starring Adam West that was produced by Lorne Michaels and co-written by Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel. It was made in 1991, but despite its high concept and high quality, it never went to series. The pilot aired on NBC in late July of that year as a TV movie, but only those with fast-moving VCR-record buttons were able to capture it before it vanished into the ether. Those who did manage to capture it on VHS instantly became enamored, falling in love with Adam West’s sublime comedic performance and its askew sense of humor.
The premise of “Lookwell” was a little arch, as was the fashion at the time. West played Ty Lookwell, a wealthy, retired TV actor who loved to lounge around his 1970s-decorated home eating popsicles (the kind that can magically tighten your skin!) and watching reruns of “Bannigan,” a cop show he once headlined. “Bannigan” is more or less forgotten by modern audiences, but was once popular enough to earn Lookwell an honorary police badge. When Lookwell encounters some sort of criminal mystery, he begins to fancy himself a real police detective and attempts to solve the case. The joke is that Lookwell, an ego-driven actor with no actual concept of how the real world operates, investigates very poorly. In one scene, for instance, he tries to infiltrate a racetrack by dressing as a race car driver. For Lookwell, that means a leather helmet, old-timey goggles, and a white scarf.
Adam West is an expert at playing sublimely oblivious characters, making him one of the best comedy actors of his generation. West has said in several interviews that “Lookwell” was one of his proudest moments, and that he will always regret that it didn’t go to series.
