Batman
Title card for the Batman television series.
Format	Action Comedy
Created by	Bob Kane (characters) William Dozier (series)
Starring	Adam West Burt Ward Alan Napier Neil Hamilton Stafford Repp Madge Blake and Yvonne Craig (Season 3)
Theme music composer	Neal Hefti
Country of origin	United States
No. Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Bob Kane (born Robert Kahn, October 24, 1915 &ndash November 3, 1998) was an American Comic book artist William Dozier (13 February 1908 &ndash 23 April 1991 was a Television producer and Actor, most famous as the producer and Narrator of the ''Batman'' Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American Actor who is best known for playing the role of Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr, on July 6, 1945) is an American Television Actor and Activist. Alan Napier (born Alan W Napier-Clavering; 7 January 1903 &ndash 8 August 1988 was an English character actor James Neil Hamilton ( September 9, 1899 – September 24, 1984) was an American actor famous for his role as Commissioner Stafford Alois Repp ( 26 April, 1918 - 5 November, 1974) was an American Actor best known for his role as Chief O'Hara Madge Blake née Cummings (b May 31, 1899, Kinsley Kansas - d Yvonne Joyce Craig (born May 16, 1937 in Taylorville Illinois) is an American actress best known as Batgirl from Neal Hefti (born October 29, 1922 in Hastings Nebraska) is an American Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Tune The United States of America —commonly referred to as the of seasons	3
No.  of episodes	120 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	30 minutes (with ads)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Original run	January 12, 1966 – March 14, 1968
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Batman is a 1960s American television series, based on the DC comic book character Batman. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created It aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network for 2½ seasons from January 12, 1966 to March 14, 1968. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople The year 1966 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1966. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. The year 1968 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1968. Because the series had two weekly installments for most of its tenure, it contained the same number of episodes as a five-year or even a five-and-a-half-year run by today's standards (shooting 22-24 episodes per season).

Genesis of the series

In the early 1960s, Ed Graham Productions optioned the TV rights to Batman, and planned a straightforward juvenile adventure show, much like Adventures of Superman and The Lone Ranger, for CBS on Saturday mornings. Adventures of Superman is an American Television series based on Comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel The Lone Ranger is an American, long-running Old-time radio and early Television show created by George W CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Mike Henry, who would later go on to star in the Tarzan franchise, and is best known for his portrayal of Jackie Gleason's dipstick son in the Smokey and the Bandit movies, was set to star as Batman. Mike Henry (born August 15, 1936 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional football player and Actor Tarzan is a Fictional character, an archetypal Feral child raised in the African jungle by Apes who later returns to civilization only to Herbert Walton Gleason Jr, baptized John Herbert "Jackie" Gleason ( February 26, 1916 – June 24, 1987) was an Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 movie starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick Reportedly, DC Comics commissioned publicity photos of Henry in a Batman costume. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Around this same time, the Playboy Club in Chicago was screening the Batman serials (1943's Batman and 1949's Batman and Robin) on Saturday nights. A Playboy Club was originally one of a chain of nightclubs owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises until 1991 with the first club opening at 116 E Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Batman was a 15-chapter serial released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures. Batman and Robin ( 1949) was a 15-chapter serial released by Columbia Pictures. It became very popular, as the hip partygoers would cheer and applaud the Dynamic Duo, and boo and hiss at the villains. East coast ABC executive Yale Udoff, a Batman fan in childhood, attended one of these parties at the Playboy Club and was impressed with the reaction the serials were getting. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. He contacted West Coast ABC executives Harve Bennett and Edgar Scherick, who were already considering developing a TV series based on a comic strip action hero, to suggest a prime time Batman series in the hip and fun style of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

When negotiations between CBS and Graham stalled, DC quickly reeled the rights back in and made the deal with ABC. The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States Harve Bennett (born Harve Bennett Fischman on August 17, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American television Edgar J Scherick ( October 16, 1924 &ndash December 2, 2002) was one of the most prolific producers of television miniseries made-for-television A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist Prime Time is the major News analysis current affairs and Politics programme broadcast on Radio Telefís Éireann in Ireland The Man from UNCLE is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January ABC farmed the rights out to 20th Century Fox to produce the series. Fox, in turn, handed the project to William Dozier and his Greenway Productions. William Dozier (13 February 1908 &ndash 23 April 1991 was a Television producer and Actor, most famous as the producer and Narrator of the ''Batman'' Whereas ABC and Fox were expecting a hip and fun, yet still serious, adventure show, Dozier, who loathed comic books, concluded the only way to make the show work was to do it as a pop art camp comedy. Pop Art is a visual Art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in parallel in the late 1950s in the United States. Originally, mystery novelist Eric Ambler was to write the motion picture that would launch the TV series, but he dropped out after learning of Dozier's camp comedy approach. Eric Clifford Ambler OBE ( 28 June 1909 - 22 October 1998) was an influential English writer of Spy novels who introduced

By the time ABC pushed up the debut date to January 1966, thus foregoing the movie until the summer hiatus, Lorenzo Semple Jr. had signed on as head script writer. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. He wrote the pilot script, and generally kept his scripts more on the side of pop art adventure. A television pilot is a test episode of an intended Television series. Stanley Ralph Ross, Stanford Sherman, and Charles Hoffman were script writers who generally leaned more toward camp comedy, and in Ross' case, sometimes outright slapstick and satire. Stanley Ralph Ross ( July 22 1937, New York City &ndash March 16 2000) started his career in advertising however soon went to work Charles Hoffman ( September 28, 1911 - April 8, 1972) was a film and television writer and film producer Instead of producing a one-hour show, Dozier and Semple decided to have the show air twice a week in half-hour installments with a cliffhanger connecting the two episodes, echoing the old movie serials. Initially, Dozier wanted Ty Hardin to play Batman, but he was unavailable, filming Westerns in Europe. Ty Hardin (born in New York City, USA, on January 1, 1930) is a former Actor best known as the star The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. Eventually, two sets of screen tests were filmed, one with Adam West and Burt Ward, the other with Lyle Waggoner and Peter Deyell, with West and Ward winning the roles. Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American Actor who is best known for playing the role of Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr, on July 6, 1945) is an American Television Actor and Activist. Lyle Waggoner (born April 13 1935 in Kansas City Kansas) is an American Actor and former model best known for his work on Peter Deyell (aka Peter RJ Deyell) is an American Filmmaker, with a diverse background in movies television radio and theatre including acting writing

Plot summary

Main article: Batman (TV): Guest appearances and episodes

The typical formula story began with the villain (typically one of a short list of recurring villains) committing a crime, such as robbing a bank. This was followed by a scene inside Police Commissioner Gordon's office where he and Chief O'Hara would deduce exactly which villain they were dealing with. Gordon would press a button on the Batphone, signaling a cut to Wayne Manor where Alfred, the butler, would answer the manor's Batphone, a bright red telephone that beeped loudly instead of ringing on the desk in Bruce Wayne's study. Alfred would then interrupt Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson - usually they would be found talking with Aunt Harriet, who didn't know of their dual life - with a pretext to draw them away to answer the Batphone. Upon hearing of his enemy's schemes, Bruce would push a button concealed within a bust of Shakespeare that stood on his desk, opening a hidden door in a bookcase and revealing two poles. William Shakespeare ( baptised Wayne says to Grayson "To the Batpoles", then they would slide down, flicking a switch on their way down. This was usually where the animated title sequence would occur. Title sequence generally refers to the method by which cinematic films or television shows present their title key cast and/or production members utilizing conceptual visuals

They would arrive in the Batcave in full costume and jump into the Batmobile, Batman in the driver's seat. The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics Superhero Batman, (the alternate identity of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne consisting The Batmobile is the fictional personal Automobile of Comic book Superhero Batman. Robin would say "Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed" and Batman would respond "Roger, ready to move out" and the two would race off out of the cave at high speed. History See also Atomic theory, Atomism The concept that matter is composed of discrete units and cannot be divided into arbitrarily tiny In electronics a battery is a combination of two or more Electrochemical cells which store chemical Energy which can be converted into electrical energy A turbine is a rotary Engine that extracts Energy from a Fluid flow As the Batmobile approached the mouth of the cave, a hinged barrier dropped down to allow the car to exit on to the road. Scenes from the Dynamic Duo sliding down the batpoles in the Batcave, to the arrival of Comissioner Gordon's building via. the Batmobile (while the episode credits are shown), are recycled footage that is used in nearly all part 1 and single episodes.

After arriving at Commissioner Gordon's office, the initial discussion of the crime usually led to the Dynamic Duo (Batman and Robin) conducting their investigation alone. In the investigation, a meeting with the villain would usually ensue with the heroes getting involved in a fight and the villain getting away, only to come back and fight again later in the show. Here, the villain would capture one or both of the heroes and place them in a deathtrap with a cliffhanger ending which was usually resolved in the first few minutes of the next episode. A deathtrap is a Literary and Dramatic Plot device in which a Villain, who has captured the Hero or another sympathetic character A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a Plot device in which a movie, Novel, or other work of fiction contains an abrupt ending often leaving

The same pattern was repeated in the following episode until the villain was defeated.

Season 1

In Season 1, the dynamic duo, Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward), are two super crime fighting heroes to fight those villians of Gotham City, NJ. Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American Actor who is best known for playing the role of Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr, on July 6, 1945) is an American Television Actor and Activist. It begins with 2-part episodes, "Hi Diddle Riddle" and "Smack in the Middle".

Season 2

In Season 2, the show suffered from repetition of its characters and formula. This, combined with Lorenzo Semple Jr. contributing fewer scripts and having less of an influence on the series, caused viewers to tire of the show and for critics to complain, "If you've seen one episode of Batman, you've seen them all".

Season 3

By Season 3, ratings were falling and the future of the series seemed uncertain. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television A promotional short featuring Yvonne Craig as Batgirl and Tim Herbert as Killer Moth was produced. Yvonne Joyce Craig (born May 16, 1937 in Taylorville Illinois) is an American actress best known as Batgirl from Batgirl is the name of several Fictional characters appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts to the Superhero Killer Moth is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. The short was convincing enough to pick up Batman for another season, and introduced Batgirl as a regular on the show in an attempt to attract more female viewers. Batgirl's alter ego was Barbara Gordon, a mild-mannered librarian at the Gotham Library and Commissioner Gordon's daughter. ^[1] The show was reduced to once a week, with mostly self-contained episodes, although the next week's villain would be in a tag at the end of the episode, similar to a soap opera. A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. As such, the narrator's cliffhanger phrases were eliminated, but most episodes would end with him saying something to the extent of "Watch the next episode!"

Aunt Harriet was reduced to just two cameo appearances during the third season, due to Madge Blake being in poor health. Madge Blake née Cummings (b May 31, 1899, Kinsley Kansas - d (Aunt Harriet was also mentioned in another episode, but was not seen; her absence was explained by her being in shock upstairs. ) The nature of the scripts and acting started to enter into the realm of the surreal, specifically with the backgrounds, which became two-dimensional cut-outs against a stark black stage. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members

Cancellation

At the end of the third season, ABC planned cuts to the budget by eliminating Chief O'Hara and Robin, while making Batgirl Batman's full time partner. Batgirl is the name of several Fictional characters appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts to the Superhero Both Dozier and West opposed this idea, and ABC cancelled the show a short time later. Weeks later, NBC offered to pick the show up for a fourth season and even restore it to its twice a week format, if the sets were still available for use. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's However, NBC's offer came too late: Fox had already demolished the sets a week before. NBC didn't want to pay the $800,000 to rebuild, so the offer was withdrawn. Batman was replaced on ABC by the sitcom The Second Hundred Years. The Second Hundred Years was a sitcom starring Monte Markham which aired on the ABC Television network for one season and 26 episodes

1970s reunions

In 1972, Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig reunited as Robin and Batgirl, with Dick Gautier stepping in as Batman (Adam West was, at the time, trying to distance himself from the Batman role) for a Women's Liberation Equal Pay public service announcement. The year 1972 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1972. Richard "Dick" Gautier (born October 30, 1931 in Los Angeles California) is an Actor In 1977, Adam West and Burt Ward returned to the Batman universe in animated form. The year 1977 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1977. West and Ward lent their voices to Batman and Robin respectively, on the Filmation-produced animated series, The New Adventures of Batman. For the unrelated isometric graphics engine used by Ultimate Play the Game in their 8-bit computer games see Filmation engine. The New Adventures of Batman is an Animated series produced by Filmation in 1977 featuring the DC Comics Superheroes West would once again reprise his role as Batman in animated form when he succeeded Olan Soule in the final two seasons of Super Friends. Olan Soule ( February 29, 1909 &ndash February 1, 1994) was an American character actor with hundreds of credits in films radio commercials Super Friends is an American Animated television series about a team of Superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part In 1979, West, Ward, and Frank Gorshin reunited on NBC for Hanna-Barbera's two Legends of the Superheroes TV specials. The year 1979 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1979. GigtantaAtomjpg|150px|thumb|right|A'Leshia Brevard and Alfie Wise as Giganta and the Atom respectively

Theme music

The title theme to Batman is one of the best-known theme tunes of all time. Composed by Neal Hefti, the song is built around a minimalistic and foreboding but catchy guitar hook reminiscent of spy film scores and surf music. Neal Hefti (born October 29, 1922 in Hastings Nebraska) is an American Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Tune Surf music is a Genre of Popular music associated with Surf culture, particularly Orange County and other areas of Southern California It is a simple twelve bar blues progression using only three chords until the coda. Coda ( Italian for "tail" from the Latin cauda, see below is a term used in Music in a number of different senses primarily to designate The lyrics to the theme consist of ten cries of "Batman!", which were originally thought to be sung by a female chorus; however, Adam West's book Back to the Batcave reveals the "voices" to actually be instrumental, rather than vocal. These ten repetitions of "Batman!" were then followed by a coda of "Na na na na Na na na na BATMAN!"

The theme was the most recorded song of 1966. In addition to Neal Hefti's original version, and the television soundtrack version by Nelson Riddle, versions were covered by The Marketts, The Ventures, Dan and Dale, Al Hirt, The Who, The Standells and Jan and Dean, who released a concept album titled Jan & Dean Meet Batman. Neal Hefti (born October 29, 1922 in Hastings Nebraska) is an American Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Tune Nelson Smock Riddle Jr ( June 1, 1921 &ndash October 6, 1985) was a well-known American bandleader arranger and The Marketts were an American instrumental pop group formed in Hollywood, California. The Ventures are an American Instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Alois Maxwell Hirt (November 7 1922 – April 27 1999 was an American Trumpeter and Bandleader. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend The Standells were a 1960's Garage rock band from Los Angeles, California. Jan and Dean were a Rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s consisting of William Jan Berry ( April 3, In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" There were also versions by groups who seemed to exist solely for covering the song, such as "The Sensational Batboys" and "Bruce and the Robin Rockers".

The famously minimal song has been widely parodied in the decades since its debut, and remains a prominent pop-culture subject to this day. The theme has been re-recorded by dozens of artists, the most notable including Link Wray, The Kinks, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem, The Flaming Lips, The Who, Voivod, Alien Sex Fiend, Mucky Pup and The Jam. Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr ( May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American Rock and roll Guitarist The Kinks were an English pop and rock group formed in 1963 and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972 known as Slim Shady and his primary Stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award -winning The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983 is an American rock band The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Alien Sex Fiend are a Gothic rock band from the UK formed in the winter of 1982 Mucky Pup began as an American hardcore band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 1985 when brothers John (drums and Chris (vocals Milnes The Jam were an English Mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s Careful listeners will notice a higher-pitched version of the tune in the theme music for The Batman. The Batman was an Emmy Award -winning American Animated Television series produced by Warner Bros In addition, artists Prince and R.E.M used the variations of (but did not remake) the TV show theme in their work: Prince, in the song "Batdance" (which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1989 movie), and R. Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician " Batdance " is a song by Prince, from the 1989 ''Batman'' soundtrack E. M. in a rejected song for the Batman Returns soundtrack, later released under the title "Winged Mammal Theme," as a "B-side" to the single "Drive. Batman Returns is a 1992 Superhero film directed by Tim Burton. "^[2]

The opening theme of this series can be heard at the 10th stage of the arcade game City Connection. is a Video game developed and published in 1985 by Jaleco for the arcade, and later ported to the MSX, ZX Spectrum and Nintendo

Popularity

Many sports, music, and media personalities, and a number of Hollywood actors, looked forward to and enjoyed their appearances as villains on the Batman show. They were generally allowed to overact and enjoy themselves on a high-rated TV series, guaranteeing them considerable exposure (and thus boosting their careers). The most popular villains on the show included Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, Frank Gorshin as The Riddler, Julie Newmar as Catwoman, and Victor Buono as King Tut. Cesar Julio Romero Jr ( February 15, 1907 &ndash January 1, 1994) was a Cuban American Film and Television The Joker is a fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics. Oliver Burgess Meredith ( November 16, 1908 He graduated from Hoosac School in 1926 The Penguin ( Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) a DC Comics Supervillain, was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger Frank John Gorshin Jr ( April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American Actor and Comedian. The Riddler ( Edward Nigma or Nygma, or Nashton) is a Fictional character, a DC Comics Supervillain, an enemy of Julie Newmar (born August 16, 1933) is an American actress, Dancer and Singer. Catwoman is a Fictional character associated with DC Comics ' Batman franchise. Charles Victor Buono ( February 3, 1938 - January 1, 1982) was an Academy Award - and Golden Globe-nominated American King Tut is a Fictional character, a villain created for the 1966[[ 968|-68]] Batman Television series Other famous names from the "rogues gallery" in the comic book series made appearances on the show (notably The Mad Hatter), and some were taken from other superheroes, such as The Archer and The Puzzler (Superman villains) and The Clock King (a Green Arrow villain). The Mad Hatter is a fictional character in the Batman comics published by DC Comics. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do The Puzzler is a Fictional character, a Supervillain in the DC Comics universe Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Clock King is a title used by two Fictional characters Supervillains published by DC Comics. For the LNER Steam locomotive, see LNER Class V2 4771 Green Arrow Green Arrow ( Oliver Jones "Ollie" Queen Many other villains were created especially for the TV show, and never did appear in the comic books (e. g. , The Siren, Chandelle, Bookworm, King Tut, Lord Ffogg, Dr. King Tut is a Fictional character, a villain created for the 1966[[ 968|-68]] Batman Television series Cassandra, and Louie the Lilac), while some were hybrids. The comics' Mr. Zero was renamed Mr. Freeze (a name change that was copied in the comics with lasting effect), and the comics' Brainy Barrows was reworked as Egghead. Mr Freeze, real name Dr Victor Fries (pronounced as Victor "Frees" or "Freeze" is a DC Comics Supervillain, an enemy of Character Profile Egghead was a villain created for the 1960s Batman Television series. Other celebrities often appeared in scenes where the Dynamic Duo were scaling a building wall and the celebrity would suddenly open a window and have a short conversation with the superheroes.

Adam West enjoys the story that he was part of two of the three Big B's of the 1960s: Batman, The Beatles and Bond. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story West says he was actually invited to play Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service based on his popularity as Batman, but declined the role as he felt it should be played by a British actor (ironically, the role went to an Australian, George Lazenby). On Her Majesty's Secret Service, released in 1969, is the sixth Spy film in the James Bond series, and the only one to star George George Robert Lazenby (born September 5 1939) is an Australian Actor best known for portraying James Bond in the 1969

The popularity of the TV show did not translate well to the silver screen, however. A movie version of the TV show was released to theaters (see Batman (1966 film)), but it did not become a large box office hit, even though creatively the movie was generally regarded to be just as good as the first season episodes, and superior to most of the second and third season episodes. Batman (also known as Batman The Movie) is a 1966 film spin-off of the popular ''Batman'' television series, and was the first The movie continued to be profitably re-released to theaters, TV, and video for decades. Originally, the movie had been created to help sell the TV series abroad, but the success of the series in America sold itself, and the movie was brought out after season one had already been aired. In fact, the movie's budget allowed for producers to build the Batboat and Batcopter, which were used in the second and third seasons of the TV show. The Batboat is the fictional personal watercraft of Comic book Superhero Batman. The Batcopter is the Fictional personal Helicopter of Comic book Superhero Batman.

The live-action TV show was extraordinarily popular. At the height of its popularity, it was the only prime time TV show other than Peyton Place to be broadcast twice in one week as part of its regular schedule, airing at 7:30 p. Peyton Place is an American primetime Drama serial which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15 m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Episodes of the show were often filmed as two-part cliffhangers, with each storyline beginning on Wednesday and ending on the Thursday night episode. A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a Plot device in which a movie, Novel, or other work of fiction contains an abrupt ending often leaving At the very end of the Thursday night segment, a little tag featuring the next week's villain would be shown, e. g. : "Next week -- Batman jousts with The Joker again!" (this started the third week of the series' run and continued until the end of season two). The first episode of a storyline would typically end with Batman and Robin being trapped in a ridiculous deathtrap, while the narrator (Dozier) would tell viewers to watch the next night with the repeated phrase: "Tune in tomorrow — same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!" Even now, many years after the show ceased production, this catch-phrase is still a long-running punchline in popular culture. A deathtrap is a Literary and Dramatic Plot device in which a Villain, who has captured the Hero or another sympathetic character

The Batman-influenced Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys the team wore in 1967.

Batman would even have influence in the sports world. During the height of the show's popularity, the Pittsburgh Steelers unveiled new uniforms influenced by Adam West's Batman outfits. The uniforms were introduced for the 1967 NFL season, and had gold triangle-like diamonds on the shoulders of both the black home jerseys and white away jerseys. The 1967 NFL season was the 48th Regular season of the National Football League. However, the jerseys turned out to be very unpopular and, coupled with a last-place season that year, were discarded the following season in favor of the team's current-style uniforms.

The show even contributed to the careers of two real-life New York City policemen, David Greenberg and Robert Hantz. This pair had a remarkable career as police officers, so much so that they were given street nicknames of "Batman and Robin". Their careers were fictionalized in the 1974 movie The Super Cops. The year 1974 in film involved some significant events Events February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released The Super Cops is a 1974 film starring Ron Leibman and David Selby, directed by Gordon Parks.

Lasting impact

The series' stars, Adam West and Burt Ward, were typecast for decades afterwards, with West especially finding himself unable to escape the reputation the series gave him as a hammy, campy actor. Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American Actor who is best known for playing the role of Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr, on July 6, 1945) is an American Television Actor and Activist. For other meanings see Typecasting. Typecasting is the process by which a film TV or stage Actor is strongly identified with a specific However, years after the series' impact faded, West found fame and respect among comic book and animation fans, who appreciated his work on the TV series. One of the more popular episodes of Batman: The Animated Series paid tribute to West with an episode titled "The Grey Ghost". Batman The Animated Series (often shortened Batman TAS or BTAS) is an American, two time Emmy Award winning In this episode, West played the role of an aging star of a superhero TV series Bruce Wayne had watched as a child, and would be inspired by as a crimefighter, who found new popularity with the next generation of fans. He would also play Gotham City's Mayor Grange as a somewhat recurring role in The Batman. The Batman was an Emmy Award -winning American Animated Television series produced by Warner Bros In addition, the most frequent visual influence is that later Batmobiles usually have a rear rocket thruster that usually fires as the car makes a fast start. The Batmobile is the fictional personal Automobile of Comic book Superhero Batman.

In 2003, West and Ward reunited for a tongue-in-cheek telefilm titled Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt which combined dramatized recreations of the filming of the original series (with younger actors standing in for the stars), with modern day footage of West and Ward searching for a stolen Batmobile. The year 2003 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2003. Return to the Batcave The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 Television movie reuniting the cast of the 1960s Batman TV show. The film included cameo appearances by Newmar and Gorshin, as well as Lee Meriwether who had played Catwoman in the 1966 film and Lyle Waggoner, who had been an early candidate for the role of Batman. Lee Ann Meriwether (born May 27, 1935 in Los Angeles California) is Miss America 1955 and an American actress, appearing Lyle Waggoner (born April 13 1935 in Kansas City Kansas) is an American Actor and former model best known for his work on Yvonne Craig did not appear in the movie because she reportedly disliked the script. Yvonne Joyce Craig (born May 16, 1937 in Taylorville Illinois) is an American actress best known as Batgirl from The movie received high ratings and was released on DVD May 2005. May 2005 was the fifth month of that year It began on a Sunday and ended after 31 days on a Tuesday.

A line spoken by Robin (Chris O'Donnell) in Batman Forever is a straight homage to the TV Robin's catch-phrase. Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26 1970 is a Golden Globe -nominated American Actor, perhaps best known for playing Robin in the See also Batman Forever (score, Batman Forever (soundtrack, Batman Forever (video game, Batman Forever The Arcade Game Batman During the movie he says, "Holey rusted metal, Batman," (referring to the island's land-scape which is made from rusted metal and has holes in it) which sounds intentionally similar to lines spoken by Robin beginning with the word "Holy" and ending with "Batman".

VHS & DVD (non-) release

Despite considerable popular demand^[3], no official home entertainment release (VHS, laserdisc or DVD) of the series has occurred to date in North America, with the situation seemingly unlikely to be resolved in the near future. The Laserdisc (LD is an obsolete Home video disc format and was the first commercial Optical disc storage medium DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

Conflicting reports of the reasons behind the non-release of the series point to a number of different factors, some, none or all of which may indeed play a part. These include:

• Disagreement between DC Comics (who own the Batman character. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created DC's sister/parent company Warner Bros., which took over DC in 1976 could also be involved) and 20th Century Fox (who own the program itself). Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Gord Lacey's influential TV/DVD website TVShowsonDVD.com is often quoted in support of this much-discussed theory, after a story the website ran in December, 2005. ^[4]
  • Some commentators have suggested that DC Comics itself is not involved, and that Warner and Fox are reluctant to work with each other. This was denied by a Warner spokesperson in 2005 during their semi-regular "Home Theatre Forum" chat, where it was stated that the issues were between Fox and DC alone, with Warner playing no part in negotiations. ^[5]
  • Some slight suggestion has been made that DC does not wish to distort the current image of the Dark Knight by having the overtly-campy 1960s series competing head-to-head with more modern takes, such as Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin and Batman Begins. Batman is a 1989 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Batman Returns is a 1992 Superhero film directed by Tim Burton. See also Batman Forever (score, Batman Forever (soundtrack, Batman Forever (video game, Batman Forever The Arcade Game Batman " Batman & Robin " is a 1997 film from the Batman film series starring George Clooney as Batman, Chris O'Donnell returning Batman Begins is a 2005 American Superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by However, such alleged suggestions that readers might become confused are easily countered by noting the different versions of Batman comics already published, which regularly number at least three (the main series, the children's series The Batman Strikes! and All-Star Batman, etc. The Batman was an Emmy Award -winning American Animated Television series produced by Warner Bros All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is an ongoing American Comic book series published by DC Comics. ) in addition to the film series (and the four earlier films), the DVD releases of the 1940s film serials and various cartoon incarnations. (As an interesting aside to possible rights issues and DC distancing itself from that incarnation, in October 2005 issue #7 of the DC Comics series Solo was released without it's solicited cover by Mike Allred of the Adam West-Batman doing the Batusi. Michael Dalton "Mike" Allred is an American comic book artist and writer. Batusi was a 1960s style Go-go dance invented for the Batman television series. Allred explains that the cover was pulled by "higher ups" for reasons largely unknown. ^[6] Speculation over the reasons first intimated that potential infringement of rights were the issue, but this was soon replaced with suggestions that it's "campy" nature was the real factor in its removal, both because the release coincided with the DVD releases of Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin and Batman Begins, and editor Dan Didio reportedly does not like camp. Batman is a 1989 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Batman Returns is a 1992 Superhero film directed by Tim Burton. See also Batman Forever (score, Batman Forever (soundtrack, Batman Forever (video game, Batman Forever The Arcade Game Batman " Batman & Robin " is a 1997 film from the Batman film series starring George Clooney as Batman, Chris O'Donnell returning Batman Begins is a 2005 American Superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Dan DiDio (born October 24, 1959) is an American Comic book editor and executive ^[7]
• Greenway/ABC/Fox rights issues. The Batman series was conceived as an equal partnership between William Dozier's Greenway Productions and Fox in 1964, before Fox entered into a separate agreement with ABC to produce the series in 1965. William Dozier (13 February 1908 &ndash 23 April 1991 was a Television producer and Actor, most famous as the producer and Narrator of the ''Batman'' The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. With three companies involved almost from the outset, there is some speculation that rights are tangled even before the DC Comics character-ownership rights are considered. Moreover:
  • Another Greenway Productions series, The Green Hornet is similrly absent from DVD release, (although, like Batman, the rights to theatrical features based upon the show were different, and these have been released, as has Batman: The Movie. The Green Hornet (also referred to as simply Green Hornet) is a masked fictional Crime fighter Batman (also known as Batman The Movie) is a 1966 film spin-off of the popular ''Batman'' television series, and was the first ) leading to speculation that Greenway could be the common factor, and hence in some fashion be the stumbling block.
  • In 2006, Deborah Dozier Potter, "the successor-in-interest to Greenway Productions" sued Fox for allegedly withholding monies under the Fox/ABC agreement. ^[8][9] Dozier Potter further claimed that this came to her attention when, in March 2005: "she considered releasing the series on DVD," implying that (from her perspective at least) Greenway/Dozier Potter has some say in the matter of potentional DVD release of the series. (The case was resolved/dismissed in November, 2007, as noted at the "1966 Batman Message Board". ^[10])
• Other complications/rights issues:
  • Christopher D Heer, writing at the "1966 Batman Message Board", clarified a quote by moderator Lee Kirkham, noting that there will likely be the need for complicated deals regarding cameos, since ". . at least some of the cameos were done as uncredited, unpaid walk-ons -- which means that Fox does NOT have home video clearances for them. Either those scenes would have to be cut or an agreement reached with the actors. "^[11]
  • Kirkham's initial quote also noted that, alongside music clearance issues, there could also be problems over some of the costumes, and the original Batmobile:

"It may surprise you, but then there are also rights issues concerning the design of the unique Batmobile design used in the show, and possible a separate issue regarding some of the costumes as well!"^[12]

The series, under the Fox/ABC deal, is however still in syndication, and regularly shown on a number of channels around the world. The Batmobile is the fictional personal Automobile of Comic book Superhero Batman. Thus far, though, only the 1966 feature film is available on DVD for non-broadcast viewing in North America. This also affected the 2003 television movie reunion Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, which was only able to make use of footage from the 1966 movie. Return to the Batcave The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 Television movie reuniting the cast of the 1960s Batman TV show. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar.

Trivia

• Not counting six of the Penguin's henchmen who disintegrate or get blown up in the associated Batman theatrical movie, only four criminal characters die during the series: the Riddler's moll Molly (played by Jill St. John in Episode 2), a fake "Commissioner Gordon" who gets shot by the "Bookworm," and two out-of-town gunmen who shot at the Dynamic Duo toward the end of the "Zelda the Great" episode, but ended up killing each other instead.

• Lesley Gore, who plays "Pussycat" (one of Catwoman's henchwomen), was a popular singer of the day with hits such as "It's My Party". Lesley Gore (born May 2, 1946 as Lesley Sue Goldstein) is an American Singer-songwriter of the " Girl group era" Catwoman is a Fictional character associated with DC Comics ' Batman franchise. " It's My Party " is a song most formerly known by American singer Lesley Gore in 1963. On the January 19, 1967 episode, she sang her top 20 hit "California Nights". Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Gore was also the niece of Howie Horwitz, one of the show's producers.

• Only two of the series guest villains ever discovered Batman's true identity: Egghead by deductive reasoning, and King Tut on two occasions (once with a bug on the Batmobile and once by accidentally mining into the Batcave). Character Profile Egghead was a villain created for the 1960s Batman Television series. King Tut is a Fictional character, a villain created for the 1966[[ 968|-68]] Batman Television series The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics Superhero Batman, (the alternate identity of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne consisting Egghead was tricked into disbelieving his discovery, and Tut's recurring amnesia made him forget both times.

• Of the big four criminals (Riddler, Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman), only Riddler never entered the Batcave. The Riddler ( Edward Nigma or Nygma, or Nashton) is a Fictional character, a DC Comics Supervillain, an enemy of The Joker is a fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics. The Penguin ( Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) a DC Comics Supervillain, was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger Catwoman is a Fictional character associated with DC Comics ' Batman franchise. However in the movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, Riddler finally entered the Batcave. Return to the Batcave The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 Television movie reuniting the cast of the 1960s Batman TV show.

Cast

Regular cast

• Adam West - Batman/Bruce Wayne - A caped crusader whose parents were murdered when he was a child. Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American Actor who is best known for playing the role of Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created
• Burt Ward - Robin/Dick Grayson - Batman's faithful partner and "boy wonder". Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr, on July 6, 1945) is an American Television Actor and Activist. Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a fictional Superhero that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics.
• Alan Napier - Alfred - Batman's loyal butler. Alan Napier (born Alan W Napier-Clavering; 7 January 1903 &ndash 8 August 1988 was an English character actor Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth (or simply Alfred) is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by DC Comics.
• Neil Hamilton - Commissioner James Worthington Gordon - Gotham City Commissioner of Police. James Neil Hamilton ( September 9, 1899 – September 24, 1984) was an American actor famous for his role as Commissioner James Worthington "Jim" Gordon is a Fictional character who appears in Comic books published by DC Comics.
• Stafford Repp - Chief Miles O'Hara - Gotham City Chief of Police. Stafford Alois Repp ( 26 April, 1918 - 5 November, 1974) was an American Actor best known for his role as Chief O'Hara
• Madge Blake - Aunt Harriet Cooper - Dick Grayson's maternal aunt. Madge Blake née Cummings (b May 31, 1899, Kinsley Kansas - d Harriet Cooper, best known simply as Aunt Harriet from the Batman television series is a Fictional character that first appeared in the comic book
• Yvonne Craig - Batgirl/Barbara Gordon - Commissioner Gordon's daughter and Batman's partner (Season 3). Yvonne Joyce Craig (born May 16, 1937 in Taylorville Illinois) is an American actress best known as Batgirl from Batgirl is the name of several Fictional characters appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts to the Superhero Barbara "Babs" Gordon is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by DC Comics and in related media created by Gardner Fox
• Byron Keith - Mayor John Linseed - Mayor of Gotham City (recurring).
• William Dozier - Desmond Doomsday the Narrator

Neil Hamilton and Yvonne Craig, Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara in the series, had previously played father and daughter in an episode of Perry Mason. William Dozier (13 February 1908 &ndash 23 April 1991 was a Television producer and Actor, most famous as the producer and Narrator of the ''Batman'' Perry Mason is an Emmy -winning American TV series that ran from 1957 to 1966.

Several cast members recorded records tied in to the series. Adam West released a single titled "Miranda", a country-tinged pop song that he actually performed in costume during live appearances in the 1960s. Frank Gorshin released a song titled "The Riddler" which was composed and arranged by Mel Tormé. Melvin Howard Tormé ( September 13, 1925 &ndash June 5, 1999) nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician known as The track captures Gorshin's insane portrayal perfectly. Burgess Meredith recorded a spoken word single called "The Escape" backed with "The Capture", which was The Penguin narrating his recent crime spree to a jazz beat.

Guest appearances

Main article: Batman (TV): Guest appearances and episodes

Parodies

Parodies in the series

• The television show was famous for parodying names of many famous celebrities of the day. Among the most notable were newscasters Walter Cronkite (known as "Walter Klondike" on Batman), and Chet Huntley (he's known as "Chet Chumley" on the show). Walter Leland Cronkite Jr (born November 4 1916) is a retired American broadcast journalist, best known as Anchorman for the Chester Robert "Chet" Huntley ( December 10, 1911 - March 20, 1974) was an American Television newscaster Steve Allen played himself on the show, and was known as "Allen Stevens". Steve Allen, born Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen ( December 26 1921 – October 30 2000) was an American J. Pauline Spaghetti (a woman who is almost tricked into giving up her fortune to the notorious European criminal "Sandman" - played by Michael Rennie) is a parody on J. Paul Getty owner of the Getty Oil Company and one of the richest men of the 1960s. Michael Rennie ( 25 August[[ 909]]&ndash 10 June[[ 971]] was an English film television and stage actor best known for his starring role as the benevolent Jean Paul Getty ( December 15, 1892 – June 6, 1976) was an American industrialist and founder of the Getty Oil Company

• Lee Meriwether plays Lisa Carson, a wealthy Gotham City socialite who is kidnapped by King Tut. Lee Ann Meriwether (born May 27, 1935 in Los Angeles California) is Miss America 1955 and an American actress, appearing King Tut is a Fictional character, a villain created for the 1966[[ 968|-68]] Batman Television series Her father is John E. Carson - a parody on the legendary host of The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and
• Gotham City's Mayor Linseed is a parody on John Lindsay, who served as Mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973. John Vliet Lindsay ( November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American Politician who served as a member of the

• Commissioner Gordon would occasionally speak on the phone to the state's governor, Governor Stonefellow. This is a parody on Nelson Rockefeller, who served as governor of New York from 1959 to 1973. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller ( July 8, 1908 January 26, 1979) was the forty-first Vice President of the United States, the forty-ninth

• The Pentagon becomes "The Hexagon" in the Batman series. The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. Regular hexagon The internal Angles of a regular hexagon (one where all sides and all angles are equal are all 120 ° and the hexagon has 720 degrees

• Catwoman is known to have an additional hideout, "Cat-Lair West", across the river from Gotham City in "New Guernsey" a parody on New Jersey (Guernsey and Jersey are both islands in the English Channel). New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The Bailiwick of Guernsey (Bailliage de Guernesey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. The Bailiwick of Jersey ( Jèrriais: Jèrri) is a British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy, France.

• In the Dr. Cassandra episode, the evil alchemist steals the Mope diamond (a parody on the famous Hope Diamond) from Spiffany's jewellers. French Blue redirects here For the color see Blue. The Hope Diamond is a large 45 Spiffany's is a parody on Tiffany & Co.

• One of Gotham College's basketball rivals is "Disko Tech" (a homophone of discotheque). Tiffany & Co ( is a US jewelry and silverware company founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young in New York City A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires"

• The three-part Londinium episode during Batman's final season ("The Londinium Larcenies", "The Foggiest Notion", and "The Bloody Tower") was the series tribute to the Swinging London period of the 1960s. This article covers the history of London during the Roman period from around 47 AD when the Roman city of Londinium was founded Swinging London is a catchall term applied to a variety of dynamic cultural trends in the United Kingdom (centred in London) in the second half of the 1960s At the time of the show, everything British was "hot" in North America. Many aspects of London were parodied during the three episodes. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The city's name is changed to Londinium, which was the British capital's name during Roman times. This article covers the history of London during the Roman period from around 47 AD when the Roman city of Londinium was founded Scotland Yard becomes "Ireland Yard" in the series. New Scotland Yard or Scotland Yard, informally known as The Yard and NSY, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible Carnaby Street becomes "Barnaby Street". Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the area of 'Carnaby' in the district of Soho Fleet Street, the city's press district, is changed to "Bleet Street". Fleet Street is a street in London, England named after the River Fleet.

• Alan Hale Jr., who is famous for portraying Skipper on Gilligan's Island, appears as Gilligan, the owner/cook of a diner in "An Egg Grows in Gotham"/"The Yegg Foes in Gotham". Alan Hale Jr (born Alan Hale Mackahan, March 8 1921 &ndash January 2 1990 was an American movie and television Actor, best known for his role Gilligan's Island is an American TV sitcom originally produced by United Artists Television.

External links

• Batmania UK :: 1966 Batman
• Batman (TV series) at the Internet Movie Database
• Batman (TV series) at TV.com
• Museum of Broadcast Communications
• The 1966 Batman TV Tribute Site
• The BatCave Fan Site
• The Bat Pages Note: this website contains the original screentests of Adam West, Burt Ward, and Lyle Waggoner. TVcom is a website owned by CNET Networks. The service was launched on June 1 2005 and replaced the popular TV Tome website
• Batman: The Series @ Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond
• Batman: The Movie @ Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond
• BATMAN ON FILM
• Television Obscurities - Batgirl Promotional Short

References