The Batman (1966) Appreciation Thread - Part 1

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This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]340782[/split]

 

[The Joker]

I'm a huge fan of Adam West's Batman show. Along with the Tim Burton movies, and BTAS, I grew up watching re-runs of this show, and it only enhanced my Batman fan love.

The tongue was firmly in cheek on this show, as it was based off the campy era of the Batman comics in the late 40's, 50's, and 60's. That ironically makes this TV show perhaps the most loyal on screen adaption of Batman to date.

Everyone in Hollywood wanted to appear on this show. The demand got so great that the show's producers came up with that scenario where Batman and Robin would be climbing a building, and someone would pop their head out of a window and speak to them briefly. That someone was always a celebrity.

The show boasted some impressive set pieces, most notably the Batcave:

We also got several Bat vehicles, including the Batmobile, Bat Cycle, and Batboat,, Batgirl's Batcycle, and Bat-copter.

The rogues gallery of villains included several major ones from the comics, including Cesar Romero as The Joker, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Eartha Kitt all played Catwoman at some point, and Frank Gorshin as The Riddler. In fact it was Gorshin's high energy maniacal performance that launched The Riddler's popularity and status as a major Batman villain.

The show ran for three season from 1966-1968, and even got a major motion picture spin off after it's first season, which saw Batman and Robin taking on their four major villains Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and Riddler, as they plot to take over the world by dehydrating the United Nations leaders. Bruce Wayne also gets to romance the sexy Russian reporter, Miss Kitka, who is in actuality Catwoman.

The movie was a great success, and delivered one of the most memorable sequences to Batman fans:

Another major Batman character was introduced in the show's third and final season, Batgirl. Barbara Gordon, daughter of Police Commissioner Gordon, joined the show as a permanent cast member, joining Batman and Robin in their crime fighting adventures in every episode. She was played by Yvonne Craig:

So enter all ye fans of this cult classic show. Discuss your favorite episodes, your favorite villains, your favorite moments, discuss all things 1966 Batman show related.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

The thing about TAS in HD that makes it different than MOTB is that MOTB was made in the HD-expectant era. If the original prints of TAS were given an HD scan, they wouldn't look anything like "Mystery." TAS was hand drawn, hand painted and printed onto film. It would be just as grainy and rustic as it already is, but with more defined colors and cleaner lines; it would look like it did when they photographed it originally.

Mystery of the Batwoman, however, may have been hand drawn, but it was digitally colored, and THAT's why it looks so different. It was probably digitally inked as well. Assuming WB did an accurate presentation of TAS on BD, nobody would be disappointed. Like any HD scan of a film negative, minor restoration must be done to remove dirt and debirs that's ended up on the filmstrip after the fact, but otherwise if they didn't digitally alter it to look cleaner (which Warners doesn't do, they're smarter than that), TAS in HD would be stunning.

Most people don't realize that if anything was photographed onto film (TV show, movie, etc) then it's naturally HD. Blu-ray just has enough resolution to show it off, whereas DVD must compress the image.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Bruce Timm himself has said he'd be hesitant to a digital clean-up of his pre-2000 shows, especially B:TAS.

I don't know... It'll probably happen someday, but WB would have to be extremely careful not to tarnish the original negatives of the show.

I'd rather they do a test-run with Batman: Mask of the Phantasm first.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

Bruce Timm himself has said he'd be hesitant to a digital clean-up of his pre-2000 shows, especially B:TAS.

If done correctly, though, it wouldn't really be a "clean up." It would just be a higher-res presentation of it how it already is. Like getting glasses for the first time, one would be able to see it in its full brilliance.

It's the same principal behind the HD scans of the '66 series. If presented right, there'll be detail galore, but also some level of grain. Grain is a naturally occuring element of film photography, so if a company digitally scrubs grain away, there goes detail. For TAS to be done right, they would only remove dirt/blemishes/film defects that weren't there originally. The image, when finished, should still be grainy and textured.

One surprising thing about the '66 footage is how dark the colors are. People who would know have said that it was originally toned with richer colors like in the trailer... meaning that the reruns on TV all these years were deliberately washed out.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I'd be up for it... if they didn't lose the old-timey feel of the show and left every single bit of cel dirt/snow alone.

 

[Travesty]

I would have to see what it would look like, but I can't see it looking better to me.

But who knows, maybe it would?

 

[Darkness Falls]

just heard about the series release on bluray/dvd
did exactly this from the ring of wax episode

[YT]-w3GdTj8w3E[/YT]

 

[AnneFan]

I would have to see what it would look like, but I can't see it looking better to me.

But who knows, maybe it would?

I think it would look better, if approached in the manner DocLathropBrown detailed. Some cartoon Blu-ray titles are the best looking on the format.

 

[Travesty]

I can understand most cartoons, I just think it'll take away from BTAS aesthetic. I really do.

 

[The Joker]

So do I. That sort of old school quality that BTAS has is a big part of it's charm. Making it all crisp high definition quality would detract from it big time.

EDIT: Nice to see Trav with an avatar again.

 

[Travesty]

EDIT: Nice to see Trav with an avatar again.

I kept seeing this. I guess people notice their avatar more than their name?

 

[The Joker]

A visual is always more eye catching than a name. On a message board an avatar is a substitute for a face lol.

 

[AnneFan]

I've been watching some 66 clips on YT, and boy, I love this show.

Romero particularly was a real gem.

 

[Travesty]

You used to be able to watch every episode on YT, but they cracked down on it hard the past year or so. I used to be subbed to 2-3 channels that had all the episodes, and now they're all pulled.

 

[BatLobster]

I think this will be a great addition to my collection. I've probably only seen about half the episodes, so it'll be fun to go through the series and get a bunch of "new" live-action Batman adventures along the way. The colors in the transfer look amazing, so this could be one of those things I throw on for the nice visuals while I'm doing other things.

 

[3dman27]

You used to be able to watch every episode on YT, but they cracked down on it hard the past year or so. I used to be subbed to 2-3 channels that had all the episodes, and now they're all pulled.

I tihnk they were pulled pending the DVD release

 

[The Joker]

Yeah I always used to watch the episodes on YouTube. Two or three channels had them up then one day they were all gone. Now you're lucky to find a few decent clips.

 

[Travesty]

Not a big deal, cause I'll buy the Blu Rays, and they'll look soooo much better than what used to be on YouTube.

 

[The Batman]

I paid 40 bucks at a flea market for a DVD bootleg of the whole series.

As you can imagine, not the best quality, so I can't wait for the Blu Rays.

 

[Kane52630]

I expect you to grace my thread with lots of your awesome gifs of the show once we get the DVD release, Kane

 

[AnneFan]

I think this will be a great addition to my collection. I've probably only seen about half the episodes, so it'll be fun to go through the series and get a bunch of "new" live-action Batman adventures along the way. The colors in the transfer look amazing, so this could be one of those things I throw on for the nice visuals while I'm doing other things.

You're in for a treat. What I love, is across the whole spectrum of Batman, regardless of the tone, all the traits we know and love are intact.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

You're in for a treat. What I love, is across the whole spectrum of Batman, regardless of the tone, all the traits we know and love are intact.

I love the series for its legacy, its contribution to the character and also its general qualities. Sadly, I cannot recommend the second or third seasons, personally. The quality of the writing went downhill after the first season (and movie, which was between seasons 1 & 2), and the humor became less subtle and much more deliberately insipid. It's still fun, but it isn't firing on all cylinders anymore like it was at first.

The first season alone is one of the best depictions of Batman ever produced. Highly budgeted, well-scripted with excellent performances. Not only do you have the wonderful costumes/sets/vehicles, but also the best written episodes that find ways to insert wit into good stories, as opposed to trying to write stories that will revolve arond silly ideas (like seasons 2/3). The first Joker two-parter, first Catwoman two-parter and the third Riddler two-parter are some of the best written Batman stories of all, for me.

It's about ****ing time this came to home video. Seriously. Long overdue. The thought just makes me wanna give Adam West a big ol' hug.

 

[AnneFan]

It's about ****ing time this came to home video. Seriously. Long overdue. The thought just makes me wanna give Adam West a big ol' hug.

I know what you mean. This release somehow confirms West as a legitimate Batman more than ever. Having a physical, official copy of something makes a difference, mentally. Before, the show had a presence but was more of an idea, if that makes sense, even though it's this cultural phenomenon. It's going to be fulfilling to put this set on the shelf next to the others.

 

[The Batman]

^ I know what you mean, AnneFan. Putting this show on DVD is gonna make Adam West Batman avaliable to the whole geek obseesed, gif using tumblr culture, and that is gonna be a great thing.

We're in an era where people can better appreciate the irony and absurdism the show was going for.