Aaron and Josh are here to talk about a true classic, the live-action Batman TV series from the 1960s, often known as Batman ’66.
Batman aired on ABC from January 12, 1966 to March 14, 1968 for 120 episodes. It aired twice a week with two-part stories for Seasons 1 and 2 and once a week for Season 3. It stars Adam West (Family Guy) as millionaire Bruce Wayne, who fights crime in Gotham City as Batman, along with his young ward, Dick Grayson AKA Robin, played by Burt Ward (Crisis on Infinite Earths). Barbara Gordon, played by Yvonne Craig (Star Trek: The Original Series), aids the Dynamic Duo as Batgirl in Season 3.
The Caped Crusaders battle a colorful cast of villains throughout the series, such as the Joker (Cesar Romero, The Love Boat) and the Penguin (Burgess Meredith, Rocky). Multiple actors portray some villains, such as Frank Gorshin (The Edge of Night) and John Astin (The Addams Family) as the Riddler and Julie Newmar (My Living Doll) and Eartha Kitt (The Emperor’s New Groove) as the Catwoman. Other supporting roles include Alan Napier (The Sword in the Stone) as Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s trusted butler, and Neil Hamilton (The Outer Limits) as Police Commissioner Gordon, father to Barbara.
Check out Pop Break’s interview with Adam West from New York Comic Con.
Batman ’66, enjoyed by new generations through reruns on TV Land, is legendary for its campiness and hokey-but-endearing morality. It earned three Emmy nominations in 1966 for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy (for Frank Gorshin) and Outstanding Individual Achievements in Sound Editing. The TV series also received a feature film after the first season.
In this podcast Aaron and Josh look at the series’ premiere, “Hi Diddle Riddle,” and its sister episode, “Smack in the Middle.” Aaron and Josh also discuss when they first saw the show, comment on series’ various tropes and villains, and compare the TV show’s version of Batman with other versions.
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