#207 The Bat-bible, and Buck Henry’s rejection of camp
Release Date: 08/17/2023
BAT BITS #07 now LIVE on Patreon: How to make a "Holy" pt 2
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
Holy continuation! In the latest edition of Bat Bits, we attempt to come up with some guidelines for what makes a good “holy”. Also: Just because a holy was used on Batman 66, does that make it a “good” one? Join us on Patron for at least $2 a month to hear Bat Bits, as well as ad-free versions of future TO THE BATPOLES episodes! Go to Patreon dot com slash decon comics! Also in this promo, an announcement concerning TO THE BATPOLES!
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BAT BITS #06 now LIVE on Patreon: How to make a "Holy" pt 1
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
Holy exclamation! On Batman 66, Robin used a lot of Holys. We have a sense of what formulations of holys work best, but can we put those formulations into words? Why do some holys from other sources, such as the 1966 album Jan and Dean meet Batman make us say “holy wrong note”? In this first installment of a two-part edition of “Bat Bits”, we analyze some of the holys from that record. Which ones work, and which don’t? Holy idiomatic expression!
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BAT BITS #05 now LIVE on Patreon! "The 'Batman' Movie Premiere"
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
to hear BAT BITS, morsels we find as we research the show for our book! Why was the world premiere of Batman, the Movie held in Austin, Texas? And just what went on at (and around) this July 30, 1966, event? This time, a deep dive on the movie premiere!
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Bat Bits #04 now LIVE on Patreon: "Batman comics suck, but the TV show is WORSE!"
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
On the latest BAT BITS podcast, we discuss another anti-Batman article from 1966! Is it possible to hate Batman comics, but think they're great compared to the TV show??
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BAT BITS #03 now LIVE on Patreon! Batman: Inspirational for kids, or anti-police indoctrination??
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
A 1966 article by journalist Paul Molloy takes down NY Congressman Frank Horton for praising "Batman" for its heroes "heroic power for good", saying it was inspirational and a good message for kids. Molloy, on the other hand, sees the GCPD's reliance on Batman as swipe at all police. Do either one of these guys really understand the show!? Tim and Paul discuss the article, kindly provided by the Message Board's "Mr. Glee". Available only on !
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BAT BITS #02 now LIVE on Patreon: Wondering where the tigers are?
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
Famously, Burt Ward has said that, in the episode BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, he was placed above a pit of tigers, with meat hanging above him that encouraged the tigers to jump. Meanwhile, in THE OFFICIAL BATMAN BATBOOK, Joel Eisner says there were no live tigers, just a clip from an old movie. Who's right? The answer may surprise you! Scott Sebring has shared his interesting research on this topic with us, and we share it in this episode - available only on !
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BAT BITS #01 now LIVE on Patreon!
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
The first episode of our book-writing-hiatus Patreon podcast is now live! We discuss memos among the Greenway and Fox teams about Adam West's chronic lateness on the set, and answer the question: How is Bill Clinton separated by three degrees from Batman '66?? Support us for two dollars a month and get BAT BITS every two weeks!
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#219 Who was Stafford Repp?
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
All the supporting players on Batman had many years of acting experience — considerably more than the stars of the show did! That also goes for Stafford Repp, playing stereotypical Irish cop Chief O’Hara. But what was his background? When did he get into acting? What are some of his other roles, pre- and post-Batman? This time we take a closer look at Repp. Also: Bat-Audio of Adam and Burt on Entertainment Tonight in 1987, your response to several recent episodes, and a special announcement!
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Schedule Note
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
Sorry! We're going to have to delay the next episode by a week or two.
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#218 “The Adventures of Batman” (1968): A (relatively) objective look
To The Batpoles! Batman 1966
Six months after Batman’s final broadcast on ABC, CBS premiered The Adventures of Batman, the character’s first animated show, produced by Filmation. While the look of the show is totally divorced from the Adam West version, relying mainly on the comics, the influence of the live action show can definitely be felt in the writing; just ask “millionaire Bruce Wayne” at “Stately Wayne Manor.” This is a show we never saw as kids, or really at all until now, so this time we take a look at the cartoon, without any nostalgic rose-colored glasses. And we have a blast doing it! ALSO:...
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In television, a show’s “bible” is a collection of the rules for the world of a particular show, to keep writers on track with their scripts. The makeshift bible that Lorenzo Semple, Jr., wrote for Batman is lost to history, but what might have been in it? What are the rules that we can see the show following? Tim has compiled some and presents them here — and asks for your suggestions.
In a recent Bat Inbox, we discussed some comments writer Buck Henry made about Batman and camp shortly after the show premiered. The comments struck Paul as being off-target and showing a poor understanding of what camp is. Is camp not comedy? Was Henry’s co-creation Get Smart not a campy show? Paul’s given it some more thought and research, and furthers that discussion in this episode.
Plus, the Kydoniai Orchestra version of the theme, the conclusion of Adam West’s Cinefix interview from 2014, and your response to our second Batman/Star Trek act-off.