The 1960s Batman TV Series DVD Release Debacle
January 18, 2008
Originally I wanted to hold off on writing this post. However as of late the blog has been in desperate need of some new content and since I don’t really have any good reviews lined up, I guess I’ll just go ahead with this post.
You could consider this post a follow up to my “Spiderman TAS DVD Release Debacle” post. For once again I find myself venting anger over the mishandling of a great series.
In 1966 ABC began airing a television series based on Batman. The series immediately took off and became a huge success. It took a campy approach to superheroes and managed to appeal to people of all ages. Kids were attracted to the action, while parents where amused by the constant serious nature in which completely absurd elements were taken. Truly the 1960s Batman series was a one of kind show.
After three seasons and a full-length feature film the show unfortunately was cancelled. But thanks to the power of syndication, the show has managed to maintain a large fan base; loyal fans that would love nothing more then to see the series given an official DVD box set release. Yet to date no North American box set release has occurred.
While the exact reason for no release is unknown, it has long been speculated it has something to do with rights. For you see, the 1960s Batman series is currently owned by 20th Century Fox; where as the rights to the Batman brand currently belong to Warner Brothers. Therefore in order for a true North American DVD release to take place, Fox and Warner Brothers would have to make some sort of deal.
However corporate greed being what it is, I guess such a deal is impossible. If that is truly the reason no official DVD release has been made, then that just pisses me of. I mean honestly, a whole loyal legion of fans waiting hungrily for a DVD set and the only reason they wouldn’t get satisfaction is because two big corporations are seeing dollar signs.
I should in all fairness point out that if fans truly want to see the series on DVD they can. For there are a handful of websites that sell illegal DVDs of classic television shows, including the 1960s Batman series. So then, many of you might say that revelation makes my comments above rather pointless and to that I would say you are wrong.
Such third party DVD compilations are devoid of one key element: DVD extras. For me, DVDs are all about the extras; documentaries, featurettes, commentary, easter eggs; the more the better.
Extras are particularly rewarding when they about a show with such a rich back-story to it. The production of the 1960s Batman series was fast paced and filled with dozens upon dozens of big stars of the time. Such a combination undoubtedly leads to some fascinating behind the scene stories.
The DVD extras would not only provide entertainment, but also serve as a history lesson to the current generation of bat-fans. There is nothing in this world that aggravates me quite like the way some modern batman fans turn their noses up to the 1960s series. The fans that believe the series was a joke and possibly the worst thing to happen to Batman. I think that the vast majority of those fans that despise that series, don’t really understand it properly.
They fail to put it into the context of its time.
They fail to realize the innovations it brought to television.
They fail to release that it prevented Batman from being cancelled by DC Comics.
Maybe, just maybe, if we got an official DVD box set release of the series, then people would begin to understand the show more. Begin to appreciate it for what it accomplished and most importantly just be entertained by it.
presstheactionbutton
vaultdweller13
waufreak89
malcolmchaos7
January 30, 2008 at 8:04 pm
It does seem absurd that the demand for a DVD release of the 1960s TV Batman is so high and the very audiences who made the series such a big hit can’t even see it. Worse, the longer it goes on, the bigger the challenge in terms of restoring it.
To my knowledge, the original Batman series was made on good quality film and had a first rate lighting crew in the days when all that kind of thing mattered. I was aware of a legal case brought by the daughter of the late William Dozier over rights and this may well have compounded problems. There are still many long forgotten TV series that sit in vaults over royalty problems but you’d think that with a series of THIS magnitude, all those involved could sit around the same table and sort this one out.
Arguably West’s Batman was very close to what the original Batman was all about but the modern remakes (and I accept that others like those too) has drifted towards a much darker character and lost the ‘fun’ element that the original cartoon had.
Come on Fox and Warner – PLEASE sort this one out.
Batfan
January 30, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I’m sure you get thousands of emails concerning the 1966 Batman TV series.
Am I right in thinking that the reason it hasn’t found its way on to DVD is because Warner own the batman name yet Fox own the TV series?
If I’m e-mailing the wrong department here, perhaps you can advise.
It does seem bizarre given the weight of pages across the internet on this subject and the huge demand for the series. I would be a huge hit with youngsters and adults alike – not to mention the merchandising potential.
Ralph Morris (Coventry UK)
March 29, 2008 at 3:30 am
Bring on the ‘66 Batman TV series. I was and still am a fan.
But where there is light there is hope.
There was a huge dispute over the official release of the ‘66 Batmobile in diecast. The problem was ironed out (even though it was after many years)and hey presto the models are hitting the shelves.
Chris (Australia)
June 19, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Sad as it is that the TV series is floating in limbo, at least the feature film is out there with decent extras on the Batmobile and a commentary by West and Ward.
While I wish them long lives, I wish those involved would figure this ot while we still have Adam, Burt, Yvonne and Julie (and Ertha as well I suppose) available for interviews and commentary. A nice season by season release schedule using the template WHV used for Adventures of Superman and Wonder Woman would be a dream come true for a lot of fans.
There’s a nice bootleg set out there that is about 95%+ from ABC masters (at least one Catwoman episode had a TV LAND bug in the corner) but to have the episodes truly restored with the picture remastered and wall-walks put back in is what we really want.
June 19, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I consider the absence of the dreadful 1960s Batman TV series on DVD a blessing. I watched it when it originally aired and like the rest of America soon got bored with the fact that it was a one joke premise. Their desperation move in adding Batgirl in the final season didn’t alter the basic problem of the show which was that if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. The Simpsons have done parodies of that show more than once, showing a character shudder at the memory of it. Watching the show today is an exercise in self punishment. It isn’t funny but is just plain bad. I can see small children liking it, but like the 1970s Battlestar Galactica, it just doesn’t hold up (which is why the new Galactica is completely different in style from the old one). In 1966 the Batman TV show was something new and different, but after a year it wasn’t different any more and kept plowing the same ground over and over again. 40 years later the 1960s Avengers TV show holds up extremely well. Batman does not.
June 20, 2008 at 10:42 am
I agree that I also get fed up w/ Batfans who rag on the TV show-first off, it certainly wasn’t(and isn’t) “dreadful”, as the last post stated-it was, and still is-a pop culture phenomenon-and as a kid(I’m 40-watched it in it’s first years of syndication every day) I absolutely worshipped it-and now, as an adult-it’s still so much fun-and the classic villians were so great! I often thought that those versions of thje villians would have worked great in a modern,REAL Batman story-Gorshin’s Riddler,Romero’s Joker-Julie Newmar-the one, TRUE Catwoman-and Burgess meredith is the best version of Penguin ever-better than any comic, and certainly better than Danny Devito. And the series did keep Batman from fading away. Yeah, it’s campy and corny-and towards the end of the 3rd season, it got a little carried away w/ the silliness, but still-it’s the Batman TV show! Release it on DVD, already!
I will agree w/the fact that the new Battlestar Gallactica is absolutely brilliant-and makes the old show very obselete-it only ran one season, and now seems really cheesy compared to the sleek,stylish,sexy and razor sharp series we have now.
June 20, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I watched the show in its first run on ABC and loved it. I would not want them to do a bat show or movie like that now but it is still great fun to watch. What is odd is they put out the 1966 Batman movie on DVD but why not the TV show.
August 14, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I have been told by a reliable source, a man who actually knows both Burt Ward and Adam West personally, that the series itself, plus all the extras, is finished. It is simply a matter of the two aforementioned companies coming to an agreement. It will be released, it’s just a matter of when. I received this information in October of 2007, so now all they need is to settle copyright issues. Hopefully that puts some minds at ease, although the road may still be long.
October 14, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I remember as a kid watching this show. It’s true what KB said, that everything is finished, we’re just waiting for the companies to make a deal and release it. There are a few episodes floating around the Internet that you could download but… it’s not as good.