To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

What will we cover in our next episode? Also, what will be the topic of the next patrons-only podcast? Listen to hear how you can help to decide the answer to the latter question, and to hear the answer to the former!

In television, a show’s “bible” is a collection of the rules for the world of a particular show, to keep writers on track with their scripts. The makeshift bible that Lorenzo Semple, Jr., wrote for Batman is lost to history, but what might have been in it? What are the rules that we can see the show following? Tim has compiled some and presents them here — and asks for your suggestions. In a recent Bat Inbox, we discussed some comments writer Buck Henry made about Batman and camp shortly after the show premiered. The comments struck Paul as being off-target and showing a poor understanding of what camp is. Is camp not comedy? Was Henry’s co-creation Get Smart not a campy show? Paul’s given it some more thought and research, and furthers that discussion in this episode. Plus, the Kydoniai Orchestra version of the theme, the conclusion of Adam West’s Cinefix interview from 2014, and your response to our second Batman/Star Trek act-off. "Gilligan and Captain Kirk have more in common than you think: 1960s Camp T

He’s best remembered as the Gotham City Police Department’s Commissioner Gordon, the Dynamic Duo’s #1 cheerleader. But Neil Hamilton had a long Hollywood career decades before Batman, dating back to the silent film era. This time, we talk about the hills and valleys of his decades in film and television, capped off with the Batman role that earned him the funds to retire. PLUS: More of Adam West’s 2014 appearance on the YouTube channel Cinefix, the Scott Community High School Band version of the theme, and your response to our discussion of the Rembrandt III treatment!   Hamilton as model for a J.C. Leyendecker cover for Saturday Evening Post (scroll about halfway down the page) Robert S. Ray commentary on Hamilton Hamilton-related documents (including TV Guide article), courtesy of High C A clip from Dawn Patrol The life-size FAB1 car

We’re joined again by our childhood friend Kyle for the second installment of our comparison of actors who appeared on both Batman and Star Trek. On which show did Grace Lee Whitney (King Tut moll Neila vs. Yeoman Janice Rand), Lee Meriwether (Tut kidnapee Lisa Carson vs. planetary security system Losira), Frank Gorshin (the Riddler vs. traitor-tracker Bele), and Sherry Jackson (Riddler moll Pauline vs. improbably sexy android Andrea) turn in the better performance? Then, having pitted two of the same actor’s roles against each other, we compare that actor’s better performance to that of one of the other actors. Just call us “The Gamesters of Gotham”! Plus, Adam West answers questions from YouTube channel Cinefix in 2014, Bryan Daste’s banjo/upright bass/theramin version of the Batman theme, and your mail on the 1966 snarky Saturday Evening Post bat-article! Our complete (?) list of every actor who appeared on both Batman and Star Trek TOS

As the broadcast of Batman season one drew to a close, a treatment called Rembrandt the Third Meets his Master was submitted by 31-year-old Yale M. Udoff, who would go on to some success, but was just getting started as a screenwriter. Udoff’s inexperience may account for many of the problems with this treatment: A villain, Rembrandt III, whose crimes and motivations are too creaky for a TV show, and who engages many elements that don’t fit the theme of “painting”; many bat-no-nos, including an armed-to-the-teeth Alfred and a somewhat vain, goofy Batman; and set pieces that were unfilmable in the pre-CGI days, at least on Greenway Productions’ budget. And a lot of elements that just don’t seem that interesting. But here and there, he gets it right. This time, we examine this treatment. ALSO: The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra version of the theme, the final installment of Adam West talking with Conan O’Brien in 1997, and your mail on episode 202’s look at Batman ’66 in the UK.     Tim and Paul in The Comics

At the height of Batmania in the first half of 1966, nearly every press outlet found it necessary to do a feature story on the phenomenon. But many in the media were not terribly impressed by Batman, so these articles tend to look down their noses at the show. One such example is “Has TV Gone Batty?”, an article by John Skow in the May 7, 1966, issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Aside from the snark, and misinformed discussion of camp, the article gives us some interesting insights into the shooting of the show and the thoughts of Adam West, William Dozier, Lorenzo Semple Jr, and others involved in making it. This time, we dig into this article. PLUS: the Guy with an Amazing Hat version of the theme, more from Adam West’s July 24, 1997, appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and your mail responding to several of our recent episodes! #200: "Batman: The Movie": The Novel #201: Chip Kidd's Book of Bat-Merch

We Americans know that Batman was also popular in the United Kingdom (and many other countries), but there are differences in the level of popularity that was reached and how long it lasted, and also in terms of when “first run” of the show was there. 66 Batman Message Board co-admin Ben Bentley is, in fact, British, so we asked for his assistance in tackling this topic. Our discussion touches on the show’s second wind in the ‘70s, Batman references in The Avengers (as in Steed and Peel) and other British TV shows and commercials (on into the ’80s!), Adam West’s “Kerb Drill” traffic safety PSA, the Carpet King, whether British kids actually jumped from roofs because of Batman, and more. Plus, the Piano AccoMan version of the theme, more of Adam talking with Conan O’Brien, and your reaction to Episode 199’s discussion of the Nora Clavicle script!   "Batman: The Super-Sell" (The Tatler, July 16, 1966)   Batmobile-adjacent car on Rentaghost (1983)       Adam's "Batman and Robin" single from 1976   Adam's "Ke

When the Batman TV show set off Batmania in 1966, a wide variety of toys and other tie-in items, not all of them licensed, hit the market. Since licensers seldom made style guides in the ‘60s, rights to the actors likenesses weren’t available, and some of the onslaught of Bat-crap came from overseas makers who thought Batman’s costume would look better in orange, the results are highly entertaining. This time we look at Chip Kidd’s 1996 book Batman Collected, a history of Bat-merch from 1938 to 1996. Y’know, we STILL want that Mego Batcave Playset. Plus, the Sheet Music Boss piano tutorial version of the Batman theme, Adam West’s reaction to the film Batman and Robin, and your response to our “Women in Season Two” wrapup!   The fruitless search for a guest (see page two for Ben Bentley's explanation of why the rights to Adam and Burt's likenesses weren't available)  

Former Batman comics writer Winston Lyon, fresh off his novel Batman vs. Three Villains of Doom, a few months later produced the novelization of Batman: The Movie, a book called Batman vs. the Fearsome Foursome. This time, for our 200th episode, we discuss the book: though based on Lorenzo Semple, Jr.’s screenplay, it betrays a different attitude toward Batman than Semple, and the Batman show in general, held. Plus, one of our favorite versions of the Batman theme, Cesar Romero interviewed by Jean Boone at the premiere of Batman: The Movie, and more of your reaction to our discussion of West and Gorshin's Shea Stadium show! Screenplay of Batman: The Movie

The three versions of the script for Nora Clavicle and the Ladies’ Crime Club raise some interesting questions about season three. Why did the Duo and Batgirl never have a way to easily contact each other? Why do our heroes’ early suspicions that Nora is crooked all get cut from the script? What are the types of female characters that the show keeps coming back to? Plus we look at lines and events that were cut — or added — at late stages in a very hurried process. PLUS, Chad Vermillion’s “hey look, cool musical hardware!” version of the Batman theme, Lee Meriwether interviewed at the premiere of Batman the Movie, and we read some of your reaction to our look at the West/Gorshin Shea Stadium show! Nora Clavicle scripts First draft Revised draft Final Teaser for Penguin's Clean Sweep Discussion on the '66 Batman message board

It's here! The Internet's most complete list of actors who appeared on both Batman and Star Trek: The Original Series! But... is it totally complete? Look it over and see if there's a relevant actor who isn't listed - then post about him or her in the comments! Some are famous actors in big roles on both, some are extras and uncredited actors, some fall somewhere in between - or had a big role in one show and a bit part in the other. See the entire list at the link below.       Batman Star Trek Stanley Adams Captain Courageous in CATWOMAN GOES TO COLLEGE/BATMAN DISPLAYS HIS KNOWLEDGE Cyrano Jones in THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES Alyce and Rhae Andrece 2nd and 3rd Policewoman in NORA CLAVICLE AND THE LADIES' CRIME CLUB Multiple Alices in I, MUDD Roger C Carmel Colonel Gumm in A PIECE OF THE ACTION/BATMAN’S SATISFACTION Harry Mudd in I, MUDD and MUDD’S WOMEN Ted Cassidy Lurch (window cameo) in THE PENGUIN’S NEST Ruk in WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF Gorn (voice) in ARENA Balok’s

In 2009, writers Nunzio DeFillipis and Christina Weir brought King Tut to the DC Universe in three issues of Batman Confidential (issues 26-28), with art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Kevin Nowlan. Tim and Paul discuss the story, and a few '66 Easter eggs embedded therein. (Originally published on Patreon March 19, 2022.)

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As the show hit its first anniversary and the second season neared its end, we see Batman’s characterization of women subtly changing, particularly Lee Meriwether’s strong Lisa Carson character, and some examples of actual (gasp) interaction between women! Why did the “poor, deluded girls” fade away? Was it changing social mores, or just the show trying not to repeat itself? Nancy Northcott joins us once again to discuss women on the show, this time in the final third of Season Two, which includes the preface to the introduction of the most prominent woman of Season Three — Batgirl! PLUS, Colie Brice’s version of the Batman theme, a bat-interview from the movie premiere in Austin, TX, and your mail on episode 195’s discussion of the script for A Piece of the Action! Green Hornet, How Sweet the Sting by Jim Beard and Joel Naprstek Nora Clavicle scripts First draft Revised draft Final Teaser for Penguin's Clean Sweep Discussion on the '66 Batman message board

In early 1966, Batmania was everywhere. This caused a certain (convicted tax evader) concert promoter to ask the question: Can Batman fill Shea Stadium? Adam West and Frank Gorshin were recruited to play their characters as part of a show that also included such musical luminaries as the Young Rascals and the Temptations. However, on June 25, 1966, the answer to the concert promoter's question turned out to be a resounding "No!" The Shea Stadium show has lingered as an oddity on the edges of our podcast's consciousness for some time, and now it's time to do a deep dive on it. Armed with the script for West and Gorshin's borscht-belt skit, and accounts of the show from several different sources, we look at what the show was meant to be, what it ended up being, and whether anyone who attended would have been particularly pleased with the result. Theme version from KLABEC Drummer Read the Script The New York Times looks back on the show Holy Shea Stadium! The Batman, Beatles, and Bob Dylan Connection, by Frank

The 11th issue of the Batman ’66 comics series gives us an unusual full-issue story in which the Joker teams up with a very Newmaresque Catwoman to break from prison and try to crack up all of Gotham! But how do we feel about these modern Batman elements, such as Arkham, showing up in this context? Is the series fan service going in too many different directions? PLUS: The iPhonedo Garage Band version of the Batman theme, more from Adam and Burt on The Merv Griffin Show, mail on the Batman/Star Trek Act-Off, and one of our listeners “draws” a lot of attention! 13 Groovy BATMAN ’66 Villains That Should Have Been — RANKED - by Ken Holtzhouser

It’s time for another script! This time it’s the first draft of the Green Hornet guest shot arc A Piece of the Action/Batman’s Satisfaction, featuring a much more assertive Robin than perhaps we ever saw Burt Ward play, and a greater focus on the secret identities of Batman and the Hornet! Plus, more of Adam and Burt’s Sept 1, 1966, Merv Griffin appearance, the L'Orchestra Cinematique "EPIC" version of the theme, and your mail on our Madge Blake episode! Links from Chris Cavanaugh Detective Comics 356 Madge Blake SEES Superman, or is it Batman and Robin? Climax of I Love Lucy's Superman episode Who was MADGE BLAKE? Larry Mondello's mom from LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.

You know her as Mousey in A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away, but did you know that Susan Silo has been a sought-after character voice actor for cartoons since the ‘70s? Or that she had a hit single in 1956 ("Dear Diary") and performed on American Bandstand? Or that she’s performed on Broadway? Or that her high school English teacher became a huge TV star in the ‘70s? This time we chat with Susan herself about all this and more! Plus, the Villains’ version of the Batman theme, more of Adam and Burt on Merv Griffin, and Holy Deja Vu visits Stalag 13! NOTE: The production error in this episode has been fixed. Sorry about that!

Two of the most iconic American TV shows of the 1960s are Batman and Star Trek. A surprising number of actors pulled double duty, appearing on both shows, either as regulars, recurring characters, or one-shot roles. This crossover of actors sounds like an interesting topic, but how do we get it into our show? What we settled on was to put these actors in March Madness-type brackets and pit them against each other. On which show did a given actor give the better performance? And how does their performance stack up against one of the other actors’? For part one of this exercise, we compare Stanley Adams (Cyrano Jones on Trek, Captain Courageous on Batman) to Julie Newmar (Eleen on Trek, Catwoman on Batman), and Joan Collins (Edith Keeler on Trek, the Siren on Batman) to Yvonne Craig (Marta on Trek, Batgirl on Batman). We’re joined in this exercise by our childhood friend Kyle, who grew up a Trek fan. PLUS: the Chuck Cirino version of the theme, Adam and Burt on the Merv Griffin Show in 1966, and we read your m

When talking about Batman, discussion tends to focus on Adam West, Burt Ward, and those who played villains who the Dynamic Duo brought to justice. But here we’ve done nearly 200 episodes and mostly missed someone whose name is in the opening credits for the first two seasons: Madge Blake. So this time we’ve dug in to see what we could learn about this woman who started acting late in life, charmed fellow actors but frustrated some directors, and worked with Jack Benny, Vincente Minnelli, Gene Kelly, and more. We also take a look at her Batman character, Aunt Harriet: her origins in the comics, how the TV and comics versions differed, and what we can tell about the TV version based on her scenes; there’s more to know there than you might think! ALSO: the Mr. Tabs guitar tutorial version of the Batman theme, Vincent Price and Adam watch themselves in a Batman clip on the Mike Douglas Show, Holy Deja Vu asks “Who was Milton Stark?”, and we once again visit the Bat Inbox. Madge Blake articles in Today's Health