Quick DVD Box Set Review – ‘Batman’ (TV Series)

For Adam West

Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Holy smoke! I’ve finished the ‘Batman’ TV series from the 1960s with Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin! The DVD box set of the ‘Batman’ TV series was my birthday present in May 2017. I enjoyed watching all of the three seasons of ‘Batman’ from my birthday in May to today in July 2017!

The ‘Batman’ TV series is really cheesy and very colourful compared to the ‘Batman’ movies of today! It’s silly; it’s daft and yet somehow the whole series feels charming throughout. There’s a certain comic book feel to the whole ‘Batman’ series as well as a 60s feel to it, which I really enjoyed.

You can tell by the comic book feel of the ‘Batman’ TV series through the action scenes between Batman; Robin and the villains. There are lots of action scenes in the TV series full of ‘POW’; ‘BANG’; ‘ZOWIE!!’; ‘POK’ and ‘SOCK!’ They even put these words of action up on the screen for us to see! 😀

The ‘Batman’ TV series is definitely a comedy as it was intended to be for the adults watching it back in the 60s. But for the kids, they took it seriously and why shouldn’t they? There are lots of goofy moments throughout the ‘Batman’ TV series, yet I found all those episodes compelling and engaging.

Adam West is superb as Batman in the TV series. It’s hard to believe that I was watching this ‘Batman’ TV series before and after he passed away in June 2017. Adam West played the role of Batman in a straight manner, despite knowing it was a comedy series. It was funny how he spoke boldly and heroically in the show. Despite the goofy atmosphere, Adam West was Batman for me!!!

Burt Ward was fun to watch as Robin, Batman’s sidekick. I admire Burt Ward for wearing that ridiculously colourful outfit in the TV series. He’s also famous for his oaths of “Holy!” during the series. Couldn’t he run out of things to say beginning with “Holy”?! “Holy stampede!”; “Holy masquerade!”; “Holy catastrophe!” It was funny when Robin and Batman climbed the walls very slowly and talked at the same time!

There are lots of hilarious moments I enjoyed in the ‘Batman’ TV series as well as lots of favourite episodes. My favourite moment that is so funny and ridiculous is when Adam West as Bruce Wayne and Batman talk to each other on the phone for Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara to hear and they don’t realise it’s the same person. How could those two not realise it was the same person?! 😀

This leads me onto to talking about Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon and Strafford Repp as Chief O’Hara, who I got to say are the worst police force in Gotham City ever. They don’t do anything to stop the bad guys and it’s expected that Batman and Robin are to solve the mystery and stop the crime-fighters! Goodness me! The people of Gotham City deserve to be destroyed by the villains!!!

And speaking of the villains, I love the rogues gallery featured during the TV series. These include Cesar Romero as the Joker; Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Julie Newmar as the Catwoman. My favourite villain has to be Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. I prefer Frank Gorshin’s Riddler and he was in the ‘Star Trek’ episode ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’. I love that evil laugh of the Riddler’s!

Another moment I loved from the TV series is when the Joker is on the phone talking to Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara and Batman is on the phone as well, standing behind him. The Joker doesn’t even notice that Batman is behind him when he’s on the phone to him. It’s just so hilarious and ridiculous at the same time, demonstrating the comedic charm of the TV series.

The TV series also features Alan Napier as Alfred, Batman’s butler and Madge Blake as Aunt Harriet, Robin’s maternal aunt. I like Alan Napier’s interpretation of Alfred where he’s both loyal to Bruce Wayne and Batman to keep his and Dick Grayson/Robin’s identities secret. Aunt Harriet barely knows Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are Batman and Robin as they have to keep it secret from her.

There’s also Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, who appears in Season 3 of the series. I’ve just discovered Yvonne Craig was also in a ‘Star Trek’ episode called ‘Whom Gods Destroy’. Batgirl in real life is Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, Barbara. She keeps her identity as Batgirl secret, even from her father and Batman and Robin. But Batgirl is a very loyal ally to Batman and Robin as they fight crime.

I have to say I enjoyed Seasons 1 and 2 of ‘Batman’ more than I enjoyed Season 3. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Season 3 very much. It’s just Season 1 and 2 had two-part stories throughout which I prefer and enjoy, whilst Season 3 was reduced to having one-part stories and occasional two-parters and three-parters. The stories in Season 3 also tended to be a mixed bag whilst watching them.

The series ends on a rather average episode in ‘Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires’. It didn’t feel like a proper season finale and it ends with Robin asking “Where’s Batgirl?” and Batman saying “Who knows, Robin? Who knows?” I suppose the producers of the ‘Batman’ TV series didn’t think that their show would be cancelled. It was the same as it was when the original ‘Star Trek’ was cancelled.

But all in all, the ‘Batman’ TV series has been a joy to watch from start to finish. I loved watching my birthday present for 2017 and look forward to watching the ‘Batman’ TV series again to review each of the episodes on my blog. The show’s corny and campy yes, but it’s a corny and campiness that’s hard not to love. Adam West is superb as ‘Batman’ and there are lots of episodes to enjoy throughout here.

Next on my viewing list is ‘Batman: The Movie’ with Adam West and Burt Ward! Stay tuned for a quick DVD review on that!

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now!

Tim. 🙂

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