When the Batman TV series first went into production in 1965, no expense was spared. The props and settings were of the very highest standards. The Batcave in particular looked stunning, and must have cost a small fortune to stage. The series survived for three seasons and 120 episodes, but it was clear by the third season that the "Spare No Expense" philosophy was no longer endorsed. Viewing figures had fallen, the show was cut back from two episodes per week to just one and the magic was clearly fading.

 

The success of the first season was amazing. It was an instant Smash Hit! The show's producers had really hit on a format that appealed to a wide audience. The comic book Super Hero Characters were obviously going to fascinate us young kids who tuned in, but by incorporating the contemporary Pop Art influence, along with large doses of camp and satire, the end result was that all age groups were attracted by this totally original style of TV programming.

Batmania had arrived.

Listed below are the 34 episodes that made up that fantastic first season.

1. HI DIDDLE RIDDLE
2. SMACK IN THE MIDDLE
3. FINE FEATHERED FINKS
4. THE PENGUIN'S A JINX
5. THE JOKER IS WILD
6. BATMAN IS RILED
7. INSTANT FREEZE
8. RATS LIKE CHEESE
9. ZELDA THE GREAT
10. A DEATH WORSE THAN FATE
11. A RIDDLE A DAY KEEPS THE RIDDLER AWAY
12. WHEN THE RAT'S AWAY, THE MICE WILL PLAY
13. THE THIRTEENTH HAT
14. BATMAN STANDS PAT
15. THE JOKER GOES TO SCHOOL
16. HE MEETS HIS MATCH. THE GRISLEY GHOUL
17. TRUE OR FALSE-FACE
18. HOLY RAT RACE
19. THE PURR-FECT CRIME
20. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
21. THE PENGUIN GOES STRAIGHT
22. NOT YET, HE AIN'T
23. THE RING OF WAX
24. GIVE 'EM THE AXE
25. THE JOKER TRUMPS AN ACE
26. BATMAN SETS THE PACE
27. THE CURSE OF TUT
28. THE PHAROAH'S IN A RUT
29. THE BOOKWORM TURNS
30. WHILE GOTHAM BURNS
31. DEATH IN SLOW MOTION
32. THE RIDDLER'S FALSE NOTION
33. FINE FINNY FIENDS
34. BATMAN MAKES THE SCENES

 

Batman was on a roll. Between the first and second season, with no time to breathe, the feature film was made. The budget was expanded, which resulted in Batman and Robin getting a Batcopter, Batboat and Batcycle to facilitate further travel options. These extra attractions were now available for use in the second season, albeit, usually by means of reusing the footage shot for the movie.
The second season began where the first left off. The same format would be used. Each adventure would be split into two episodes. The first episode would end with a cliffhanger, and the second would end with Batman and Robin giving the villains a good old bashing before sending them back to jail. Generally, this caused no problems for us kids, but for the wider audience, the joke was wearing a little thin.
Sixty episodes were filmed for the second season, but by the end of this run - with no deviation from the basic plotline throughout - it became clear that; predictability was a problem.

 

35.  SHOOT A CROOKED ARROW
36.  WALK THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
37.  HOT OFF THE GRIDDLE
38.  THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE
39.  THE MINSTREL'S SHAKEDOWN
40.  BARBECUED BATMAN
41.  THE SPELL OF TUT
42.  TUT'S CASE IS SHUT
43.  THE GREATEST MOTHER OF THEM ALL
44.  MA PARKER
45.  THE CLOCK KING'S CRAZY CRIMES
46.  THE CLOCK KING GETS CROWNED
47.  AN EGG GROWS IN GOTHAM
48.  THE YEGG FOES IN GOTHAM
49.  THE DEVIL'S FINGERS
50.  THE DEAD RINGERS
51.  HIZZONNER THE PENGUIN
52.  DIZZONNER THE PENGUIN
53.  GREEN ICE
54.  DEEP FREEZE
55.  THE IMPRACTICAL JOKER
56.  THE JOKER'S PROVOKERS
57.  MARSHA. QUEEN OF DIAMONDS
58.  MARSHA'S SCHEME OF DIAMONDS
59.  COME BACK, SHAME
60.  IT'S THE WAY YOU PLAY THE GAME
61.  THE PENGUIN'S NEST
62.  THE BIRD'S LAST JEST
63.  THE CAT'S MEOW
64.  THE BAT'S KOW TOW
65.  THE PUZZLES ARE COMING
66.  THE DUO IS SLUMMING
67.  THE SANDMAN COMETH
68.  THE CATWOMAN GOETH
69.  THE CONTAMINATED COWL
70.  THE MAD HATTER RUNS A FOUL
71.  THE ZODIACCRIMES
72.  THE JOKER'S HARD TIME
73.  THE PENGUIN DECLINES
74.  THAT DARN CATWOMAN
75.  SCAT, DARN CATWOMAN
76.  PENGUIN IS A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND
77.  PENGUIN SETS A TREND
78.  PENGUIN'S DISASTROUS END
79.  BATMAN'S ANNIVERSARY
80.  A RIDDLING CONTROVERSY
81.  THE JOKER'S LAST LAUGH
82.  THE JOKER'S EPITAPH
83.  CATWOMAN GOES TO COLLEGE
84.  BATMAN DISPLAYS HIS KNOWLEDGE
85.  A PIECE OF THE ACTION
86.  BATMAN'S SATISFACTION
87.  KING TUT'S COUP
88.  BATMAN'S WATERLOO
89.  BLACK WIDOW STRIKES AGAIN
90.  CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER'S DEN
91.  POP GOES THE JOKER
92.  FLOP GOES THE JOKER
93.  ICE SPY
94.  THE DUO DEFY

 

It was time for a rethink. Viewing figures had plummeted; something had to be done if the series was going to survive. The plan to introduce Batgirl to the series was undoubtedly a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, the idea came too late. It had already been decided that Batman would be cut from two episodes a week to just one. This meant that each adventure had to take place in just one half hour episode. There was little room for the new character to breathe within this reduced format. The budget had also been slashed. The whole of this third season looks and feels cheap when compared to earlier episodes. Yvonne Craig was perfectly cast as Batgirl, but the character was never given enough time to develop. ABC was now getting paid less for each episode than it cost to produce it. Sadly, these 26 episodes that comprised the third season were the last. The programme was running at a loss.

 

95.  ENTER BATGIRL, EXIT PENGUIN
96.  RING AROUND THE RIDDLER
97.  THE WAIL OF THE SIREN
98.  THE SPORT OF PENGUINS
99.  A HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOR
100.  THE UNKINDEST TUT OF ALL
101.  LOUIE THE LILAC
102.  THE OGG AND I
103.  HOW TO HATCH A DINOSAUR
104.  SURF'S UP! JOKER'S UNDER!
105.  THE LONDINIUM LARCENIES
106.  THE FOGGIEST NOTION
107.  THE BLOODY TOWER
108.  CATWOMAN'S DRESSED TO KILL
109.  THE OGG COUPLE
110.  THE FUNNY FELINE FELONIES
111.  THE JOKE'S ON CATWOMAN
112.  LOUIE'S LETHAL LI LAC TIME
113.  NORA CLAVICLE AND THE LADIES CRIME CLUB
114.  PENGUIN'S CLEAN SWEEP
115.  THE GREAT ESCAPE
116.  THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY
117.  I'LL BE A MUMMY'S UNCLE
118.  THE JOKER'S FLYING SAUCER
119.  THE ENTRANCING DR. CASSANDRA
120.  MINERVA, MAYHEM AND MILLIONAIRES

 

Today, with over forty years of continuous syndication behind it, it's obvious that ABC's investment in Batman was a wise choice. It has to be one of the most lucrative TV programmes of the sixties. However, in 1968, there was no way of knowing how popular the series would become on the re-runs market, and that's why any idea of continuing the series at that time was an absolute No-No.
Still, with 120 episodes to savour, what have we got to complain about?