I was far to young to remember Batman when it was first aired in the 60s. I was not in fact born until 1976. The first time I saw the show was on a Canadian Sunday morning children's program called Switchback. They would should about a fifteen minute clip of an episode, continuing the tale the following weekend. At that time, I did not find the show funny. The humor and parody went right over my head. It was simply a good show. There were villains, heroes, cool gadgets, a fast car, and a theme song I could hum to myself for the rest of the day.
And then it disappeared.
I was reintroduced to this old show during my high school years. The Canadian children's television network, called YTV began airing the episodes on every weeknight. It was only then that I realized just how funny this show was. By then I knew what the word 'campy' meant and Batman was certainly that. But camp doesn't mean bad television. There can be good camp too, and that is what Batman was. There was talent behind that show. For all its goofiness, it was well written. Some people would argue against me, but writing that kind of consistent silliness isn't easy. Unfortunately, I cannot watch the show while I am in my university years. While Batman is currently being broadcast on the Space Channel in certain parts of Canada, I live in one of those areas where Space is not offered.
My feelings about the show pretty much echo Mr. Boudreau's above, so I won't repeat them. But I do have a few questions that come to mind when I'm watching the show. So here we go.
Why Batman? There must have been someone at DC Comics or 20th Century Fox who went into the office one day and said, "Let's make an action/comedy series about Batman!" Or maybe the decision to make a TV show came first, and later they chose to make it about Batman. But why him? At the time, his comics were no sillier than those of other characters (remember the Super-pets?). The hero/sidekick relationship was no longer unique, and there were other non-powered crimefighters whose feats could be reproduced on a TV budget. Was Batman simply the most popular at the time?
What was it like, sitting in front of the TV set on January 12, 1966, and seeing a grown man doing the Batusi? I was far too young when I first saw the show to remember what I thought of the show at the time. If you remember your first impressions, I'd like to hear them.
Greetings from a fellow member of the Batgirl Webring. You have a great page, that seems to only be getting better with time.
Your co-designer asked what was it like to first see Batman doing the Batusi back in 1966. I was nine years old at the time and I can tell you it was magical! Speaking for my age group, we understood that some aspects of the show were "silly" to appeal to the adults. We were willing to overlook that (Don't drop those iron bars down on the sidewalk, Robin. Pedestrian safety, you know), because the rest of the show was so wonderful. Of course, much of the sexual innuendo (Catwoman looking just below Batman's belt and saying, "One can't have their cake and eat it too!") went right over my head.
I had started to buy Batman and Detective comics not too long before the show debuted. Several of the early episodes were lifted almost entirely from the comics.
Most of the other kids at school also watched the show. While the other boys wanted to be Batman or Robin, I wanted to be the Riddler! Frank Gorshin was tremendous. I drove my family crazy trying to duplicate his maniacal laugh. I was so happy when he came back for a second story.
Our family had a tradition of eating out on Thursday nights. In the days before VCRs, you can imagine how many arguments were caused by me wanted to stay home to find out if (and how) Batman and Robin escaped.
Wednesdays were traumatic, too, since the first half hour of Batman was on at the same time as another favorite, Lost in Space. I ended up watching Batman and switching to LIS as soon as "Same Bat-Channel" left the screen.
The Minstrel was a great second-season villain. He was the first to put B & R in a trap and then not just walk away for no reason.
Shortly after the Minstrel story, the producers stopped recapping Wednesday night's episode at the beginning of Thursdays. Though supposedly done to prevent the young audience from watching Lost in Space, it was the first sign of the decline of the show.
I didn't care for half as much Batman a week and Batgirl in the third season. Although I was obsessed with the Siamese Human Knot from the first time I saw it, I didn't really appreciate what Batgirl brought to the show until I was older.
It was a very sad evening, the night of the last broadcast. Would I ever see the Caped Crusaders on my TV screen again?
Keep up the good work on the traps and teasers. I trust you will be adding that information for all the episodes. More trap pictures, if possible, please. And, of course, MORE BATGIRL!
My Batman Memory
I was 5 years old, taking a bath. My mom came in and said if I behaved I could watch Batman tonight. I couldn’t believe they had made a show about my favorite comic book superhero. I remember not be able to stay awake for it either (come on, that thing went to 8pm!). I also remember as a kid watching the show, feeling so bad if it was a part one. It was hard to go to bed knowing Batman and Robin were surely going to die in tonight’s episode. That’s why I always hoped I was catching a part II.
It seems you like Batman in 3 stages:
1) age 5-10 : the coolest superheroes and the most thrilling action ever produced.
2) 11-15: the dumbest show ever! How stupid, "why don’t they just shoot Batman?"
3) 15-life: An amazingly creative, funny, and way ahead of it’s time!
Right now I’m unable to catch Batman on re-runs, but having seen them so much it’s okay (What I would give to see some "never before scene" footage of that show).
I only hope websites like this will grow more and more (there’s a whole new generation that needs to see this wonderful show).
Why Batman? I think the credit, or the blame, belongs to Bill Finger, the main artist for Batman comics in the 50s and early 60s. Finger's stories, filled with giant replicas of ordinary objects, probably struck the same chord as Andy Warhol's soup cans; hip, funny, and unexpected. Other comics may have been similar in plot, but none had the visual impact of Finger's Batman stories.
In my house during the time the show was on (I was born in 59, my brother in 61, so we were seven and five, respectively when the show debuted, the struggle was to get the TV set away from Dad for Thursday's conclusion, when he insisted on watching Star Trek. We were usually more than a match for him.
Like your co-designer, the humor was totally above our heads. It was cool fighting, cool costumes, cool sets, and action action action.
Later, Dad managed to wrestle Thursday nights from us by using the trump card of bad influence. Tired of watching my bro and I leap from the furniture wearing towels (and later a Batman costume mom made me for Halloween) around our necks, he invoked the specter of TV violence to ban Batman in our house.
As far as my costume went, I wore it to school for a while under my clothes, never knowing when a super villain might try to invade the third grade.
I just happened across you site, and it's terrific! I've considered the "1966 Batman Page" the best series page for some time, but yours is definitely a very close second -- for now. You could use more, and bigger pictures.
The quotes are a great idea! I'd suggest a section on the careers of West & Ward with pictures of them at different ages, and a section that mentions the 1977 Batman cartoons with West & Ward, The "Legends of the Super-Heroes" special, The "Seven Nights to Remember" 1966 fall preview, and the "Women's rights" commercial with Yvonne Craig, Ward, and Dick Gautier playing Batman. You might also mention the 1960's Topps trading cards that were based on the series. But again, I think the site is fantastic, and it's set-up makes it very easy to see everything -- unlike some sites where you have to dig around. One of my favorite quotes is by Robin in the "Clock King" episode.
Robin: "Good old, Smitty Smith."
Please put this show back on the air. This was my favorite show of all time. Same Bat time same bat channel.
I was there. Strange thing is that a couple of years ago, I sat down and typed up a page of my remembrance of that evening(age 11).I inserted the page in a binder I keep of the script from that first show! It came back to me like it had been only a year or two ago. I was one of the majority who had to view the show on a(yeech) black and white TV. Not until the summer of '66s' feature film,did I see all the bursts of color that I was missing.(an occasional visit up the street to a friends house afforded me a now-and-then glimpse of the show in color. I remember my mom having dozed off on the sofa just minutes before the 7:30 'premiere'(what the hell was she thinking!!!)Ha,Ha. My dad happened to be working until 9:00 that particular Wed.,Which saved a 'big scene' in a one-TV household where his favorite western, The Virginian, was on another channel,also at 7:30! Even in black and white, I was captivated by the Batmobile(still am!!!), the Batcave set, and the endless array of crimefighting gadgets that Batman extracted from his utility belt. The first night left me wanting Thurs. to hurry up and get here so I could see how the Dynamic Duo would fare against the Riddler.
Hi, here's Annie!
I'm just twenty years now and still a great fan of Batman. I saw the tv-movies when I was at about eleven and although I've seen the cinema-movies too, until today Batman is a calm, sensitive, reddish-haired man for me, a man who would prefer being injured himself before other people are in danger, a man who keeps the laws of state and nature as most as he can and ohne who helps everyone who can't help himself, to tell it short: the Batman, Adam West played.
I just remember, I was terribly in love to Robin - and I adored Alfred, the butler. I even wrote stories and new adventures about them. Unfortunately my family moved some time ago and my mother threw away "all that old paper". Only two or three Batman-comics and one of the fourteen or fifteen exercise-books with my self-written Batman-stories have stayed - sigh!
Where I live the people said, that the Batman-fans had "the Batman-fever". Well, I think, Batman-fever is the most pleasant fever you could ever have! My mother didn't like it, that I was a Batman-fan, and I had lots of troubles with her because I was. But I had so much fun, watching the movies and writing new adventures, that I always would do it again - no matter, others say!
I hope, that series would be repeated one day, so I could record some of the movies!
Cheerio, Annie
I have been a batman fan since I was 5 yrs. old. I just can't get enough especialy Adam West's part and Yvonne Craig was great as batgirl too. Do you know where they will be touring at any conventions next? And do you know where I can buy all 120 episodes at since there not on TV land yet. I am working on my 3rd batman collection room. I'm getting an Adam West outfit and just about any thing I can find. Thank you for your time.
I thought the triva page was great it actually forced me to remember things and tested my batknowledge.
Holy eureka!
At last I've discovered the ultimate web page dedicated to my favorite T.V. hero.
I first saw and fell in love with the Batman tv series when I was four years old. Later, when I was old enough to read, I mistakenly thought that they had made a comic book out of my favorite show, instead of the other way around.
I think your web site is fabulous. One thing though, how about a cast list? I didn't see one and there should be one. Gotta go now. See you next time.
Here's my Batman memory. "Batman" was sponsored by Kellogg's. They went "BATMAN" Then they said "Brought to you by, K-E-LL-O-GG-S Kellogg's The Best To You Each Morning From The Folks In Battle Creek." Batman, Robin, and even Batgirl were eating breakfast with all of those good delicious Kellogg's cereals [Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes, Kellogg's Rice Krispies, Kellogg's Apple Jacks, Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Kellogg's Froot Loops, Kellogg's Special K, Kellogg's Sugar Pops, Kellogg's Product 19, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, and Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies]. That was one of the best memories I've had when I watched "Batman" on ABC.
I propose the Vincent Price Fine Arts Museum of LA CA be established in his honor for his work for Fine Arts for all So CA Area.
OK Batfans.
New Catwoman for Batman: Dian Parkinson: Blonde Catwoman OR Batgirl?
New Batman TV show spinoff from WB movies and mix 1960s camp?
Old Joker Caesar Romero etc by Vidlink from Batcave Dbase seen?
Revive Batwing,Batcopter, Batplane, Batsub, Batcycle (from actual Japanese cafe racer bike body) & new Batmobile.
New Villans:
Aimed more for adults vs kids. NO Gore.
Bruce Wayne would be more Hi Tech in investing, equipment, etc. vs 1989 Batman.
Robin can be a ex motorbiker racer, ex cop cadet?
Bruce Wayne moved to the Western US?
Bruce has a Private RR Train for Tours, guests with hidden Batcycle, copter, jetpack, costumes, radioes, Crime Lab, Batmobile. Combined can make a New Batman TV show more interesting.
Plus combined with a new Green Hornet TV show.
Expanded Batcaves: 1. NV 2. Upstate NY 3. PA 4. NM 5. CO 6. outside Wash DC.
All under Wayne homes or properties.
New Villans:
New Batsuit features:
Names of New Batman TV show:
1. Dark Knight
2. Winged Avenger
3. Night Crusader
4. Justice League: involve now Green Hornet, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman,
Aquaman, Lone Ranger, Green Latern, X Men?
5. Batman 2
6. Batman 2K TV
7. Gotham Crime Files.
Can evoke Batman alone.
Imagine the implications.
Esp. if show uses New Hi Tech, micronics, etc vs 1960s Batman TV show.
Oh yes, one can own 1960s copy of Batmobile car. See KIT Car Magazine.
Catwoman, she should have an ALL Woman Gang to seduce Men for her crimes or for crimes aside some Bouncer types for oddjobs. Ex. - Playboy Playmates, Bunnies can act as Her 'Gang'. Never done before.
Dian Parkinson or lookalike (age factor. Any ex Playboy Playmates, such as Heidi Mark, Laura Cover, etc. Scan web Yahoo, Excite sites.
Make Catwoman ordinary looking iE Miss Moneypenny IE 007, then disguise as Catwoman??
Have Julie Newmar as senior Cat on Vidlink (tape) to new Catwoman??
Need a Blonde Catwoman?? Radical?