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PODCAST

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

Like many who grew up in the "60s and "70s (and perhaps even "80s and later), Tim and Paul had the course of their lives changed by the 1966 Batman TV show, from the types of play they did growing up to their present-day interests. In this series, they discuss the show"s allure and its failures, the arc of the show from satire to sitcom, its influences (the "40s serials and the comic books themselves) and the things it, in turn, influenced. SUPPORT "To the Batpoles!" and DeconstructingComics.com via

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All Episodes

01:55:48

#058 The Impurrrrfect Script

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/04/06

Analyzing draft scripts has proven to be a fascinating way to watch the Batman ’66 creative process happening, so this time we’re digging into Stanley Ralph Ross and Lee Orgel’s first draft of The Purrfect Crime/Better Luck Next Time. Among the questions explored: Why does Batman never say “Boy Wonder”? Why can Gordon not say “Batman” when he’s on the Batphone with Bruce not in costume? How did Lorenzo Semple help Ross clarify points in the story? What is the importance of making Robin smarter

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01:44:54

#057 Batman’s Anniversary… and our own!

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/03/30

We’re celebrating two years! Batman is celebrating… well, we’re not sure how many. But there’s a new Riddler in town, and he’s got a mustache! The question mark on the Riddler’s costume is appropriate, given how many questions are raised by this arc: John Astin isn’t necessarily inferior to Frank Gorshin, but how do their performances differ? How might Gorshin have handled this script? Why didn’t Gorshin appear in the 2nd season? How do three intersecting cuts of a pie give one seven pieces? Why

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01:36:38

#056 "Batman" Jumps the Lizard

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/03/16

On this week’s episode of “Bewitched”… wait, this is “Batman”?? What has become of our beloved played-serious-for-humor show? The tone now feels like a full-on sitcom, and the Dynamic Duo have been reduced to Penguin’s playthings, on the excuse that they have to “keep an eye on him” but can’t arrest him JUST YET… Oh, and by the way, there’s a hand puppet in this arc. Still, there’s plenty of interest to talk about in the Penguin-Marsha three-parter: Its reflexivity in presenting the making of a

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01:42:27

#055 The Bat-Coffee Table Book

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/03/02

Ever since the ’66 series was finally released on home video, the bat-gods have continued to favor us with cool new stuff featuring Adam West as Batman. Now here comes the big, colorful, and informative Batman: A Celebration of the Classic TV Series, by Bob Garcia and Joe Desris, filled not just with production stills and backstage shots, but a great writeup built on interviews with cast and crew - many of them done for Cinefantastique 25 years ago with folks who are no longer with us. In this

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01:21:51

#054 That Darn Lesley Gore

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/02/16

Lesley Gore assists Catwoman, and does a show-stopping performance — as in, bringing the story to a screeching halt — with her “California Nights.” She also administers “cataphrenic” to local-police-respecting Robin, making him into a cop-shoving, cliche-spouting hood! We talk about how Julie Newmar's portrayal (and Stanley Ralph Ross's writing) of Catwoman has changed since her season one appearance, Burt Ward’s punishment for complaining about his workload, more Gotham City Police incompetence,

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02:29:29

#053 Batman ’43: Holy WW II Propaganda!

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/02/02

In 1943, Columbia released a 15-episode Batman serial to movie theaters. This was during a time when the government was asking Hollywood to tailor its movies to the message the government wanted to send to the public about the war effort, which often resulted in racist images of the Axis Powers, especially Japan. In this episode, Tim and Paul look at all aspects of the serials, and compare and contrast them with the 1966 series. 14:00 the cast 34:18 the serial format 45:44 the story 1:01:29 the

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01:44:32

#052 We can't clam up about The Zodiac Crimes

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/01/19

“The Zodiac Crimes” -- that three-parter with Joker AND Penguin! -- is a favorite arc from our childhood that seared itself into our memories — maybe more than we realized! In this episode we look at why this arc stuck with us, and whether it still stands up. What we didn’t appreciate about Zodiac as kids was the campiness, from Penguin using “cologne” to Venus acting as a “sexually-available woman.” Why does Venus seem to contain several characters, and is that good or bad? Also, Paul

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01:36:36

#051 Mad Hatter and the Death of Camp

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2017/01/05

When Mad Hatter’s foppishness is now complete with lisp; when Batman is wearing a pink cowl; when Bruce and Dick are afraid Alfred is going to reveal their “secret” to Aunt Harriet, you know it’s the campiest Batman arc ever! Perhaps too campy; David Wayne’s portrayal of the Hatter is now so over-the-top, the character seems to be in on the joke. We ask: at this point, has Batman killed camp? Other burning bat-questions: How much does plausibility matter in comedy? With this mid-season two arc

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01:55:45

#050 Turning Time Backward: "The Impractical Joker"...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/12/29

We've reached our 50th episode, and reached the point the series was at exactly 50 years ago! So we take a pause this episode, first to discuss the series itself and how it's progressed (or deteriorated!) by this point. Then, at last, we discuss that script we obtained several months ago: Hickery Dickery Doc, by Jay Thompson, extensively revised by Charles Hoffman to become the Impractical Joker arc. This script was written when only the pilot Riddler arc had been filmed; what does it tell us about

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01:54:51

#049 Doctor.... Somnambula. (with Joe Dator!)

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/12/15

The notorious European criminal Sandman is in town - and he’s teamed up with Catwoman! But that’s not how writer Ellis St. Joseph had envisioned this episode, which he based on the classic film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” He had written a Catwoman-free script, and Michael Rennie wasn’t in it, either! Tim and Paul are joined by cartoonist and podcaster Joe Dator to discuss the crumbling of St. Joseph’s vision; how Batman’s inability to envision switching costumes anywhere other than along the

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01:15:36

#048 The Puzzler: A Riddler Script from the Files

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/12/01

With Batman ’66’s most popular Special Guest Villain still holding out for more money as the show was cutting its budget, it was decided that Fred De Gorter’s Riddler script “A Penny for your Riddles” should be rewritten to instead feature a new villain: The Puzzler, played by occasional Shakespearean Maurice Evans. A kind listener sent us a PDF of the original Riddler script, so in this episode we take the opportunity to compare the Riddler version to the Puzzler arc that was broadcast, Santa and

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01:36:12

#047 Bat-scripts: Semple Sets the Batman '66 Mythos...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/11/17

What does a Lorenzo Semple Jr. Batman script look like? What does it tell us about the contributions he made to the series? His influences in setting the tone for the series? The things he tried to set up that didn’t make it to the screen? In this episode, The Batcave Podcast’s John S. Drew joins Tim and Paul to look over Semple’s Scripts for Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack in the Middle and Fine Feathered Finks/The Penguin’s a Jinx and examine the evidence regarding Semple’s huge contributions to the

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01:25:59

#046 "Return of the Caped Crusaders"!!

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/11/03

Holy timeslip! West, Ward, and Newmar are back in their 1966 roles in Rick Morales’ Return of the Caped Crusaders! In this episode, we dig in (in other words, SPOILERS) on the new movie. Does Catwoman’s “batnip” really make Batman “evil”? Or change him in some other way? How did we process hearing the voices of the three surviving principles 50 years later? Did the animation style fit the feel of the film? Also, scenes that serve multiple purposes in Michael Jelenic and James Tucker’s well-written

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01:44:18

#045 Catwoman, Chad, Jeremy — and Wally Wingert

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/10/20

As Catwoman and Batman get in touch with their feelings over each other (and for some reason, Robin is a factor), our heroes’ Dynamic Duo-ness is challenged by out-of-towners Chad and Jeremy. And Stanley Ralph Ross turns in such a jokey script that the rhyming question must be asked: is this the arc that jumps the shark? Then, our friend Wally Wingert is back! He voiced The Riddler in the new animated movie “The Return of the Caped Crusaders”, and he’s here to talk about it. Finally, a bushel of

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01:11:44

#044 Penguin outwits Penguin, Semple outwits Batman

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/10/06

In December 1966, the “Penguin’s Nest” arc was finally broadcast. But it was the first season two arc to be shot; why the delay? We also discuss the 1946 comic book version of this story; Lorenzo Semple’s gift for making humor from situations, rather than the goofy jokes added by some other Bat-writers; the majesty of Burgess Meredith as the Penguin; and a swaggering Batman who gets taken down a peg. This arc marks the show’s being bestowed a high honor in sixties TV: The Vito Scotti seal of

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01:30:49

#043 Shame: Blazing Guns and Hot Rods

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/09/29

Batman faces a showdown when Shame arrives in Gotham City! This swaggering cowboy is after… hot rod parts? This somewhat odd arc by Stanley Ralph Ross is full of references to both the old west and drag racing; what’s going on here? Looking at Cliff Robertson’s first Batman appearance, we also touch on the mysterious Roy Gleason, several ways that times have changed since this one was shot, the problem of the cowboy being a bad guy, and THE one and only Little Old Lady from Pasedena! Plus: a

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01:45:22

#042 Marsha, Queen of Diamonds: Lots of filler? Not...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/09/15

Various other Bat-commentaries paint this arc in drab tones. What Carolyn Jones (apparently replacing Zsa Zsa Gabor at something close to the last moment) brings to the role of Marsha, Queen of Diamonds, is basically Morticia Addams with a different look, says conventional wisdom. The arc is full of filler scenes that don’t advance the story, say commentators. In this episode of To the Batpoles, Paul presents a much different view of Marsha, which sees these “filler” scenes as absolutely necessary

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01:15:39

#041 Where’s the “key” to this Joker script?

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/09/01

“The Impractical Joker”/“The Joker’s Provokers” is Charles Hoffman’s rewrite of a draft by Jay Thompson, and it’s a bit of a kludgefest: interesting ideas are introduced and abandoned; Joker’s strategy and goals (related to keys — sometimes) are a muddled mess; they even botch a chemistry reference. But, as always, there ARE enjoyable nuggets to be found, and Tim and Paul list some of them. Also, admiring a Robin dummy, the problem with a gasoline-sharing Dynamic Duo, and the luscious, distracting

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01:36:20

#040 Adam West goes "Back to the Batcave"

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/08/18

In his 1994 book Back to the Batcave, Adam West tells… some. Yes, there are recollections of funny things that happened on the set of Batman, a discussion of the development of how the character Batman would be played on the ’66 show, and answers to some lingering questions that have come up on this podcast. On the other hand, his love life recollections tend to be shrouded in anonymity, and mentions of Burt Ward are surprisingly few and neutral. Also, a disturbing number of his assertions are

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01:07:15

#039 Preminger's Freeze: The "Wild" and the Mild

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2016/08/04

It's Otto Preminger's turn to be Mr. Freeze! Why does his version keep saying "wild"? What aspects of this version are better than the George Sanders version, and which are worse (aside from his demeanor on the set)? The script itself has more than its share of head-scratchers, as well as some bits of comedy (and camp) gold. And, wait... are there references in this arc to the 1940 film His Girl Friday? This episode, we go up against an in-office blizzard, an arm-injuring explosion, and worst of

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