To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

We've finished season three (and the series), so it's time to examine the final year of Batman. It's not a task we relish; so much of season three is a disappointment, from the writing to the production values, the head-scratching cliffhanger-free episode tag scenes to the phoned-in acting. And then there's the introduction of Batgirl. While Yvonne Craig was always a delight, the execution of introducing Barbara Gordon/Batgirl into a show that had just been cut back to once a week, and sometimes one-part stories, left a lot to be desired. Where did the show go wrong in its approach to Batgirl, and how could she have been better utilized? Also, we listen to the Scaffold's "Goodbat Nightman" (NOTE: some may find this video rather controversial), say "Holy Deja Vu!" while watching Get Smart, and dig into your mail about our Dr. Cassandra episode! Did Sonny and Cher almost appear on Batman? "The Dress" in Catwoman's Dressed to Kill

And so we arrive at the last episode of Batman. Of course, the show didn't get a spectacular sendoff; they didn't even give us any of the major villains. Instead, Zsa Zsa Gabor, who had twice almost appeared on the show, finally gets her turn, as (relatively?) evil spa owner Minerva. ("How could she be evil? She's so beautiful!") What's perhaps more notable is the amount of self-parody in the episode, including appearances by executive producer William Dozier and producer Howie Horwitz! Join us as we wrap up the TV series - but not the podcast series! Also, Richard Bakalyan inspires "deja vu", the Bat Research Lab uncovers when Batman was merely one of the world's greatest detectives, and we read your mail about the parade of bat-parodies! Zsa Zsa Gabor's 1966 letter to Dozier Sounds Incorporated's Batman theme The 1974 "Equal Pay" PSA

How might a longtime Batman comics reader in 1966 have reacted to Burgess Meredith's portrayal of the Penguin? That's the question our friend Kyle hit on a few months ago, and in this episode he joins us to read pre-'66 Batman comics to compare how similar Meredith's Penguin was to the character in stories by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, France Herron, and the like. How similar are the two versions, and where are they different? Plus, your mail about our discussion of The Joker's Flying Saucer! Four and Twenty Penguins: from Batman 43 (1947) and Batman 155 (1963) A Comic History of the Penguin on theneitherworld.com The Penguin on ComicVine Burgess Meredith's single: The Capture and The Escape Batman by Garotos Podres The Joker I've Thrilled Many a Woman T-shirt on 80stees.com Discussion of BATPOLES episode 121 "Send Off the Clown" on 66batman.com Batman for U.S. Savings Bonds

As Batman neared the end of its run, the budget situation got worse (occasioning the need for an invisible fight), and the writers threw caution to the wind: witness at least half a dozen double entendres in "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra" — this at a time when most viewers who were old enough to get these naughty jokes had already bailed. In this episode, we examine this, this final episode written by Stanley Ralph Ross. PLUS: Lily Munster has a deja vu episode, John Burgess sends us his own take on Hefti's Batman theme, and we read your mail about our discussion of the Dynamic Duo on The Adventures of Superman radio show! The 1966 LP More Official Adventures of Batman and Robin, on Discogs.com "When Batman Became a Coward" from that same 1966 LP Ronald Liss bio on superman.fandom.com Down These Mean Streets discusses "The Case of the Drowning Seal" John Burgess plays a Batman Theme-like tune in one of his guitar rebuild videos The other appearances of The Purple Top Leslie Perkins, as Octavia, is the firs

When Batman was the hottest show on TV, it naturally became a major target of humor and parody as well. In episode 115 we looked at a couple of contemporaneous Bat-parodies from 1966-67, and this episode we examine three more: The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 97, featuring the actual Batman and Robin, who are both dealing with the effects of West/Ward Batman on their own lives, and acting in ways that parody their TV counterparts; the CRACKED magazine parody "Batzman meets the Green Horned Bee"; and "Ratman and Bobbin In The Clipper Caper", an audio parody by folk-music outfit The Brothers Four! Plus the CPCC Band version of the theme, deja vu from the Petrie household, and your mail about our "I'll Be a Mummy's Uncle" discussion! Victor Buono: "Fat Man's Prayer"  

In Cesar Romero's final appearance as the Joker, he seems hamstrung, and not only by the lousy plot and the single episode in which to tell it. Ken Holtzhouser, who grew up rating Batman episodes based on their Romeroian content, joins us to identify the problem, separate out the chaff from the episode, and see if there's any Bat-wheat left. Plus, the Andrew and Hudson version of the theme, and listener mail in response to our episode on Flash Gordon and Lorenzo Semple! Ken's comic The Quick and the Dad Ken's podcast No Guilty Pleasures: A pop culture podcast  

While Batman and Robin never had their own show back in the "Golden Age of Radio," they did appear from time to time on The Adventures of Superman. Sometimes it was because Superman actor Bud Collyer was taking the day off, but in the case of "Batman's Great Mystery", he appears in all eleven episodes as Batman (Stacy Harris) has disappeared, and Superman helps Robin (Ronald Liss) try to locate him. WHAT WILL HAPPEN? Tune in to this podcast, fellas and girls, for the intriguing answer! Plus, the Superhero Suite version of the theme, and your mail about Ross's final Shame! Hear the entire story (without the contest winners etc) on YouTube Access nearly every Adventures of Superman episode on zootradio.com Jessica Plummer's writeup of the AoF series (and racism therein) on bookriot.com Wikipedia on The Adventures of Superman "Batman's Great Mystery" discussed on the Classic Horror Film Board at tapatalk.com

Victor Buono's final appearance as King Tut is, while hardly the Semplian ideal, plenty enjoyable on its own merits - for Buono, for the unusual situation the Dynamic Duo find themselves in, for some well-thought-out camera work. But what's up with Adam West's line delivery? We've never heard him sound so grouchy and cynical before. Also, how does this episode seemingly fit together with The Unkindest Tut of All, early in season three — seeing as how these two episodes were originally written as a two-parter? Plus, a new feature, "Holy Deja Vu!"; the Black Market and Dub Robot version of the theme, and your mail about our King Tut script mega-episode!

What does the movie Flash Gordon (1980) have to do with Batman '66? Simple: a guiding force for both was screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr.! What can we learn about Semple's approach to Batman by comparing it to his work on Flash Gordon 15 years later? What was his approach, and what other factors skewed the results? There's no walkthrough of the plot of the film in this episode, but we do talk about the music (Queen!) and design choices, Italian cinema special effects employed in the film, and of course camp in Flash Gordon. Plus, your mail about our MAD/Not Brand Ecch! episode! Wikipedia: the Schüfftan process Wikipedia: Flash Gordon movie Starlog: interview with Semple on the007dossier.com Maxim: Sam Jones interview Whathappensingaming.com: Sam Jones interview Roger Ebert's review of Flash Gordon The Dissolve: After Star Wars, science fiction tried to reconnect with the past Television Academy: Lorenzo Semple interview Buy Flash Gordon on Amazon.com CBR: Was Not Brand Echh originally a reference to EC Comic

"Come back, Shame!" In season three, come back he does, and seemingly stupider than ever! And yet, Shame's plotting for his caper seems oddly smart. Meanwhile, Stanley Ralph Ross goes all-in on gags that are gleefully at odds with the template set by Lorenzo Semple, Jr. in season one. In this episode, we examine the final two-parter of the Batman series: what works, what doesn't, who's in it, and more. Plus, Peter Seymour's remix of the Batman theme, and your mail about our Penguin's Clean Sweep episode!

One question on our minds almost since the beginning of To the Batpoles! has been: Just how much did Victor Buono, as King Tut, ad lib on the show? In this episode, we answer that question by comparing the final script to King Tut's Coup/Batman's Waterloo to what was broadcast, helping us to see the difference between Buono's sense of humor and Stanley Ralph Ross's, and to gain a keen appreciation of the considerable comedic contributions of Lee Meriweather to this arc. The script also reveals the producer's instruction to insert a late-season-two reference to Barbara Gordon. We also compare Ross's version to the original version of the story that he rewrote, Tut Tut Tut by Leo and Pauline Townsend, and discover how Ross inserted Ross family members' names into the script, how much the Townsend's story (especially the opening teaser) resembled that of season one's The Curse of Tut, the Catwoman reference Ross wanted to insert, and more. Also, the Damian Bacci guitar tutorial version of the theme, that Adam W

When something becomes popular, it's likely to get parodied somewhere. In the 1960s, the parodier-in-chief was MAD Magazine. Meanwhile, at Marvel Comics, a new parody comic series began in 1967, Not Brand ECHH, which followed the lead of MAD's 1950s incarnation as a comic book. In 1966, MAD published "BATS-MAN", followed about a year later by ECHH'S "The Aging Spidey-Man! Peter Pooper vs. Gnatman and Rotten." In this episode, we examine both parodies: What are they trying to say about Batman the character, or Batman the TV show? We also take a look at myth that doesn't just apply to Batman '66: that those TV actors are raking in the residuals! Plus, the Megaraptor version of the Batman theme, and your mail about the "Court BAT-tles" episode! SAG-AFTRA: History of Residuals Adam and Burt on Ross Schafer Tim's 1978 Hatman comics part 1 part 2    

In The Penguin's Clean Sweep, Burgess Meredith's final appearance on "Batman" (but not the last time as the Penguin!), Stanford Sherman's script has its moments, and so does Meredith, but… if you look closely, something just isn't up to snuff. And if you scratch the surface, there are way more inconsistencies and goofiness in the script than meets the eye. We're joined again by our childhood friend Kyle to discuss this feathered farewell: Is there a theme of barbecue implements? Did Penguin really expect that his infecting money at the mint would cause people to throw their cash in the street? And, we dig into the archives for another one of our Batman Radio Shows from the late '70s… also featuring Kyle! Plus, the Harry James version of the theme, a discussion of justifications for villains NOT unmasking our heroes when they have the chance, and your mail about The Wrong Earth and our Batman Radio Show debut!  

Without a doubt, one of the most maligned Batman episodes is Nora Clavicle and the Ladies' Crime Club. The episode's sexist portrayal of women obviously wouldn't fly today, but do the men in this episode fare any better? It seems to have been another of Stanford Sherman's satirical Batman episodes, arguably a failed one. But every episode has its fans, and this time we review Nora with a fan of this one: Fred, a.k.a. "twof," the former proprietor of the defunct Batgirl Bat-Trap web site. Fred has the script and tells us of changes and cut scenes that could have helped the episode had they stayed. Also, the Singaia version of the theme, and your response to the "Impossible Crimes" episode! Dig into the next set of scripts up for discussion! Tut Tut Tut, treatment by Pauline and Leo Townsend Tut Tut Tut, by Pauline and Leo Townsend King Tut's Coup, Stanley Ralph Ross' draft rewrite of Tut Tut Tut King Tut's Coup, final, by Stanley Ralph Ross Thread about these scripts on the 66 Batman Message Board    

Batman and Robin are "duly deputized agents of the law." Law comes up on the '66 show on a number of occasions, including two courtroom scenes. The very first episode features the Riddler filing a lawsuit against Batman. But, you might ask, how accurately is the law portrayed on Batman? In this episode, lawyer Jim Dedman is here to fill us in. How good of a prosecutor is Batman? Does he behave properly as an agent of the law? How would Alfred's method of breaking up the Batman - Marsha nuptials go over in real life? Would Gordon and O'Hara face any charges for unknowingly shooting the Duo in Penguin's shooting gallery? All this and more! Plus, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies Concertino Orchestra's version of the theme, and your mail about our Louie's Lethal Lilac Time review! Batman and the law: Links provided by Jim Dedman: Is Batman a State Actor? The Dark Knight's relationship with the Gotham City Police Department and the Fourth Amendment implications, by Joshuah Lisk Is Batman a State Actor? -

What's this? An episode of To the Batpoles that isn't about Batman? Well…on the surface, no, it isn't. But in Ahoy Comics' series The Wrong Earth, Dragonflyman and Stinger act an awful lot like the '66 versions of Batman and Robin, and the Dragonfly seems very similar to Frank Miller's Dark Knight! Liberated of the copyright owner's limitations on how Batman and Robin can be used, what are writer Tom Peyer and artist Jamal Igle saying about Batman with this series? Also in this episode, back from the mists of time, an installment of the Batman Radio Show, starring Tim (age 10) and Paul (age 7)! Plus, Pablo Beltran Ruiz y su orquesta's version of the Batman theme, and your response to our talk with Oscar, the William Dozier fanboy!  

In 1965, as production of Batman was starting to get rolling, Lorenzo Semple was having some difficulties in getting across to writers his vision for the show. Leonard Stadd's "The Secret of the Impossible Crimes," a script that Semple rejected, shows Stadd's take on Semple's vision after reading the script for "Hi Diddle Riddle." The result is a funhouse-mirror version of Batman '66: it's recognizably the show, but bizarrely distorted in some ways. Once again, an unused script helps us understand what Batman '66 is, and what it isn't. Also, David Miller's trumpet version of the Batman theme, and your response to the Archie/Batman team-up! "The Secret of the Impossible Crimes," full script Semple's two-page memo about the script Discussion of the script on the all-seeing, all-knowing '66 Batman message board  

One of the reasons often given for the quality dropoff in Batman season three has been that, in one-part episodes with so many characters, time is tight. So how to account for Louie's Lethal Lilac Time, a one-parter that seems not to even have enough story for 22 minutes!? And yet, we seem to be missing things, as scenes are cut off before they appear to be over. Meanwhile, should Yvonne Craig be reporting Neil Hamilton to HR for #metoo-related reasons? Also, Tim reports on the Bowling Green State University "Batman in Popular Culture" conference, and gives highlights of the '66-related material presented there. Plus, the Beat Torrent version of the Batman theme, and your responses to the Catwoman/Joker script episode! All six radio ads for the 1966 Batman movie Japanese TV ad for "Mandom" cologne, starring Charles Bronson and featuring Percy Helton (1970) BGSU "Batman in Popular Culture" conference - list of panels Frank Zappa & Burt Ward -- "The Boy Wonder Sessions" 1966 Lee Hazlewood, The Woodchucks,

We all have our favorite characters and actors from Batman, but how many of us are fanboys for Executive Producer William Dozier? Well, for one, there's Oscar Lilley, proxy researcher at the American Heritage Center in Laramie, Wyoming. In the process of working with Dozier's papers, Oscar has grown intrigued with Dozier's backstory and impressed by how he did his job. In this episode, he tells us about his selflessness, his business sense, and how the trajectory of Dozier's 1965 series The Loner tracks with that of Batman. Also, more circumstantial evidence that seem to disprove the Fourth Season Myth! Plus, the Amosdoll Music version of the theme, and your response to our discussion of the Funny Feline Felonies! Semple to Dozier - Hi Diddle Riddle Doizer response to Semple Dozier to ABC - cliffhangers Dozier to Rod Serling Dozier to Adam West about Lyle Waggoner screen test Semple to Dozier - Frank Gorshin etc ABC's notes on Hi Diddle Riddle - caviar etc. Dozier response to ABC Semple notes Max Hodge's Mr.

A double-header for our 4th anniversary (and, we forgot to mention, Batman's 80th!). First, we review the recent six-issue series Archie Meets Batman '66. How does the Caped Crusader end up joining forces with America's favorite teenager? Then, listener Chris Cavanaugh joins us to talk about his Bat-fandom growing up, fueled as much by Silver Age DC comics as it was by Batman on TV! Plus, the Remix Maniacs version of the theme, and your mail about our Batman Returns episode! 16 things you didn't know about Poison Ivy American Heritage Center travel grants BGSU Batman Conference