MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night

[publiusr]

So, while he was not taking mile-long leaps, or tossing tanks, the series was successful at painting the Hulk as an unmatched force.

Until he met Lyle Alzedo in Amazing Stories.
(1986) Season 1: Episode 10 – "Remote Control Man"

Forget Seinfield SNL and FRIENDS..Seeing Ferrigno's Hulk being dwarfed by Mr.Orange Crush himself--that was the funniest thing ever on NBC. Yes, NBC.

 

[JD]

Trek_God_1, you're posting your analysis a little early, don't you think?
You're forgetting about Batman '66, the ongoing digital comic series based on the series. I haven't read any of them yet, so I don't know what kind of continuity it has with the series, but it is easily the most direct follow up to the series.
It's been coming out regularly since July 2013, and along with the regular series they have also released an adaptation of Harlan Ellison's Two-Face script, which was adaptated by Len Wein, with art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. They've also done, Batman '66 meets The Green Hornet, a crossover with the '60s TV series version of The Green Hornet characters, and Batman '66 Meets The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a crossover with the '60s spy series.

 

[Christopher]

You're forgetting about Batman '66, the ongoing digital comic series based on the series. I haven't read any of them yet, so I don't know what kind of continuity it has with the series, but it is easily the most direct follow up to the series.

Pretty good continuity for the most part, with some glitches. I covered it back in post #757 of this thread, to wit:

Still, there are details that aren't quite authentic. Batman and Robin take their masks off in the Batcave. The Riddler and Penguin are identified as Edward Nigma and Oswald Cobblepot. (It's clear from the show that Penguin's legal name is The Penguin.) Batman sometimes calls Robin "Boy Wonder" -- that's what everyone else called him, but Batman called him "Robin" or "old chum." Most of the villains are incarcerated in "the Arkham Institute" rather than Gotham State Penitentiary -- and when we do see the Pen, Warden Crichton is inexplicably a black woman. (Maybe the original's wife? Progressive and all, but implausible in a '60s setting.) And there's a 2-parter that features London and Scotland Yard rather than Londinium and Venerable Ireland Yard -- although Londinium is mentioned in a later issue. Also, there's an unfortunate dearth of deathtraps. And many of the supporting players don't look like the original actors, although sometimes they do, depending on the artist.

Oh, yes, and there's a scene in the Batcave where they need to consult a map and they just look at a paper one! How could they forget the Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City?!

And some of the villains don't look like their show counterparts or have quite the same famous personas as their actors. Chandell is blond and doesn't have any of Liberace's quirks, and Black Widow is younger and very unlike Tallulah Bankhead's version. But that's no worse than John Astin playing the Riddler or Eartha Kitt playing Catwoman, I guess.

For the most part, it's quite a loving continuation of the show, though more comic-booky, both in terms of ramping up the action and spectacle and weirdness (for instance, there's an Egghead story that resembles "The Sixth Finger" on The Outer Limits, with Eggy evolving himself to gain advanced mental superpowers) and in terms of adding characters from the comics like Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy.

 

[Greg Cox]

Believe it or not, I've actually seen people ask why Harley Quinn wasn't on the Adam West series, apparently unaware that she didn't debut until decades later.

Too bad. Tuesday Weld would have made a great Harley.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

You're forgetting about Batman '66, the ongoing digital comic series based on the series. I haven't read any of them yet, so I don't know what kind of continuity it has with the series, but it is easily the most direct follow up to the series.

When talking about a legitimate follow up, I mean filmed with the original cast. The PSA was the last time most of the main cast (in costume), the TV producer and studio were all involved in a Batman production, and not long after the series ended.

They've also done, Batman '66 meets The Green Hornet, a crossover with the '60s TV series version of The Green Hornet characters, and Batman '66 Meets The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a crossover with the '60s spy series.

I've seen a few of the issues, but to be honest, the Garman/Smith Batman/Green Hornet crossover was trying too hard to be a follow up to the Gumm storyline, and Robin comes off as being bratty, instead of the mix of eager/intense as portrayed by Ward.

 

[Greg Cox]

Hmm. I see that Svengoolie is showing "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" tonight. Believe it or not, I've never actually seen that one . . . .

 

[Christopher]

Too bad. Tuesday Weld would have made a great Harley.

Holy loves of Dobie Gillis! That's a great suggestion. She's incredibly sexy in Lord Love a Duck -- a movie where she falls under the sway of a charismatic and comic criminal. (Ooh, imagine if Roddy McDowall had played the Joker instead of the Bookworm.)

Batman: "Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires": And so we come to the end of our Bat-journey, and it's a pretty mediocre finale. I suppose the idea of using a health spa to extract millionaires' secrets is mildly clever, but it makes for a rather static episode told on just a few sets, without a lot of action, and with some lazy shortcuts like the off-camera "anti-steam pill" escape. And how come Minerva's "Deepest Secret Extractor" just goes for Bruce's vault combination? That's hardly his deepest secret. I'd expected that he'd reveal that he used his extraordinary mental discipline to resist the extractor and feed it a false lead as a trap for Minerva, but apparently he was as susceptible to it as anyone else, so its operation when used on him makes little sense. The ending of the actual episode was quite weak, too -- no real conclusion of any sort, just a feeble iteration of the tired old "Where did Batgirl go?" beat.

I guess Zsa Zsa Gabor was okay as Minerva, but her persona has never done much for me. And it's hard to care as much about the Bat-villains who are just celebrities playing themselves. It hardly even counts as acting. Notable features include the return of Freddie the Fence (for what little it's worth) and the modified hair-dryer prop that was used as the Brain Wave Bat-Analyzer in the Black Widow episodes. Plus cameos at the beginning by producers William Dozier and Howie Horwitz as themselves. Horwitz's line about succeeding by never listening to network executives was a bit of a Parthian shot as the show ended.

 

[Admiral2]

Watching pt 2 of the TIH pilot, I'm struck by how great a take on the material it is. Serious, dramatic... Bill Bixby does a fantastic job as a tormented David Banner.

One of Kenneth Johnson's masterpieces.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Incredible Hulk pilot (part 2)--

Wonderful, thoughtful drama. As Elaina Marks, Susan Sullivan's range of emotion as the Hulk breaks out of the chamber was perfect--from shock, amazement, trying to maintain her (breathless) recorded observation, to total fear as the Hulk breaks free. Her strength of mind--in obtaining a blood sample--while being ever so careful not to trigger his rage was another strong scene.

One of the wise additions to the character building of Banner is establishing that the Hulk will not kill because Banner won't kill. While some believe it goes without saying that the hero of a 1970s TV series would not kill, but it was important to spell it out, for anyone believing it would be impossible for the Hulk--during a rampage--would consider the welfare of any he faced.

The interesting development of Jack McGee is that he was not just the annoying foil/threat, but he seemed genuinely disturbed about what he thought he witnessed: the Hulk being responsible for the deaths of two people. He will refer to both Banner & Marks at random points in the series, at times, feeling sorry for their demise.

Perhaps the other defining scene of the pilot (there were many) was the funeral finale. The sense of Banners' hopeless resignation that his world was effectively shattered--beyond his control--was a brave way to end a superhero pilot. There was no upbeat promise of adventures to come, no wide-eyed interest from the public. Only deep tragedy, compounded by the fact that Banner not only loved Marks, but as the Hulk, he could not remember Elaina's dying declaration.

The Incredible Hulk introduced the tragic superhero adaptation. Looking back, in the Reeves Adventures of Superman TV pilot and the Donner Superman movie (at the time, still a year away), pathos was certainly part of the presentation, with the deaths of Jor-El, Lara, Eben (TV) / Pa Kent (movie), and the moment Clark must leave home, but in the end, Clark/Superman was never permanently stained / beaten by the specter of death as in the case of Banner. Although Donner Superman did struggle with the frustration of having such amazing power, but not being able to save Pa Kent, he did not have to carry tragedy in his heart. Its just too bad that few superhero adaptations--even to this day--are as grim and touching as TIH.

For such a serious debut, TIH was still marketed to children and young adults, In 1978, Pocket Books published a "videonovel" (otherwise known as the photo novel) of the pilot (adapted by then-Marvel editor, the great Roy Thomas), while Marvel used a truncated version of the pilot photo novel layout for a fold-out poster book--

Topps Chewing Gum, the kings of non-sport cards, released a card and sticker set in 1979, covering the pilot, select 1st season episodes, and the 2nd season opener "Married"--

The instinct to target children and young adults with this material was correct, since many did not just watch TIH for "hulking out" scenes/destruction, but were captivated by the struggles of Banner, too.

 

[The Old Mixer]

So...by 1973 Batgirl and Robin were on Batman's payroll? And if Robin was making more, maybe that's because he had some seniority in the company...?

*******

The Incredible Hulk
Pilot: Part 2

Given the attitude that Banner would come to take towards his alter ego, it's interesting how Banner pushes for testing his new condition...even after his first metamorphosis, he's still obsessed with his loss-driven research.

There are some very effective beats in this half. The whole lab sequence is effective, from the methodology of their experimentation to the building tension of the nightmare sequence and the transformation in the lab...which serves as an effective showcase for what the creature is capable of. As a kid watching the pilot for the first time, not being particularly familiar with the comics character, I was on the edge of my seat because I didn't know that the creature wouldn't harm Elaina.

It would've been a great plot point if Elaina's tape had survived the lab explosion and fallen into somebody's hands....

It's also interesting to note that for the most part, David doesn't change from nightmares in the series...though they may have done it a time or two when the plot called for it. We could speculate that the events of the pilot were a cathartic experience in helping David to move past his obsession with Laura's death...and/or that, once David knew more about his condition, he subconsciously kept himself from getting upset enough to change while dreaming.

Hey, it's a guy named Scotty calling up on the intercom!

Note how they set up a plot point of the second pilot with the X-ray therapy.

I always found it to be a great irony that McGee was responsible for the explosion....It's too bad that it was never followed up on in a finale with a resolution to McGee's pursuit of the creature. I long imagined that McGee would have been reasonable enough to realize that if Banner was the Hulk, then the Hulk couldn't have been directly responsible for the explosion as he must have thought.

How did McGee get into the lab anyway? Breaking and entering isn't a superhuman power, but the show does gloss over that point between scenes.

Ah, the origin of the classic opening credits line...kind of makes you tingly hearing it spoken for the first time.

It's interesting how the authorities assumed that David was dead with no evidence of a body.

And speaking of the opening credits, when David looks up from the gravesite, I can't help but think that they were deliberately posing him for the title card shot.

A very poignant ending...the secret love angle might seem a little tacked on, but the actors did sell it with the close camaraderie of their characters.

The Lonely Man theme being the most memorable aspect of the series, I despise that Netflix wants to automatically cut the closing credits short! I always re-expand the window, but it kind of ruins the moment.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The ending of the actual episode was quite weak, too -- no real conclusion of any sort, just a feeble iteration of the tired old "Where did Batgirl go?" beat.

I thought that was odd too but thinking back I'm not sure that older series tried to end on a bang. It was amusingly anti-climatic though.

 

[The Old Mixer]

One of the wise additions to the character building of Banner is establishing that the Hulk will not kill because Banner won't kill. While some believe it goes without saying that the hero of a 1970s TV series would not kill, but it was important to spell it out, for anyone believing it would be impossible for the Hulk--during a rampage--would consider the welfare of any he faced.

Interesting that you brought that up, because I was planning to follow up on that point.

As a comics-reading kid in my mid-single digits, I was scared of the Hulk, and pretty much avoided him on the printed page. Some level of fascination caused me to watch the pilot with trepidation, but my viewing was interrupted by a brief outing during the climax at the lab. I didn't immediately follow the ensuing series because I still felt iffy about the character. It was when I read a brief write-up of the series in a paper or TV guide that I started getting over this, because it specifically quoted somebody (probably Bixby) emphasizing that the Hulk didn't kill. Between that and the fact that all the guys at school were watching it, I started following the series regularly by the end of '78, IIRC. Ultimately, that source of childhood fear became uber-cool to me as I grew a little older, and the Hulk would become my favorite comics character in my pre-teens.

The sense of Banners' hopeless resignation that his world was effectively shattered--beyond his control--was a brave way to end a superhero pilot. There was no upbeat promise of adventures to come, no wide-eyed interest from the public.

But they did have a second, series format-establishing pilot ready to roll in a few weeks.

For such a serious debut, TIH was still marketed to children and young adults

I'll say! It was quite popular with my elementary school crowd. It was, after all, still a super-hero property, and in a family-friendly timeslot.

In 1978, Pocket Books published a "videonovel" (otherwise known as the photo novel) of the pilot (adapted by then-Marvel editor, the great Roy Thomas), while Marvel used a truncated version of the pilot photo novel layout for a fold-out poster book--

And before I was able to rewatch the pilot in reruns, that photo novel played a cherished role in helping me to fill in the gaps from what I'd missed or simply not appreciated in my original viewing. I don't still have it, but I remember the individual pages having mostly comes loose from my repeated reading of it.

The instinct to target children and young adults with this material was correct, since many did not just watch TIH for "hulking out" scenes/destruction, but were captivated by the struggles of Banner, too.

I might argue with that assertion, had that not been my own exact experience!

 

[Christopher]

It's also interesting to note that for the most part, David doesn't change from nightmares in the series...though they may have done it a time or two when the plot called for it.

I'm fairly certain it did happen one or two times during the series proper.

The Lonely Man theme being the most memorable aspect of the series, I despise that Netflix wants to automatically cut the closing credits short! I always re-expand the window, but it kind of ruins the moment.

I wish there were a way to set one's options to prevent that. I'd hoped that turning off the automatic start of the next episode would avoid it, but it still shrinks the window anyway.

I thought that was odd too but thinking back I'm not sure that older series tried to end on a bang. It was amusingly anti-climatic though.

No, as a rule, a series finale was the same as any other episode. But from what's been said in the thread, the producers evidently knew the show was ending; and the Dozier and Horwitz cameos do have a sort of a curtain-call quality to them. So given that, it's surprising that the final moments of the episode are just so damn dull and anticlimactic. They could've given the episode a stronger ending while still being within the '60s idiom of not having formal finales -- say, have a tag scene with all the regulars assembled in Gordon's office and just sharing some camaraderie, and maybe having Batman give some closing speech about how he and Robin would always be there to protect the good citizens of Gotham City from crime in all its strange and unpredictable forms.

Although it occurs to me to wonder if the "What happened to Batgirl?" line might've had a metatextual significance -- i.e. why did a character who started out so strong and dynamic end up being just a serial hostage in the last few episodes? Maybe they were pressured by the network to weaken her and this was their protest. But that's probably reading too much into it.

 

[Greg Cox]

Holy loves of Dobie Gillis! That's a great suggestion. She's incredibly sexy in Lord Love a Duck -- a movie where she falls under the sway of a charismatic and comic criminal. (Ooh, imagine if Roddy McDowall had played the Joker instead of the Bookworm.)

See her also in PRETTY POISON, opposite a young Tony Perkins. Let's just say she out-psychos the original Psycho.

 

[RJDiogenes]

So...by 1973 Batgirl and Robin were on Batman's payroll? And if Robin was making more, maybe that's because he had some seniority in the company...?

Some competing billionaire must have bought out Wayne Industries and taken over as Batman. It's obviously not the same guy and the real Batman would have agreed with her and educated Robin with a platitude about fairness while philosophically noting how easy it is to fall into the trap of social norms.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

So...by 1973 Batgirl and Robin were on Batman's payroll? And if Robin was making more, maybe that's because he had some seniority in the company...?

Dick had to do more than expect that trust fund, and Barbara was a librarian...not exactly the best way to pay for a single apartment (with a secret room, no less) in a high rise!

The Incredible Hulk
Pilot: Part 2

Given the attitude that Banner would come to take towards his alter ego, it's interesting how Banner pushes for testing his new condition...even after his first metamorphosis, he's still obsessed with his loss-driven research.

It was still early--and no tragedy was associated with the Hulk. If I recall, its either in the second TV movie or the series where he tells someone that he's not sure he can prove the Hulk didn't murder someone (assuming he's referring to McGee's claim that the Hulk killed Elaina Marks), so by then, Banner was all about the cure, and not understanding the metamorphosis in relation to his original research....

...but his research will come up in an early episode.

There are some very effective beats in this half. The whole lab sequence is effective, from the methodology of their experimentation to the building tension of the nightmare sequence and the transformation in the lab...which serves as an effective showcase for what the creature is capable of. As a kid watching the pilot for the first time, not being particularly familiar with the comics character, I was on the edge of my seat because I didn't know that the creature wouldn't harm Elaina.

The producers were on point in elevating Hulk's strength throughout the pilot; first, he flips a car over, then tears the steel chamber apart, and finally busts through thick, concrete walls, lifts slabs, etc. If anyone had concerns about showing how powerful a "young" TV Hulk could be, the pilot helped erase doubt.

It would've been a great plot point if Elaina's tape had survived the lab explosion and fallen into somebody's hands....

If not McGee, then it would have added another threat to the series, and sort of bottlenecked Banner between two walls of opposition. I think it was enough that McGee was there from the start, discovered enough to know Banner & Marks had some direct connection to the Hulk, and if he captured him, the entire mystery / crime would be solved. However, even that was sent spinning in a new direction once McGee discovered (in "Mystery Man" parts 1 & 2) that a man transforms into the Hulk, when all along he believed he was some independent thing created in the lab.

It's also interesting to note that for the most part, David doesn't change from nightmares in the series...though they may have done it a time or two when the plot called for it. We could speculate that the events of the pilot were a cathartic experience in helping David to move past his obsession with Laura's death...and/or that, once David knew more about his condition, he subconsciously kept himself from getting upset enough to change while dreaming.

Well, in the opening of season 2 ("Married") I think he's still having nightmares about Laura. The deaths of women he loves are so tied to his journey, that he recalls most (Caroline Fields from "Married" and Elaina) as his memory returns in "Mystery Man" part two.

I always found it to be a great irony that McGee was responsible for the explosion....It's too bad that it was never followed up on in a finale with a resolution to McGee's pursuit of the creature. I long imagined that McGee would have been reasonable enough to realize that if Banner was the Hulk, then the Hulk couldn't have been directly responsible for the explosion as he must have thought.

But there would still be no resolution--but a new conflict. Even if McGee thought the Hulk was not in the lab at the time of the explosion, he would still would still think the damage he saw "must" be linked to the explosion. He would never blame himself, or think it was all some random accident. At the end of it all, in McGee's mind, Banner and/or the Hulk would be guilty.

Ah, the origin of the classic opening credits line...kind of makes you tingly hearing it spoken for the first time.

That stands as one of the great single lines in any superhero adaptation. Eternally memorable.

It's interesting how the authorities assumed that David was dead with no evidence of a body.

The lab was completely destroyed after several large explosions, and McGee--being the only eyewitness--saw Banner run in the direction of the lab, never to emerge. Between his testimony and the severity of the fire, perhaps authorities reached the conclusion echoed by the the police sergeant in season three's "Broken Image"--that Banner was "burned to death." That's the official conclusion.

A very poignant ending...the secret love angle might seem a little tacked on, but the actors did sell it with the close camaraderie of their characters.

Agreed. Unlike productions where the romance was the main focus of the story--and still failed (e.g. Attack of the Clones / Revenge of the Sith), this pilot layered their realtionship in a natural way. From establishing the two knowing each other (at least) since college, Banner admitting his mother always liked Elaina, to the tender connections throughout the remainder of the film, it was believable, and set up Banner's loss in a most effective manner.

I thought that was odd too but thinking back I'm not sure that older series tried to end on a bang. It was amusingly anti-climatic though.

The Fugitive's 2-part series finale "The Judgement" (1967) enjoyed a tense, dramatic, satisfying conclusion--first with Kimble being arrested by Gerard, escorted back to his home state to fulfill the death sentence, to Kimble's showdown with Fred Johnson--"the one armed man," and f(at last) being acquitted. That was a big ending that at one time, was the highest rated series finale in history.

On the opposite end, the finale of Batman--only a year later--was just a deflated tire, waiting for ABC to replace it with whatever filled that slot in September of 1968.

 

[The Old Mixer]

If I recall, its either in the second TV movie or the series where he tells someone that he's not sure he can prove the Hulk didn't murder someone (assuming he's referring to McGee's claim that the Hulk killed Elaina Marks), so by then, Banner was all about the cure, and not understanding the metamorphosis in relation to his original research....

I'm not sure I understand your intent from the phrasing, but I always imagined that Banner was a smart enough cookie to ultimately come to the realization that it was his obsession with that research that led to his tragic condition and its consequences (e.g., Elaina's death).

It's interesting to note that even Banner would have had no clue as to what started the explosion, so he must have felt that he was ultimately responsible for Elaina's death.

The producers were on point in elevating Hulk's strength throughout the pilot; first, he flips a car over, then tears the steel chamber apart, and finally busts through thick, concrete walls, lifts slabs, etc. If anyone had concerns about showing how powerful a "young" TV Hulk could be, the pilot helped erase doubt.

I'll be quick to point out when series episodes seem to demote him down to circus strongman levels...from my recent aborted rewatch of the early episodes, I'm pretty sure that there were such moments.

Not an uncommon phenomenon in live action super-hero shows, particularly in those days of strictly practical, TV-budget effects. I remember catching some episodes of the Saturday morning live action Shazam! on cable several years back...there was one scene in which he was forcing his way through a locked fence gate (that he could have easily flown over), and I was thinking, "It's taking way too long for him to break that chain!"

One thing I'll say about that show in retrospect--the costume looked great.

Well, in the opening of season 2 ("Married") I think he's still having nightmares about Laura. The deaths of women he loves are so tied to his journey, that he recalls most (Caroline Fields from "Married" and Elaina) as his memory returns in "Mystery Man" part two.

IIRC, in "Married" he first transforms from the Laura memory because Caroline deliberately digs it out via hypnosis. The second time, he's having a nightmare about losing Caroline that connects Caroline's impending demise with Laura's. Both cases would fit fine with my theory of a subconscious blocking of the Laura nightmares, as there were extenuating circumstances bringing them back to the fore in "Married".

It's great that this show actually bears such thoughtful analysis. Quite a contrast to WW, which I couldn't even sit through more than a few episodes of when it was on Me.

But there would still be no resolution--but a new conflict. Even if McGee thought the Hulk was not in the lab at the time of the explosion, he would still would still think the damage he saw "must" be linked to the explosion. He would never blame himself, or think it was all some random accident. At the end of it all, in McGee's mind, Banner and/or the Hulk would be guilty.

I've always thought that if McGee had all the information, it would have at least put some doubt into his mind. In his imagination, it was the creature who was somewhere in the lab at that time that started the explosion in a more direct fashion. And the show gave us enough likable/sympathetic beats with McGee that I always thought that, had he gotten that far, he might, just might, have helped Banner rather than hounding him.

(Which is pretty similar to how things panned out with Gerard in The Fugitive, though I didn't know that when I was watching TIH as a kid and imagining these things....)

That stands as one of the great single lines in any superhero adaptation. Eternally memorable.

I remember seeing that paraphrased early in a ca. 1978 Spidey comic. I don't know if his own show was still on the air when it came out, but that was the period when both his title and the Hulk's were carrying the "Marvel's TV Sensation!" blurb on their covers. Quoted from inexact memory, Spidey was swinging across town to a confrontation with JJJ, and said to himself, "And like that guy on TV says, he's not gonna like me when I'm angry!"

Which kind of speaks to the difference between the memorable qualities of Spidey's show vs. TIH, that comics Spidey was referencing the other guy's show!

The lab was completely destroyed after several large explosions, and McGee--being the only eyewitness--saw Banner run in the direction of the lab, never to emerge. Between his testimony and the severity of the fire, perhaps authorities reached the conclusion echoed by the the police sergeant in season three's "Broken Image"--that Banner was "burned to death." That's the official conclusion.

But there was nothing about that lab fire to suggest that it could completely incinerate all traces of a human being. And I don't know about 1977 forensics, but today the authorities could have traced the origin of the initial explosion to that closet. It was a point that was glossed over for purposes of setting up the series premise, but I'd think that they'd have to assume that Banner somehow got away from the scene, and would actually put an APB out on him for questioning at the very least.

Had the showmakers wanted to cover that base, they could have introduced a plot point about somebody else being at the site who wasn't supposed to be there, or that the research at that facility involved a male cadaver, with the authorities assuming that the badly-damaged remains were those of Banner. (Even then, methods like dental records probably could have set them straight....)

On the opposite end, the finale of Batman--only a year later--was just a deflated tire, waiting for ABC to replace it with whatever filled that slot in September of 1968.

The Ugliest Girl in Town (just because you got me curious)--Not even a one-season wonder, but a half-season wonder...replaced in the slot by The Flying Nun (which was moved from its 8:00 slot on the same night in the fall, a slot that was in turn filled by That Girl, which had been on at 9:00 in the fall).

From the above-linked Wiki article:

In 2002, TV Guide ranked the series number 18 on its '50 Worst TV Shows of All Time' list.

You have to wonder if Batman's rating were really that bad that it was worth cancelling...but I guess the Caped Crusader's loss was Ann Marie's gain, as she got moved up to a better slot!

 

[dahj]

Is that Hank Hill as Commissioner Gordon?

 

[publiusr]

I am very thankful that I was a child during the 1970's. Only today does television even begin to reach the level of sophistication we had then.

I wish they had had these sets during The Andomeda Strain.
The Microscope was a better prop.

I'll even forgive the dial-tube television slanted into the console.

I seem to remember a blurb on this site about the location of the explosion.

Often times the pilot is the best episode--Prometheus and the one where you had two hulks were also favs. I guess I like the slower pace than what we have with today's superhero fare.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I'll even forgive the dial-tube television slanted into the console.

If you're talking about the Culver lab in TIH, what's to forgive? It was a show made in the '70s and set in its time...it wasn't supposed to be "the future" or anything.