The Wild Wild West

When Ross Martin was first given the role, he read a script and then drew a pen-and-ink sketch of the character he would play, down to the smallest details such as glasses, mustache, clothing, posture and shoes. He later brought the sketch to makeup artist Don Schoenfeld, and together they shaped his face until it resembled the drawing.

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CBS cancelled the series prematurely because it was troubled by the show's "excessive" violence rather than by falling ratings.

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Robert Conrad performed all of the fight choreography himself, including the acrobatic moves, until one of them backfired and nearly killed him.

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Series creator Michael Garrison died in the second season when he fell down the new marble staircase of his new home after slipping on spilled liquor.

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Ross Martin (Artemus Gordon) missed nine episodes because of a broken leg and a nearly fatal heart attack. He was absent from the fourth season's tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, twenty-first and twenty-third episodes.

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The first season's title caricature is in black and white: West kisses the woman who then tries to stab him, he tips his hat, and the woman leans smiling against the wall. From the color second season onward, West throws a roundabout punch at her face and she falls to the ground in surprise.

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All the action set inside the train was filmed on a studio set. The car had removable walls so the camera could maneuver. A thicket always stood outside covering the interior of the soundstage, which is especially noticeable when someone enters or exits; even in a long shot showing a desert with nothing around the car, the thicket is still visible.

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Robert Conrad said the very tight trousers he wore on the series frequently tore during action scenes. This is especially noticeable in several wide shots of fight scenes, where Conrad's wrong-colored Jockey shorts can be clearly seen.

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James and Artemus's wagon was named "The Wanderer 1".

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Before joining the Secret Service, James West was a Captain in the U.S. Army. In one fourth-season episode, however, he is referred to as a former Major.

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While Ross Martin was recovering from his heart attack, Charles Aidman was added to the cast.

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James and Artemus had two different trains. The first was a dark-paneled model used in the seasons shot in black and white. The second was a more functional model decorated in green and gold. This is the train most people remember, the one with the unique gadgets associated with the series.

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The recurring science-fiction theme of scientists in the 1870s inventing technology that would not exist in the real world for several more decades was given the name "steampunk", a term coined in the 1980s.

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Miguelito Loveless's middle name is Quixote.

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Rory Calhoun was originally cast to play James West.

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Ross Martin knew how to ride horses but merely tolerated them; he did not like them.

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The gadgets James West used in the series included a key embedded in his boot; a coat lined with plastic explosive (sometimes); a belt lined with plastic explosive (sometimes); plastic explosive in the heel of his boot (sometimes); a lock in the heel of his boot (sometimes); the lever of his gun; and his derringer.

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James West's birthday is July 2, 1842. He was named after his uncle.

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Miguelito means "little Michael".

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In several episodes, particularly in the later episodes of the series, Robert Conrad often appears to do a vocal imitation of John Wayne when talking to the bad guys.

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Many scenes shared sets, as well as some music, with The Big Valley (1965).

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The locomotive that pulls West's and Gordon's train carries the number 5 in the opening title sequence throughout the series. The actual locomotive, however, has the number 8 in every episode except the pilot. This allowed the use of reverse stock footage of the train.

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As of 2023, the series, along with The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), is now airing on MeTv, replacing Gomer Pyle USMC (1964) and Maverick (1957) respectively.

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