Subscribe

New reviews, interviews, and features via RSS or Email.

Sponsored Links

The Adventures of Batman (1968-1969)

Network: CBS (17 episodes)

First aired: September 14, 1968

Last original episode aired: January 4, 1969

Regulars: Olan Soule (Batman/Bruce Wayne; Alfred Pennyworth), Casey Kasem (Robin/Dick Grayson), Jane Webb (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon), Ted Knight (Narrator, Alfred Pennyworth).

Studio:
Filmation Associates

Executive Producer:
Allen Duconvy

Director:
Hal Sutherland

Opening titles:
"The Adventures of Batman, with Robin, the Boy Wonder! Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo against crime and corruption, whose real identities as millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson and known only to Alfred, the faithful butler. Ever alert, they respond swiftly to a signal from the police, and moments later, from the secret Batcave deep beneath Wayne Manor, they roar out to protect life, limb and property as Batman and Robin, caped crimefighters! Batman and Robin, scourge of Gotham City's kooky criminals: The Joker, Clown Prince of Crime - The Penguin, pudgy purveyor of perfidy - and the cool, cruel, Mr. Freeze! Watch out, villains, here come... Batman and Robin!"

Overview:
Filmation's first stab at Batman aired first as part of the 1968-1969 The Batman/Superman Hour, and in 1969 repackaged into half-hour episodes as Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder, or The Adventures of Batman. Produced to capitalize on the success of the live-action '60s Batman, this series features the same popular characters with a few not-so-notable additions (Simon, the Pieman and The Judge). The style of these punny adventures also recalls the Adam West series, including a corny narrator (here, Ted Knight before The Mary Tyler Moore Show). The Caped Crusaders allow the Batcomputer to do a lot of their thinking for them, the Batmobile is equipped with gadgets like the Bat-Chute and Bat-Ray, Robin says things like "Holy phantasmagoria!" and deathtraps turn out to be no match for the Dynamic Duo. This colorful series has little to offer to adults (though it's considerably better than the Bat-Mite-plagued The New Adventures of Batman that followed). On the other hand, there's a cachet and a nostalgic kick to the Silver Age Batman swinging into animated action.

EPISODE GUIDE:

1. "My Crime Is Your Crime"/"A Bird Out Of Hand"
Original Airdate: September 14, 1968

"My Crime Is Your Crime" (written by Dennis Marks). "Holy switcheroo!" The Penguin and the Joker switch styles to confuse the Dynamic Duo—and to have claims of false arrest!. The villainous team-up allows for some classic bad-guy bickering (the Penguin adds cultural heft to the episode by variously calling Joker a "punchy Punchinello " and a "road company Pagliacci"). Reminiscent of the Silver Age comic-book adventures, the story winds up in a batting-cage deathtrap where Batman coaches Robin, "Don't try for power—just meet the ball." Classic.

"A Bird Out of Hand" (written by George Kashdan) likewise has a nifty premise: why is The Penguin flashily capturing crooks right under the noses of Batman and Robin? Has he really gone straight? Don't bet on it! His wily ruse involves getting criminal associates into Gotham Penitentiary. It leads to a rather strange bird-nest-styled trap for Batman and an attempted flying-bumbershoot escape by Penguin.

2. "The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze"/"The Joke's On Robin" Original Airdate: September 21, 1968

3. "How Many Herring In A Wheelbarrow?"/"In Again, Out Again, Penguin" Original Airdate: September 28, 1968

4. "The Nine Lives Of Batman"/"Long John Joker" Original Airdate: October 5, 1968

5. "Bubi, Bubi, Who's Got The Ruby?"/"The 1001 Faces Of The Riddler" Original Airdate: October 12, 1968

6. "The Big Birthday Caper"/"Two Penguins Too Many" Original Airdate: October 19, 1968

7. "Partner In Peril"/"The Underworld Underground Caper" Original Airdate: October 26, 1968

8. "Hizzoner The Joker"/"Mr. Freeze's Frozen Vikings" Original Airdate: November 2, 1968.

9. "The Crime Computer"/"The Great Scarecrow Scare" Original Airdate: November 9, 1968

10. "A Game Of Cat And Mouse"/"Beware Of Living Dolls" Original Airdate: November 16, 1968

11. "Will the Real Robin Please Stand Up?"/"He Who Swipes The Ice..." Original Airdate: November 23, 1968

12. "Simon, The Pieman"/"A Mad, Mad Tea Party" Original Airdate: November 30, 1968

13. "From Catwoman With Love"/"Perilous Playthings" Original Airdate: December 7, 1968

14. "A Perfidious Pieman Is Simon"/"The Cool, Cruel Christmas Caper" Original Airdate: December 14, 1968

15. "The Fiendish, Frigid Fraud"/"Enter The Judge" Original Airdate: December 21, 1968

16. "The Jigsaw Jeopardy"/"Wrath Of The Riddler" Original Airdate: December 28, 1968

17. "It Takes Two To Make A Team"/"Opera Buffa" Original Airdate: January 4, 1969.

Works Cited

Adventures of Batman, The. Dir. Hal Sutherland. Perf. Olan Soule, Casey Kasem, Jane Webb, and Ted Knight. Filmation, 1968-1969.

"Adventures of Batman, The." TVRage.com. 2008. 9 June 2008.  http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-11164.

Kittler, Günther. "The Batman/Superman Hour - The Adventures of Batman 1968/69." Batman Animated Serien. 1999-2005. 1 Apr. 2005. http://www.batmans.de/Animated/the-batman-superman-hour.html

Share/bookmark: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Fark Furl Google Bookmarks Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Yahoo! My Web Permalink Permalink
Sponsored Links