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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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01:45

BAT BITS #31 NOW LIVE on Patreon: REVIEW: "Batman...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/04/09

Eric Elliot's labor-of-love project to convert the 1960s treatment for the unmade film Batman Meets Godzilla into a comic has finally been completed! Eric scripts and a squad of 10 artists handle the artwork. So how does it look? On the latest Bat Bits, we review issue 3. Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine

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03:54

BAT BITS #30 NOW LIVE:: Women in S3, pt 2: Cringe

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/03/26

At last, we're again joined by novelist Nancy Northcott to discuss the portrayal of women in Batman 66! We pick up near the start of Season Three, with the episodes "The Unkindest Tut of All" and "Louie, the Lilac." Can Tim, Paul, and Nancy survive S3? Have any three people used the word "cringe" more frequently in the space of 45 minutes? How is it that the Bat-season with more female villains and a female hero also seems to be the most sexist? Listen and find out, my dear. (cringe) Listen to Bat

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03:18

BAT BITS #29 NOW LIVE: Rewriting Recaps

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/03/12

As Tim and Paul have examined first draft Batman scripts, it's become clear that the draft recaps of part one that you hear at the start of part two are often completely rewritten for the final. But why did this rewriting take place? What were the goals of the recaps that Lorenzo Semple and co. thought weren't being served as written by the contributing writers? In the latest Bat Bits, we compare the recap in the draft of "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away" to what was broadcast and try to

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02:26

BAT BITS #28 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "A Riddle a Day"...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/02/26

This time, we conclude our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away", featuring a VERY different, and surprisingly lethal, climactic scene at the Queen of Freedom Monument! We also see an instance of writer Fred DeGorter not quite getting Batman. The Caped Crusader isn't so much warm and friendly to Commissioner Gordon as a take-charge expert on dealing with criminals! Apparently Batman outranks the police commissioner! Listen to Bat

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02:34

BAT BITS #27 NOW LIVE: "A Riddle a Day" script pt 3

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/02/12

This time, we continue our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away", picking up with the Dynamic Duo's escape from Riddler's spinning deathtrap! Who impersonates Batman, and why does the script try to hide that info? Why did Gordon think that Batman was dead? What country is King Boris from? We'll dig into all of it! Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a

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02:54

BAT BITS #26 NOW LIVE: "A Riddle a Day" script pt 2

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/01/29

This time, we continue our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away"! We touch on how Fred DeGorter wrote the Riddler vs how the lines were re-written, Robin inadvertently insulting Batman, and more, including a certain establishing shot that we didn't get in the finished episode…. Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month, you'll get that AND our

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02:20

BAT BITS #25 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "A Riddle a Day"...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2026/01/15

This time we begin a new series on the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away"! We cover everything from rearranged scenes to a missing answer to a riddle, as well as some obvious cost cutting! Listen to Bat Bits and see the scropt we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine

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01:00:01

#222 Semple's Batnotes: Seven Surprising Points

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/12/18

We're back with a one-off episode to share several exciting pieces of news! First, Lorenzo Semple's Batnotes memo (also known as "Bat Poop"), sent to prospective Batman writers, outlines Semple's concept of the show. It was thought by many to be lost, but now it has resurfaced! This time we share the seven most surprising things we found in this 14-page memo. It also inspires Paul to take a long-awaited Camping Trip! Second, our book is coming along. The plan is for it to cover Batman season one,

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02:56

BAT BITS #24 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/11/27

This time we wrap up our discussion of Lorenzo Semple Jr's BATNOTES memo for prospective BATMAN 66 writers. These last few pages of the memo cover the show's running characters, including a surprising early take on Aunt Harriet, as well as the now-familiar format of the show and the question of showing supered titles on the screen rather than narration! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our

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01:55

BAT BITS #23 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/11/13

On the latest Bat Bits, we discuss Lorenzo Semple Jr's guidelines regarding Batman's arsenel: The Batmobile, the Batcave, and all his various devices. We discuss reasons to label everything in the Batcave and Batman's general resourcefulness. Whatever he needs is always there when he needs it! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another

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03:38

BAT BITS #22 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/10/30

Why Batman doesn't carry a gun, and focuses on reforming crooks. How to write Bruce Wayne (square, not stupid!) Keeping the camp incidental to the show; he only goes to the disco because that's where his crime investigation leads him. Our discussion of Lorenzo Semple's 14-page "Batnotes" memo continues! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or

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02:44

BAT BITS #21 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/10/16

Lorenzo Semple’s 14-page “Batnotes” memo to prospective Bat-writers lays out the basic things he wanted a writer to understand before attempting a Batman script. In our second episode digging into this memo, we discuss how the villian’s real goal often isn’t revealed until the end, some surprising revelations on how Semple imagined the GCPD and possible casualties among the henchmen, how murder isn’t an MO for Bat-Villains (except for their attempts to murder the Dynamic Duo), and more. Plus: how

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02:47

BAT BITS #20 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/10/02

We had heard before that it existed, and we’ve finally found it: Lorenzo Semple’s 14-page “Batnotes” memo to prospective Bat-writers about “a few simple rules and concepts” about what should or should not happen in a Batman script. Tim and Paul want to dig through this carefully, so in this episode they discuss the first few pages, with more to come. In this episode: Qualities of Gotham City, why the show shouldn’t move on to other settings, the mystery of our heroes’ other identities, and

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02:23

BAT BITS #19 NOW LIVE on Patreon: TV GUIDE's take on...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/09/18

In 1967, Yvonne Craig was added to the Batman cast as Batgirl, in an effort to boost the ratings. It wouldn’t fly today, but Batman’s producers and the media were pretty up-front, and a bit crude, about the effort to add sex appeal to keep the show afloat. This time on BAT BITS, we discuss a TV GUIDE article on Yvonne that serves as Exhibit A on that front, but also gives us some interesting glimpses of Yvonne’s personality. Listen to BAT BITS and see the article we’re discussing by subscribing to

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02:38

BAT BITS #18 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Semple sets the...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/09/04

Lorenzo Semple, Jr., is the writer entrusted by producer William Dozier with getting the writing side of Batman off the ground. This time, we take a look at a letter from Semple to Dozier, in which he discusses his plans for the script of “Zelda the Great”, a template for Bat-scripts, concerns about Adam West’s acting style, and more. Listen to Bat Bits and see the letter we’re discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of

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02:22

BAT BITS #17 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "Fine Finny Fiends"...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/08/21

On the latest BAT BITS, we conclude our examination of Sheldon Stark’s final script for Fine Finny Fiends, including a scene setting relocated for lack of the right set, what Finella was supposed to be wearing in the final scene, the shifting explanations of who knows where the banquet will be held, and changes in the script to give the audience just enough information… Listen to BAT BITS and see the script we’re discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you

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01:55

BAT BITS #16 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "Fine Finny Fiends"...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/08/07

On the latest Bat Bits, we begin an examination of Sheldon Stark's final script for Fine Finny Fiends. Somewhat inexplicably, this arc’s theme is fish rather than birds. Maybe because penguins eat fish? Tim and Paul find some additional fish references that got cut, and some of them with good reason. Or maybe not? Also we find some gags that were added after this script, some puzzling stage directions, things that were changed to work better on television, and more. Listen to Bat Bits and follow

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01:51

BAT BITS #15 now LIVE on Patreon: Letters from Bruce Lee

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/07/24

On the latest Bat Bits, we wander out into the wider Dozierverse to look at the correspondence between William Dozier, producer of Batman and The Green Hornet, and Bruce Lee, whom Dozier tried several times to find a vehicle for before landing on the role of Kato. We get some of Bruce’s feelings about his 1965 screen test, get some of Bruce’s comments about how “Gong Fu” should be portrayed on the show, and more. Listen to Bat Bits and see the Dozier and Lee letters by subscribing to our Patreon

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01:51

BAT BITS #14 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Bookworm final...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/07/10

While Rik Vollaerts’ early draft of The Bookworm Turns was very different from what was broadcast, surely the final script is exactly what we saw? But no, that’s never true; some changes always occur at the hands of the director, and perhaps the actors. A significant scene (and significant henchman) disappeared from this story as broadcast. Was it simply cut for time, or were there questions of taste? In the latest BAT BITS, Tim and Paul discuss the differences and what may account for them. Listen

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02:00

BAT BITS #13 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Bookworm script pt...

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966 ·

2025/06/26

A lingering question from the Bookworm arc of Batman, as broadcast, is: Why was a Commissioner Gordon impersonator seemingly shot at the opening of the bridge? As we conclude our look at the draft version of the script, we finally get an answer! Listen to Bat Bits and follow along with a PDF of the script by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to

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