Batman

Who could ever forget those immortal words such as "Pow" and "Wham" flashing up on the TV screen as Batman and Robin landed into evil wrong-doers with clenched fists flying. Those long black evening gloves of the Caped Crusaders could really pack a punch!

All of us who were hard core "Batniks" had boxes full of the mandatory merchandising goodies. There was the die-cast Batmobile and Bat Boat, the costume complete with 'útility belt' and I seem to recall a board game buzzing around at some point. No doubt, there was also a View-Master reel and probably a flicker ring as well. Ah, those were the days. If only we'd kept all of that stuff, be worth THOUSANDS on ebay!

It's a shame that kids haven't got anything like the old Batman nowadays. It was colorful, fun and highly imaginative.

Pure escapism and great memories.

Premiering on ABC-TV on January 12,1966,the television series BATMAN took America audiences and television by storm. While the show stayed true to the origins of Bob Kane's classic comic strip and went up the alley with all the non-stop thrills,high action and adventure it can muster and so much more. For the three seasons and a half that it was on the air,the show premiered in mid-season for the 1965-1966 season,producing 120 episodes,all in color under executive producer William Dozier(who also served as the narrator) under his production company Greenway Productions and Twentieth Century-Fox Television for ABC. From it's premiere episode,the series took America by storm and by the end of 1966 BATMANIA was everywhere from merchandising to rare appearances and even ending up during the halftime show of the First Super Bowl! BATMAN was so successful on television,producer William Dozier brought the Dynamic Duo to a bigger audience in a full length theatrical feature film based on Bob Kane's comic strip and the television series of the same title that roared into cinemas in August of 1966 released by Greenway Productions and Twentieth Century-Fox.

What made BATMAN so successful during it's first two seasons was the general structure of the series stayed true to Bob Kane's original comics. Millionaire Bruce Wayne/Batman(Adam West),and his young ward Dick Grayson/Robin(Burt Ward)were individually as the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder as they waged an endless battle against the villains who plagued Gotham City. The only person who knew there true identity was Alfred Pennyworrth(Alan Napier). In addition to the underground Bat Cave,where every device was carefully labeled with it's function along with the fabulous Bat Lab,they used a marvelously equipped car,the Bat Mobile to chase and apprehend criminals. Whenever there services were needed,Police Commissioner Gordon(Neil Hamilton),along with Chief O'Hara(Stafford Repp) could summon them with the searchlight-like Bat Signal or call them on the special Bat Phone. There were other devices that Batman and Robin used to defeat criminals such as the Bat Shield just to name a few. There was also the Bat Boat and the Bat Copter as well. BATMAN became an overnight sensation when it premiered on January 12,1966 with the first episode "Hi Diddle Riddle"(with special guest villain Frank Gorshin) and the conclusion "Smack In The Middle"(airing January 13,1966),aired in two-part stories that ran on Wednesday and Thursday nights for all of Season 1 and most of Season 2. The climax of the first part left the pair being captured by that week's diabolical villain or villainess where they are left in a dire predicament or cliffhanger from which they would managed to extricate themselves from on the following night. From there,it became a monster hit. For it's first season,it was one of the top ten highest rated shows on television (It was in the top five of the Nielsens during its first 2 seasons),making huge stars of both Adam West and Burt Ward during it's era.

Appearing as a guest villain or villainess on the show became something of a status symbol. Out of the 30 or so villains that were guest stars on the show,only three were with it from the beginning to the end. Stars like Burgess Meredith(Penguin),Cesar Romero(Joker),Frank Gorshin(Riddler,and later on was played by John Astin). Other villains were Julie Newmar(Catwoman,and later on was played by Eartha Kitt),and Vincent Price(Egghead),and even the diabolical King Tut(Victor Buono). By the start of the third season,the ratings were slipping and the novelty was about to fade where the format was cut to a once a week format. A new superhero,Batgirl(Yvonne Craig) who regularly team with Batman and Robin to fight the villains and not to mention facing the villains wrath,didn't help in the ratings. By March 14,1968,the biggest television phenomenon of the mid-1960's was gone. NBC was set to pick up BATMAN in the fall of 1968 after ABC canceled it. NBC was ready to put the show back to a twice a week format for it's 1968-1969 season. The second format that NBC had for BATMAN was expanding the show to a full hour and having Adam West and Burt Ward in and Yvonne Craig out. There were other plans for turning this campy superhero show into a serious crime drama,which basically fell through by the executives at NBC. However,that plan also failed,and NBC rejected the idea of picking up the series from ABC. For the 1968-1969 season, ABC didn't waste any time finding a replacement for the now canceled BATMAN. The show that replaced it? The Ugliest Girl In Town.

I watched this tv show as a child, and every Halloween from the age of 5 to 8, I wanted to dress in a costume just like Batman's. Of course, my parents didn't have the resources to hire an entire corps of costumers and props masters, so I had to make do with a jumpsuit from Sears that had the Batman symbol printed on it. Such is Life. Still, I always thought Batman was the best of the legion of super-heroes to come around (except for perhaps Spiderman, whom I discovered later on).

Watching the tv show now as an adult, I realize just how campy and ridiculous it was, but where as a child I interpreted the action sequences as dynamic and exciting, now I see these same scenes as well-staged comedy, which is how the original producers intended it to be seen. Who can forget the big cartoon graphics such as "BAM!" and "POW!" and "Crrr-Rash!" which flashed up just before Batman slugged a villain or knocked over a prop? I beat up the sofa cushions with just as much enthusiasm. And don't even get me started on the car (Batmobile), the boat (Batboat), and helicopter (Batcopter) which I absolutely had to have in Corgi miniatures (still have mine in a box in the garage, along with James Bond's Aston Martin and the Monkeemobile). And all the kids knew the Batman song. NaNa NaNa NaNa NaNa Batman!

Looking back at it now, I see that even though Adam West and Burt Ward, two relative unknowns at the time, never really recovered from being typecast, just about all of the supporting actors were accomplished in either films, tv, or the stage, such as Cesar Romero and Victor Buono (check him out in "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane"), and they managed to continue their careers. A few, such as Eartha Kitt, used the "Batman" series as a springboard to other things (I saw Kitt's performance as the Wicked Witch in "Wizard of Oz" on stage and she was fantastic). But whatever their future careers became, they turned in quality performances on the show.

I always had a thing for both Cat Woman (all 3 of them) and Batgirl. The costume designers really knew how to show off a woman's curves in those tight-fitting catsuits with big metallic utility belts and high-heeled shoes, but I suppose that was the fashion back in the late-60's. They probably fit right in with the mini-dresses and go-go boots the other girls were wearing.

Your kids will love the show and will watch it again and again. You'll enjoy it the first two times you see it, but then it'll get stale and boring. But just remember, no matter how grim things get when the Riddler and Joker have Batman and the Boy Wonder hanging over a vat of acid or encased in a gas chamber, the Dynamic Duo always manage to pull out a can of Bat Rope Dissolver or Bat Gas Begone and show up to defeat the villains each week at the same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

To the Batcave!

I think Adam west's Batman is the best batman. And the Batmobile looks great.

This is one of my favorite television shows. I used to watch it whenever it came on television. It always made me feel better when I was feeling down.

I liked the colorful sets. The guest stars. The opening and closing credits. The opening and closing credits are similar to wonder woman in that they are cartoons.

I don't think the stories are that realistic or the special effects are that great.

Batman is a fun show to watch.

Adam West not only was Batman, in this series he was straight man. His straight face was always what held thing together. No matter how outlandish Robin or a super criminal was, West would always appear to take things in stride & have a straight face when he would pull something out of his utility belt to handle the problem. Burt Ward's Robin was often reactive with many Holy Blanks!! & while he was mostly a sidekick for Batman, sometimes when the Caped Crusdaer was tied up, he & the faithful Alfred would manage things. To me the criminals were most often the stars of this. Burgess Meredith made a great Penguin - especially when he runs for mayor of Gotham City against Batman and proclaims "I should have gotten into politics sooner because in campaigns, all my dirty bird tricks are legal now!" Imagine that, & this is before Nixon got caught.

Frank Gorshin's Riddler has never been equaled. Ceasar Romero's Joker was so good that Jack Nicholson had to take the character in new directions in the film to avoid direct comparison. The amazing thing about this series was the amount of great actors & actresses they got to play the criminals. It is a who's who of character actors from that era. Alan Ladd, Vincent Price, Otto Preminger, Art Carney, Roddy Mcdowell to name a few villains.

This was an ABC series which would have lasted longer, but CBS had such a power house line-up, this was lucky to make it 3 seasons. At least they were 3 great seasons & all in color. The cliff hangers & fights from these are now classic, & some of the plots were pretty corny, while others showed imagination. Overall, just think of Robin saying "Support your police!" & Batman responding "Well said, Robin." and you get an idea that while the series was corny, it at least had a moral compass always. Holy establishment, Batman!