Lookwell

Lookwell
Title screen featuring Adam West
Format	Situation comedy
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 origin	United States
No. of episodes	1
Production
Running time	22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original airing	July 1991

Lookwell was a television pilot written and produced by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel. It starred Adam West. The pilot was broadcast on NBC in July 1991 but was not picked up as a series despite being a "personal favorite" of NBC chairman Brandon Tartikoff.

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 (played by Todd Field) becomes his sidekick.

Popularity

The episode has become somewhat of an internet phenomenon over the years 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.

Comedian Bill Maher has also expressed how much he liked Lookwell.^{[citation needed]}

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.

External links

• Lookwell at the Internet Movie Database
• Lookwell pilot on Youtube