Explain your love for the Batman TV show to a newbie...

[Ben Bentley]

So here's the scenario...

Someone in your life knows of your love of the 1966 Batman TV show; but are not themselves familar with the series except perhaps hazy recollections from much earlier periods of their life...

You can choose three story arcs to try and best depict to that person what you love about the show.

Which three do you choose? And why? Marks, get set, goooo! (i.e. A two/three parter counts as ONE story arc)

There are no right or wrong answers because this comes down to what YOU personally love about the show.

[AndyFish]

I'm going to cheat, because to me the show is actually two different shows; with the later episodes being a parody of the earlier episodes.

For what is an example of what I think the show should have always been;
I'd go with the first Joker arc, the first Catwoman arc and the False Face arc if I wanted to show someone what I love about the show, those episodes capture the tone, the cinematography and the comics of the period.

For an example of the great 60s comedy aspect of the show;
I'd go with the episodes with Chief Screaming Eagle, the first King Tut arc and Surf's Up, Joker's Under.

[Keith Mayo]

Story arcs don't really explain my love for the show.

As a youngster in 1966, the first appeal of the show was it had Batman in it. Secondly it was in COLOR! Thirdly it was plastered all over pop culture media and was impossible to escape. Add the proliferation of toys (although none were directly related to the tv show) and you have a recipe for capturing the imagination of kids. There really hasn't been anything quite like it since.

I'd mention how Julie Newmar caused me to understand "my special purpose" ala Navin in The Jerk, but that would be uncivilized.