SCRIPT: "Hizzoner the Penguin"

[bat-rss]

The next script to be discussed on TO THE BATPOLES! podcast will be "Hizzoner the Penguin"! Here are the documents we have. As usual, we may use some of your comments here in our podcast when we record the episode, which will probably be about the end of April 2022. Will let you know when we've set the exact recording date.

Treatment

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ccjcs7kjogvjodr/HIZZONER%20prelim%20script.pdf?dl=0

Final

[bat-rss]

We're now planning to record our discussion the morning of Monday, May 2. Get your comments in before then for possible inclusion in the show!

[BATWINGED HORNET]

You know....some people really like this arc, and think its a "great" send-up of then-modern politics, but the problem with Sherman's script is that its far too cynical to the point where it comes off as Sherman being ignorant. It reminds me of high school and colleghe students who take a couple of classes and suddenly think they have all things political all figured out, when anyone listening to them is thinking, "where the hell did they get that stuff?"

That's much of my take on the final script for "Hizzoner the Penguin". For most TV producers, looking ahead to syndication is common--milk the product as long as you can, but this arc is SOOOO topical about one period of time, with references (or allegedly humorous substitutions for real people) that would no longer be relevant in only a few, short years.

Unlike 12 O'Clock High, Combat!, or even F-Troop, which took place in older, fixed periods of time, Batman was set in a contemporary environment, with characters and settings that were a bit more relatable to some future viewers. That said, it lost that relatability with all of the political satire, and its one of the prime examples of the series leaving its action/adventure roots to become a nonsenical attempt at comedy.

I'll give the scripts another go, but man, I feel I need Bat-Combat Pay after having my mind run over by Sherman's crushing tank of a script.

[Scott Sebring]

You know....some people really like this arc, and think its a "great" send-up of then-modern politics, but the problem with Sherman's script is that its far too cynical to the point where it comes off as Sherman being ignorant. It reminds me of high school and colleghe students who take a couple of classes and suddenly think they have all things political all figured out, when anyone listening to them is thinking, "where the hell did they get that stuff?"

That's much of my take on the final script for "Hizzoner the Penguin". For most TV producers, looking ahead to syndication is common--milk the product as long as you can, but this arc is SOOOO topical about one period of time, with references (or allegedly humorous substitutions for real people) that would no longer be relevant in only a few, short years.

Unlike 12 O'Clock High, Combat!, or even F-Troop, which took place in older, fixed periods of time, Batman was set in a contemporary environment, with characters and settings that were a bit more relatable to some future viewers. That said, it lost that relatability with all of the political satire, and its one of the prime examples of the series leaving its action/adventure roots to become a nonsenical attempt at comedy.

I'll give the scripts another go, but man, I feel I need Bat-Combat Pay after having my mind run over by Sherman's crushing tank of a script.

On the nose! Well said!

[High C]

Thanks as always for the peek behind the curtain. I think the real action here was in the treatment.

For some context, I believe Dozier & Co. pushed this for an Emmy, hence all the Pengy for Mayor buttons. Maybe they bribed potential Emmy voters!!

I went back and checked your ep No. 147 with Sherman’s personal letters, and saw he felt Greenway butchered his work. He has a bit of a case. At least if they had stayed true to two things in the treatment the final product could’ve been better, IMO.

Switching the order of the debate and the deathtrap was just silly. It led to this brilliant dialogue, Batman saying there’s ‘no proof’ of what happened. They were able to dispose of the giant vat of sulphuric (sic) acid that quickly?? Not to mention the helpful ‘CLOSE-AGONY-K.O.-CURTAINS’ dial.

And yes, I get that it’s a fantasy show and it’s Gotham City logic, as John S. Drew so aptly calls it. BUT--so much of this arc is set in the real political world of 1966, with pollsters, confused voters, TV pundits, scheming politicians, etc. This arc wants to have it both ways, and it ain’t fair to Batman. Penguin can play that game, and he can’t. I mean, c’mon, what Gotham City judge wouldn’t issue Batman a search warrant in 20 minutes? Remember, he is a state actor, per attorney Jim Dedman (ep 112).

(I’d add that if Pengy did succeed in bumping them off, at the very least, their disappearance would make him the prime suspect and wreck his mayoral plans, and that’s his No. 1 gambit anyhow.)

I also was dismayed to see the deletion of the part in which Batman discovered the loophole about teenagers being allowed to vote. The final script never really explains why the tide suddenly turns his way, plus it would’ve been nice to see him, y’know, use his mind instead of just being an idiot spectator.

But that is season 2. Not as often do The Duo work out the clues in the Batcave. Instead, they stumble into traps instead of taking, I dunno, 30 seconds to work out the acronym GOON. Batman uses his brawn a lot more than his brain by now.

I do think there is some clever satire here. But the clash between it and the '66 world is jarring and ill-fitting. The Get Smart creative team could’ve made it work. Maybe a Semple rewrite could’ve helped. But Horwitz and Hoffman were unarmed in a battle of wits.

[dell]

When the three pollsters show up it feels like this episode jumps the shark. And they aren't even funny.

And not to mention that once again the good citizens of Gotham City turn on Batman and Robin and embrace a criminal who has consistently cheated them in the past.

[High C]

When the three pollsters show up it feels like this episode jumps the shark. And they aren't even funny.

And not to mention that once again the good citizens of Gotham City turn on Batman and Robin and embrace a criminal who has consistently cheated them in the past.

I think that's what bothers me the most. Making Batman look square is one thing. Making him the butt of the joke is quite another. To show 5 people in the room for his speech makes him look like an embarrassment.

[bat-rss]

I think that's what bothers me the most. Making Batman look square is one thing. Making him the butt of the joke is quite another. To show 5 people in the room for his speech makes him look like an embarrassment.

Agreed. And yet, he wins the election! Why? On account of it's his show, I guess! No explanation. The voters embraced Penguin all the way to election day and then suddenly changed their minds?? Sure, Batman defends voters over polls, and polls have certainly been faulty at times (see recent presidential elections), but they seldom predict a landslide for the candidate who ends up losing in one!

[robinboyblunderer]

You know....some people really like this arc, and think its a "great" send-up of then-modern politics, but the problem with Sherman's script is that its far too cynical to the point where it comes off as Sherman being ignorant.

I gotta say I think this script and the finished episodes apply to politics in America; from the unreliability of the polls, to blatant emotional attempts at manipulating the voters---sure no one's out there kissing babies but even though the gimmicks and theatre have changed it's still a circus...in my opinion. You'd think we'd have at least one viable third party candidate in all these years. But that's all I'll get into with politics as this ain't the board for it.

Paraphrasing, but Penguin's line about him running for office and being able to legally use all his dirty tricks is not just witty but sadly, just as relevant today.

Definitely my favorite of the Penguin eps. Chief O'Hara sleeping through Batman's speech is funny but Adam's delivery of the speech, the halting, pausing over what he's written while looking down at the lectern is just perfect comedy and makes Batman more endearing, not just for the virtuous nature of the speech but that he's not the most natural of public speakers.

Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers!

cheers