February 10, 2020 — Chicago, IL — DECADES television network will pay tribute to actor and Golden Globe nominee Robert Conrad with a special DECADES Weekend Binge of television series The Wild Wild West, along with TV movies The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) and More Wild Wild West (1980). This special DECADES Weekend Binge airs Saturday, February 15th at Noon ET, 9am PT thru Monday, February 17th at 7am ET 4am PT.
Known for playing the rugged, tough guy, Conrad got his start as a Hollywood stuntman before landing his first starring role in 1959 in ABC crime series Hawaiian Eye. The series? success led to Conrad’s most iconic role in the classic TV western The Wild Wild West.
Conceived and pitched as “James Bond on horseback,” The Wild Wild West aired on CBS for four seasons from 1965-1969. Conrad and Golden Globe nominee Ross Martin starred as Secret Service Agents James T. West and Artemus Gordon, who used futuristic gadgets and outlandish costumes and disguises to outsmart quirky villains in the open west. Conrad did many of his own stunts for the classic fight scenes that dominated the series, and eventually led to its cancellation due to public concern about the prevalence of violence on television.
The Wild Wild West earned six Prime Time Emmy nominations, and featured a slew of iconic guest stars including Leslie Nielsen, Martin Landau, Burgess Meredith, Boris Karloff, Ida Lupino, Robert Duvall and Ed Asner. Four-time Oscar nominee Agnes Moorhead earned a Prime Time Emmy Award for her guest star turn as villainess Emma Valentine in 1967.
Conrad went on to appear in several television series and TV movies, including the classic war series Black Sheep Squadron and two Wild Wild West revivals. In the 1980s, he showcased his signature macho persona in a series of well-known TV commercials for Eveready batteries.
Conrad passed away on Saturday, February 8th at the age of 84. He is survived by eight children and 18 grandchildren.
Viewers can see the complete DECADES network schedule and find out where to watch by visiting www.decades.com.
About Weigel Broadcasting Co.
Weigel Broadcasting Co. is a family-owned media company based in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to producing the new series Collector?s Call, the company owns and operates national television networks, as well as local broadcast stations throughout the country. Weigel is the leader in the multicast television network space with “MeTV,” Memorable Entertainment Television, the number-one rated and distributed multicast network, as well as the “Movies!” Network in cooperation with the Fox Television Stations, the “DECADES” Network, the “H&I” Network and the ?Start TV? Network in association with the CBS Television Stations. Weigel’s local stations include CBS, ABC, The CW, MyNet and Telemundo network affiliates. Weigel and its affiliate companies broadcast network and independent television stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, Cedar City-St. George, Milwaukee, South Bend and Rockford. Weigel is also the creator of the nationally syndicated music format MeTV FM. For more information on Weigel, visit: https://www.weigelbroadcasting.com/
