Sixty years ago tomorrow night, Batman made its debut on ABC, as part of “The Second Season” that the network was promoting.
Back in October, we discussed the anniversary of the pilot episode’s filming. That pilot was originally supposed to have made its debut in September 1966, but a horrible fall season led to ABC moving the series’ debut to January. And so it was on a cold Wednesday evening in Tioga County, New York that I saw a show whose impact was, to say the least, quite considerable.
The series was clearly unlike so many other shows on the air. While I already had been watching the Adventures of Superman by this time on WPIX by this time, Batman had a production value unlike anything else. Despite watching this on a black-and-white TV set that night, the show was still a stunner. I was immediately hooked.
For Adam West and many of the cast members, their lives would never be the same.
Sixty years later, many of the cast members (and fans) have left us. Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman, ended her involvement with autograph shows as of this past Saturday; she is 92. The few remaining guest villains and molls are in their 80s and 90s, and their numbers keep decreasing with time.
And yet, despite whatever flaws the series had, it remains a genuine classic, and it also remains enjoyable!!!
–Timothy John Forbes
