Wasn't Batman A Comedy Series? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Duster76 · 02-02-2017, 10:38 PM

How come Sledge Hammer is considered a comedy series, and Batman isn't. At no time did the series ever take anything seriously, everything from the outlaws crooked room hideaways, to the labeled "batpoles", to the Pow, Boom, fight scenes were all a joke. It made the last few seasons of The Adventures of Superman seem like Criminal Minds. What I'm suggesting is this, list the show on the 1960's sitcom board.

Does anyone think the series might have been more successful in the long run if the show had played the characters and the situations seriously? People forget just how fast the show faded, coming on as a midseason replacement in 1966, it becomes an instant hit, but just two short years later the series gets cancelled. The oddest thing about all this, the characterization of Batman completely changed in 1964, the character and story lines in the comics were much more serious from 1964 on.

Regulus · 02-02-2017, 11:00 PM

IMO the 1966 Batman is a bona-fide comedy.

1960'sTVfan · 02-02-2017, 11:21 PM

My definition of 1966 Batman is that it's a campy live action adventure show that attempts to resemble a cartoon. It isn't exactly a comedy and not really intended to be laughed at, but not intended to be taken too seriously either.

1960'sTVfan · 02-02-2017, 11:34 PM

I think the series faltered and lost much of it's charm in season 3 when it went away from the serialized format.

Retro4Life · 02-03-2017, 12:15 AM

I'd say Batman was a comedy only in tone not in delivery, i.e. the lines were all said perfectly straight and we were supposed to assume their was danger to the characters, but it was played in such an over-the-top way that it was high camp. There really weren't 'jokes' written per se, just the tone of the dialogue made it funny.

I never really watched Sledgehammer, but didn't it have a laugh track?

PhoenixAcres · 02-03-2017, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duster76

How come Sledge Hammer is considered a comedy series, and Batman isn't. At no time did the series ever take anything seriously, everything from the outlaws crooked room hideaways, to the labeled "batpoles", to the Pow, Boom, fight scenes were all a joke. It made the last few seasons of The Adventures of Superman seem like Criminal Minds.

I agree completely. Nothing about the series was serious or meant to be serious. It was one of the funniest shows of the '60s so by that logic I'd call it a sitcom. It was also NOT campy in the sense of it being stupid and silly as a result of inferior or lazy writing. The writers were very particular and made the show clever and humorous, hence it was "campy" on purpose which is an important distinction.

There was some more discussion on this a while back:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...ad.php?t=35496

DJM77 · 02-03-2017, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

I never really watched Sledgehammer, but didn't it have a laugh track?

No, it didn't.

Becca3557 · 02-03-2017, 02:40 PM

I was around 8 years old when the series ran. My brothers and I took it pretty seriously; now if I catch an episode I laugh my head off, but not because it's funny, but because IMHO it is just so non-sensical.

Mr. Television · 02-03-2017, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM77

No, it didn't.

The first season did. I'm watching it on Me-TV and still has it. I think the laugh track was omitted on the DVDs.

Dr. Thong · 02-04-2017, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Television

The first season did. I'm watching it on Me-TV and still has it. I think the laugh track was omitted on the DVDs.

The first season never had a laugh track.

A laugh track was applied to the pilot episode after the network screened it, but apparently, no one liked it on there and it was decided that the series would not air with canned laughter.

The show was really a satire. They were given funny lines, but delivered straight, which resulted in the show being campy.

Mr. Television · 02-04-2017, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

The first season never had a laugh track.

A laugh track was applied to the pilot episode after the network screened it, but apparently, no one liked it on there and it was decided that the series would not air with canned laughter.

The show was really a satire. They were given funny lines, but delivered straight, which resulted in the show being campy.

There was a laugh track. I remember watching it. Not only that ME-TV airs it with the laugh track. I still got it on the DVR and I just checked it and it's there. It was later eliminated.

Edit: According to Wikipedia they stopped using the laugh track beginning with episode 14.

DJM77 · 02-04-2017, 05:48 PM

^ I guess there was a laugh track in some episodes. I just didn't remember there being one from what little I've seen of the show. Then the episode on YouTube that I checked out yesterday didn't have one.

Dr. Thong · 02-05-2017, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Television

There was a laugh track. I remember watching it. Not only that ME-TV airs it with the laugh track. I still got it on the DVR and I just checked it and it's there. It was later eliminated.

Edit: According to Wikipedia they stopped using the laugh track beginning with episode 14.

Well, I have never seen it with a laugh track. And that includes episodes I watched and recorded off Me-TV a few years back.

1960'sTVfan · 02-05-2017, 12:53 PM

Batman 1966 is a lighthearted, action/superhero TV show. While some of it might be laughable, it certainly isn't a sitcom and I think having a laugh track on it would be in extremely poor taste.

I have a bootleg DVD set of the series, video/audio quality is surprisingly good for a bootleg, the episodes are uncut and most seem to be recorded direct from studio masters because many of them have the ABC network ID's and the start and end of the episodes. The set also has four additional discs with bonus material, including the 1966 Batman movie. I don't plan to buy the retail DVD's unless the discs in my bootleg set go bad and won't play anymore. Hopefully that won't happen.

Bronson · 02-05-2017, 01:53 PM

I am still wondering why there has not been another Batman TV series since then? There have been plenty of Superman TV shows and two Superboy shows.

Back to the question, I considered it a drama but toward to the end, it did get silly. The final episode was awful.

02-02-2017, 10:38 PM	#1
Duster76 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2008 Location: New jersey Posts: 1,656	Wasn't Batman A Comedy Series? How come Sledge Hammer is considered a comedy series, and Batman isn't. At no time did the series ever take anything seriously, everything from the outlaws crooked room hideaways, to the labeled "batpoles", to the Pow, Boom, fight scenes were all a joke. It made the last few seasons of The Adventures of Superman seem like Criminal Minds. What I'm suggesting is this, list the show on the 1960's sitcom board. Does anyone think the series might have been more successful in the long run if the show had played the characters and the situations seriously? People forget just how fast the show faded, coming on as a midseason replacement in 1966, it becomes an instant hit, but just two short years later the series gets cancelled. The oddest thing about all this, the characterization of Batman completely changed in 1964, the character and story lines in the comics were much more serious from 1964 on.

02-02-2017, 11:00 PM	#2
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	IMO the 1966 *Batman* is a bona-fide comedy.
	__________________ Grail Shows: *Doc Elliot, Owen Marshall-Counselor of Law, Here's Boomer, Three for the Road, Holmes and YoYo* Bucket List Shows: *Hot Wheels, Skyhawks, Run Joe Run, Westwood*

02-03-2017, 12:15 AM	#5
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	I'd say Batman was a comedy only in tone not in delivery, i.e. the lines were all said perfectly straight and we were supposed to assume their was danger to the characters, but it was played in such an over-the-top way that it was high camp. There really weren't 'jokes' written per se, just the tone of the dialogue made it funny. I never really watched Sledgehammer, but didn't it have a laugh track?
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

02-02-2017, 11:21 PM	#3
1960'sTVfan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 30, 2009 Posts: 6,123	My definition of 1966 Batman is that it's a campy live action adventure show that attempts to resemble a cartoon. It isn't exactly a comedy and not really intended to be laughed at, but not intended to be taken too seriously either.

02-02-2017, 11:34 PM	#4
1960'sTVfan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 30, 2009 Posts: 6,123	I think the series faltered and lost much of it's charm in season 3 when it went away from the serialized format.

02-03-2017, 02:40 PM	#8
Becca3557 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 08, 2012 Location: Southeast PA Posts: 225	I was around 8 years old when the series ran. My brothers and I took it pretty seriously; now if I catch an episode I laugh my head off, but not because it's funny, but because IMHO it is just so non-sensical.

02-04-2017, 05:48 PM	#12
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,566	^ I guess there was a laugh track in some episodes. I just didn't remember there being one from what little I've seen of the show. Then the episode on YouTube that I checked out yesterday didn't have one.

02-05-2017, 12:53 PM	#14
1960'sTVfan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 30, 2009 Posts: 6,123	Batman 1966 is a lighthearted, action/superhero TV show. While some of it might be laughable, it certainly isn't a sitcom and I think having a laugh track on it would be in extremely poor taste. I have a bootleg DVD set of the series, video/audio quality is surprisingly good for a bootleg, the episodes are uncut and most seem to be recorded direct from studio masters because many of them have the ABC network ID's and the start and end of the episodes. The set also has four additional discs with bonus material, including the 1966 Batman movie. I don't plan to buy the retail DVD's unless the discs in my bootleg set go bad and won't play anymore. Hopefully that won't happen.

02-05-2017, 01:53 PM	#15
Bronson Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 27, 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 274	I am still wondering why there has not been another Batman TV series since then? There have been plenty of Superman TV shows and two Superboy shows. Back to the question, I considered it a drama but toward to the end, it did get silly. The final episode was awful.