Batman Film & TV Milestones Of The Week

[AaronHandy3]

JULY 27, 1966

"Fine Finny Fiends," Episode #33 of Batman (prod. #8733-Pt. 1, from May 4, 1966), was repeated @ 7:30 p.m. (EST) on ABC.


JULY 28, 1966

"Batman Makes The Scenes," Episode #34 of Batman (prod. #8733-Pt. 2, from May 5, 1966), was repeated @ 7:30 p.m. (EST) on ABC.

The Batman motion picture would open in theaters in the same weekend as these repeats...


JULY 30, 1966

FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE MOTION PICTURE SCREEN IN COLOR! Adam West As Batman And Burt Ward As Robin Together With All Their Fantastic Derring-Do And Their Dastardly Villains, Too!



Batman, an exciting action motion picture released by 20th Century-Fox loosely based on the ABC primetime series of the same name, opened on this date at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas --a good 48 hours preceding an infamous shooting incident which took place in The Lone Star State Capital.

A William Dozier production written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and directed by Leslie H. Martinson, it starred Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and Frank Gorshin. (Since scores of us Batfans have already seen this film over 550 dozen times, I won't go into the details of the plot! )

The Batman motion picture, intended to introduce the viewing public to the Batman characters, was originally scheduled to be made prior to the TV series' debut; however, ABC, noticing the faltering ratings of several of its TV series, ordered the Batman TV series moved back from its intended premiere date (fall 1966) to a midseason January 1966 debut.

Production on the movie was put on hiatus until filming on the TV series' first season finished. The movie was intended to aid 20th Century-Fox in selling the Batman TV series to overseas markets. Its larger budget allowed the producers to create 3 new Batvehicles: The Batcopter, The Batboat and a souped-up Batcycle (having appeared only once on in the TV series' first season [in episode #8723, "The Penguin Goes Straight/Not Yet He Ain't"] as a prototype), and then use them in the series' second season. Due to financial limits of the TV series, the footage of The Batcopter and The Batboat was lifted directly from the film and edited into the episodes where needed.

JULY 26, 1967

"King Tut's Coup," Episode #87 of Batman (prod. #9755-Pt. 1, from Mar. 8, 1967), was repeated @ 7:30 p.m. (EST) on ABC.


JULY 27, 1967

"Batman's Waterloo," Episode #88 of Batman (prod. #9755-Pt. 2, from Mar. 9, 1967), was repeated @ 7:30 p.m. (EST) on ABC.