Batman is one of the most iconic figures on TV in comics and on the big screen. I have always found this version of Batman to mostly be amusing and had only been able to watch it when it was on the small screen in reruns. I have been really REALLY interested in adding this series to my collection. Finally the series came out and I immediately thought it was over priced. I did get hold of a good deal finding the DVD set for $40 on ebay (don't stop believing).
Batman follows the adventures of Batman and Robin, crime fighters out to save Gotham city from the likes of evil super villains. They are Joined by Batgirl in season 3 so that they can go and bust up their creative band of evil doers. Batman (Adam West) tries his best to teach good manners and life lessons to the children and bat fans out there in the world. The episodes typically come in a two parter format where the bat guy launches a caper and the good guy team has to take them down in their own creative way.
This show is a classic due to its campy and wholesome nature. This particular series is very silly and you can tell by the writing that they know they are campy and they know that they are silly but they revel in that fact. The non comic book evil doers such as the pharaoh and egg head are fun ideas (I personally find it fun that Vincent Price is so prevalent in the series.) The other thing that is fun here is the sheer number of guest star appearances in the show. For a time in the second season they have a once per episode moment where various stars stick their heads out of the window of a building the duo is climbing. This show is good old fashioned fun for all.
There are two pressing issues that I see with this show. The first is that the format gets boring now and again repeating the same premise multiple times and though this can help to make it easy to just jump in it also can be difficult if you are watching more than two or three episodes at a time (do not binge watch this show!). The second issue is its dated nature. The show has some difficulty translating the current times showing itself to be a little insensitive to cultural norms with the worst offender being the above episode where an evil "feminist" replaced all the police with women who were useless due to gossiping and being too afraid of criminals to arrest them. Of course if this didn't bother you then just look at the costumes. I mean take a good look!
Despite the glaring issues with the dated nature of this show it is one that still bears a pecial plae in the in the hearts of those who have a history with it. This show in small doses is good campy fun for the whole lot of you to enjoy and it remains recommended.
