What's the appeal of the 60's show?

[thecolorsblend]

WTF!?

I haven't even mentioned anything of Batman's versatility. Just wait until you hear my opinion!

It wasn't necessarily a reference to you.

[tomstoyz]

I guess I love the old '66 TV Show for sentimental reasons. I was totally obsessed with this series as a very small kid, maybe 5-6 yrs old. I totally loved it & I blame it on making me the HUGE Batman Fan that I am today. I understand that the show is kinda dumb by today's standards but when I was little & Batman or Robin were in a "deadly trap" I was actually kinda worried for them. Of course later I learned they would always escape, ha ha. It was just a lot of fun! I just always loved it & later, when I was older, it got me into collecting comic books & then later collecting vintage toys ( brand-new toys too ). Now, those 2 activities have given me a lot of joy over the years. I also love the show because, like somebody else said, it saved Batman from cancellation & allowed the character to grow. One last thing, the 1966 Batmobile made by George Barris will ALWAYS be the very best Batmobile ever made!

[phantom stranger]

First of all, it had a pretty big budget and it showed! The costumes looked great as did the car, cave, etc. That contributed greatly to its entertainment value.

Second, the stories were actually well-written and had plots that centered around the villains' traits. They didn't just have Riddler rob a bank or something like that; they had a crime that involved riddles. Out of all the superheroes, Batman has the best rogues gallery and the writers used them to their fullest potential.

Now a lot has been written about how the show was campy, set Batman back,etc. I don't feel like going into that, especially since the show was intentionally supposed to be a comedy. Plus, every 10 year old with a computer feels the need to post that the show "looks gay" on some random Youtube video and I don't want to encourage pointless comments. There's nothing clever about pointing out that a 40 year-old show looks dated.

[Batmoney]

I'm not a huge fan of it, but I did watch it growing up and I liked it a lot, and I do consider it a valid and important part of Batman's history. The 60s show is what was able to keep Batman alive. I think you just have to be able to watch it for what it is to enjoy it, and I think that is a little easier to do when you're younger. It's kind of like Batman Forever; not the best or most true form of Batman, but it's entertaining.

[Dark Knight Detective]

I apologize for the hiatus. So now, my perspective of the show begins:

Was this show really necessary? I know that there's fans that absolutely love it, but when you get to the bottom of it, you begin to realize something: it made Batman a joke.

Yes, I understand that the Batman/Detective comics of that time (well, before O'Neil & Adams came in) weren't dark & somewhat kid friendly, but they weren't campy. Fans will say that this show is 100% true to those comics, but yet I find that to be somewhat half or less. Since when does Batman go dancing?

This show has also been said to have saved Batman's universe from cancellation, but it was Detective Comics #327 that actually did so. And while the show made a little Batmania & raised comic sales, the joke soon wore thin, & the sales of Batman comics returned to being in jeopardy.

P.S. - Feel free to ask me any questions or respond, & I will add more to say.

[Kamdan]

I like to view the show as a parody of Batman. To me, it's kind of like seeing an skit of a comedy show (like In Living Color) or reading a segment of MAD magzine parodying something you love. Sometimes it doesn't work, but I thought they did just fine. I like the earlier ones because they aren't totally being silly. There was one Riddler episode that I actually felt was up to par with those 40's comics.

[Batmoney]

Yeah, even Batman isn't above parody. The most important thing to remember with the 60s show is that it was of its time, and it went with the times. The 60s were a strange time, or so I'm told. I really think that the 60s show is a good show to introduce young kids to Batman, God knows it's the Batman TV show I first watched regularly. If they're young enough to not really know the difference and not realize the immense camp and goofiness, I think it has the perfect tone. The animated series is a little more of a mature show in my opinion, and probably isn't going to go over huge with the kids until they are a little older, I'd say at least around 10.

Love it or hate it, one thing the 60s show still has on every interpretation of Batman on TV or on film, in my opinion, is the fight sequences. Yeah they were a lot more cheesy and hectic being filled with pow, zap, wham, and bang, and Batman wasn't quite as dominant as us hard-cores would imagine him to be, but that doesn't change the fact that those guys would pretty much go at it for about five straight minutes. The 60s show truly had some great action in every episode.

I think the 60s show is great at what it sort of set out to be, mindless entertainment.

[Kamdan]

Yeah, even Batman isn't above parody. The most important thing to remember with the 60s show is that it was of its time, and it went with the times. The 60s were a strange time, or so I'm told. I really think that the 60s show is a good show to introduce young kids to Batman, God knows it's the Batman TV show I first watched regularly. If they're young enough to not really know the difference and not realize the immense camp and goofiness, I think it has the perfect tone. The animated series is a little more of a mature show in my opinion, and probably isn't going to go over huge with the kids until they are a little older, I'd say at least around 10.

Love it or hate it, one thing the 60s show still has on every interpretation of Batman on TV or on film, in my opinion, is the fight sequences. Yeah they were a lot more cheesy and hectic being filled with pow, zap, wham, and bang, and Batman wasn't quite as dominant as us hard-cores would imagine him to be, but that doesn't change the fact that those guys would pretty much go at it for about five straight minutes. The 60s show truly had some great action in every episode.

I think the 60s show is great at what it sort of set out to be, mindless entertainment.

So, parodies are mindless... okay. Grow a sense of humor.

[Azrael]

The only thing I have a bit of a problem with, and I'm sure it has already been said by other members, is that some of the stuff this show had are parts of the mainstream Batman lexicon and used in articles, newsbits, features etc. that have to do with Batman movies. Stuff like "Holy Box Office, Batman" or "Zzap! Batman Strikes Again!" etc. With some googling (or scanned magazine pages) I could offer real examples, but you all have read them and you know what I'm talking about   

Other than this association of all things Batman with elements from the show, I don't have a "problem" at all, I think this campy Batman has its place even after almost 40-50 years. Some movies try hard with their tone to make you believe these things can exist in the real world (Singer, Nolan), others make beautiful/poetic fantasy pieces out of them (Burton's), a good parody that shows the silliness of men in colorful circus tights being the "protectors" is always welcome (I wish they had also done a parody show about Marvel's avengers). Compared to modern atrocious "parodies" with questionable target group like the ***** Movie "series" (including Superhero Movie, Epic Movie etc), this show is much more intelligent and entertaining. 

[The Joker]

I absolutely LOVE the Adam West Batman Tv Show!

Why? Partly because it's just good fun, and partly due to sentimental reasons as I vividly remember watching the show quite a bit in syndication during Batman 1989's theatrical run.

Personally, I find it just alot of fun to watch from time to time. The production values (especially for Seasons 1+2, and not so much 3) were top notch, and all of the regular actor's were good as well. As for the villains, alot of them were extremely entertaining. Gorshin, Romero, Meredith, Newmar, Price, Buono, Meriwether, Kitt, Mcdowall ... all great stuff. The crossover where Batman and Robin meet The Green Hornet and Kato is another favourite I like watching from time to time as well.

I can certainly understand the dissatisfaction some fans have with the mainstream media often associating anything Batman related with "Holy!", or "POW!" ect ect ... however I don't feel as if it's something that the show itself should be ashamed of. I just take it as the show being such a huge success, and having such a large impact on the culture, that alot of the folks in the mainstream press, even to this day, associate Batman with the show if even in just a affectionate light hearted way. Much like any mention of Star Trek may often draw impressions of Shatner-isms. Even to this day.