Does the 60's Batman Show Suck? - Awesome Comics - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 11-07-2016, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Everyone remembers this Batman show, but was it any good?

Flying Dutchman · 11-09-2016, 01:29 PM

I don't think it sucked.I kinda liked it. Yes,it was comical and was cheesy and slow. But I guess in comparison to The Dark Knight trilogy, it would also be considered boring and seriously out of date. But the episodes that have the Green Hornet and Bruce Lee in them, are always worth watching.

king of comedy · 11-09-2016, 04:37 PM

But Batman as a whole, was never meant to be sitcom. The comics are dark and tragic and show him as he was meant to be.

Mace Dolex · 11-09-2016, 07:43 PM

It's repetitiveness is what makes it a tad boring, a villian commits a crime, Commisioner Gordon is called upon and once he realizes that the GCPD is helpless against it they call on Batman on his little red phone.

At times I find it hilarious how there seems to be just Chief O'Hara as the only policemen in Gotham.

PhoenixAcres · 11-09-2016, 11:22 PM

The show was definitely written as a comedy; anyone who has seen at least one episode can tell you that. The writers never intended the audience to take it seriously at all. This gave them the chance to not take it seriously either and insert outrageous gags, silly dialogue, and generally awful visual effects to get a few extra laughs. The producers were 100% effective in this goal and the show is just as funny today as it was 50 years ago. It's not a bad show at all and probably among the best shows of the '60s.

I'm not exactly sure why the show's producers wanted to take what was a dark, drama-centered comic and make it into the light-hearted campy extravaganza that was the TV version. I see them as two completely separate works. The show may not have been faithful to the comics, but from the start they made it clear that was never their intention.

Torgo · 11-11-2016, 12:16 PM

It's a huge misconception that Batman the comic was always dark and serious. Yes that's how it started, but by the 1950's Batman's tone changed, they introduced characters like Ace The Bat-Hound, and an Impish character named Bat-Mite, and in the early 60's the comics introduced campiness into the mix. Batman's suit changed, and became the template for the one seen 1966 live-action series, along with the campiness (of course the TV show made it even more campy). The TV series Batmobile was inspired by the Batmobile design introduced in the comics in the early 60's. The show proved so successful that the comics started changing to look more like the TV series, including the look of Alfred, and Bat Girl was created for the TV series and soon became part of the comics.

Batman didn't start to truly get dark and gritty, and more realistic until the 1970's, as most comics DC, Marvel, etc were all going in this direction at that time. Nolan's Batman, both look and tone came mainly from Frank Miller's version (The Dark Knight Returns 1986), also the look of the Batmobile in Nolan's films came from Frank Miller.

TMC · 12-17-2017, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

It's a huge misconception that Batman the comic was always dark and serious. Yes that's how it started, but by the 1950's Batman's tone changed, they introduced characters like Ace The Bat-Hound, and an Impish character named Bat-Mite, and in the early 60's the comics introduced campiness into the mix. Batman's suit changed, and became the template for the one seen 1966 live-action series, along with the campiness (of course the TV show made it even more campy). The TV series Batmobile was inspired by the Batmobile design introduced in the comics in the early 60's. The show proved so successful that the comics started changing to look more like the TV series, including the look of Alfred, and Bat Girl was created for the TV series and soon became part of the comics.

Batman didn't start to truly get dark and gritty, and more realistic until the 1970's, as most comics DC, Marvel, etc were all going in this direction at that time. Nolan's Batman, both look and tone came mainly from Frank Miller's version (The Dark Knight Returns 1986), also the look of the Batmobile in Nolan's films came from Frank Miller.

There's always going to be naysayers of the Adam West interpretation of Batman, who feel that Batman works better when he's depicted as a serious, intense, broodingly dark avenger (especially considering that Bruce Wayne became Batman in the first place because of his parents' violent murder when he was a child). The '60s Batman series (and to a lesser extent, the Super Friends animated series) for better or worse, kind of stigmatized the public image of Batman prior to Tim Burton's 1989 movie with Michael Keaton. That was a big reason why it took Michael Uslan (who is the executive producer for all of the modern Batman movies to date and really spearheaded the idea to do a darker not so childish or campy take on Batman) so long (at least ten years) for his type of Batman movie to making on screen.

king of comedy · 03-03-2018, 09:56 PM

It still sucks today!

Yong Fang · 03-04-2018, 03:33 AM

I liked it as a child of the 1970's watching it in reruns. Had a younger childhood neighbor boy who loved the show and watched it every day when it came on. It was a campy show and was done in a comic book style and was not serious.

Adam West was a crap actor though. He just was. William Shatner was a master thespian next to West. I think deep down, West knew he was a hack who was very lucky for the career he had and played up his persona on Family Guy.

king of comedy · 12-17-2018, 10:28 PM

It hasn't aged well. I like him better on Family Guy.

Zoneboy · 12-17-2018, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by king of comedy

It still sucks today!

I've always liked it, now Batman the Animated Series was about as boring as watching paint dry. Several years ago I found A 28 VHS tape collection at Goodwill for $10.00. All are were sealed except the first one. I tried to watch it, but just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was because I had grown up with the Adam West version all my life and that was what I was used to. To me it's like being so used to Star Trek TOS then TNG comes along and it took me a long time to appreciate that show. The 60's Batman may have been campy, silly and downright ridiculous at times, but regardless of that I still enjoy it and now since I have the series on DVD and on Roku I finally get to see them uncut. It's funny though that so many big-name actors appeared a show that allegedly sucked and many more begged to be on it and had to be turned down. The VHS tapes I purchased though wasn't a total loss, I sold them for $250.00 on eBay.

damin mance · 12-18-2018, 07:48 PM

Back then the show was great to watch and tune in when you couldn't wait to see what was going to happen in the next episode but now they only show one episode and they always mixed and not in order! The show just isn't great as it used to be.

11-09-2016, 01:29 PM	#2
Flying Dutchman Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2004 Location: New York Posts: 1,266	I don't think it sucked.I kinda liked it. Yes,it was comical and was cheesy and slow. But I guess in comparison to The Dark Knight trilogy, it would also be considered boring and seriously out of date. But the episodes that have the Green Hornet and Bruce Lee in them, are always worth watching.
	__________________ Does anybody know the way to Atlantis?

11-11-2016, 12:16 PM	#6
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,037	It's a huge misconception that Batman the comic was always dark and serious. Yes that's how it started, but by the 1950's Batman's tone changed, they introduced characters like Ace The Bat-Hound, and an Impish character named Bat-Mite, and in the early 60's the comics introduced campiness into the mix. Batman's suit changed, and became the template for the one seen 1966 live-action series, along with the campiness (of course the TV show made it even more campy). The TV series Batmobile was inspired by the Batmobile design introduced in the comics in the early 60's. The show proved so successful that the comics started changing to look more like the TV series, including the look of Alfred, and Bat Girl was created for the TV series and soon became part of the comics. Batman didn't start to truly get dark and gritty, and more realistic until the 1970's, as most comics DC, Marvel, etc were all going in this direction at that time. Nolan's Batman, both look and tone came mainly from Frank Miller's version (The Dark Knight Returns 1986), also the look of the Batmobile in Nolan's films came from Frank Miller.
	__________________ "I'm going to go do something productive. I'm gonna go watch television." - Ray Peterson, The 'burbs "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries." - Stephen King "There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence." - Elvira

11-09-2016, 04:37 PM	#3
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	But Batman as a whole, was never meant to be sitcom. The comics are dark and tragic and show him as he was meant to be.

11-09-2016, 07:43 PM	#4
Mace Dolex Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 12, 2013 Posts: 2,670	It's repetitiveness is what makes it a tad boring, a villian commits a crime, Commisioner Gordon is called upon and once he realizes that the GCPD is helpless against it they call on Batman on his little red phone. At times I find it hilarious how there seems to be just Chief O'Hara as the only policemen in Gotham.

11-09-2016, 11:22 PM	#5
PhoenixAcres Member Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 26, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 6,824	The show was definitely written as a comedy; anyone who has seen at least one episode can tell you that. The writers never intended the audience to take it seriously at all. This gave them the chance to not take it seriously either and insert outrageous gags, silly dialogue, and generally awful visual effects to get a few extra laughs. The producers were 100% effective in this goal and the show is just as funny today as it was 50 years ago. It's not a bad show at all and probably among the best shows of the '60s. I'm not exactly sure why the show's producers wanted to take what was a dark, drama-centered comic and make it into the light-hearted campy extravaganza that was the TV version. I see them as two completely separate works. The show may not have been faithful to the comics, but from the start they made it clear that was never their intention.

03-03-2018, 09:56 PM	#8
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	It still sucks today!

03-04-2018, 03:33 AM	#9
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	I liked it as a child of the 1970's watching it in reruns. Had a younger childhood neighbor boy who loved the show and watched it every day when it came on. It was a campy show and was done in a comic book style and was not serious. Adam West was a crap actor though. He just was. William Shatner was a master thespian next to West. I think deep down, West knew he was a hack who was very lucky for the career he had and played up his persona on Family Guy.

12-17-2018, 10:28 PM	#10
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	It hasn't aged well. I like him better on Family Guy.

12-18-2018, 07:48 PM	#12
damin mance Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 19, 2003 Location: new jersey newark Posts: 894	Back then the show was great to watch and tune in when you couldn't wait to see what was going to happen in the next episode but now they only show one episode and they always mixed and not in order! The show just isn't great as it used to be.