December 22, 2024
Yvonne Craig as Batgirl.

Five years ago today, I spoke to my Facebook friends about my feelings for Yvonne Craig, the 1967 Batgirl, from Hathorn Spring, in Saratoga Springs, NY. Yvonne had passed away the previous month from cancer, and I had just left my apartment because I had been displaced due to circumstances beyond my own control.

On this day in 2020, I’m getting a little of the same feeling. Dame Diana Rigg, the English actress who played Emma Peel in The Avengers, and whom I had also been introduced to on television in 1967, passed away four days ago.

However, this day belongs to Yvonne, because we first met her as Batgirl 53 years ago. Back then, I was unhappy with the direction the show had taken, but in retrospect, the issues weren’t with Yvonne, but with the reduced budget and not-so-stellar scripts. Looking at the show as a de facto Batgirl series, it makes Season 3 of Batman seem a lot more bearable. Indeed, I’d say that it’s worth watching for Yvonne alone.

Yvonne Craig remains a class act, and I saw how down to earth she really was. She remains missed! All the best, Yvonne (and Dame Diana)!!!

—Timothy Forbes
Webmaster