The ME-TV BATMAN Episode Discussion Thread

[BATWINGED HORNET]

The best Freeze--sinister, human and intelligent. The other interpretations of the character played up the gimmick of being Freeze too much--like 60s cartoons where every spy villain had a russian or german accent turned up by 1000.

[AndyFish]

First Saturday back from Japan, luckily my METV affiliate here in Boston has stopped pre empting the first episode for the awful community talent show.
This weeks episodes THE THIRTEENTH HAT and BATMAN STANDS PAT two of my favorites. These are a great pair of episodes, this early in the series we aren't overrun with camp, a death trap which was supposed to be used to make hats actually frightened me as a kid.
I love the color and the shadow in this one, it's nicely atmospheric and David Wayne is great as Jervis Tech.

Can't wait to see this one on blu ray!

[chrisbcritter]

One odd thing: Robin gets knocked out by the mesmerizing ray - but then is awake enough for two reaction shots when Batman gets the plaster dumped on him (and as I've said, what a shame to see a Batsuit get ruined!) - and yet in the next episode, he's asleep again, waking up to find himself tied to the horse statue. Did the Mad Hatter give him another eyeful, or did all that sleeping gas from the Riddler, Catwoman, Sandman, the Joker, the Bookworm, the Clock King, Blaze, Marsha, and the Penguin finally give him narcolepsy?

[Dr. Shimel]

An early example of the show's dry humor: when trying to Mad Hatter's reasons for kidnapping people, Batman is told that more people have been added to that list. His response? "The police department is on its toes. Six more kidnappings."

[Gleeps, it's Batman]

Glad your local station stopped preempting Batman, Andy!

I think that death trap scared me as a kid too. I also remember being frightened when Bruce was on the conveyor belt headed towards the incinerator in an early episode.

Off topic, but did anyone see them blow up the Batcave ... er Bronson Cave in the beginning of last week's Wonder Woman episode? That place sees a lot of action.

[WayneGrayson]

[quote="chrisbcritter"]One odd thing: Robin gets knocked out by the mesmerizing ray - but then is awake enough for two reaction shots when Batman gets the plaster dumped on him

Maybe Robin was just painfully stunned. All the rest of the ray victims just passed out without a word, but Robin grimaced, moaned, and then fell over.

[gothosmansion]

hmmm.....No comments for Joker Goes to School.

This is probably the campiest and most comedic oriented episode in the series run so far, but I think it is a gem. It works because the episode is genuinely quite funny. It is also one of the first episodes, after the second Riddler story, that isn't adapted from an issue of the comic. Ironically, I think the comic book ripped off part of the plot in the Ma Gunn (whose, first name was Faye. Talk about terrible puns) two-parter in Max Alan Collins really awful run in the mid-1980s.

It is one of my favorite Joker episodes, although "Joker Trumps an Ace/Batman Sets the Pace" probably are my all-time favorites.

I like the idea of Susie being an undercover member of the Joker's gang and think her relationship with Dick adds to the episode. Donna Loren is a lot of fun in the part and she's really cute, too.

To be honest, I like most of Lorenzo Semple's scripts at least somewhat, with the lone exception being the Liberace episodes, and I think this is one of his better ones. My only complaint with Joker Goes to School is that Batman and Robin didn't escape from the death-trap themselves and were only spared due to the power failure.

[gothosmansion]

I'm surprised that this thread has cooled down, because Me TV is in the middle of a run of very good episodes. According to the IMDB, the False-Face episodes air tonight. I think False Face was the best of the "one and done" villains and I enjoy these episodes as well.

Writer Stephen Kandel obviously liked the idea of the moll falling for Batman, as he would revisit the idea of the moll betraying her boss in the zodiac crimes. Here, though the attraction seems to be one-sided, when, in the Zodiac Crimes Batman clearly seems to be attracted to Venus. While Myrna Fahey isn't one of my favorite molls, Terry Moore would be a candidate for my least favorite, so that did seem a little strange.

I really like the bit at the end where they are chasing False Face through the ghost town and how Batman manages to penetrate his disguise as Gordon. This clearly shows Batman's intelligence and could be something right out of the comic books.

I do hate that False-Face's comic book appearance from Batman 113 was left out of the recent Batman: TV stories trade. I don't have that particular issue, as my collection doesn't go back that far, but it was reprinted in Batman 198, which was an 80 page giant, and the comic even references False Face's TV show appearance on the contents page. I do have 198 and have read the False Face story.

A fun, action-packed episode all the way around. Highly recommended.

[robinboyblunderer]

Regarding the Hat Mezmerizer and Robin; I figure he was just stunned since he was hit with the beam's reflection and not the full energy. It was enough to leave him helpless but awake. The criminals then knocked him out and tied him to the horse to keep him out of the way.

Joker's high school scheme---very entertaining episode. Susie was a good moll and I'm glad the Dynamic Duo were able to steer her back to the good side. Undercover Dick Grayson is very funny; should've done that a few more times in the show.

False Face---just great episodes overall.

[chrisbcritter]

Found another goof: in "Holy Rat Race", as Blaze introduces herself to Wayne and Dick at Wayne Manor, there's a very big mike shadow moving around on the left side of the screen.

[John Mack]

I'm surprised that this thread has cooled down, because Me TV is in the middle of a run of very good episodes. According to the IMDB, the False-Face episodes air tonight. I think False Face was the best of the "one and done" villains and I enjoy these episodes as well.

Writer Stephen Kandel obviously liked the idea of the moll falling for Batman, as he would revisit the idea of the moll betraying her boss in the zodiac crimes. Here, though the attraction seems to be one-sided, when, in the Zodiac Crimes Batman clearly seems to be attracted to Venus. While Myrna Fahey isn't one of my favorite molls, Terry Moore would be a candidate for my least favorite, so that did seem a little strange.

I really like the bit at the end where they are chasing False Face through the ghost town and how Batman manages to penetrate his disguise as Gordon. This clearly shows Batman's intelligence and could be something right out of the comic books.

I do hate that False-Face's comic book appearance from Batman 113 was left out of the recent Batman: TV stories trade. I don't have that particular issue, as my collection doesn't go back that far, but it was reprinted in Batman 198, which was an 80 page giant, and the comic even references False Face's TV show appearance on the contents page. I do have 198 and have read the False Face story.

A fun, action-packed episode all the way around. Highly recommended.

I can only speak for myself, but it's on on Saturday at 7:00 PM only and I'm at work Come on DVD release!

John

[Riddler 66]

I have to admit, although I was somewhat entertained by the two-part Wonder Girl episodes, with John Saxon as the guest villain, the Wonder Woman shows are well...I now remember why I rarely watched them. The scripts are terrible, huge gaps of plot and credibility, which is especially bad considering I'm a pretty big Hammer/Jimmy Sangster fan, those have to be "for the money" scripts. Also, on the WW2 episodes, why do so many Italian American actors play German Nazis, I mean Italy was part of the Axis too. I'm really missing Lost in Space in that spot. Or better yet, schedule 2 Green Hornets in that slot.

[Gleeps, it's Batman]

Riddler 66, I remember watching Wonder Woman in the 70s, but watching them now ... yeah, I'm not impressed. It already jumped the shark with me when she was fighting a guy in a gorilla suit in a very early episode. Made me wonder how it stayed on the air for 3 seasons, although I'm sure the main reason it stayed on was Lynda Carter's appeal. It certainly wasn't the scripts. I probably get the most enjoyment out of seeing if I can recognize anything from the Warner Bros backlot. LOL. Although I really only know the section where the park, Gotham City Police Headquarters, and the Daily Planet from Lois and Clark are located.

I just got done watching Purrfect Crime/Better Luck Next Time. I had the ViewMaster as a kid, and it's hopefully still stored away somewhere.

Did Batman change utility belts before they went into the cave? The pouches certainly grew a great deal. LOL.

Is this our only glimpse of Bonnie in the series? I can't remember. I do remember reading that Bonnie was named after someone's wife ... one of the producers maybe? Forgetting who now.

I really like how they did the shot of them exiting the Batcave from the inside. It was nice to see a different view, and from Batman and Robin's viewpoint.

Was this the first episode to use the "In Color" card in the beginning? For those of you with the "studio master" copies, is it on episodes before this one? As I mentioned in another thread, it's too bad those uploads on youtube went away because I was going to go check to see if it showed up on other episodes after the ABC logo in those uploads.

[AndyFish]

Wonder Woman does not hold up, but Lynda Carter sure looks the role and I think she gives a great performance, earnest and naive but still a strong character, she's very watchable.

THIS WEEKS BATMAN
THE PURR FECT CRIME & BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
My personal favorite episodes of the series in no small part due to their inclusion on the view master set. I don't think the youngin's on this board can appreciate the days before VCRs when you couldn't just watch anything you want anytime you wanted, and things like the view master would hold me over until the show was on again.

I love the filming in this one, dark and shadowy, the camp is kept to a minimum and there are some serious character interactions here. The colors are really rich and that's due in no small part to the heavy shadows that always make colors pop.

Catwoman and her henchmen (at least Jock Mahoney) seem to be serious threats, a dual death trap that is not contrived or ridiculous, no giant frying pan, no huge hourglass, just simple and deadly.

Julie is in top form, her Catwoman is really evil. She turns on her own man, she's motivated by greed, and she gives up her life (at least one of them) because of that greed. Robins reaction is genuine, he's not cynical, he's a teenager visually upset by Catwoman's death.

This, along with the first Joker, Penguin, Mister Freeze, Riddler, Bookworm, Zelda and False Face Episodes are what should be used for a style guide for the series. This is BATMAN firing on all cylinders and the calibre of episodes that made the show a monster hit.

[gothosmansion]

I can only echo what has already been posted about Purr-fect Crime. It is one of my favorite episodes as well. Julie's Catwoman is my favorite arch-villain.

I had the view master reels as a kid, too. I wasn't born until after the series had ended its run, so those reels stayed in production for a while after the show ended. I would have gotten mine around 1977 or so.

I think I'm enjoying Wonder Woman a little more than the rest of you. I bought the DVDs when they came out, and I still think the show is goofy fun. Of course, the young Lynda Carter adds immensely to the appeal.