Why No 1960s Batman TV Series on VHS, DVD, etc.?

Regarding the residuals questions, famous cameos were usually done for scale back then, and most likely just a one or two-run payment.

Only really smart people like Sheldon Leonard, Danny Thomas, Lucille Ball, Carl Reiner, Andy Griffith and Dick Van Dyke actually got long term "pieces" of their early TV shows.

Regular residuals for major cast members really didn't start on a wide level until around 1969/1970 with the advent of the Norman Lear shows, the MTM shows, etc.

--Ted

 

In answer to your question, absolutely, this is how I discovered the character. I didn't even realise that there were Batman comics until by chance. I used to watch the show every Saturday morning as a kid as part of something called TISWAS (Brits over a certain age on these boards will know what I'm talking about). I had several different copies of the Batmobile made by Corgi and it was when I was 6 or 7 my favourite tv show. At the moment I'm tivo-ing the show on BBC4 and watching both parts back to back on Saturday mornings as a sentimental reminder of my youth.
Speaking of old TV shows that should be on DVD, I think Disney should release the colourised editions of the old Guy Williams Zorro show from the 50s on DVD. I've watched a few clips of the colourised episodes on Youtube recently and they're quite good. Like Batman it was something I used to watch on Saturday mornings.

 

I loved that series when it was on. I would buy it on DVD.

 

I know many older people who too this day say this is Batman to them. They dislike greatly the dark knight as he is today. To me if you take away the silliness and jokes you end up with BTAS.

 

I understand that both Batman and the Green Hornet series are both held back from release, both series were produced by William Dozier. It is suspected, but no one confirms, that it's Dozier's estate that is holding everything up.

 

It will come out eventually. The Dark Knight continues to smash records at the box office, I wouldn't be suprised that it comes out when TDK comes out on DVD and Blu Ray. Perhaps they're waiting for Blue Ray finalization! BTW, seen TDK three times now, and plan to see it a few times more before it leaves the theater!

 

The Wiki link for the series says that some of these cameos were done as uncredited, unpaid walk-ons. How, if any, would this complicate the rights issues?

 

That's what he's saying: it probably isn't the complication.

Probably the real complication is ownership between Fox and WB, maybe Dozier...

And now with the Watchman case...the relations between Fox and WB isn't great...

 

It wouldn't. If they weren't credited or paid appearances in the first place, the performers in question couldn't get any residuals, ever. An extra cut of nothing is still nothing. And as stated, even most performers back then who were credited and paid didn't get residuals specified in their contracts.

 

The Wiki link goes on to say that since some of the cameos were unpaid and uncredited, Fox has no home video clearances for them. Is this just inaccuracy on Wiki's part, then?

 

I don't know, I'm not an expert. I don't see why there would be rights issues, but these things can be crazy, so maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe they're wrong.

 

I could understand the no video clearances on them because there was no video back then. As for the cameos I can understand that being something that holds things up.

 

the truth is, that I own the DVD rights to batman TCS, and i have buried the originals in my back yard

 

So do I, and so would I.

What I've never understood is why the fans of a more serious Batman (which I admittedly, am one), don't see this show for what it is: a spoof. Everything under the sun has been spoofed at one time or another, and this show was simply Batman's turn.

I think of it like this: Batman 1966 is to "serious" Batman, what Spaceballs was to Star Wars.

 

Well, if the 66 show is no threat to that, then release the damn DVD's already......