First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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Yellow Oval
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First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by Yellow Oval »

Greetings all,

I was thinking back to the first time I saw the show when I was about 4. I know I must have seen it earlier because my mom started buying me Bat items that are seen in old family photos so I was already a fan but my registered memory of seeing it for the first time was at my grandmother's when I was 4 and it was actually the premier episode with the Riddler.

I recall it was like magic with all the colors and the larger-than-life atmosphere the show conveyed. I remember being shocked that Batman was considered in no shape to drive and had to give the Batmobile keys to the police. We all know he was drugged, but at the time I thought he had drank too much in the nightclub and I was like "Batman's a drunk?" But then he was OK and caught the Riddler and then my uncle and I took off to his room to play with our Corgi Batmobiles and re-enact the show. Good times. Makes me think of the first time I saw the band KISS, or the Planet of the Apes, or even JAWS. Those intial feelings that we just can't get back somehow.
"Hmmm... I don't like the twist this joke is taking. Let us away! Let us away!"
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Riddler Fan
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by Riddler Fan »

I was 10 years old on that fateful January night. I had seen a few of the ads for the show, but the reason my whole family watched the first eisode was my father was in advertising and his company had a couple of ads on the show. His reaction to it was "it's a crappy show" but he knew it would be a hit.

I thought the show was a bit crazy with all it's bright colors and comic book style. After the second episode aired, I clearly remember being annoyed that I would have to wait another 6 days until the show was on again.
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That_weirdo_Cage
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by That_weirdo_Cage »

I was four and was only exposed to the show for three days, when I first saw it. I recall being excited and mystified, somewhat baffled by the unfamiliar concepts behind the superhero. I think I felt roughly the same about Underdog, which I also saw each day at the time. :? Obviously it affected me, as I became very interested in superheroes and comic books after that, in spite of my parents' ongoing efforts to interest me in cowboys. The Lone Ranger interested me because the secret identity bit reminded me of Batman. :lol: Otherwise, the cowboy thing didn't take.
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John Mack
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by John Mack »

I was 5 and was taken by the music. Soon after my first episode (Batgirl's debut) I went on a hunt for Batmusic with my mom and to my dismay, no LPs with the original Batman Theme or any with even a cover of the Batgirl Theme. My closest LP was of course Neal Hefti's first Batman LP but I was still disappointed that the theme was not the one minute original. My search for Batmusic remains to this day and I am hoping that with the new licensing deal coming, the music is able to be released from all three seasons. I hope Film Score Monthly and the crew can make them. They did an outstanding job on the movie release (not be confused with the reissue by LaLaLand records (that mixture bonus track they have on there is totally confusing to me--For more info just PM me. Not here to bash Ford Thaxton as I respect him very much.

John
Music. BAT! Music.
Bob
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by Bob »

I cant remember
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Lou Szabo
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by Lou Szabo »

I just turned 7 a week before the 1966 premiere, and my brother was 4. We had seen the commercials for it, and I grew up watching reruns of Zorro and Superman and of course, the great Doug Wildey Jonny Quest series, and I had seen the comics at the barber shop and the corner store. Wow, I think of my nephew quivering when he receives some superhero gift from me, and I can guess that's how excited we were - all the gadgets in that utility belt (as I recall one of the few that showed him removing anything from the utility belt).

I think we received the Corgi Batmobile with the pulsating flame that Easter, and we also got the Aurora Batmobile model and the Robin model. AND Batmania took off.

I think the closest thing to this live action series recently was the great Smallville series - reliving it through my daughters eyes, and the animated Batman series in the 90's.

I often wonder what the older folks who followed the serials and the comics of the 40's thought of the series at the time.
Some days you just can't get rid of a ... SHARK!
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zapFREAK
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by zapFREAK »

Greetings all,
I have no specific recollections to the 1st time I saw the show but I do remember tuning in each week without fail to see it. I do remember my brother and I tying capes around our neck and playing down in the basement where we had 2 columns which we prentended were the batpoles!! Those are memories I truly treasure!
elmrgraham
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by elmrgraham »

I saw the January 12,1966,premere of Batman on ABC-TV at my Aunt and now deceased Uncle,s house at 20 Sidney Terrace in Keansburg,New Jersey.I was six years old.My cousins and I thought that Batman was awesome.Thank You.
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Riddlersgurl
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by Riddlersgurl »

When the show first premiered, I was about six to seven months old, so there is no way I can remember watching it.

That is, if my mother even let me watch TV back at that age.

Babies that young only care about two things; their bellies and clean nappies.

I first remember watching the show when I was about three or so, it had to have been the first time that the show was in re-runs.

As fate would have it, it was the first episode with Frank Gorshin. He scared me half to death with that giggling of his, although not as bad as Cesar Romero.

Even when I was that little, I wouldn't watch his episodes because he was so scary.

Since they never showed the episodes in a linear format, I'd see Season One episodes, followed by Season Three, then back to Season Two.

I clearly recall not liking Julie's Catwoman, because I thought that Eartha Kitt was the real Catwoman.

I told my mother "Where'd Catwoman go, and why is that white lady wearing her clothes? Call the station and make them bring back the REAL Catwoman!"

Of course, being so young, I had no idea that the show had been cancelled, and that it was in rerun heaven.
snjrose
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by snjrose »

I started kindergarten in 1977 and Batman would come on right after school. I went to my Aunt's house because my Mom worked and I had 2 cousins ages 5 and 3. They always wanted to watch the Flintstones or Bugs Bunny and I thought they were nuts. How could they want to watch that garbage when Batman was on? I loved the colors and costumes and action! My Aunt said we had to take turns everyday until finally my cousins figured out I was a lot more fanatical about Batman then they were about their cartoons and I ended up getting to watch my show everyday.

PS - All 3 of us are girls and I thought Batgirl was the ultimate role model. LOL.
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Catfan
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by Catfan »

I was 6½ years old on 12-13 January 1966, and in the very room where I am writing this message. I remember how magical this all felt. If I remember correctly, I was already catching Adventures of Superman on WPIX, so the idea of superheroes was not alien to me.

But I could sense that, despite watching this on a black-and-white TV set, this was indeed a special thing. I remember the Batusi scene, though for a long time, my memory played tricks on me when I thought Batman was with Catwoman, not Molly. But I remember how Molly and, especially, her demise, made an impact on me.

Oh, I was hooked all right!!! And the show made an impact on me that reverberates even after 47 years!
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SprangFan
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Re: First Time You Saw the Show and How Did You Feel?

Post by SprangFan »

Well I was too young to have watched originally, having been born in spring of '65, but I first "met" Batman through tie-in merchandise owned by my friends' older brothers, like the Topps cards and the Remco Batmobile dashboard toy. When I was in grade school (maybe 3rd grade) I saw the '66 movie on the ABC Saturday (or Sunday?) night movie and was blown away, even if we didn't have a color TV. By now I was a big reader of the comics, and right there on the screen were real live human beings dressed up as Batman, Robin and their four greatest enemies, and unlike George Reeves' Superman (who I also loved) the budget didn't end with the costumes; there was the Batcave, bigger than life, and a real, working Batmobile, Batcycle and Batcopter. Even James Bond couldn't compete!

Only later did I find out there was a TV series starring the same actors and using the same sets and vehicles, and when it finally showed up in syndication in my area (around '75 or '76) I was in seventh heaven. Like it wasn't already hard enough getting through the school day, now I had to wait to see how Batman got off that giant quicksand cake, or out of the way of that stampede. I nearly had a heart attack waiting to see how Bruce Wayne escaped the runaway stretcher headed for a cliff, and that giant clam that ate Robin was the stuff of nightmares. I still think they should keep the airings down to once a day just to drive modern kids nuts with worry like they did me.

The only downside, such as it was: already at that young age I was anal enough to fret that they got the utility belt "wrong." :-) Little did I know what liberties were about to be taken with other superheroes (starting with TV Spider-Man's mirror eyes and belt-harness, and progressing to every flavor rubber suit imaginable.
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
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