TO THE BATPOLES #173: Batman ’65: Developing the Idea

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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bat-rss
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TO THE BATPOLES #173: Batman ’65: Developing the Idea

Post by bat-rss »

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What was the cultural environment in the US in 1965, as Batman was being developed? What were the events that led up to the decision that William Dozier would indeed make a Batman show? If TV in the ‘60s was thinking about what it could do better than movies, what’s the answer to that question, and did it show up on Batman? What were some of the rules that Lorenzo Semple Jr made regarding how Batman and Robin should be written? This time, we look at what was going on in 1965 and the discussions that led up to ABC and Greenway’s agreement to make Batman.

PLUS: Marin Drake’s metal version of the Batman theme, Maxwell Smart encounters a very familiar Frenchman in Holy Deja Vu, more from Adam and Burt about the making of Batman the Movie, and your response to our episode 170 discussion about Batman on 1970s Power Records.

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Mr. Glee
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Re: TO THE BATPOLES #173: Batman ’65: Developing the Idea

Post by Mr. Glee »

Regarding the question of why the producers would have approached Eric Ambler to write the pilot, check out these comments from Fox TV executive William Self, who attended an early meeting with ABC executives to first discuss a possible Batman series:

“I know how to do it, I know what will make it work. And everybody said ‘Tell us.’ In order to appeal to adults, we have to have adult-type writing. And we have to have a prestigious writer, so they won’t laugh it off when they first find out we’re doing Batman. And they said ’Have you got anyone in mind?’ And I said, yes, Eric Ambler. Now I picked Eric Ambler out of the blue, because I admired him, and secondly, I had a way to get to Eric Ambler, in that he was a friend of Bill Dozier… So I called Bill Dozier and I said we want to do Batman, and I’d like to get Eric Ambler to write it.” And he [Dozier] said ‘It’s a great idea. I’ll set up a luncheon.’ So we had lunch, and I told Mr. Ambler what I wanted to do, and he laughed at me. He was very charming, but he said ‘Bill, I’m not going to write Batman. I’m not going to do it.” So we gave up on that, but now I had Dozier involved with me, and Dozier came up with the other writer (Semple).”

Source:

https://interviews.televisionacademy.co ... show-clips


Self’s comments suggest that the earliest intention for Batman was not play it as “camp” or comedy, but to treat it as a sort of James Bond-adjacent action/adventure show. So it was only after Semple became involved that the humorous approach was settled on.
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bat-rss
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Re: TO THE BATPOLES #173: Batman ’65: Developing the Idea

Post by bat-rss »

Very interesting, Mr. Glee! Thanks! I'm sure the Batmanians would have been much happier with that approach - but the show probably wouldn't have lasted as long as it did!
"I'm half-demented with whimsical outrage!"
-- The Joker, in a line cut from "The Joker's Epitaph"
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High C
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Re: TO THE BATPOLES #173: Batman ’65: Developing the Idea

Post by High C »

I guess the 1960s really was the era of the 'four Bs'--Bond, The Beatles, Batman and Bonanza! ;)

Seriously, it shows how quickly tastes were changing. Yes, Bonanza lasted into the 1970s, but westerns soon were an endangered species on TV. Even The Virginian! (Which featured 8 Bat-henchwomen and 5 villainesses) 8-)

The Ambler info is fascinating. Wow. It would have been different, but yes, probably not as successful. Batman hit at the right time.
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