Hot Picks
|
|
|
Lookwell
USA 1991
produced by Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel, Lorne Michaels (executive) for NBC
directed by E.W. Swackhamer
starring Adam West, Ron Frazier, Ann Weldon, Todd Field, Bart Braverman, Deborah Richter, Brian Bradley, Jeff Austin, Chris Barnes, John Capodice, Molly Cleator, Brixton Karnes, Sal Lopez, John Riggi, Steve Schubert, Terry Beaver, Andree Chapman, Sip Culler, Tom Dahlgren, Rif Hutton, Michael Milhoan, Stephen Prutting, Ami Rhothschild, Jack Yates
written by Robert Smigel, Conan O'Brien, music by Jack Elliott
TV-pilot
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
|
|
In the early 1970's, Ty Lookwell (Adam West) starred in a popular cop
show - but now it's 1991, and he's at best vaguely remembered by some
people, and his show is constantly confused with similar shows from the
era. He finds some solace in the acting course he runs where he constantly
compares his work on the TV-show to Shakespeare - but his imagination runs
wild every time he hears a crime being mentioned. And since he has
received a honorary police badge in 1972, he considers himself an actual
cop and constantly offers his help to the local police. Presently, it's a
series of carthefts that has caught his attention, and since the police
couldn't care less for his assistance, he recrutes students from his
course to help him investigating - but follows the wrong clues 100% of the
time. Actually, his investigations get him arrested a couple of times,
too. Finally, he comes to the conclusion that the car thefts are actually
part of a big insurance scam, and steals a car of one of the carowners
(Bart Braverman) who have been robbed for real - which only leads to him
being chased by the police, as that exact car was part of a sting
operation. Ultimately, and very much by accident, Lookwell leads the
police to the real carthieves though ... After a 4 year stint
as a writer and occasional castmember of Saturday Night Live,
and before two years at The
Simpsons and eventual promotion to late night host, Conan
O'Brien teamed up with writing partner Robert Smigel to write and produce
this TV-pilot - which, to put it mildly, simply bombed. Kind of a pity,
because it's not actually bad: The concept is fun, Adam West does what he
does best (being Adam West that is), and while the writing might not be
among the best O'Brien and Smigel have ever done, there are some nice
ideas and some nice dialogue here. Actually, it's a pretty amusing half
hour, I have to admit. That said, it's probably a good idea this one
never spawned a series, as the whole thing is pretty much based on one
joke and one joke only, which grows kind of old even at the ending of this
pilot - but then again, successful series have been made out of worse
ideas ...
|