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When I started building this web page, I had just finished watching the March 9, 2003 premiere of the CBS TV movie, "Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt," which was so much fun! So funny! It was a reunion of sorts of the actors from the 1960s "Batman" TV show and 1966 "Batman" movie, including Adam West and Burt Ward. I've read both Adam's and Burt's books, which is where most of the script was from, and it was such a treat seeing some of their more colorful recollections re-enacted for the film. So here's how you can catch up with the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder! (and Batgirl! Dang it, why does everyone always forget about her?!! I loved Yvonne Craig!!)
The Bat Music!
The Bat DVDs (and videos) - INCLUDING The Batman (1966) TV Show! and, most importantly, The Bat Toys!! (and a Bat-Costume or two)
The Batman TV Show Superstore bid a sorrowful farewell to our beloved Caped Crusader Adam West on Friday, June 9, 2017.
And the Batman TV Show Superstore mourned the sudden passing of purrrrfectly sexy Catwoman Eartha Kitt on Christmas Day, 2008 :(
Kitt went into detail about portraying Catwoman in her third autobiography, called I'm Still Here in the UK and Confessions of a Sex Kitten here in the USA. Holy Coolness!: A DVD of Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt was released on May 17, 2005!
You can still get Holy Batmania! on video OR you can get the Batman: Holy Batmania! DVD, which was released October 19, 2004, from Image Entertainment!
Happy Fortieth Anniversary, Batman!
The main source material for the TV movie were the autobiographies written by Adam West and Burt Ward:
Yvonne Craig also released an autobiography:
Composer Neal Hefti came up with the famous "Batman"
TV show theme, which can be found on both of the following CDs... |
Theme from Batman: (The television series) Batman Theme/Original TV Theme (music book) Batman Theme/Original TV Theme (easy piano) More versions of Neal Hefti's Batman Theme!
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Batman Original TV Show Theme Sheet Music By Neal Hefti. Piano/Vocal/Chords. Arrangements for piano and voice with guitar chords (piano solo). 4 pages. Published by Warner Brothers. (T1320BPV) See more info... |
Ah, the quickie movie, made to capitalize on the high ratings of the TV show--! Cheesier than the TV show -- and that's real cheesy -- the scene where Batman runs all over a pier trying to dispose of a bomb safely, away from the various groups of innocent citizens milling about, is truly one of the funniest sequences in the whole series--!
Batman: The Movie (1966) - DVD Released in 2003! DVD features:
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Batman: The Movie (1966) - VHS
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A&E made the following Biography episodes:
Batman (DVD)
Go inside the camp classic with star Adam West and a host of clips from the '60s staple.
Episode premiered July 7, 2003
Adam West: Behind the Cowl
See his original screen test for "Batman" in this profile of the `60s TV star.
Julie Newmar
Go beyond the suit and sex appeal in this look at TV's Catwoman.
A big thanks (blame?) to Valsadie Pal Andy, who told me about the web site, TVObscurities.com,
which has a whole page plus RealVideo film clips from the incredibly rare
8-minute Batgirl
Promotional Short! See the original Batgirl mask and
motorcycle!
Go go go (vroom vroom)!!
See the 1974 Public Service Announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor about equal pay for women that featured Craig reprising her role as Batgirl, Burt Ward reappearing as Robin, but has Dick Gautier as Batman. I actually remember seeing this. SO funny! Go, Batgirl!
OK, so the movie is out on video, and all these cool specials and all -- but what about the Batman TV series itself?? Is it out on DVD?? Well NOW IT IS -- FINALLY!! Although not without some bobbles (archived version of Batman TV Shows on DVD page)...
Batman: The Complete Television SeriesStandard Edition, Box Set, Replacement/DVD (to fix errors in omission with original 2014 release) |
Batman: The Complete Television Series Blu-ray DiscsStandard Edition, Box Set, Repackage/Blu-ray (to fix errors in omission with original 2014 release)
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Batman: Complete First Season DVD
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Batman: Complete Second Season - Part 1 & Part 2 Classic TV Series DVD
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Batman: Complete Third Season DVD
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Batman: The Second Season, Part 1 DVD
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Batman: The Second Season, Part 2 DVD
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And then the release of the TV series on DVD was so successful (DUH!) that our caped crusaders were enlisted to voice two more (and last) animated adventures!!
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders DVD
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Batman vs. Two-Face DVD
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Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Blu-ray Disc
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Batman vs. Two-Face Blu-ray Disc |
Batman - Return to the Batcave DVD
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OK, so the movie is out on video, and all these cool specials and all -- but what about the Batman TV series itself?? Is it out on video or DVD?? Would you believe that it isn't?! Holy Oversight, Batman! What kind of nefarious scheme is this?!
Knowing that most of the visitors to this site are indeed looking for the series on home video or DVD, I contacted Fox Studios, which produced the original series in conjunction with Greenway Productions, to find out if such a release was in the immediate future. I received the following response:
Hello
Valerie,
Fox has no plans to release the title in question at this time. I will forward your request on [to] the corporate office so they can see what the public would like to see on DVD. Thank you, |
OK, so it's not the answer we were looking for. But it is a little hopeful! And I guess you could always send you own e-mail encouraging the release of the series...!
Plus, register with the web site TVShowsonDVD.com,
and you can vote for Batman
there, too (thanks again to Andy)!
Request the Batman TV series on DVD via adding your e-mail address at Amazon.com - which states that in doing so that you'll "also be voting for this release; we'll let the studio know how many customers are waiting for this title"--!
Get the skinny on the rights issues (read: money,
money, money) that have thus far kept the series from home
video/DVD release; see this article from a July 2004 issue of Entertainment
Weekly (EW) magazine --
We're
Dyin' For ''Batman'': EW petitions for the 1960s ''Batman'' television show on DVD -- Fox Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. have no immediate plans to release the classic TV series and EW wants to know why by David Koeppel
Have the Caped Crusaders keep guard over your humble abode!
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Find more Bat-Collectibles and Bat-Toys and Bat-Costumes!!
See the impressive line of Batman toys at LEGO.com!
Batman at the ALA Online Store Poster ©2005 American Library Association. Used by permission. High above Gotham City, Batman keeps one eye on the streets below -- and the other on an edgy, engrossing tome. (Perhaps Beyond Good and Evil?) |
Batgirl at the ALA Online Store Poster ©2004 American Library Association. Used by permission. Check out Gotham Public Library's Barbara Gordon on the case, whether
book or bat-a-rang in hand--! |
Tell all your friends that you were Bat-Visitor
Page somewhat updated June 12, 2017; counter added 8/20/2003.
Visit these Bat-Web Sites!
AdamWest.com, official web site for the Bat-Actor
RobinTheBoyWonder.com, official web site for Bat-Actor Burt Ward
YvonneCraig.com, official web site for TV's Batgirl
TheRealFrankGoshin.com, official
web site for the late actor
R.I.P.
Frank Gorshin (1934-2005) --
Listen to Gorshin's The
Riddler song!
JulieNewmar.com, official web site for the actress
EarthaKitt.com, official web site
for the late actress
(and singer, dancer, writer, etc!)
The 1966 Batman TV Tribute Site by David Sutton including The Batmobile!!
Batman
on National Public Radio's Present at the Creation radio series
includes RealPlayer video clips from the show and audio clip of the TV show
theme!
Wikipedia entry for Batman (TV Series)
Batman TV
show page at the web site of (Chicago's own!) Museum of Broadcast
Communications
from its online Encyclopedia of
Television (from Absolutely Fabulous to Zorro)
Sixties City Television - Batman
The Original 1966 Batmobile website
The Futura/Batmobile Home Page
The Batman Tribute Pages at http://adamwest.tripod.com
Batman TV Show at
DonnaLoren.net (Quicktime
film clips)
1960s singing sensation Donna Loren's appearance on Batman TV Show
and...
1979's
Legends of the Super-Heroes!
and more
and more and more
on this er, uniquely fine and (mercifully!) short-lived TV series (scrapped in two
short weeks up against the 1979 Mork
and Mindy juggernaut)!
And... just do yourself a favor and check out Batfriend.com. The site itself is in progress, but the opening animation and then the click-through to the Batcave--you do remember how to get there, don't you??--to, shall we say, more animation, is just too cool!!!!!
See my other web sites...