Usually, references to the 60s Batman TV show in a headline make me cringe, but I'm making an exception for tonight is the 50th anniversary of the Batman TV show. Now, I never watched it when it first aired, as I wasn't born until a few months after it went off the air, but I was fortunately able to see reruns of it off and on through the 70s.
The show, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the dynamic duo ran for 2 and a half seasons from this day in January 1966 until the end of the 1967-68 TV season.
My personal history with the Batman TV series has its ups and downs. As a little tyke, I thought it was the coolest adventure show to ever have hit the TV screen. I loved every second of it.
Unfortunately, it was usually shown on an American TV station that we couldn't reliably tune in on our old TV aerial. However, this sparked my lifelong interest in superheroes and comic books, pushing me towards DC comics fandom over Marvel - especially when I discovered the reruns of 'The Adventures Of Superman' with George Reeves, and the Saturday morning adventures of the Super Friends.
When I was a little older, I grew to be embarrassed that I had loved it so much. I started to realize how ridiculous the plot were and the corniness of the dialogue. In my teen years, I still unashamedly loved the comic book adventures of the Dark Knight, but I was loath to admit that I had ever enjoyed the TV series.
Then as an adult, I had an epiphany. It was supposed to be stupid: it was meant as a comedy and its stupidity was the joke. In fact, the show was genius as it allowed adults to get the joke while managing to provide a show that the kids can enjoy on the pure adventure level. Now I could freely admit to loving the show again. However, part of me wishes I could watch the show and enjoy it on that uncomplicated and uncritical level. Unfortunately I'm older and have a more nuanced understanding to be able to lose myself in the pure adventure for very long.
So where is Batman today? The comics are still going strong and have been going strong for the whole time since the TV show went off the air. The comic adventures, despite the term 'comic' have generally had a much more serious tone than the TV show. DC Comics, like me, has also had to come to terms with the TV shows sillier version of Batman. For years, the TV show made the public perception of Batman as silly kids' stuff, and nothing you could consider as serious storytelling.
There is also another Batman TV series on the air currently, oddly enough without Batman in it. "Gotham" has started with the death of Bruce Wayne's parents and is telling the story of how he becomes Batman, how Jim Gordon becomes Commissioner Gordon, and the origins of Batman's rogues gallery of villains.
Batman is also due to appear on the big screen in March in "Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice". This is a sequel to the Superman movie "Man Of Steel" and is set to expand the world of that movie into an expanded DC movie universe. It will also introduce other key members of the Justice League, such as Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
LEGO also announced today that they are bringing out a special LEGO set of the TV series Batcave. The set (Set 76052) contains the cave, Stately Wayne Manor, working Bat-Poles, the Batmobile, the Batcopter, the Batcycle, the Bat-Computer, and minifigs of Batman, Bruce, Robin, Dick, Alfred, The Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman, and The Penguin. As a nice touch, like Cesar Romero in the show, the Joker minifig also has a visible mustache concealed by white makeup. I so much want to get this set, but given the price (about $320 Canadian), it looks doubtful that I will be able to afford it.
You can also buy the TV series itself. The complete series is available on DVD and Blu-Ray, or you can buy individual seasons by individual season (season two is broken into two sets). The movie (called "Batman: The Movie) that was released between season one and two is also available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
In closing, I would like to say to the creators and cast of the Batman TV series, and to DC Comics, thank you for this major formative chunk of my childhood.
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