#083 Fitting Batman '66 into "The Caped Crusade"

The debut of Batman '66 caused a backlash among Batman nerds, who subsequently demanded Batman comics that reverted to the dark, sullen loner version of the character. But why did the nerds (and Bob Kane himself!) expect a version of Batman who really hadn't been seen since Robin came on the scene in 1940? While Batman as played by Adam West is funny in spite of himself, does this mean the show was saying heroism itself was ridiculous? In this episode, Tim and Paul examine these questions and more as they review Glen Weldon's "The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture." ALSO: Tim enlists American Heritage Center proxy researcher Oscar to dig into a couple of pervasive but questionable ideas about the show, and gets a few unrelated interesting facts about William Dozier; the Batman theme as performed by the Hi-Fives (who?!), and your mail! Batman 66 pinball machine super LE