Times when the Dynamic Duo were stupid

[Progress Pigment]

Gentle Folk, Gentle Folk, This poor writing goes back, like so much of the TV series to the 1943 Serial. If one watches carefully and I believe that Our resident Serial Expert Andy Fish will back me up on this, look at how many times Robin has to save Bat Man from trouble. Or how about Bats being basically thrown out the window of a tall building in the Serial?
Andy, would You mind weighing in again on this, please? Your further thoughts would be greatly appreciated as regards similarity in style between the Serials and Series.

Thanks in advance,

That was a knock comics fans have used for years. "The Batman TV series wasn't even based on the comics! It was based on the movie serials!". The fanboys of the 90's were like that. I just do not buy it. The first season of Batman was extremely similar to the comics! It only resembled the serial in " thrown out the window of a tall building (like) in the Serial" in the second season when the writing/production became quickly done, sloppy, and lazy. Did you notice Adam & Burt calling each other Bruce & Dick while in costume, as the serials did? Did they drive a nondescript sedan like both Batmen in the serials? No, they drove a Batmobile like in the comics! Did you see them removing their masks while in the Batcave? Actually the comics did that a bit too -- which I kinda would've liked on the series. The first serial did actually invent the bat-cave (bat's cave), so they are important parts of Batman history, but influenced the show very little.

[Larry A.]

Hey, P.P.
Sorry if I stepped on Your toes unintentionally . Normally if I do that, I do it deliberately
I admit that some of what You say I have to agree with. Note though that I didn't say that it influenced ALL of the Tv show, and I admit its my fault for not making that clear. I apologize . I think that I was thinking of the 2nd season as regards the writing.
I must say that other than Miller's DKR, I wasn't involved in Bat Fandom because I was so disgusted with the comics and the anti A.W. attitudes. Please trust me on this P.P., the 90s Batfans are NOT an area lthat folks want me go get started on It would get FUUUGLYYY real quick.
As far as no Batmobile: No Budget for it in the 1st serial ( or, so it was said, the 2nd serial). As I'm sure You are aware P.P., it's a lot cheaper to design and draw a special car in the comics as opposed to building one....especially on a hair thin budget. I know from experience as I costed out a full sized version of the 40s Bat Mobile. Even using junked out parts and bending the metal myself, it wasn't cheap.
Hang in there, folks, this discussion can only get better And now back to our regularly scheduled discussion

Cheers,

[Pengy]

Bruce not pressing charges against Joker when Joker kidnapped him and the rest of his art class, which allows Joker to go free and get up to more mischief. His reasoning for this is "We couldn't have held him long on those minor charges". Since when is kidnapping a minor charge?

[Larry A.]

You make a great point, Ol' Chum! The last I heard it is at least a State Offense, if not a Federal Offense ( but don't quote me on that, please).
What it comes down to is Sloppy Writing!!!! They obviously di not have the De Forest Company to vet the scripts.

[eewdoc]

They couldn't hold villains in prison for major crimes, let alone minor ones. They are usually free in about a month or less. So I have to agree with Bruce Wayne.

[Pengy]

Double post

[Pengy]

You make a great point, Ol' Chum! The last I heard it is at least a State Offense, if not a Federal Offense ( but don't quote me on that, please).
What it comes down to is Sloppy Writing!!!! They obviously di not have the De Forest Company to vet the scripts.

Exactly.

They couldn't hold villains in prison for major crimes, let alone minor ones. They are usually free in about a month or less. So I have to agree with Bruce Wayne.

That was in real time. In Batman world time it was different. For example Joker says in the Zodiac crimes episode that he has just spent months in prison since Batman and Robin caught him. The last time he appeared was just 7 episodes ago. Which in real time was not even 2 months.

Catwoman says in the Sandman episode that her record has been clean for months, that she is not even on parole any more. When in real world time she had just been captured 2 episodes ago in her voice stealing episodes.

[robinboyblunderer]

The entirety of the third season! Perhaps shaking the Joker's hand was the worst example. They really ruined Batman's character as the show went on; instead of a charming, cool, intelligent, brave man, he became a buffoon. The Bruce Wayne who goes in for "milk and cookies" is suave and should've been the standard. The Batman from the first season, particularly the scene in the museum in "Give 'em the Axe" should've been the same. They still could've maintained the wit, the campiness, the fun of the show without making the Caped Crusader a moron.

Robin was great at solving riddles and any mistakes he made could be attributed to him being a sidekick and still learning; but the stupidity of shaking the Joker's hand or waiting for Batgirl to rescue them from Egghead and Olga are low points for the character.

[Larry A.]

Amen!!!!!!

[Pengy]

I know they were trying to send a message that guys shouldn't hit girls, but Robin not fighting back when the little faculty of Lord Ffogg's girls grabbed Robin was ridiculous. Not to fight to save his own life was bad enough, but when he saw they had Batgirl, too, and he still didn't fight back to save her life was moronic. Male or female, if someone is threatening a person's life you do what you have to do to stop them.

I let Batgirl die because I couldn't bring myself to fight off some girls. Yeesh!

[Batman65]

Please see my last post on this thread.

[Progress Pigment]

Hey, P.P.
Sorry if I stepped on Your toes unintentionally . Normally if I do that, I do it deliberately
I admit that some of what You say I have to agree with. Note though that I didn't say that it influenced ALL of the Tv show, and I admit its my fault for not making that clear. I apologize . I think that I was thinking of the 2nd season as regards the writing.

No, you didn't step on my toes unintentionally. You stepped on the series' toes, and Adam West's toes unintentionally! The big bat chest symbol in the test pilot is another thing they use to try to put their point across. It "proves!" the series was based on the serials. These "post-Tim Burton Batman/Batman:TAS" people were as brainwashed & psychotic as moon landing deniers! The yellow oval Batman symbol only started in the "new look" Batman of 1964. Batman had the oval-less bat symbol for 25 years! It had been in use for 2 years or less when the idea of a Batman TV series was suggested. You'd better believe if the series had chose the bat symbol sans yellow oval, the comics would have changed back a month later! The TV series saved Batman of the comics. Most people are aware of that now. Without it he'd likely be about as popular as Hawkman today.

[Bat-Tiger]

Hey, P.P.
The TV series saved Batman of the comics. Most people are aware of that now. Without it he'd likely be about as popular as Hawkman today.

THAT right there is what too many people forget about the series. After the controversy surrounding comics in general (thanks in part to Seduction of the Innocent) comic book sales plummeted.

The popularity of this show had a hand in the resurgence of not only Batman, but superheroes as well.

[Larry A.]

Hi P.P. The emblem in the picture does not match the serial bats at all. I'm sure You remember that this picture is from a Lyle Waggoner Screen test. I do agree about the TV show helping save the comic though.
I'm in this for the enjoyment of it all. Given various things that have and are happening in the real world, I look to this show and board to take my mind off of various things.....like hospitalizations as I get older.....LOL.

[Progress Pigment]

Hi P.P. The emblem in the picture does not match the serial bats at all. I'm sure You remember that this picture is from a Lyle Waggoner Screen test.

No, I'm sure I don't remember that at all! Because that isn't Lyle Waggoneer, it's Adam West. The pic looks a bit odd, and Adam's face a bit full, but that is Adam West. Wearing a makeshift, but yes, interesting as heck cowl. Burt Ward never appeared alongside Lyle Waggoner in any of the tests.



All of Waggoneer's tests were with Peter Deyell, who ended up having a great career working in film production with Steven Spielberg. That's him to the left.