Batman (ABC 1966-1968, Adam West, Burt Ward)

Scifi comedy drama series and all round camp classic Batman was based on characters from the universe of DC Comics. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, in their superhero guises of Batman and Robin, determine to stamp out evil from the streets of Gotham City. The show was full of high camp fist fights where the punches that landed were accompanied by a ‘Bam’ or a ‘Pow’ popping up on screen pop art style.

Major villains on the show included The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, King Tut, Egghead and the feline Catwoman. Alongside Batman and Robin, Batgirl came on board in season three, Her secret identity name was Barbara Gordon (she was Commisioner Gordon’s Daughter) and she accessed her bat gear through a special button on her vanity table that when pressed revealed a hidden recess. She also had her own Bat Cycle.

The series, which aired it’s two part stories over two nights (with the dynamic duo always left in a tight spot at the end of the first part) was hugely popular during it’s first season perfectly capturing the pop art vibe of the time but it just as quickly fell out of favor.

William Dozier (the Executive Producer) provided the famous linking narrations.

There have been lots of other Batman series and movies down the years most recently with Gotham which deals with the city before Batman became Batman but there was also one direct attempt to provide a spin off from this show that focused on Batgirl. Yvonne Craig also appeared in this but it never progressed beyond pilot stage.

Batman was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in comic form in 1939.

production details
USA | ABC – TCF – Greenaway / 120×25 minutes / Broadcast 12 January 1966 – 14 March 1968.

Creator: Bob Kane
Theme Music: Neal Hefti
Producer: Howie Horowitz
Executive Producer: William Dozier

cast
Adam West as Batman
Burt Ward as Robin
Yvonne Craig as Batgirl
Madge Blake as Aunt Harriet Cooper
Stafford Repp as Chief Miles O’Hara
Alan Napier as Alfred Pennyworth
Byron Keith as The Mayor
Neil Hamilton as Comissioner James Gordon
William Dozier as Narrator