Batman (1966): Season 1 Review

Batman (1966): Season 1 Review

Fans of this show waited for years for this series to be released on DVD and Blu-Ray and finally on November 11 2014 it happened. This is the review for Season 1.

I grew up watching the 1967 Batman movie and was obsessed with it. Seriously. Even though there were several newer versions of Batman (including Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995)), I had never fallen as much in love with Batman as I did watching the 1967 movie and since the movie was filmed between season one and season two the majority of the actors are the same in season one: Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin), Alan Napier (Alfred), Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon), Stafford Repp (Chief O'Hara), Cesar Romero (Joker), Burgess Meredith (Penguin) and Frank Gorshin (Riddler). 

I did watch this series on re-runs in the 90s but all I really remember is "Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel" so to get to see how the series started was amazing. I love that the show starts off with already established characters, instead of once again seeing Batman & Robins origin story, they already are the crime fighting duo. Everyone in Gotham knows Batman and Batman has knowledge of all the criminals. If the episode has a criminal that is new to the Batman universe (False Face) than they give a quick recap of who they are and what they want.

Let's talk about the villains for a second. At the beginning of the series I really enjoyed when the criminal would use gas coming out of an object but by the end of the season, it became really overused. I knew anytime they were holding an object (umbrella, bagpipes, cane) that gas would be coming out of the end. I also have to say that if the villains goal is in fact to get rid of Batman & Robin for good, they really stink at it. Not only that but they don't seem to harm anyone in this series, even civilians. Almost always they get knocked out with some kind of gas but in the end they are always unharmed. I also understand why the Joker and the Riddler are always giving clues or playing jokes on the Dynamic Duo but why the heck do all the other villains give leave them clues? Don't they realize that Batman & Robin are smart enough to figure out the clues and stop their evil plans? Doesn't make sense to me. Plus how are all these villains constantly escaping jail? It's very clear that the Gotham City Police Department is poorly run, being unable to solve any crime without the help of Batman & Robin, but they also can't keep the bad guys in jail? 

All of the episodes have two parts giving time for each story line to get more in depth. The first of the two episodes tends to focus on the criminals while the second part is more about Batman & Robin. I also love that throughout this season the show blatantly mentions morals. From good dental health, obeying the street signs, eating your vegetables, wearing your seat belt to drinking milk, you can always find good morals within the story lines.  

The series looks great in Blu-Ray and it even gives you the opportunity to see things that may not have been noticeable before, like the stunt men. In MANY scenes you can clearly see that Robin is actually stunt Robin, most noticeably in the fight/action scenes. His body type is similar but his face looks a lot different as does his hairline. It's much harder to tell if and when Batman has a stunt man because most of his face is covered by the mask. 

For me, watching this series as an adult is an amazing mix of nostalgia with a new appreciation for all that the Batman series was. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Batman and 60s style humor (much like Get Smart). The only downside, is you may find yourself walking around the house singing "Na na na na na na na na Batman".

A-

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