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TV Review: Lookwell! showcases the very best of Adam West, Conan O'Brien
Stephen Greenwell
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Entertainment
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He also thinks the police department has problems properly doing its job, which is why he is so willing to volunteer his services. When Lookwell manages to one-up the police, he chastises them, saying, "Maybe if you had watched more TV you would be better at your job."
Still, Lookwell isn't much of a detective. Unlike a traditional sitcom, Lookwell's dialogue and reasoning is completely absurd. Utterly, totally insane, with almost no shred of logic behind it.
But this daftness is part of what makes Lookwell! so enjoyable, and this is undoubtly why it was kept off the air. In 1991, nobody knew who the hell Conan O'Brien was. He and Smigel, who has made a living by shoving his hand up the ass of a dog puppet, were probably seen as ridiculous when they submitted this idea.
They weren't the only ones - Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller submitted an off-the-wall television pilot in 1999 entitled Heat Vision and Jack. It was about an astronaut with super powers and his talking motorcycle escaping from movie villain Ron Silver. Like Lookwell!, Heat Vision and Jack was deemed to ridiculous to be aired on network TV.
While everyone has managed to land on their feet, I can't help but feel that Lookwell! represents a lost opportunity. Since they are successful in other areas of entertainment, there is little to no chance of a Lookwell! revival, either in TV or movie form.
Given the lack of compelling sitcoms on television today, Lookwell! could have really influenced some of today's shows, as opposed to the meager clones of Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends currently crowding today's airwaves.
If you're interested in catching the pilot episode of Lookwell! or Heat Vision and Jack, search for the shows on YouTube. Both are available as of Dec. 6.
Still, Lookwell isn't much of a detective. Unlike a traditional sitcom, Lookwell's dialogue and reasoning is completely absurd. Utterly, totally insane, with almost no shred of logic behind it.
But this daftness is part of what makes Lookwell! so enjoyable, and this is undoubtly why it was kept off the air. In 1991, nobody knew who the hell Conan O'Brien was. He and Smigel, who has made a living by shoving his hand up the ass of a dog puppet, were probably seen as ridiculous when they submitted this idea.
They weren't the only ones - Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller submitted an off-the-wall television pilot in 1999 entitled Heat Vision and Jack. It was about an astronaut with super powers and his talking motorcycle escaping from movie villain Ron Silver. Like Lookwell!, Heat Vision and Jack was deemed to ridiculous to be aired on network TV.
While everyone has managed to land on their feet, I can't help but feel that Lookwell! represents a lost opportunity. Since they are successful in other areas of entertainment, there is little to no chance of a Lookwell! revival, either in TV or movie form.
Given the lack of compelling sitcoms on television today, Lookwell! could have really influenced some of today's shows, as opposed to the meager clones of Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends currently crowding today's airwaves.
If you're interested in catching the pilot episode of Lookwell! or Heat Vision and Jack, search for the shows on YouTube. Both are available as of Dec. 6.
