To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

When producer William Dozier and writer Lorenzo Semple, Jr, met up in Madrid in May 1965, Batman wasn’t all they were cooking up; it wasn’t even the main reason they were meeting. Semple had been developing an idea called Mr. Zero, a possible action/adventure TV show that had nothing to do with the character who would come to be called “Mr. Freeze.” This time, we take a look at a 40-page presentation document Semple wrote to describe the series. What does it tell us about possible casting, changes in thinking or circumstance (as we note the differences between this description and what we saw in the Mr. Zero test scene script in episode 168), and simply whether this show would have been any good? PLUS: Holy Deja Vu crosses paths with Get Smart, and we read your reaction to our examination of the early script for “Instant Freeze.” Dr. Patrick Murphy teaches how to play Hefti's Batman theme on the violin Rebeat.com mentions Bruce Lee and Number One Son Bruce Lee's screen test for Number One Son

In 2009, Batman wasn’t yet available on home video, with the rights issue still unresolved, and there was no certainty that would ever change. Adam West, 80, feared that it wouldn’t change in his lifetime. So he set out to release a sort of standalone commentary track, setting up cameras at his home in Idaho to capture his memories of each episode of the show. It’s fun to see him talk about Batman, and the package of his reminiscences, Adam West Naked, includes some interesting tidbits. But the production has its frustrating aspects, too. This time, we discuss the interesting and the frustrating aspects of Adam’s commentary - and can’t resist poking some fun at the title. ALSO: The Ronnie Kole Trio version of the theme, Holy Deja Vu visits Green Acres, and we read your comments on episode 168, The Dozierverse Stumbles. Mr. Zero 40-page document Mr. Zero discussion on the '66 Batman Message Board  

In the mid-1970s, Power Records (a division of Peter Pan records) released audio stories of a number of popular properties, including Batman. Two volumes were released of four stories each, and some of the stories were then released as 7” “singles” complete with a comics version of the same story. Occasional elements in the stories were echos of the ’66 show. While the Power Records superhero discography utterly passed Tim and Paul by at the time, JB Anderton was really into them. JB, creator of the BAT 77 podcast, Batpoles listener, and musician, joins Tim and Paul this time to discuss how these Batman records introduced kids (including himself) to concepts such as psychosurgery, low production quality, super gorillas, and … death!? PLUS: JB’s own “funk version” of the Batman theme, and we read your comments on our Tom Peyer interview in episode 167! BATMAN volume 1 (1975) Stacked Cards The Scarecrow's Mirage Challenge of the Catwoman If Music Be the Food of Death BATMAN volume 2 (1976) Robin Meets Man-

Mr. Zero? Dr. Schimmel? No, Mr. Freeze! In Max Hodge’s first draft of Instant Freeze, the comics villain Mr. Zero, for reasons we discussed last episode, became Mr. Freeze. But the script contains many more references to his “real” name, Dr. Schimmel, than made it to what was broadcast. Why? Where’d this script's unexplained parade come from? What would the Batman series have been like with more animation effects on the screen, outside of the Batfights? All this and more as we dig into a preliminary plot summary and the full first draft of Mr. Freeze’s first TV appearance. PLUS: The Derek Paravicini jazz piano version of the Batman theme, Adam West on Victor Buono’s comedy album and on Batman bubble gum cards, and your mail about our discussion of 1997’s Batman and Robin! Hodge's preliminary plot summary of the arc Full first-draft script, part one Full first-draft script, part two  

In 1966, William Dozier’s Greenway Productions was riding high, seemingly on the verge of building a TV empire built on superheroes: first Batman, then the Green Hornet. Why not keep going in that direction? An entire pilot episode of Dick Tracy was made, starring Ray MacDonnell, and all signs point to Dozier having confidence that the show would be bought by NBC - but it wasn’t. Meanwhile, Greenway also made a test film for Wonder Woman, starring Ellie Wood Walker, with a script that would have been more more appropriate for a MAD parody. While Dozier’s Wonder Woman experiment was NOT a success, the question lingers: Why wasn’t Dick Tracy picked up? We suggest some answers as we discuss both films in this episode. Also, we head down to the Bat Research Lab to try to figure out what Lorenzo Semple Jr.’s Mr. Zero idea was all about; Burt Ward talks about “holys” and ad libs, a dog sings the Batman theme, and we read your mail about our “Mr. Freeze(s)” episode. Mr. Zero test scene script Dick Tracy TV Format

The Wrong Earth, written by Tom Peyer, is a comics series in which the super-square Dragonflyman and grim & gritty Dragonfly find themselves on each other’s versions of earth. In the second volume, recently concluded, the two meet each other on yet another earth. Peyer, editor-in-chief at Ahoy Comics, is an industry veteran with many writing credits under his belt, including for the Batman ’66 comics series. This time, Tom joins us to discuss our favorite show and what The Wrong Earth might tell us about it. PLUS: The Bobby Valentin version of the theme (another bugaloo!), Burt Ward on Batman shooting locations, and your mail about our Curse of Tut script discussion! Batman v Superman trailer spoof

Batman and Robin (1997) is notorious as one of the worst Batman films, panned by both audiences and critics. But wait a minute. All four of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman films have their problems. Doesn't B&R's story hold together relatively well? Isn't it kind of .... entertaining? Could it actually be the best of the four? Of course it's far from perfect, and we discuss some of its problems, including a pretty un-Batman-like Batman and a misguided "homage" to Batman '66. We discuss the bad and relatively good of the final '90s Batman film. ALSO, Burt Ward reminisces about Bruce Lee, and we read your reaction to our episode on The Phantom Pharaoh! Message Board thread on episode 163 on The Phantom Pharaoh Arnold Schwarzenegger Complete Japanese Commercial Filmography

As any Batman ’66 fan knows, three different actors played the villain Mr. Freeze on the show: George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach. Any discussion of Mr. Freeze on the show prompts the question: Which Freeze do you like best? And, which Freeze script do you like best? In this episode, we give our answers to those questions, as well as exploring how the show set the course for the character in the comics (at least until Paul Dini changed it in 1992), potential reasons for the lack of Mr. Freeze in season three, and more. ALSO: A Bat-research lab looking at the recently-recovered Adam West Nick at Night pilot Cartoon Lost and Found, Jose Fajardo’s Batman Boogaloo, and your response to our Lego Batman episode! Watch a sample of our TV Trivia videos on the Deconstructing Comics YouTube channel! '66 message board thread about Episode 162 "Lego Batman is Every Batman" Adam West in Cartoon Lost and Found Colorforms ad  

Lorenzo Semple, Jr. having made his changes to Robert C. Dennis and Earl Barret's first King Tut script, next it was the turn of director Charles R. Rondeau and master ad-libber Victor Buono. How much of the story that made it to the screen was determined by them? This time, we discuss two different versions of the Curse of Tut script, and how much changed after the "final" version. Also, a Bat Research Lab on Dennis and Barret, your comments about all three versions of the scripts (and on our recent Joker episode), and the Batman theme played on a church organ by Marko Hakanpää! Robert C. Dennis profile from The Sarnia Observer "Intermediate" draft, "The Curse of Tut" "The Curse of Tut" final script Comments on these scripts on the message board "A Joker for All Season" episode thread Tim's GoFundMe campaign  

As the early episodes of Batman were being produced, and broadcasts had not yet begun, Executive Script Consultant Lorenzo Semple, Jr., was editing scripts and trying to get across his vision for the show to the other writers. Robert C. Dennis and Earl Barret’s script for "The Phantom Pharaoh" gives us a peek at Semple’s vision for how Batman, Robin, and the other characters should be written. This time, we look at the script, the comments Semple wrote on it, and how it differs from the end product that was broadcast (“The Curse of Tut”/“The Pharaoh’s in a Rut”). ALSO: The Bennie Music version of Hefti’s “Batman” theme, and more of your response to our “Bat Rankings” and other episodes. "The Phantom Pharaoh" script Next draft, "The Curse of Tut" "The Curse of Tut" final script Comment on these scripts on the message board "Bat Rankings" episode thread Tim's GoFundMe campaign  

The Lego Batman Movie (2017) gives us both a unique Batman, and a Batman considered to be in the continuity of every iteration of Batman - in the comics, the ‘40s serials, the films, the animated shows, and even - or, perhaps, especially - Batman ’66. In this episode we take note of a movie about a Batman that is emphatically not the Adam West version, but nonetheless is making dozens of references to the West version. ALSO: Burt Ward talking about injuries on the set, and a jazzy version of Hefti’s theme performed by Les and Larry Elgart!

A frequent assertion about Cesar Romero’s Joker is that, over the course of the Batman series, he goes from genuinely evil to just silly or bratty. Others disagree with this and maintain that he’s the same all the way through. We thought (as did some listeners on our recent survey) that this was a good focus for a Joker discussion, so we asked noted Bat-fan and cartoonist Ken Holtzhouser to join us in discussing Romero’s take on the Clown Prince of Crime. We also discuss how Romero compares to more recent film takes on the character, and Ken shares with us his spot-on analysis of the shifting goals of the makers of Batman and how Joker’s characterization evolved with them. Also: Bat Audio of Romero himself, and a Bat-theme take with both of the qualities we’re sick of: The Ventures and guitar tutorials! Read our next script: The Phantom Pharaoh, an early draft of The Curse of Tut! Comment on the script on the '66 Batman message board Noah Berlatsky: The Best Joker is still Cesar Romero in the '66 Batman TV S

After more than six years of doing this show and reliving our childhoods, what have we decided is our favorite story of the series? Our favorite piece of bat-equipment? Our favorite villain? This time, we rank all our favorites! Plus, the “bardcore” version of the Batman theme, and your comments on episode 157!

For whatever reason, Batman’s producers decided that they would not do Peter Rabe’s Two-Face script (see last episode) as it was written. Instead, Lorenzo Semple Jr. adapted it into The Joker’s Last Laugh, keeping just enough of the story that Rabe got a “story” credit. This time we look at Semple’s first draft of that episode, which retains some aspects of Rabe that didn’t make it to the broadcast version, and a few other things that we kind of wish had made the final. Also, the William Cheung piano version of the theme, William Dozier on casting the villains, and your comments on the two scripts we just discussed, as well as our discussion of “Return to the Batcave” in episode 156!

Two-Face never quite made it to Batman ’66 (unless you count William Shatner’s animated turn in 2017, as pictured). But two known attempts were made in the ‘60s: the Harlan Ellison treatment (which later became the comic book Batman ’66: The Lost Episode), and Peter Rabe’s full two-part script, The Two-Faced Counterfeit and The Counterfeit Counterfoiled, which was adapted by Lorenzo Semple, Jr., into a Joker story (as we’ll see next time!). In this episode, we take a look at Rabe’s script. What are its strong and weak points? Why wasn’t it used? Was Two-Face simply too hard to do in live action in the ‘60s? Also, we discuss highlights of our listener survey, read some of your mail (including about the script Batman Meets his Match), and present a version of the Batman theme from a nameless fourth-grade orchestra!     Martin Noreau's Batman Viewmaster... ... and Jeff Culligan's Cabala minifigure.    

Part of Adam West’s renaissance as a performer, once his fans were old enough to cast him in stuff, was voicing various versions of himself in cartoons. One of these was in Nickelodeon show The Fairly OddParents, in which “TV’s Adam West” was the famous actor who had played the hero “Catman” — but thought he really was Catman! This time we take a look at Adam’s appearances on the show. Also: The 7th issue of the Batman ’66 comic book, featuring False Face! Art by past Deconstructing Comics interviewee Christopher Jones. One of the weirdest Batman theme versions we’ve found yet: Celio Balona's "Tema de Batman". Get your tent and your Coleman stove; we’re going on another camping trip, this time exploring why the implausibilities of Batman ’66, and other shows of its time, may not fly with today's young-adult TV viewers; We read your reaction to episode 154’s discussion of Batfink and Waldo Kitty; And a few tidbits gleaned so far from our listener survey, which you can still submit here!

In 2003, CBS broadcast the special Return to the Batcave, featuring Adam West and Burt Ward walking through a search for the stolen Batmobile as they reminisced about their time making Batman. The reminiscence was hampered a bit by the show still being tied up in rights issues; only clips from Batman: The Movie were included, not from the TV series itself. This time, we delve into the good and the bat-awful of this special. Also: J-Flexx's Bat Rap, your response to our interview with Greg Patterson in Episode 153, and the announcement of our listener survey and of the next scripts we’re going to discuss! Two-Face by Peter Rabe The Joker's Last Laugh by Lorenzo Semple Jr. Comment on these scripts on the '66 Batman message board!

When Stanley Ralph Ross sat down to write what would be his final Batman script, which he titled Batman Meets his Match, he built it around a magical character who could turn invisible: Dr. Cabala. It was only in a later draft that, for whatever reason, he made Cabala the second banana to his alchemist wife, Dr. Cassandra. This time, we examine both versions of the script to see how much of this story was intact from the beginning and which aspects evolved later. Also, why do pseudosciences like alchemy and astrology tend to get lumped together? Also, Batman for 8 Cellos, Holy Deja Vu looks at Angelique Pettyjohn, and we read your mail about our episode 152 Riddler talk with Wally Wingert! Help Tim move away from his cough-inducing apartment SCRIPTS Batman Meets his Match The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra

1966 Batmania didn’t just put a lot of Batman toys on the shelves; it inspired twists and parodies on the show itself. One of these was Hal Seeger’s Batfink, which was not exactly a parody but appropriated a fair number of elements of the show. Batfink came on the heels of Batman, but years into the ’66 show’s syndication, The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty included Catman, a hero who was clearly a takeoff from the Caped Crusader. This time, we dig into these cartoons, their shared DNA with the ’66 show, and whether or not they’re still worth watching today. Also, a Holy Deja Vu featuring Bryan O’Byrne (Principal Schoolfield), Counterpoint’s combination of the Hefti Batman theme with the Surfaris’ “Wipeout”, and your mail about episode 151, with an acknowledgement of Tim’s misspelling of the title of the article we discussed! Help Tim move away from his cough-inducing apartment

Burgess Meredith put glee and humor into his portrayal of the Penguin. Who knew it could be just as fun to play Meredith playing the Penguin? Greg Patterson, and attorney by trade, has also acted in some one-man shows at Mount Vernon Chautauqua in Ohio, playing historical figures including Meredith. He talks to us this time about his Bat-fandom and his portrayals of Meredith and Pengy. Also: your mail about episode 150 on the "Astrologer" script, and we look (only as briefly as is warranted) at a 1966 Peter Pan record, Children's Treasury of Batman Musical Stories, by the Merriettes. SCRIPTS Batman Meets his Match The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra Thread to discuss scripts