Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

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Gleeps, it's Batman
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Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by Gleeps, it's Batman »

I've posted this once (possibly twice) before, but I know there was someone here on the board who just got MeTV a couple of months ago, so I figured I'd post again.

Adam West's episode of The Rifleman is airing today at 5:30 p.m. on MeTV.

And I see that Adam's episode of The Big Valley is airing on Friday June 6 at 3:00 p.m. on MeTV. I think this is his first post-Batman role?

Both times are Eastern time.
Gleeps, it's Batman
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Re: Adam West on The Big Valley today.

Post by Gleeps, it's Batman »

Bumping this thread up in case anyone wanted to see Adam's episode of The Big Valley. It's on MeTV today at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
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Progress Pigment
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by Progress Pigment »

That was probably the best non-Batman TV appearances he ever did. He was great in that. You could tell he'd been to the beach a lot, his hair was practically blonde, and looked great. Holy Robert Redford!

Image
Next week, the Dynamic Duo meets the Clock King!
Gleeps, it's Batman
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by Gleeps, it's Batman »

I agree, Progress Pigment. I really enjoyed this guest spot. It's such a shame that he didn't get more chances like this to show that he could do something besides Batman.
gerryd54
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by gerryd54 »

I remember this appearance very well. I saw it when it first aired. West was playing a kind of psychotic calvary officer. What I remembered is that his performance was way over the top, almost laughably so. There was no subtlety at all.Don Knight was very good though
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Progress Pigment
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by Progress Pigment »

Totally disagree. Don Knight was very fine (doing a Chief O'Hara Irish brogue!), but West was amazing. One of his most nuanced performances.
Next week, the Dynamic Duo meets the Clock King!
elmrgraham
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by elmrgraham »

Adam West was also excellent in The Detectives TV Series.
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epaddon
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by epaddon »

This was his very first post-Batman acting job and a classic case of how often those who starred in a just-cancelled TV series will try to immediately escape typecasting by doing something as far removed from their TV series role as they can get. (I remember Eddie Albert, the instant "Green Acres" was cancelled immediately played a guest killer on "Columbo" and then take a look at all of Shatner's post-Star Trek guest shots where he's usually the villain of the week). I think ultimately in this case, it may have been a matter of overcompensation on Adam's part to take a role of someone this psychologically disturbed in that he was trying too hard to not be like "Batman" right out of the box. It might have helped to have played a villain who could be charming and ruthless but first and foremost *sane*.
elmrgraham
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by elmrgraham »

Speaking of Eddie Albert,he also played in the CBS-TV action series "Switch" along with Robert Wagner.It was an action packed adventure series.
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by elmrgraham »

Also,remember William Shatner played Police Officer T.J. Hooker on ABC-TV.
Gleeps, it's Batman
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by Gleeps, it's Batman »

I agree with Progress Pigment. Though there was one scene that I remember thinking his acting was a little over the top, I really enjoyed Adam's guest appearance on The Big Valley.

I see on Feb 20th that his 1959 Cheyenne episode will be airing on H&I, though I don't think that channel is in too many cities yet.
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Dr. Shimel
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by Dr. Shimel »

elmrgraham wrote:Speaking of Eddie Albert,he also played in the CBS-TV action series "Switch" along with Robert Wagner.It was an action packed adventure series.
Eddie also played Cybill Shepard's grouchy father in the original Heartbreak Kid, and of course, played the slimy Warden Hazen in the original Longest Yard.
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epaddon
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Re: Adam West on The Rifleman and The Big Valley

Post by epaddon »

Until Shatner landed the lead in the short-lived 1975 series "Barbary Coast" his list of guest shots on TV series were anything but heroic Captain Kirk roles. On "Mission: Impossible" he gets bad age makeup to play a Mafia leader who then is drugged by the team and given makeup to look temporarily young so he can be made to believe its 35 years earlier and confess to a murder that will bring him down. And on the short-lived "Cade's County" (1971) he plays a respectable pillar of the community who it turns out is a planted Soviet agent out to sabotage a nearby military base.

This was also the era when Shatner frequently appeared on the game show circuit to supplement his earnings leading to this memorable moment never to be forgotten on "The $20,000 Pyramid":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UyxR9g7xi4
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