Saturday Morning TV Dept. - Batman

The acting in these shows is not bad, it's brilliant. Everyone plays it straight, conscious of the absurdity, never falling into condescension, mockery, or irony - at once two-dimensional and vividly characterful. No knowing winks to camera here; they inhabit this bizarre world with utter conviction. It's high camp yet no-one is really camping it up except Burt Ward. The script eschews [blow it out yer ass - Ed.] cleverness, but it's far from stupid, with an earnestly formal style - everyone in the show is straight man for an absent comedian. 

The show was sneered at (by anyone over forty) for dumbing down television - as if such a thing was possible. Perhaps a laugh track might have made it clear to them that Batman is one of the great TV comedy shows, but its absence was key to the tone. Whatever, it attracted a huge audience and reruns have aired continuously somewhere in the world since its cancellation. Although there's some carping criticism on the internet (come on!) it's insanely enjoyable entertainment, with its pop art styling, hallucinogenic color palette, and maybe the greatest (and dumbest) theme tune in TV history [Neal Hefti - Ed.]. Listen to the drums!

Although initially planned as a Saturday morning show, it burst onto the screens at prime time, with two connected episodes a week, the first ending on a cliffhanger [see above - Ed.]. It went on to three lengthy seasons, until waning excitement and the bat-sets symbolically burning down at the end of the 'sixties brought the show, and the era, to an end.

An appropriately two-part loaddown; Part One - the first two episodes from 1966, in retina-frying quality, and Part Two, the original TV soundtrack album, with bonus Jan & Dean Meet Batman.

Hear their actual television voices! Your copy personally signed by Burt Ward!

This post sponsored by the K.G. Bird Umbrella Company, Gotham.