| “ | To the Batmobile! | „ |
| ~ Batman's most commonly used phrase in the 60s TV series |
| “ | Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb! | „ |
| ~ Batman's most famous quote, from the 1966 feature film |
Batman is a superhero and the titular main protagonist of the 1966-68 TV series Batman, based on the comic book character of the same name, the primary difference being that the TV series was played up more for intentional humor geared toward preteens and young adults, added to which most of the sets and costumes, particularly those of the heroes and villains, were more artistic and colorful.
He was played by the late Adam West.
Biography[]
Batman is the alter-ego of multimillionaire businessman and philanthropist Bruce Wayne. As in the comics, Bruce's parents were murdered while he was a child, after which Bruce fully dedicated himself to fighting crime. His parents' murders were mentioned in two episodes of the series- Hi Diddle Riddle, and later in The Joker's Epitaph.
Knowing that criminals are cowardly and superstitious, Bruce came up with the disguise of a humanoid bat to instill fear in lawbreakers and became Batman. Though never mentioned in the series, circus acrobat Dick Grayson became Bruce Wayne's youthful ward following a similar situation in which Dick's parents were murdered. Under Bruce's guidance and tutelage, Dick adopts the heroic identity of Robin the Boy Wonder and becomes Batman's sidekick; Batman often refers to Robin as "Chum" or "Old Chum".
At the beginning of the TV series, Batman and Robin are already established as ace crimefighters in Gotham City, but unlike in the comics, the Dynamic Duo are both fully-deputized law enforcement officers, a point Commissioner Gordon has emphasized more than once.
TV Series, Part 1 and Part 2[]
Most of the stories in the first two seasons of the TV series are two-part episodes, all of which follow the same episodic format:
- PART 1: The Dynamic Duo are summoned by Commissioner Gordon to deal with another super-criminal who is once again wreaking havoc on Gotham City. In so doing, the two eventually become overpowered and find themselves in a death trap of the villain's design, ending Part 1 in typical cliffhanger fashion.
- PART 2: at the beginning, Batman somehow manages to contrive a way- often far-fetched, for himself and Robin to either escape or to neutralize the villain's trap. After regrouping- and eventually deducing their nemesis' actual objective, the duo manage to forcefully subdue and capture the villain and his/her henchmen.
Personality[]
In the TV series, Bruce/Batman is straight-laced and lawful, and thus a highly respected public figure. In either identity, he tenaciously holds himself to an unbreakable moral code and total adherence to the letter of the law no matter how trivial, which often proves to be non-pragmatic; examples include feeding a parking meter before entering a crime scene, or refusing to contest a vehicular infraction, even though in both instances it resulted in the criminal's escape.
Nearly every episode features either Bruce or Batman giving some sort of lecture— usually to Dick/Robin, on the merits of an orderly society. He is extremely moral and fair-minded with people breaking the law. While he never hesitates to send the most incorrigible criminals such as Joker, Penguin and Riddler back to prison, Batman still holds out hope that the villains he deals with will repent and renounce their unlawful ways. Even though his allies remain cynical of his optimism, some of the villains' assistants- and even one or two of the villains themselves, do find their way back to the right side of the law.
Equipment[]
| “ | The right tool for the right job. | „ |
| ~ Batman, in Batman's Satisfaction |
Batman is a highly-trained master of numerous fighting styles, displays an unfathomable understanding of advanced calculus, and is highly endowed with insightful wit and masterful cunning. But even so, he still often has to rely on his self-made tools of the trade to see the day through; his Bat-Utility Belt invariably manages to have whatever tool he needs at the appointed time or place, including his exceptionally large Bat Shield- roughly measuring four feet high by three feet wide, which, like most of his other more cumbersome tools, he somehow manages to hide in his belt.
Batman '66 (meets...)[]
In July 2013, DC Comics began a series of comic books called Batman '66, presenting all-new stories set within the TV series' canon, and featured nearly all of the show's villains as well as early incarnations of future criminals including Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Two-Face, and Harley Quinn. This comic book series featured several crossovers including a story featuring the futuristic Legion of Superheroes, and also other crime fighters of the day, including a six-part story in which the Dynamic Duo again meets The Green Hornet and Kato (from their short-lived TV series), and another multi-issue story arc with John Steed and Mrs. Peel from their mid-late 60s TV series The Avengers.
The comic series ended in early 2016, but in March 2017 a six-part limited series, Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77, was released. In this story, Bruce had renounced his life of crime fighting with Robin- now as Nightwing, taking up the mantle of Gotham's protector; he reveals to his longtime friend Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) his regret over having killed the Joker, though it was in self-defense as the Joker attacked him at Wayne Manor after finding out his true identity. But Wonder Woman was able to motivate him to once again don the cowl of the Caped Crusader.
In July 2018 Batman '66 re-emerged and crossed over with Archie comics in another special 6-part series when Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Siren, and many other villains from the TV series attempted to take over Archie's home town of Riverdale.
Meeting Earth-Zero Batman[]
Due to Red Mask traveling the multiverse, Batman's local Joker became extremely murderous and eschewed his clownish persona. Upon his arrest, Batman met his Earth-0 counterpart, whom told him about the issue. Seeing that he lacked a utility belt, Batman gave his counterpart his own; telling him a Batman needs a utility belt. The shark repellent came in handy.
Adam West as Batman[]
In the TV series and the 1966 feature film, Batman was portrayed by Adam West, who would later reprise the role multiple times, mostly in animation, including Filmation's The New Adventures of Batman in 1977, and in the mid-80s in two Hanna-Barbera Superfriends series, replacing Olan Soulé as the voice of Batman, and finally in two direct-to-video animated features made shortly before West's death in 2017.
In 1979, West and Burt Ward (Robin) reprised their respective roles in Legends of the Superheroes, two live-action specials for Hanna-Barbera in 1979. In these specials Batman and Robin work alongside a team of super heroes- Green Lantern, Black Canary, Captain Marvel and Hawkman, to face villains including Solomon Grundy, Sinestro and The Riddler.
Quotes[]
- Batman: As duly-deputized agent of the law, I order you to surrender!
- Joker: As the Crown Prince of crime, I decline!
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Unlike later Batman stories, Bruce and Dick never figure out Barbara Gordon is Batgirl in this series. Therefore, as far as the TV series is concerned she is more of an ally than a teammate.
- The Bat-Signal was rarely used in the series, mostly because Batman is often contacted during the day via the Bat-Phone.
- Batman’s iconic charade known as “The Batusi” dance became a viral meme.
- Mostly in the series, they didn't explain how Dick Grayson became Robin and how he met Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth in the series. Just like Bruce Wayne, Dick's parents were also murdered, but it was never mentioned.
- Before Adam and Burt won the roles of Batman and Robin, Lyle Waggoner originally auditioned for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne.
- Batman's costume in the 1965 screen-tests bears a striking resemblance to Batman's costume from the Golden Age comics.
- This version of Batman has brown hair, while his mainstream counterpart has black hair.
- Mostly Bruce Wayne’s family company Wayne Enterprises is never mentioned or how he became wealthy. But just like in the series comic book series Bruce Wayne is born into wealth.
- In the Batman TV series Batman and Robin were deputized, but not in the comic book series though he often worked with the police, the district attorney, the mayor and the feds to call him for help and why they have the Bat Signal. Other superheroes were likewise never deputized but law enforcement or heads of states call them for help and become their allies.
- Unlike other Batmen, he is unaware of the concept of the multiverse.
- Despite his goofier universe gadgetry, Earth-0 Batman complimented him for being a Batman who was even more prepared for the unexpected than him.
- Only six of his foes (Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin, Mad Hatter and Mr. Freeze) had existed in the comics prior to the TV series, which presented a challenge to the writers and producers to created new and original villains to avoid overuse.
