I can't stress enough to people who only know the modern, dark and crabby version of the Caped Crusader that this series was such a close match for the comic books at the time that many episodes took their scripts directly from issues of Batman and Detective.
Unlike the other franchises I worked my way through noting my daughter's reactions, I didn't watch them very recently before the sharing.
Since I haven't seen these wonderfully bizarre and insane shows since I was a kid in most cases, I was having far too much fun watching them with Anabelle and Rosa. Therefore the notes are usually highlights, occurring a couple per episode.
There are exceptions, such as the movie and some of the three parters where she got on a roll.
Once we started, my daughter became completely addicted and it was her first choice in viewing every night.
The only exception was after Father's Day we started alternating with the Batman: The Animated Series box set they gave me. (Thanx Rosa and Anabelle!)
That mix led us both crying together watching the Gray Ghost episode...because we're both pathetic.
That mix led us both crying together watching the Gray Ghost episode...because we're both pathetic.
Besides being a brain jarring culture shock, watching those two series back to back is highly educational. It shows, despite there being HUGE differences between Adam West's "Bright Knight" and the Kevin Conroy voiced- popularly accepted as the gold standard for the character- version, there are key similarities that define "True Batman."
There are also elements visible in The Animated Series accepted as core elements of serious and dark version of the character, his friends, his foes, and his environs that originated in the 1966 series.
It is clear to see how Batman took off instantaneously with its first two parter.
The starting point is a Riddler tale straight from the comics, featuring Frank Gorshin at his gloriously over the top, goofy yet terrifying best. While Goshin was turning a nondescript comic character into one of the key members of Gotham's mythology, Adam West had a scene in each episode which are the only times Bruce mentions his parents death...
Yet it also introduces the Batusi!
Burt Ward's first line in the entire series is "Holy barracuda!"
Burt Ward camping it up in that role is a sight to behold, briefer but possibly even greater than William Shatner's turn as Janice Lester in the final episode of Star Trek.
Miss St. John falling into the Bat-Nuclear Reactor still in Robin's costume being met with Adam West's completely deadpan, "What a way to Go Go." is indescribable.
And it only got more fun and crazier from there.
Anyway, here's the index, click each link for her reactions as they post.
Bat-lets Season 1
Bat-lets Season 2 Part 1
Bat-lets Season 2 Part 2
Bat-lets Season 2 Part 3
Bat-lets Season 2 Part 4
Bat-lets Season 2 Part 5
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