... [is that] if it takes any amount of time to develop, there's a good chance that the person who put it in motion is going to get fired, or quit, and the next person isn't going to want to do it." [5] West expressed disappointment with the network's decision, and would bring up resurrecting the pilot over the years. [2] In an interview with Seattle Post-Intelligencer , West said that he has done "like 12 pilots, and Lookwell is really my favorite ... It’s the funniest pilot that never got sold." [6]

Cult status

The episode has been described as having an "underground following" over the years, [7] and was popular on eBay for a time before being made available as a video file, due in part to the resurgence of cult popularity for Adam West. The version in general circulation on the Internet is not the original as-aired episode. It comes from a later showing on Trio (a cable station) which, for unknown reasons, has a few cuts and a few alternate jokes/takes inserted. One major difference may be due to music rights issues. A version of the original episode as aired on NBC was known to be circulated by tape traders. However, due to the age, high-quality copies are difficult to find.[ citation needed ]

In a 2016 appearance on late night talk show Conan, actor and comedian Jack Black stated that Conan was "one of the most kick ass writers in Hollywood" and encouraged the audience to check out Lookwell because "it was funniest thing ever". [8]

Comedian Bill Maher has also expressed how much he liked Lookwell.[ citation needed ] According to The A.V. Club, "Lookwell has since earned a reputation in comedy circles as one of the all-time great failed pilots, a brilliant premise too damn weird to ever make it to series." [9]

Live screenings

Smigel's preferred version of Lookwell (with Adam West busting through the police tape at the beginning) has also screened at The Other Network, a festival of un-aired TV pilots, featuring live and taped intros by Smigel and an extended interview with O'Brien, produced by Un-Cabaret. [10]

Notes

  1. ↑ Rabin 2004, par. 1.
  2. 1 2 Sacks 2009, p. 255.
  3. ↑ McNerthney 2013, par. 18.
  4. ↑ "List of Week's TV Ratings". Associated Press News. Nexis UK. 1991-07-30.
  5. ↑ Rabin 2004, par. 12.
  6. ↑ McNerthney 2013, par. 21.
  7. ↑ Sacks 2009, p. 255, 258.
  8. ↑ Jack Black & Jackie Chan Finally Met After 10 Years Of Working Together | CONAN on TBS, 29 January 2016, retrieved 2022-06-12
  9. ↑ Wilkins, Alasdair (March 14, 2016). "The Grinder realizes the impossible premise of Conan O'Brien's Lookwell". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Steve (2003-09-01). "Network uncovers more unseen pilots". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2013-08-26.

Related Research Articles

<i>Late Night with Conan OBrien</i> American late-night talk show (1993–2009)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the Late Night. Hosted by Conan O'Brien, it aired from September 13, 1993 to February 20, 2009, replacing Late Night with David Letterman and was replaced by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am Eastern/11:37 pm Central and 12:37 am Mountain in the United States. From 1993 until 2000, Andy Richter served as O'Brien's sidekick; following his departure, O'Brien was the show's sole featured performer. The show's house musical act was The Max Weinberg 7 and led by E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Tartikoff</span> American television executive (1949–1997)

Brandon Tartikoff was an American television executive who was head of the entertainment division of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with several hit series: Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Law & Order, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, Wings, Miami Vice, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, St. Elsewhere, and Night Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Smigel</span> American comedian, writer, puppeteer and actor

Robert Smigel is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer, known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He also co-wrote the first two Hotel Transylvania films, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and Leo, all starring Adam Sandler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triumph the Insult Comic Dog</span> Puppet character best known for mocking celebrities

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet character created, puppeteered, and voiced by actor/comedian/director Robert Smigel. As his name indicates, Triumph's comedic style is almost exclusively insult comedy. A Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Triumph often is seen with a cigar in his mouth, which usually falls out of it when he starts talking. He first appeared in 1997 on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and also appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien from time to time, as well as the short-lived TV Funhouse, TBS's Conan, Adult Swim's The Jack and Triumph Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Daily Show. Smigel and Triumph have been ejected from several events for Triumph's antics, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Honolulu line for auditions for American Idol, and the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino Stamatopoulos</span> American actor (born 1964)

KonstantinosPolluxAlexandros "Dino" Stamatopoulos is an American writer, producer, and actor. He has worked on TV programs such as Mr. Show, TV Funhouse, Mad TV, The Dana Carvey Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He has also created multiple animated TV shows such as Moral Orel, Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, and High School USA!. As an actor, he is best known for his recurring role as the character Alex "Star-Burns" Osbourne on the NBC comedy series Community, on which he also worked as a producer, a consulting writer, and wrote two animated episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Richter</span> American actor and announcer (born 1966)

Paul Andrew Richter is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC and Conan on TBS. He was also star of the Fox television series Andy Richter Controls the Universe. He voiced Mort in the Madagascar film franchise and Ben Higgenbottom in the animated television series The Mighty B! on Nickelodeon.

<i>Last Call with Carson Daly</i> Television talk show

Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with The Tonight Show and Late Night. In 2009, Last Call abandoned its studio-based format, and was retooled as an entertainment program featuring interviews and performances filmed on-location with Daly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Swartzwelder</span> American comedy writer and novelist (born 1949)

John Joseph Swartzwelder Jr. is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons. Born in Seattle, Washington, Swartzwelder began his career working in advertising. He was later hired to work on comedy series Saturday Night Live in the mid-1980s as a writer. He later contributed to fellow writer George Meyer's short-lived Army Man magazine, which led him to join the original writing team of The Simpsons, beginning in 1989.

<i>The Dana Carvey Show</i> 1996 American TV series or program

The Dana Carvey Show is an American surreal sketch comedy television show that aired on ABC during the spring of 1996. Dana Carvey was the host and principal player on the show while Louis C.K. served as head writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Daly</span> American actor and comedian

Andrew Daly is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series Review, and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down as Terrence Cutler. He has also made recurring appearances on television programs such as Silicon Valley, Veep, Modern Family, Black-ish, Trial & Error, the Netflix series The Who Was? Show, Reno 911!, and Comedy Bang! Bang!, as well as animated shows such as Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites, Bob's Burgers, Adventure Time, and Harley Quinn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conan O'Brien</span> American television host, comedian, and writer (born 1963)

Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows, beginning with Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009) and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009–2010) on the NBC television network, and Conan (2010–2021) on the cable channel TBS. Before his hosting career, O'Brien was a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1988 to 1991, and the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993. He has also been host of the podcast series Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend since 2018 and starred in the 2024 travel show Conan O'Brien Must Go on Max.

"Tracy Does Conan" is the seventh episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer, Tina Fey and it was directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Adam Bernstein. It first aired on December 7, 2006, in the United States and November 29, 2007, in the United Kingdom. Guest stars in the episode included Katrina Bowden, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Rachel Dratch, Dave Finkel, Maulik Pancholy, Chris Parnell, Aubrey Plaza, Keith Powell, and Dean Winters. Conan O'Brien appeared as himself in this episode. The episode marks the first appearance of Chris Parnell as recurring character, Dr. Leo Spaceman.

<i>The Jay Leno Show</i> American late-night talk show (2009–2010)

The Jay Leno Show is an American prime time talk show hosted by Jay Leno that was broadcast by NBC from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010. The series was a spiritual successor to his previous late-night talk show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and used a similar format consisting of a comedic monologue, followed by celebrity interviews and other comedy segments.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between November 9, 1985, and May 24, 1986.

"Apollo, Apollo" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Millicent Shelton. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 26, 2009. Guest stars in this episode include Adam West and Dean Winters.

Brian Scolaro is an American comedian, actor, voice-over actor and author. He is most known for his role Stuart on FOX's Stacked, as Uncle Bill on HBO's Ten Year Old Tom, as Brian the lawyer on ABC's A Million Little Things, his appearances on Conan, his half-hour special "Comedy Central Presents: Brian Scolaro", his Dry Bar special "Trouble", as Doug on TBS's Sullivan and Son, as Gordon on NBC's Three Sisters and his Amazon/Apple TV special "I Don't Know Who I Am Either".

2010 <i>Tonight Show</i> conflict American late-night talk show fiasco

The 2010 Tonight Show conflict was a media and public relations conflict involving the American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, over the timeslot and hosting duties of the long-running franchise The Tonight Show.

"Khonani" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 76th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-producer Vali Chandrasekaran and directed by Beth McCarthy Miller. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 22, 2010, following shortly after the episode "Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter" on the same night. Guest stars in this episode include Kapil Bawa and Subhas Ramsaywack.

Richard Adam Ludwin was an American television executive and former vice president at NBC Television. He is notable as the executive who backed Jerry Seinfeld's series Seinfeld, which went on to become one of the most popular and successful television sitcoms of all time. During his 31 years at NBC, Ludwin worked with every The Tonight Show host—Steve Allen and Jack Paar, albeit after their time on Tonight, as well as Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Fallon. He also helped guide the network through the Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno conflict in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Koman</span> American comedy writer

Michael Koman is an American comedian and television writer and producer. His notable credits include writing for Late Night with Conan O'Brien for seven years, and serving as co-creator, writer, and executive producer for Nathan for You, which aired for four seasons.

References

Books

Interviews

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.