Things/People who annoyed you

[BatmanFan102]

One of the websites I frequent is devoted to the television show "M*A*S*H". One of the topics there we often discuss are people or things that are annoying. I apologize for not checking the board to see if there is something similar.

In no particular order...

Otto Preminger as Mr. Freeze. He must have said the word "Wild" 30,000 times. That was something I hadn't recalled before. I had the episode on and even my wife said "Why does he keep saying 'wild' all the time?" I told her "I don't know but I wish I could build a time machine and punch him!"

I adored Madge Blake as Aunt Harriet. I loved when she would be in on the shenanigans. It annoyed me that the writers most times had her just saying the same stuff "Oh mercy alive!" or "Oh Alfred!" They should have given her a bit more to do in my humble estimation.

In season 3, Adam had this thing where he would grab one of the eyeholes of his cowl and move it. I'm guessing that was his way of "tipping his cap" to be gallant or polite, but it makes me positively insane!

Anne Baxter as Zelda the Great was awesome. Anne Baxter as Olga was annoying. I could not stand her in that role.

The little boy who kept whining "Come back Shame! Shame, come back!" also annoys me.

Sometimes Chief O'Hara would annoy me, when he would act jealous of Batman, or would sometimes have doubts as to whether Batman's intentions were purely noble, or the time he asked him if he was insured when Batman wanted to use the patrol car to catch Catwoman who had stolen the Batmobile. "Saints alive" "Saints be praised" and "Begorra" were his catch phrases, but he said them a bit too often for my taste.

Ethel Merman as Lola Lasagne....oh sorry...SENORA Lola Lasagne. Ugh...

What are some of yours? I'm sure I've left off quite a few.

[Dr. Shimel]

I counted 21 times for Otto's "Vild" fixation--14 in the first part, seven in the conclusion. You can throw in Dozier's narration, who says it once--before correcting himself.

[High C]

Good idea for a thread!

I agree on Freeze, Olga, Andy from the Shame episode and Lola Lasagne. However, I would say in all of these cases, part of the blame is on the performer and part of the blame also falls to the writer for creating an annoying character.

Vincent Price was a great actor, but Egghead used too many egg-style words, thanks to scripter Stanley Ralph Ross.

I'd also tell you that the reason Madge Blake wasn't given more to do as Aunt Harriet was that she often had trouble remembering her lines.

[epaddon]

If there was one thing about the series that I did not like it was when they carried the wooden earnestness of Batman to the point where Batman himself became the butt of the joke. The Pengy for Mayor episode is the ultimate example of this and you can also point to the over-literalness in "King Tut's Coup" where they aren't getting the guy down from the noose because of the order to "leave everything as it is". To me, Batman should be above all of that, reacting to the silliness around him with a faint level of amusement in the way George Reeves' Superman would react to all the silly villains surrounding him or the comedic troubles of Jimmy and Lois etc. I'm not saying Batman should have been cracking one-liners, but he should *never* have had the joke on him. Robin could more easily have taken the brunt there if need be.

In the same vein, I didn't like it when Gordon would be made out to be helpless, ("We have to do it ourselves!"). I would have preferred a division of Gordon always a credible picture of authority and let O'Hara generate all the laughs.

[dell]

To take epaddon's post a bit further it annoyed me that the Gotham City Police were basically worthless. The run of the mill crook should have been easily handled by the police. Even to the point that I think they could have caught a henchman or two when they acted alone. Let Batman and Robin handle the arch criminals, but the police should have ben able to do something.

[epaddon]

Yes, that's a great point. I think perhaps one of my favorite moments for Gordon is in Part 2 of the Sandman episode where he's on the phone and *really* comes off like a Commissioner of true authority, the way he describes the larcenous activities of Sandman to the banker I think, and then issues that order, "O'Hara, get back here on the double!"

[High C]

To take epaddon's post a bit further it annoyed me that the Gotham City Police were basically worthless. The run of the mill crook should have been easily handled by the police. Even to the point that I think they could have caught a henchman or two when they acted alone. Let Batman and Robin handle the arch criminals, but the police should have been able to do something.

Totally agree with this and with epaddon's point about Gordon.

I also liked something in the Catwoman/Sandman ep, when the two cops find the abandoned Batmobile and the older cop notes that Batman and Robin have 'pull with Gordon and O'Hara.' Was actually realistic that some of the police might resent the duo. Of course, that resentment would make more sense if they could do something besides eat donuts.

[robinboyblunderer]

A lot of good points here I agree with.

Batgirl most of the time, I'll elaborate when I've more time to do so.

Yes, the over earnestness or stupidity of Batman, particularly in the latter half of the second season and most of the third.

Shame's mother-in-law. Actually, I would've preferred a one-parter with Shame and had the two-parter be with King Tut or the Joker in the third season.

Olga. Lola. Cassandra and especially her hubby.

Batman not landing a punch on the Riddler in the ring after he's de-magnetized. Same with his fighting at the end of the episode, he doesn't accomplish much.

Yes, too many "vilds" but I liked Preminger's Freeze the best, both in character and the episodes.

The entirety of the Penguin Marsha three parter. What a waste.

The batgirl themed fight music in the third season.

That was more than I thought.

cheers!

[Pengy]

- Riddler's moll in the River rat themed gang. Her voice was so annoying.
- Gordon's complete wussiness when Batman wasn't around to help with a crime
- Joker's surfing episode
- The dock side set in Nora Clavicle's episode. Embarrassing even by season 3's low budget standards
- Professor Overbeck in the season 2 Mad Hatter episode
- Catwoman's schoolgirl crush on Batman got a bit annoying sometimes.

[twint9]

Guys, it was a COMEDY!

[High C]

Guys, it was a COMEDY!

So we're supposed to like everything about the show? I don't get your point, honestly.

And, no, it wasn't supposed to be a slapstick comedy when it started. The fact it devolved into one was a major part of the problem.

[elmrgraham]

To me it was Season 3.The American people were losing interest in the Batman craze, and to me the last episodes of the Batman TV Series were lousy to say the least.

[WayneGrayson]

I hated Chickadee from Penguin's Nest
I hated Joker's moll in the episode in which Robin is nearly pressed into a comic book
I hated the entire Ma Barker episode

I do agree with this: " I'm not saying Batman should have been cracking one-liners, but he should *never* have had the joke on him. Robin could more easily have taken the brunt there if need be."
Yes. I liked his scenes with Lady Prudence and it always cracked me up when he caught the zinger from the villains such as with Pussycat "I could say the same for you, Big Boy" - but it wasn't often enough. No, Robin wasn't fully utilized as a character. It was more like a George or Ringo moment on a Beatles album. Burt Ward was just as funny as any of the best of them, but he was often treated as an after-thought in the dialogue:
BARBARA: She tried to kill you Batman...(PAUSE)...and Robin?
Just sayin'

[Dr. Shimel]

It's important to remember that at the 1966 Emmys, Batman was nominated in the Best COMEDY Series category.

[robinboyblunderer]

The show was definitely a comedy with fun action. I think it worked best when Batman was treated respectfully within the show and when the humor was based on wit, satire and some of the inherent silliness of the situations. I think that's why the first season seems to be universally enjoyed; it had the best blend of these different elements.