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

[Christopher]

In my experience, the Adam West Batman is a show that you love as a serious adventure series when you're a kid, then dismiss as silly and campy when you reach adolescence and want to take everything seriously, then love again when you're fully grown up and finally figure out that it was a sitcom and was intentionally silly and campy, not to mention quite clever and subversive at times. Unless you're a comic-book geek who takes Batman way too seriously and insists on ignoring the historical reality that the character hasn't always been a grim avenger of the night.

As a sitcom, Batman was brilliantly original. People love to put down the weird and fanciful sitcoms of the '60s, shows like this and Gilligan's Island and My Favorite Martian, but at least they weren't just the thousandth sitcom in a row about a working schlub with a wife and cute kids or a teacher and his class of misfits or a bunch of young single friends hanging out together and talking incessantly about sex. Sitcoms today rarely have the originality they had in the '60s, and Batman was one of the most distinctive and unusual sitcoms ever created. It also had impressive production values and casting.

[The Old Mixer]

Christopher wrote:

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In my experience, the Adam West Batman is a show that you love as a serious adventure series when you're a kid, then dismiss as silly and campy when you reach adolescence and want to take everything seriously, then love again when you're fully grown up and finally figure out that it was a sitcom and was intentionally silly and campy, not to mention quite clever and subversive at times.

My experience exactly, though I haven't had the opportunity to revisit more than the theatrical film as an adult. I absolutely worshipped this show in my mid-single digits...there was literally nothing cooler or more exciting in the world to me then. Then the long years when I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Recently, I bought the movie from a bargain bin for the hell of it, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Now I can once again appreciate the fact that this series, and this series alone, is responsible for having started my lifelong obsession with super-hero comics.

I'm curious to know if anyone else had the same experience--Was the Batman TV show primarily responsible for getting you into comics?

[tharpdevenport]

"I'm a bacholer, but I want to live anyway."


Come on, that's funny.

[Professor Zoom]

The Old Mixer wrote:

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My experience exactly, though I haven't had the opportunity to revisit more than the theatrical film as an adult. I absolutely worshipped this show in my mid-single digits...there was literally nothing cooler or more exciting in the world to me then. Then the long years when I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Recently, I bought the movie from a bargain bin for the hell of it, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Now I can once again appreciate the fact that this series, and this series alone, is responsible for having started my lifelong obsession with super-hero comics.

I'm curious to know if anyone else had the same experience--Was the Batman TV show primarily responsible for getting you into comics?

It may have been the reason I got into comics.

But, like you, as a kid it was MUST WATCH TV...I saw it in repeats and it was appointment watching. It was awesome fun adventure.

[Gojirob]

Professor Zoom wrote:

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It may have been the reason I got into comics.

But, like you, as a kid it was MUST WATCH TV...I saw it in repeats and it was appointment watching. It was awesome fun adventure.

Plus - Let us never forget - it produced some of the coolest vehicles ever seen on the screen, including the car. When I was a kid, and I saw the 66 Batmobile on TV, I knew for a fact that evil could never win. To paraphrase Kevin Conroy : Growing up, he was my hero. He still is.

[TGTheodore]

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

[N-121973]

The Old Mixer wrote:

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My experience exactly, though I haven't had the opportunity to revisit more than the theatrical film as an adult. I absolutely worshipped this show in my mid-single digits...there was literally nothing cooler or more exciting in the world to me then. Then the long years when I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Recently, I bought the movie from a bargain bin for the hell of it, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Now I can once again appreciate the fact that this series, and this series alone, is responsible for having started my lifelong obsession with super-hero comics.

I'm curious to know if anyone else had the same experience--Was the Batman TV show primarily responsible for getting you into comics?

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.

[The Old Mixer]

N-121973 wrote:

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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.

Same here! In the U.S., the show could be found in weekday afternoon syndication in the mid-'70s. I knew what a comic book was--I think there were some Caspers and Richie Rich's around the house--but I've always distinctly remembered the day that I was browsing through the comic books at the local supermarket and had the epiphany of a lifetime--"Mommy! It's Batman--in a comic book!"

http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Detective_Comics_450

I own a copy today, though not my original. Cover date August 1975--would have come out around May. I would have been 5, finishing nursery school (an optional pre-kidnergarten at my elementary school). Yes, I could read it, thanks to a Grandma who taught me very early...though I didn't understand all the words.

My first exposure to Supes was the George Reeves appearance on I Love Lucy--none of my local channels were playing Adventures of Superman reruns at the time--followed by Super Friends. SF was also a strong influence, as I remember some of my subsequent early purchases being issues of Justice League of America and Flash (who I knew from a guest appearance on SF back when it was the big five with Wendy, Marvin, & Wonder Dog).

[Lookingglassman]

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

[Galactus]

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.

[M]

I love this series and would definitely buy the DVDs.

[LaxScrutiny]

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.

[cardinal biggles]

Even though I really love the darker take of the Burton and Nolan films, and really liked TAS, I would buy this in a heartbeat if it ever came out on DVD.

[Cmndr J Crichton]

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!

[Mr. Laser Beam]

TG Theodore wrote:

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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.

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?