Well I did a search and didn't see anything but the animated shows. Anyway, Frank "The Riddler" Gorshin has passed away. He was definitely one of the better villains on that show.

It was always weird watching this show as a kid because I didn't really get camp.

Exactly. I think on some level I knew there was something wrong, but apart from that I took it way too seriously. Looking back I was one stupid kid. The Tim Burton movies were one hell of a shock I can tell you (although why my parents allowed me to watch them at age 8 is beyond me).

Watching Batman again is a mix of nostalgic affection and cringing. How the actors kept a straight face I'll never know.

Heh. The first I ever saw of this show was the movie. It went along fairly normally for the first 75% or so, just the occasional "Holy Kidnapping!" or "Bat Shark Repellant" and the like. They started shooting at the Penguin's submarine, and I thought, "That laser burst looks cheesy. Well, that's sixties sci-fi for you." Then they landed on the submarine and started throwing punches. Oh. My. God.

I guess I was just raised to see Batman as, by definition, a dark character.

I think I went through 3 different stages of watching this show. When I was around 9, I loved it, because, well...Batman! In live action! Also, Julie Newmar was very sexy. The only thing that bugged me was the way their costumes magically appeared when they slid down the pole.

When I got a little older, I went all comic book fanboy (thanks in part to the Burton movies, and Miller and all that): WTF is this s**t?? Batman should not be dancing, damn it!

Now, I think the show is a riot.

I knew this show was goofy from the first moment I saw it. Everything was too brightly colored to be realistic. I wish Sci-Fi or TV Land would play it again. I liked it, goofiness and all. Maybe in tribute to Mr. Gorshin they will air the Riddler episodes.

I still think the 1966 movie is the best live-action Batman movie to date. Though perhaps this summer's Batman Begins will change that.

It's kind of hard to put a real actor in a bat suit, have him beat up a clown, and have it not be funny. When I was little, I didn't get the Adam West Batman either, because I thought it was supposed to be serious, but in my teens I discovered the show's true comedic genius. The new movie might be good. Hell, if it's half as good as "Sin City" it'll be the best serious Batman movie they've done. But the old comedic version will always be special. I especially loved how absolutely EVERY ITEM THEY FUCKING OWNED was labelled "Bat Stapler"... "Bat Shoehorn"... "Bat Paperweight"...
Anyone can do something silly and call it comedy, but having the chutzpah to KEEP doing silly things, with a straight face, was what kept the show funny.

Which is exactly why Adam West was perfect as Batman. He knew that that was how he had play the role in order for it to be effective.

I *love* this show - it's my favourite Batman incarnation. :) A lot of my affection probably come from childhood nostalgia since I used to watch it back when I was just a wee girl. I didn't actually understand any of the dialoge because it was in english, and I couldn't read so I didn't get the sub either, but I knew comedy when I saw it. ;) "POWW!" "BIFF!" "SMACK!" The fistfights=the best part

Nowadays I'm mostly awed by the decor and the costumes...

How did I miss this thread?

This show turned me on to Batman as a character, and shortly after I started watching it I begged my mother for anything Batman-related. Okay, so it isn't for purists who prefer the brooding, vengeful Dark Knight of the earlier and more recent comics. Still, the show was pivotal in my development of a basic ethical system when I was a kid.

Years and years ago, I was doing temp work for Gramercy Pictures at the San Diego ComiCon (we were doing the Mallrats sneak preview). I got a chance to meet several celebrity types, and dealt with them in what I considered a polite and professional manner. No way I was going to be lumped in with the pathetic fanboys who were congregating around our table, right?

Then the announcement: "Adam West is now signing autographs at booth 8A"

I dropped the packet of trading cards I was carrying, rushed to his table at top speed, and babbled incoherently about how he was my personal hero when I was growing up. He signed my paper, looked up, and said three words that I carry with me to this day:

"Well, thanks, chum"

I've gone through ups and downs in my life since then, but one thing can never be taken away from me. Adam West--TV's Batman--called me "chum".

I'm trying to remember the various villains who populated this show. Frank Gorshan as Riddler was my favorite. Didn't the guy from The Adams Family also play him? I also remember Julie Neumar as Catwoman and Burgess Meridith as Penguin. I can't remember who played Joker, which is funny because he got the most screen time, I think. I also can't remember who played Scarecrow.

I seem to remember that Vincent Pryce, Roddy McDowall and George Sanders also played baddies, but I don't remember who. I think Roddy may have been the Mad Hatter.

An actor I do remember was Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon. He was another really good actor who did camp perfectly. I saw him on an episode of Perry Mason not long ago and it made me long to watch some of those old Batman reruns.

Cesar Romero. I always liked him in the role, and he did look like the comic book depiction of the Joker IMO. I remember thinking when Jack Nicholson played the part in the Tim Burton movie that he looked too fat for the role. Romero always seemed to be having a lot of fun playing the part.



I think Vincent Pryce played Egghead (?). I don't remember who the other two played. The list of villains was full of old stars, as I recall. I remember Tallulah Bankhead as the Black Widow, and Victor Buono as King Tut. And Joan Collins as the Siren.



I loved Julie Neumar in the role. I hated Eartha Kitt as Catwoman though when she took over.

Roddy McDowall was the Bookworm (David Wayne was the Mad Hatter), George Sanders was the first Mr. Freeze and yes, Vincent Price was Egghead. Because of a contract dispute, Frank Gorshin missed one episode and was replaced by John Astin (aka Gomez Addams).

I don't believe Scarecrow was on the tv series.

Don't forget Milton Berle as Louie the Lilac and Liberace as the evil, piano-playing Chandell! This show was a lot of fun in its day.

I wonder why this show isn't on DVD, especially since Superman is. I'd love to pick this up if they ever released it. I enjoyed it from beginning, until the end with Bat Girl.

Are there any other campy series in this vein? I know there was a Bat Girl pilot, but I don't know if it was similar to this.

Perhaps, though you may have to overlook the fact that they applied white makeup over his mustache because he refused to shave it off...it's pretty distracting once you know to look for it.

It's not on DVD because Fox and the WB are fighting over it. However, they did manage to release the truly awesome movie - from 1966, starting Burt Ward and Adam West. It's pretty great.

Speaking of Vincent Price, during an Egghead episode, there was a scene where eggs were being thrown at the dynamic duo. At that time, Burt Ward was being a pain in the ass and you can see the crew's feelings towards him - they went a bit overboard when they started throwing eggs at him. They really let him have it.

Heh, you don't notice it until you know and then you can't not notice it. Of course, when I first watched the series I was pretty young and it was most likely a small tv so it might have not been that noticeble then.

I loved this show as a kid. Imagine my surprise when Tim Burton's Batman came out and I learned he's supposed to be dark.

Julie Newmar was in the series? I thought Catwoman was played by Lee Meriweather... but they looked the same - at least I thought they were. I knew Julie Newmar was in the movie.

Eartha Kitt was the equivalent of Halle Berry as Catwoman, a biiiiiiiit over the top. None the less, I thought she was..unique. Julie and Lee were so sexy, and purring all over the place, I wanted to be like them. I actually wanted to grow up as a Catwoman, lol.

Michelle Pffiefer [sp?] performance as Catwoman, although I liked her because it was so dark and creepy - I thought it was a bit too sad. Instead of this vibrant young woman who was a thief and occassionaly an animal activist, the movie reduced her as this low life pitiful and vengeful secretary - which I really didn't like. But as far as Catwoman herself, I thought she kicked ass.

One thing I liked about the series was most of the henchmen were wearing something that determine who they were working for. For example; Catwoman's henchmen were wearing leopard skin jacket and cat ears hat, Joker's henchmen were wearing colorful uniforms, etc. As a little girl back then, it really helped me to understand who was the villain of the week, hehehe.

It's actually the other way around--Julie Newmar was the TV series Catwoman...Lee Meriwether was the one from the movie (which I never actually saw). I didn't really like Eartha Kitt as Catwoman, but a lot of that probably came from my attachment to Newmar. I will admit that Kitt's voice does have that sensual cat-like quality, so she was well-suited for the role.

I hated Eartha Kitt's Cat-a-lac. It had this huge tail attached to the rear end.

Julie Newmar was Catwoman for the first two seasons. She wasn't available when they did the movie, so they used Lee Meriwether, who wasn't nearly as good (Meriwether was a generic Hot Chick who turned up in a lot of '60s TV shows; she was attractive, but Newmar was like an alien space creature from Planet Super-Hot). Kitt took over for the last season because Newmar was doing a movie, Mackenna's Gold. It was probably a bad move, because the movie didn't do well and Newmar's career never got back to what it had been around the time of "Batman."

I think Lee Meriwether guest starred on the show, too, as a damsel in distress or something. I remember Bruce Wayne going into her apartment for... milk and cookies.

I remember those episodes. She was kidnapped by King Tut.

I am so glad to see this thread! The series premiered when I was 5-and nothing could have been cooler to play Catwoman around the house-except maybe the
3rd season, when I became Batgirl. I also thought it was very serious stuff-my Mom took me to see the 1966 film and I was MAD cause the other kids were laughing at Batman! Now, of course-I love watching for the satire/camp references-like New Guernsey for New Jersey, Mayor Linseed for Mayor Lindsey and other 60's references. And Adam West ROCKED-now and forever.

No wonder people thought Batman was gay.

Well, citizen, you'd be happy too if you kept Gotham as safe as he did.

Oh dear. TV Shows on DVD make reference to a new legal stand-off regarding this series.

Don't hold your breath waiting for this camp classic to be released on DVD.

Oh that's too bad.

I've recently been able to watch a few episodes of this, for the first time in at least a decade or so and never really appreciated the brilliance of the series, especially in light of the newer, far darker screen representations of Batman. I used to associate the show with being targeted very young, a children's show, yet in hindsight it added that extra level of depth. It was post-modern before the term was invented: '...almost as if we were being written into these scenarios', 'no Robin, that only happens in the movies'. And how utterly upstanding Batman and Robin were all the time. Pitch perfect performances from all the major cast as well. I'll always appreciate Adam West being such a good sport on The Simpsons guest spots he made.



Brilliant! That's exactly how I'll describe her from now on as well! Even among some of the other larger than life performances in the series she was something special in that role, somehow managing to play it straight yet still fitting into this particular self-aware universe.

This is my absolute FAVORITE tv show. Like others have said, the show was so damn cheesy you couldn't help but like it.

I have all the episodes downloaded onto my computer and every once in a while when i have some free time, i'll watch an episode or two.

Just recently I watched the one with Liberace and kinda shook my head, how in the world could people have been SHOCKED when he came out of the closet in the early 80's?

One thing I always found funny, no matter what trap or peril they were in, by some miraculous coincidence, Batman either was wearing something or just recently invented something to counteract it.

Dude, all I have to say, is Batman dancing the 'Bat-usi' was awesome.

I kept saying 'Same Bat-Channel, Same Bat-Time' all through my teens when describing my schedule.

Maybe people were more sheltered back then.


Like in the Mr. Freeze episode, Batman wore Bat-Thermal Underwear.

I liked when he drank the buttermilk to protect his stomach from poison. Or how wiggling his ears while Robin moved his pinky freed them from the human knot.

I loved that.

When I was a kid I either wanted to be Catwoman or Batgirl.

One time when I watched "Whatever happened To Baby Jane?" I saw Victor Buono and for the life of me I couldn't remember where I saw him before. Then I re-read this thread and it hit me. King Tut.

I also though the show was just stupid when I was very young; it wasn't until I was in my teens that I paid enough attention to appreciate the humor, but I only sawe the movie and a few episodes then. More recently I started catching up on the whole series, and two things really impress me, besides Adam West being PERFECT for the role (West, at the time, was more Shatner than even Shatner was yet, and since we're talking comedy I do mean that as a compliment.)
One, of course, is Catwoman. These days we take that archetype for granted, but good lord, thirteen-year-old Kennedy-era boys must have had no idea what hit them when she showed up!
And the other is Burt Ward. At least West, while certainly playing a square, at least got to play a cool square, who everybody was in awe of and all the women fell in love with. Ward, on the other hand, in addition to all the stories about him getting injured during filming, got tied up by clowns every week while wearing the most humiliating outfit in history, and he still not only stuck with it, but threw himself into it with a gusto that I simply can not picture anyone else doing. He doesn't just say "Holy Television Without Pity, Batman!" He says it like he means it. Whenever he's annoyed he punches his fist like he's just overwhelmed by the urge to fight evil immediaely. He is, impossible as it sounds, even cheesier than Batman.
OK, three things. Has anyone else noticed that most of the villains, with one exception, manage to make a reasonably witty joke or pun now and then? I love that the only one whose intentional humor absoutely always falls flat is The Joker. His ideas and schemes make me laugh sometimes, but his insults and quips? Nothing. He's like a comedy vacuum, and they're so consistant about it that I think it has to have been deliberate.

Cletus, you'd be surprised. According to his autobiography, Ward got his share of the female groupies too.

My favorite odd contraption has got to be where Batman and Robin somehow get glued to the Batmobile and Adam West, with the straightest face ever, looks at Robin and says, "Well, it's a good thing we installed this glue dissolving button."

.... Glue Dissolving Button... I never... when my head had finally caught up to what I had heard, and then the characters actually used the button to dissolve the glue, I had never laughed so hard in my life.

Didn't that cost him his marriage?

I miss being able to catch Batman on TVLand. It's been a long time since i've been able to catch some episodes on tv.

Who gets my vote for dumbest waste-of-space villain ever. Could she have been more boring??

I'm old enough to have seen this in first-run, and it took me years... and I mean YEARS... to figure out that the people playing the villains in Batman did not become famous because of these roles; they were already famous from other roles. I swear to God, I didn't think anybody had ever heard of Burgess Meredith and Cesar Romero before they did Batman.

When I was on vacation in England ten years ago I turned on the TV one morning to get the weather forecast and there was Milton Berle as Louie the Lilac. I put off my planned activities for the day for a half hour so I could finish the ep.

I certainly didn't.

Although I liked Batgirl, I hated her theme song. It grated on my nerves.

*looks around innocently*

So, were the guest stars at the height of their stardom at the time, or was it more like the stars who made appearances on The Love Boat?

For those who get the American Life Network, Batman will be on at 9 PM (EST) tonight. Followed by The Green Hornet.

It's sad, because I can still remember some of the lyrics to the song. Even so, I still wanted to be her.

Oh thank God!!! I've always been afraid that I was the ONLY ONE who did that!! I spent YEARS thinking that Batman had launched all of these people's careers!

It's such fun to go back and watch this show as an adult and catch all of the stuff that I missed the first time around when I was a kid. Not unlike watching a Looney Tunes cartoon for the first time as an adult.

I'm rather disappointed that the America Life Network only shows Batman one night a week. It's nice that Batman is back on TV but only showing one episode a week, it will take two years to go through the whole series.

I was such a Batman addict as a kid. My mother still remembers taking me to my first professional baseball game and towards the end of the game I'm throwing a fit because I wanted to get home to watch Batman.

It was really a shame that Victor Buono didn't appear more on the show, he was just absolutely brilliant as King Tut. He played that character SO over the top it was hilarious. I believe it was on the Tonight Show where he said that he loved doing Batman because he got to do the one thing that actors are taught never to do, and that was overact.

Too bad this show and Green Hornet most likely will never be on DVD, but if it is, I just might buy them. I think Frank Gorshin's Riddler was the best villian of them all: brilliant enough to have his plans closest to working, and batshit crazy enough to enjoy every moment of them. The "authority" figures were such squares, it's clear these were made by "the Man." Thank you American Life Network for letting me watch this again. Dark and broody's all well and good, but there's something to be said for cartoon colors and goofy.

I would definately buy Batman if it came out on DVD. Sadly the production companies that hold the various rights are all still fighting with no end in sight. I read somewhere that 3 different parties hold rights to parts of the show and nobody will budge about how much money they want.