USA Today rates Batgirl among TV's worst characters ever

[Killer Moth]

In all honesty, this last time watching it I felt like the part of Robin was the most underwritten in the series...

[Riddlersgurl]

As well as the most inconsistently written. His character varied from episode to episode.

[epaddon]

The concept of Batgirl, I like. The performance and execution of the character, I don't. A few years ago at the old board, I started a thread where I made the case against Yvonne Craig as the ideal choice for the role and instead argued that Mary Ann Mobley, who was also under consideration at the time, would have been better suited for the part based on (1) her experience in other guest shots that showcased the qualities necessary for the part of Batgirl and (2) a different kind of personality that would have helped better create the sense of Batgirl as a team player rather than someone trying to outdo Batman. I still feel the same way. I grant that Yvonne was not helped by the way the character was written but I have seen other instances of how a performer can shine despite poorly written material (Helen Slater in Supergirl) and I didn't see that in this case. That's just my subjective opinion.

[BATWINGED HORNET]

Let's see - I just got through watching most of the 3rd season on ME-TV, and I'm not sure I get what you mean by Barbara Gordon being a social dinosaur.

I said Batgirl, and with all of her "tea leaves" and other demeaning female stereotypes uttered by the character, she was already a social dinosaur as far the rapidly changing image of many female characters on TV by the fall of 1967.

But even with that, I think the Batman fights were often more fun than realistic, so I don't mind Batgirl's take.

When it comes to Batgirl being out of place in fights--or how the fights were altered to find a place for her, I always go back to certain conflicts from the first two years: the movie's submarine fight (high heeled fighting on a wet metal surface?), the Riddler/museum, Tut's final season 2 conflict, or the Green Hornet/Kato crossover As arranged, Batgirl is completely out of place in situations which were once normal for Batman and Robin to face. By softening the level of fights B&R lost one its hallmarks, all to allow BG to slowly deliver high kicks and find conveniently plaeced wooden crates and planks.



Still, as you say, we all have opinions about what is wrong or right about the show! [/quote]

[clavierankh]

I agree the nature-of the bat fights changed. hey turned into dances.

As far as the tea leaves thing. I still say that was Batgirl's flip way of telling Batman o mind his own business.

Her annoyance is kind of understandable. After Bruce Wayne calls the commissioner to tell him Catwoman kidnapped Joker the commissioner calls Batman. Batman already knows and the commissioner doesn't question it. When Batgirl shows up at a crime scene out of nowhere there is suspicion.

Certainly part of the difference is the street cred Batman has developed over the yeas. But partly there seems to be a feeling by Batman and the Police that Batgirl, maybe because she is a girl, just isn't as capable.

I liked Yvonne as Batgirl, I probably would have liked Mary Ann Mobley (just saw her on a Perry Mason last night and she was gorgeous.) But Yvonne was Batgirl to me.

[dell]

It would have been interesting to see how they handled Batgirl if she had been introduced in season 1.

[WayneGrayson]

So messed up. Batgirl was a fun character and was played well by Yvonne Craig. She was cute, perky, funny, and did nothing to harm the series. Writing and producing is what doomed the third season, not her.