To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

In their years of podcasting about Batman 66, Tim and Paul have covered a number of parodies and ripoffs of the show, from MAD magazine to Batfink. But a listener has informed them of another one, b from the March 1988 issue of Cracked magazine. Even more than a year out from the 1st Michael Keaton Batman movie, interest was running high with still very little known about the film, so cast reunions and flashbacks to the '66 show were numerous. How does this parody stack up with the others we've discussed? Find out by listening to Bat Bits! Subscribe to our Patreon for at least $2 a month, or, for $4 a month, you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Kumar and I discussed the origin of Killer Moth from BATMAN 63! So slide down your Batpole and join today!

Eric Elliot's labor-of-love project to convert the 1960s treatment for the unmade film Batman Meets Godzilla into a comic has finally been completed! Eric scripts and a squad of 10 artists handle the artwork. So how does it look? On the latest Bat Bits, we review issue 3. Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Paul and I discussed the story "The Challenge of Batwoman" from BATMAN 105. So slide down your Batpole and join today!

At last, we're again joined by novelist Nancy Northcott to discuss the portrayal of women in Batman 66! We pick up near the start of Season Three, with the episodes "The Unkindest Tut of All" and "Louie, the Lilac." Can Tim, Paul, and Nancy survive S3? Have any three people used the word "cringe" more frequently in the space of 45 minutes? How is it that the Bat-season with more female villains and a female hero also seems to be the most sexist? Listen and find out, my dear. (cringe) Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, the establishment of the idea that Bruce Wayne once wore the Robin costume! And coming up, Tim and Paul look at another comics story featuring Batwoman! So slide down your Batpole and join today!

As Tim and Paul have examined first draft Batman scripts, it's become clear that the draft recaps of part one that you hear at the start of part two are often completely rewritten for the final. But why did this rewriting take place? What were the goals of the recaps that Lorenzo Semple and co. thought weren't being served as written by the contributing writers? In the latest Bat Bits, we compare the recap in the draft of "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away" to what was broadcast and try to glean the reasons for the changes. Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, the establishment of the idea that Bruce Wayne once wore the Robin costume! So slide down your Batpole and join today at https://www.patreon.com/c/deconcomics !

This time, we conclude our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away", featuring a VERY different, and surprisingly lethal, climactic scene at the Queen of Freedom Monument! We also see an instance of writer Fred DeGorter not quite getting Batman. The Caped Crusader isn't so much warm and friendly to Commissioner Gordon as a take-charge expert on dealing with criminals! Apparently Batman outranks the police commissioner! Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, an early and significant appearance by the Catwoman! So slide down your Batpole and join today!

This time, we continue our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away", picking up with the Dynamic Duo's escape from Riddler's spinning deathtrap! Who impersonates Batman, and why does the script try to hide that info? Why did Gordon think that Batman was dead? What country is King Boris from? We'll dig into all of it! Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, an early and significant appearance by the Catwoman! So slide down your Batpole and join today!

This time, we continue our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away"! We touch on how Fred DeGorter wrote the Riddler vs how the lines were re-written, Robin inadvertently insulting Batman, and more, including a certain establishing shot that we didn't get in the finished episode…. Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month, you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, the first appearance of Bat Mite! So  slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

This time we begin a new series on the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away"! We cover everything from rearranged scenes to a missing answer to a riddle, as well as some obvious cost cutting! Listen to Bat Bits and see the scropt we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

We're back with a one-off episode to share several exciting pieces of news! First, Lorenzo Semple's Batnotes memo (also known as "Bat Poop"), sent to prospective Batman writers, outlines Semple's concept of the show. It was thought by many to be lost, but now it has resurfaced! This time we share the seven most surprising things we found in this 14-page memo. It also inspires Paul to take a long-awaited Camping Trip! Second, our book is coming along. The plan is for it to cover Batman season one, with future books to cover the other two seasons. It's not finished, and now that we've belatedly hit on a good angle on the show, some parts that were thought to be finished may need a lot more work. We'll fill you in. Finally, we got some lavish praise from podcaster Frank Santopadre on his Fun For All Ages podcast!  Aw, shucks… Plus the Smooth4Lyfe EDM version of the Batman theme! Semple's TV Academy interview Follow us on Bluesky Batgirl's arrival

This time we wrap up our discussion of Lorenzo Semple Jr's  BATNOTES memo for prospective BATMAN 66 writers. These last few pages of the memo cover the show's running characters, including a surprising early take on Aunt Harriet, as well as the now-familiar format of the show and the question of showing supered titles on the screen rather than narration! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

On the latest Bat Bits, we discuss Lorenzo Semple Jr's guidelines regarding Batman's arsenel: The Batmobile, the Batcave, and all his various devices. We discuss reasons to label everything in the Batcave and Batman's general resourcefulness. Whatever he needs is always there when he needs it! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

Why Batman doesn't carry a gun, and focuses on reforming crooks. How to write Bruce Wayne (square, not stupid!) Keeping the camp incidental to the show; he only goes to the disco because that's where his crime investigation leads him. Our discussion of Lorenzo Semple's 14-page "Batnotes" memo continues! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

Lorenzo Semple's 14-page "Batnotes" memo to prospective Bat-writers lays out the basic things he wanted a writer to understand before attempting a Batman script. In our second episode digging into this memo, we discuss how the villian's real goal often isn't revealed until the end, some surprising revelations on how Semple imagined the GCPD and possible casualties among the henchmen, how murder isn't an MO for Bat-Villains (except for their attempts to murder the Dynamic Duo), and more. Plus: how YOU can help Tim and Paul assemble a TO THE BATPOLES! episode on this topic! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

We had heard before that it existed, and we've finally found it: Lorenzo Semple's 14-page "Batnotes" memo to prospective Bat-writers about "a few simple rules and concepts" about what should or should not happen in a Batman script. Tim and Paul want to dig through this carefully, so in this episode they discuss the first few pages, with more to come. In this episode: Qualities of Gotham City, why the show shouldn't move on to other settings, the mystery of our heroes' other identities, and qualities of the Bat-foes. Plus: how YOU can help Tim and Paul assemble a TO THE BATPOLES! episode on this topic! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Join today!

In 1967, Yvonne Craig was added to the Batman cast as Batgirl, in an effort to boost the ratings. It wouldn't fly today, but Batman's producers and the media were pretty up-front, and a bit crude, about the effort to add sex appeal to keep the show afloat. This time on BAT BITS, we discuss a TV GUIDE article on Yvonne that serves as Exhibit A on that front, but also gives us some interesting glimpses of Yvonne's personality. Listen to BAT BITS and see the article we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Join today!

Lorenzo Semple, Jr., is the writer entrusted by producer William Dozier with getting the writing side of Batman off the ground. This time, we take a look at a letter from Semple to Dozier, in which he discusses his plans for the script of "Zelda the Great",  a template for Bat-scripts, concerns about Adam West's acting style, and more. Listen to Bat Bits and see the letter we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Join today!

On the latest BAT BITS, we conclude our examination of Sheldon Stark's final script for Fine Finny Fiends, including a scene setting relocated for lack of the right set, what Finella was supposed to be wearing in the final scene, the shifting explanations of who knows where the banquet will be held, and changes in the script to give the audience just enough information… Listen to BAT BITS and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! 

On the latest Bat Bits, we begin an examination of Sheldon Stark's final script for Fine Finny Fiends. Somewhat inexplicably, this arc's theme is fish rather than birds. Maybe because penguins eat fish? Tim and Paul find some additional fish references that got cut, and some of them with good reason. Or maybe not? Also we find some gags that were added after this script, some puzzling stage directions, things that were changed to work better on television, and more.  Listen to Bat Bits and follow along with a PDF of the script by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Come on over to patreon dot com slash decon comics to find out what else is fishy about this script!

On the latest Bat Bits, we wander out into the wider Dozierverse to look at the correspondence between William Dozier, producer of Batman and The Green Hornet, and Bruce Lee, whom Dozier tried several times to find a vehicle for before landing on the role of Kato. We get some of Bruce's feelings about his 1965 screen test, get some of Bruce's comments about how "Gong Fu" should be portrayed on the show, and more.  Listen to Bat Bits and see the Dozier and Lee letters by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you also get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Join today!

While Rik Vollaerts' early draft of The Bookworm Turns was very different from what was broadcast, surely the final script is exactly what we saw? But no, that's never true; some changes always occur at the hands of the director, and perhaps the actors. A significant scene (and significant henchman) disappeared from this story as broadcast. Was it simply cut for time, or were there questions of taste? In the latest BAT BITS, Tim and Paul discuss the differences and what may account for them. Listen to Bat Bits and follow along with a PDF of the script by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Come on over to patreon dot com slash decon comics to join the fun!  

A lingering question from the Bookworm arc of Batman, as broadcast, is: Why was a Commissioner Gordon impersonator seemingly shot at the opening of the bridge? As we conclude our look at the draft version of the script, we finally get an answer! Listen to Bat Bits and follow along with a PDF of the script by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Come on over to patreon dot com slash decon comics to join the fun!

On the latest episode of Bat Bits, Paul and I move into the second half of the early draft of Rik Vollaerts' script "The Bookworm Turns"! We can see the vague outlines of this script in the broadcast version, including the use of the Bat Magnet! But does it make sense for Bookworm to steal "industrial diamonds"? And, if an implement is called a Bat Cutting Torch, wouldn't it be better for us to actually see it cutting? We also notice how this version of the script keeps repeating the same themes! Listen to Bat Bits and follow along with a PDF of the script by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Come on over to patreon dot com slash decon comics to join the fun!

Now live on Patreon - part two of our look at the draft Bookworm script, featuring an overlong, over-complicated deathtrap scene! Join us on Patreon to hear our discussion and follow along with the script!

On the latest Bat Bits, we begin a multi-part look at an early draft of The Bookworm Turns! It contains some concepts seen in the broadcast version that may ring a bell, but there's no Big Benjamin bell in this script!  Join us on Patreon to hear about Rik Vollearts' early shot at Bookworm and follow along with a PDF of the script at patreon dot com slash decon comics. Part one is available now!

At last, we're back! This time we talk about a couple fantastic YouTube comments we received from people with close connections to two Bat-regulars, Stafford Repp and Madge Blake! Join us on Patreon for $2 a month to hear their revelations!

We're back for a look at the first two draft scripts for The Joker Trumps an Ace/Batman Sets the Pace. As usual, scripts bring to light connections that the filmed episode didn't quite make, lines we never heard clearly, abandoned bat-turns and wardrobe business, an absent moll, and much more. PLUS: we experience one of the better "surf rock" versions of the theme, read mail from listeners, and hear Adam West in 2014 discussing the newly-released Batman DVDs and BluRays! Read the scripts here Batman shooting dates! Scott Sebring and Ben Bentley have pieced together the best info available About the J.P. Patches Show Mick Beaulieu's surf-rock version of the Batman theme Adam West Previews New York Comic Con

For our final BAT BITS of the year, we return, after a two-year hiatus, to the BATMAN '66 comics series, digging into issue 12. It's certainly not the greatest issue of the series, but in its faults, it helps us identify aspects of how the TV show works. Listen for a clip from the show!

The New Adventures of Batman, Filmation's second Batman cartoon series, premiered February 12, 1977 on CBS. Tim and Paul, then 11 and 8 respectively, were thrilled at the idea of Adam West and Burt Ward voicing the Duo, but not so thrilled at the addition of Bat Mite to the cast. But… were we wrong about Bat Mite? This time we discuss this question, and the whole 16-episode series, with BAT 77 host J.B. Anderton! Plus, Burt Ward as Robin in 1976, the Japanese theme for this cartoon, and we read your comments on episodes 218 and 219! Support us on Patreon to hear this show ad free, plus bonus content! Batman theme played by the LCIS Orchestra JB shows us his Bat-merch collection Burt Ward on The Clown Show Opening and Ending for The New Adventures in Japan Full version of the opening theme, "BAT MAN ~crescent night story~"

Holy continuation! In the latest edition of Bat Bits, we attempt to come up with some guidelines for what makes a good "holy". Also: Just because a holy was used on Batman 66, does that make it a "good" one? Join us on Patron for at least $2 a month to hear Bat Bits, as well as ad-free versions of future TO THE BATPOLES episodes! Go to Patreon dot com slash decon comics! Also in this promo, an announcement concerning TO THE BATPOLES!

Holy exclamation! On Batman 66, Robin used a lot of Holys. We have a sense of what formulations of holys work best, but can we put those formulations into words? Why do some holys from other sources, such as the 1966 album Jan and Dean meet Batman make us say "holy wrong note"? In this first installment of a two-part edition of "Bat Bits", we analyze some of the holys from that record. Which ones work, and which don't? Holy idiomatic expression!  Support us on Patreon now!

JOIN US ON PATREON to hear BAT BITS, morsels we find as we research the show for our book! Why was the world premiere of Batman, the Movie held in Austin, Texas? And just what went on at (and around) this July 30, 1966, event? This time, a deep dive on the movie premiere!

On the latest BAT BITS podcast, we discuss another anti-Batman article from 1966! Is it possible to hate Batman comics, but think they're great compared to the TV show??

A 1966 article by journalist Paul Molloy takes down NY Congressman Frank Horton for praising "Batman" for its heroes "heroic power for good", saying it was inspirational and a good message for kids. Molloy, on the other hand, sees the GCPD's reliance on Batman as swipe at all police. Do either one of these guys really understand the show!? Tim and Paul discuss the article, kindly provided by the Message Board's "Mr. Glee". Available only on Patreon!

Famously, Burt Ward has said that, in the episode BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, he was placed above a pit of tigers, with meat hanging above him that encouraged the tigers to jump. Meanwhile, in THE OFFICIAL BATMAN BATBOOK, Joel Eisner says there were no live tigers, just a clip from an old movie. Who's right? The answer may surprise you! Scott Sebring has shared his interesting research on this topic with us, and we share it in this episode - available only on Patreon!

The first episode of our book-writing-hiatus Patreon podcast is now live! We discuss memos among the Greenway and Fox teams about Adam West's chronic lateness on the set, and answer the question: How is Bill Clinton separated by three degrees from Batman '66?? Support us for two dollars a month and get BAT BITS every two weeks!

All the supporting players on Batman had many years of acting experience — considerably more than the stars of the show did! That also goes for Stafford Repp, playing stereotypical Irish cop Chief O'Hara. But what was his background? When did he get into acting? What are some of his other roles, pre- and post-Batman? This time we take a closer look at Repp. Also: Bat-Audio of Adam and Burt on Entertainment Tonight in 1987, your response to several recent episodes, and a special announcement! Bat-Message Board: #215 Women in Season Three, pt 1 Bat-Message Board: #217 Wil Shriner Show Bat-reunion All-Soldier Musical Show Here Tuesday, Wednesday (4/11/43) TV Face, Not Name, Rings Bell (8/24/63) Character Actor's Big TV Try (10/19/63) Holy Palpitatin' Policemen: This is Police Chief O'Hara (5/21/66) Adam West and Burt Ward on Entertainment Tonight, 1987 The Frito Bandito Meets Chief O'Hara Batman Stop-Motion Intro

Sorry! We're going to have to delay the next episode by a week or two.

Six months after Batman's final broadcast on ABC, CBS premiered The Adventures of Batman, the character's first animated show, produced by Filmation. While the look of the show is totally divorced from the Adam West version, relying mainly on the comics, the influence of the live action show can definitely be felt in the writing; just ask "millionaire Bruce Wayne" at "Stately Wayne Manor."  This is a show we never saw as kids, or really at all until now, so this time we take a look at the cartoon, without any nostalgic rose-colored glasses. And we have a blast doing it! ALSO: The Dynamic Duo's version of the theme (who ARE they behind those masks?), the conclusion of the 1989 Bat-reunion on CBS This Morning, and the message board weighs in on the reasons for 1988 Batmania!

There have been many Batman cast reunions on talk shows over the years, particularly as the 1989 Batman movie's release approached. Previously we talked about the 1988 reunion on The Late Show with Ross Shafer, an overbooked, poorly stage-managed affair. This time we look at another reunion in 1988, on The Wil Shriner show. Shriner's show kept the number of guests to a manageable number, and Shriner was more knowledgeable about the show than Shafer, making this reunion about the best you could hope for on a talk show for a general audience. This time we discuss this Wil Shriner episode. Plus, the Silverwood Clarinet Choir plays an interesting arrangement of Hefti's Batman theme, and we get a look at a particularly sexist take on Batgirl from Detective Comics 371.  Watch the Wil Shriner Batman reunion episode

The Clock King's Crazy Crimes/The Clock King Gets Crowned is the one Batman '66 arc written by Bill Finger, now credited as a co-creator of the character, and Charles Sinclair. Unsurprisingly, the first draft of the script reveals a writer not well versed in the rules of Hollywood, such as that an actor who says one word on screen is more expensive than one in a non-speaking role. This time we look at the first draft, final, and revised final scripts of the Clock King story, finding bits that changed significantly as shot, and answer some of our questions about odd parts of the story. ALSO: The London Music Works version of the Batman theme, Burgess Meredith on the origin of the Penguin's quack, and your mail! Message board comments on the scripts Message board comments on our Mr. Terrific discussion

One of the most striking things — in a good way, for once! — about Batman's third season is the number of villains who are women. Also, of course, this is the season of Batgirl, who is more aggressively "feminized" than any other woman on the show, perhaps because she's doing "a man's job." This time we begin a look at how the show presents women in season three by looking at the season's first five episodes, and we're joined again by novelist Nancy Northcott. PLUS: What if King Crimson performed the Batman theme? A Batman writer turns out to be a war hero! And, Bat Audio from another Batman reunion in 1989. Read the Clock King scripts we'll discuss next month: First draft Final draft Revised final Comment on the script on the message board Panel discussions on Nancy's ConTinual channel If King Crimson performed the Batman theme (from JB Anderton!) A Marine's-eye View of the Battle of Iwo Jima (yes, it's bat-relevant!) More about the Iwo Jima video project, including our Bat-writer bravery medal recipient Frank Cockrell on OldTimeRadioDownloads.com 1989 Batman reunion on CBS This Morning  

Mr. Terrific was cancelled after half a season, but… was it really a terrible show? Is star Stephen Strimpell partly to blame? This time, we push back on Thirteen Week Theatre's take on Strimpell, consider why pill popping was such a common way to get superpowers in the Sixties, and the show's …. agressive … laugh track. Also, were the network execs commissioning superhero sitcoms really trying to imitate Batman, or just cash in? Plus, The Music Within's bass guitar cover of the Batman theme, more from Adam and Burt on Hour Magazine, and e-mail from our listeners! Excerpt from Outré magazine's Stephen Strimpell interview (ilovegetsmart.com)

This time we look at the other sitcom that tried to cash in on Batman, CBS's Mr. Terrific. It's goofier than Captain Nice and not as funny (although the laugh track clearly doesn't think that!), but with a surprisingly good cast. We discuss the unaired pilot, and the first 8 episodes of the 17-episode series, which is quite different from the pilot, with an utterly different cast and different situation for Mr. T's alter ego, Stanley Beamish.  Plus: Max Diaz Music's "punk" version of the theme, Adam and Burt appearing on Hour Magazine in 1984, and your response to our discussion of the Batman cast reunion on Fox's Late Night with Ross Shafer, in episode 211! 

When Batman hit in early 1966, it set a trend of superheroes in pop culture that many rushed to emulate. By the time many of these bat-mimics were ready for public consumption, the trend was on its way out. One such wave-rider was Captain Nice, created by Buck Henry, and repeating some gags from Henry's hit Get Smart. While Captain Nice brought some really funny moments, it failed to catch on with audiences. Was this simply because the bat-bubble had burst? Or was it that Henry wasn't the right person to grab the lightning in a bottle that Lorenzo Semple, Jr., had captured? We look at the strengths and weaknesses of the show, the possible reasons for its failure, and whether Captain Nice was meant to be a bat-clone, or a conventional sitcom starring a superhero. Plus, the Solid Ghost Band theme version, MTV looks at a party commemorating 20 years since the last Batman primetime episode, and ChrisBCritter explains how Dr. Somnambula's stethescope worked! Watch Captain Nice on Archive.org Batman Reunion Party, 1988 Sold Ghost Band theme version  

On April 28, 1988, the then-fledgling Fox Network's The Late Show with Ross Shafer hosted a Batman reunion. However, due to poor time management and a second-rate host, among other problems, the reunion can be a bit of a tough watch - especially the way Alan Napier was shortchanged on airtime at the end as he and Shafer struggled to communicate with each other. Video of the episode, unavailable when we looked for it years ago, surfaced last year, and this time we discuss the problems as well as the interesting bits that we did pick up from the bat-cast. ALSO: The WDR Big Band version of the theme, and we read your mail on episodes 208 and 209. WDR Big Band   The Late Show with Ross Shafer's Batman reunion  

We conclude our look at Ellis St. Joseph's original Sandman script with the sleepwalker-filled second part of the arc, originally titled "A Stitch in Time." We discuss our impressions of the script, the episode we got instead, and which one we might have preferred. We also share more impressions of the script from the denizens of the '66 Batman message board, and listen to the world's most enthusiastic kid, "The Colour Boo", sing a mostly original song about the Caped Crusader. The Sandman Cometh, First Draft, Final Draft Joel Eisner talks with Ellis St. Joseph Message Board thread on this script

Midway through Season Two, Julie Newmar appeared along with Michael Rennie as guest villains Catwoman and Sandman in The Sandman Cometh. But originally, this script by Ellis St. Joseph featured only the Sandman, with Robert Morely picked to play the role. This time, we get into how the teamup came about as we begin a look at St. Joseph's original draft script. Also, Below the Staff Music takes a stab at a jazz version of Hefti's Batman theme, Adam West and Burt Ward cameo on the SImpsons, and we read your mail on the Bat Bible and Buck Henry's rejection of camp! The Sandman Cometh, First Draft, Final Draft Joel Eisner talks with Ellis St. Joseph Message Board thread on this script | On episode #207 (Bat Bible and Buck Henry) "1966 Batman Theme - But It's Jazz," by Below the Staff Music Adam and Burt on The Simpsons

Even after Batman made ABC's "second season" schedule, to start in January 1966, there was still concern about how audiences would react. Will they get the joke? Should a laugh track be used? In a memo dated January 14, 1966 - the day after the second episode, Smack in the Middle, was first broadcast — Joseph Schrier, Director of Program Development at ABC, reports on audience testing on the pilot. While some adults got the joke, others weren't quite sure if the show was meant to be funny. Audience reaction to Batman and Robin was mixed, as well, with some noticing that Robin was solving all the Riddler's riddles while Batman seemed to be flailing. This time, we look at that report, discuss why Batman could be perceived as rather dense in the pilot, and how well the report's recommendations were followed. PLUS: Musician Noiselund shows creativity and voluminous Bat-knowledge with his music video "Buttercup"; a 1989 report about Michael Keaton's casting as Batman, and Adam West's reaction to it; and we read your mail about our episode on the life of Neil Hamilton. Read the draft of The Sandman Cometh, and comment on it for our next episode!  

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 TV as an alternative geneology for cult TV" by W.D. Phillips and Isabel Pinedo