Customer Reviews

Batman: The TV Series

5 star:		(105)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For those of you who don't know what the problem is, this is what's keeping the series from being released on dvd and vhs. Warner Brothers owns the character of Batman, while 20th Century Fox owns the series. And all of us Batman fans have to suffer while these suits argue over minute technicalities. But logic would dictate that if the 1966 movie could be released, then the series can be released. So enough you suits! Stop bickering and release the series. In case you can't figure this out, the longer you can't make up your minds, the longer you're not making ANY money. Duh??? Well, to all you batfans out there, you probably don't need me to tell you that this was a wonderful series that combined adventure, suspense, comedy, and sometimes drama. On one extreme, we have hilarious episodes like the one where the Penguin runs for mayor. On the other extreme, there are some surprisingly frightening episodes like 'The Joker Is Wild.' What makes this series so great is that whether it is hilarious or suspenseful and frightening, IT HOLDS YOUR ATTENTION at every moment. Another great thing about this series is that while Batman provides the stability, it is often the villains who are entertaining. So we might cheer for Batman but allow the villains to entertain us. But if you are a Batman fan, you probably already know this. All I can say is, in the meantime, the 1966 Adam West movie, the Tim Burton movies, the animated series, and the animated movies are available. And 'Return to the Batcave' (2003) is a MUST HAVE. So maybe these things that are available on dvd and vhs can tide us over until these suits stop bickering and making excuses. It's been almost 40 years! We Batfans have been more than patient with you! IT's PAST TIME!

Season one of Batman is chock-full of fun for the whole family. Kids are going to love the comic book appearance, and older viewers are going to appreciate the double entendres and in-jokes flying at them faster than the batcopter.

Bruce Wayne (Adam West) is the caped crusader. Together with young ward Dick Grayson (Burt Ward) as Robin, he protects Gotham from crime. Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Neil Hamilton) and Police Chief O'Hara (Stafford Repp) are incapable of fighting crime on their own.

The dynamic duo lives at Wayne Manor with Alfred Pennyworth (Alan Napier) and Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake). The `Aunt Harriet' character was created specifically for this series so any suggestion that Batman and Robin were gay icons would be defused. Personally, superhero sexuality had never crossed my mind while watching this TV series, I was only interested in seeing Batman and Robin save the day (as usual).

This season (1966) has 34 episodes of comical hjinks. Each episode was a 2-parter which aired on different nights during the same week. This filming technique allowed for a greater scripting depth than would have been expected from a comedy genre made in the pop-wild 60's. Camp was indeed king in this Gotham City.

My favorite episodes include "The purrfect crime/better luck next time" which introduces us to the Catwoman (played by Julie Newmar during both this season and season 2). It also hints at the sexual tension existing between Catwoman and Batman. They are on opposite sides of the law, but this pair still feels for each other.

`Instant Freeze/Rats Like Cheese' has Batman and Robin battling Mr. Freeze (George Sanders) who for the sake of this TV series is really Dr. Shimmel instead of Victor Friese. This episode is memorable because Batman and Robin (despite all of their bat-gadgets) cannot recover from being frozen on their own and subsequently must receive treatment from the `Super-Hypotherm-De-Icifier Chamber Mark VII' machine located at Gotham City Hospital. Batman and Robin are crime-fighting superheroes, but they are not invincible or immortal.

Series aficionados will want to note the important trends begun during this season.

`The curse of Tut/The pharaoh's in a rut' is important because it is the first episode creating all-new villains specifically for this TV series instead of attempting to borrow from the Bob Kane detective series (which WASN'T happy go-lucky). At this point this villain roster expansion does not date itself as being set in the 1960's.

Jerry Lewis provides the first batclimb cameo appearance in `The bookworm turns'. These episodes had ironically aired during National Library week 1966. Lewis sticks his head out a building window to briefly chat with the dynamic duo while they are in hot pursuit of a criminal. A whole galaxy of stars and public figures followed his appearance in later episodes. It became a race to see who could get on the television.

The criminal lairs are always filmed `crooked' but there is not any violence as is measured by today's TV standards. Comic-book exclamations conveniently appear whenever there is a fight and no blood is spilt during any of the scenes.

The bat computer is now-obsolete, but for the 1960's and then to a 1980's child making do with a Commodore 64, it was really hi-tech.

My son is only 2 and LOVES the Batman TV series. Please hurry and release it to DVD since we are tired of rerunning the movie over and over!

The origional Batman tv series rocked! As a youngster, I would wake up to this show on school days. Batman always started me off to a good day. I want those days BACK!!! This is good clean entertainment with a slight touch of darkness at its best.

Batman the TV series deserves to be on DVD. If it does come out, I'm buying all three seasons. I rather buy this show on DVD than any other show. I miss watching it on TV.

As has been well-documented by the other reviewers, at least part of the holdup on getting this show released on dvd is that Fox owns the TV show but Warner Bros. -- via it's connection to DC Comics -- owns the Batman trademarks. There is speculation that the current lawsuit filed by Fox against WB over the Watchmen movie could be a tool employed by Fox to finally wrest the dvd rights away from WB so they can go forward with the dvd.

This may or may not be true, but perhaps a more daunting hurdle is the numerous clearance headaches faced by whichever company is lucky/determined enough to release the show. Back in 1966 when Batman first aired, nobody had any idea that 40+ years later there would be a thriving video market for their shows, hence there was no allowance in the various contracts for such a thing; so now all of that stuff has to be negotiated. Musicians, actors, directors, producers, certain crew members, guest stars, etc have to be duly compensated before any dvd release will be authorized.

So even if the rights issue ever gets worked out, these clearance headaches could add years to the already considerable wait, especially considering the vast number of celebrity guest stars that graced the show.

In some cases, such clearance issues have actually kept certain shows from ever being released (see: any season of Malcolm in the Middle after season 1), so it is no small thing to overcome, even when there is tons of moolah to be made. And even when/if it is finally released, it will probably cost consumers a small fortune in order to ensure everybody involved makes money.

Like everyone else, I am a huge fan of the show and discouraged by the long wait we've endured so far. Unfortunately, it is in the hands of the lawyers and business affairs people now.

There is NO excuse for this to not be available on DVD.

Personally, this has been one of my favorite series for 35 years now.

Wake up Fox!

As a child, Batman captured my imagination and kept me glued to my TV - Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel. As an adult, I was treated to a Batman marathon on cable and I found myself glued to my TV again. What glorious fun! Where are the DVD's? It's a guaranteed sale. What is the hold up?

I am currently on my hands and knees begging anyway who takes the time to listen to me. PLEASE release this, i can quarentee about a hundred people that i know alone that will buy it, i will make the dvd for you if needed! i can do that! This is such a travesty to not make, i am 20 and we watch the movie religiously, You are missing out in so much money. PLease Release!

Millions of batfans around the world are potential buyers of this TV Series Collection.

In a time where the "retromania" is in high, people who were kids when B&R episodes retected them in front of a tv screen have now enough money and desire to buy everything concerning the Dinamic Due, that regards that old good times and could now be enjoyed proud with theyr childs.