Vincent Price makes his Bat-debut as Egghead ! Price is generally associated with the horror genre, although he could also be considered a camp icon. And so could someone else in this arc! Is the character of Chief Screaming Chicken satire or racism? Well… yes. Also, a window cameo by Jose Jimenez . Who? We explore this and several other cameos and familiar faces (or voices) in this arc, with detours through Get Smart , The Brady Bunch , F Troop and more! Holy intertextuality!...
Jun 16, 2016•1 hr 17 min
ZAP! POW! The Batman TV show became famous for its “comic book” fight sound effects. Odd, though… before the show began, punches in Batman comics were silent! So where’d the show get the idea for noisy punches? We ponder this question after reading many ‘60s Batman comics , and also explore the changes of “ New Look Batman ” in 1964; determine what the show borrowed from the comics —and what the comics borrowed from the show; discuss whether the TV show is what saved the character (our verdict: ...
Jun 02, 2016•1 hr 22 min
Our expounding on the coolness of the Clock King arc concludes with a look at “ The Clock King Gets Crowned ”! Did Madge Blake need help with her lines from the film editors? Is Millie Clock King’s “beard”? Might the first draft of this episode have called for a climactic fight at Wayne Manor? (And, if so, why was it scrapped?) Plus, this episode’s cluster of “meanwhile” cross-cuts and its operatic fight music, and a couple of international Bat-records ! “That Man, Batman” - Mike & Bernie Wi...
May 19, 2016•1 hr 13 min
Where some see a disappointing script from Bill Finger , we see a camp masterpiece! We're talking about The Clock King's Crazy Crimes , which features an amazing riff on pop art (well, and quite a bit of art that isn't actually of the "pop" variety); a Daliesque painting of the Dynamic Duo ( who painted it ?); another great (but rather subtle) villain theme from Nelson Riddle ; Batman and Robin doing some actual detective work;scenes that happen simultaneously and then intersect; and the campies...
May 05, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Perhaps more than most Batman arcs so far, the Ma Parker storyline has many points that don't stand up to scrutiny? How could she have just arrived in Gotham City, already have a house just outside of town, and have also established herself at the local old folks' home? Never mind! Shelley Winters plays a cartoony and ultra-campy villain, so Tim and Paul just go with it and let plausibility slide, while also examining the mysterious "bumper sticker" scene (have we uncovered an in-joke there?), c...
Apr 21, 2016•1 hr 11 min
King Tut 's back -- and not only does he have the best gang since Bookworm , but Victor Buono has totally dialed into the character, and ramped the camp up to 11! Thus, Paul can't resist marking the occasion by introducing a new podcast feature on camp ! Also, how the "Spell of Tut" arc really shows the challenge of filling exactly the amount of time allotted for one TV episode -- necessitating cutting scenes sometimes, and adding relatively useless ones in other cases! Plus, this arc's Lorenzo ...
Apr 07, 2016•58 min
It's a new villain -- even new to the Duo themselves: The Minstrel (Van Johnson) ! But his crimes don't involve robbing music stores and the like: he's out to shake down the stock market, though by using methods that Batman and Robin are at pains to tie back to the malfeasant musician's tuneful guise. And finance-related crimes seem to be a specialty of writers Francis and Marian Cockrell . By the way, who was Van Johnson ? And how does the Minstrel arc measure up? We also look at the references...
Mar 31, 2016•55 min
When Batman hit the airwaves in January 1966, its instant popularity led to an explosion of all kinds of Bat-merchandise -- including records! Singles and albums by musicians ( Nelson Riddle , Neal Hefti ) and actors ( Adam West , Burt Ward , and some Bat-villains too!) associated with the show, as well as some with no connection who just wanted to ride the Bat-wave (for example, Dickie Goodman ). In this episode, Tim and Paul count down their favorite Bat-records, a crazy journey in which we cr...
Mar 17, 2016•1 hr 40 min
In " Hot off the Griddle " and " The Cat and the Fiddle ", Julie Newmar's Catwoman takes on new dimensions, including sex kitten and little old lady. In discussing whether this arc has too many un- Semple -like zingers, Tim and Paul make a digression into the definition of “ high camp .” Are people using this expression to describe Batman without quite understanding what it means? Also: the advantages to having the same writer, Stanley Ralph Ross , continue to write Catwoman. And, is the charact...
Mar 03, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Season two begins! We dig into what ELSE was being broadcast the week of Batman ’s season two premiere on still-struggling ABC-TV and its two muscular competitors. Then, why did the season start with Archer ? Why Art Carney ? Why do all these bizarre, puzzling things happen in part one? Why isn't Spike Jones band member Doodles Weaver funny in this? It's a headscratching arc, but not without its highpoints, such as Alfred 's first turn as a Caped Crusader and the flaaaaaming performance of Rober...
Feb 18, 2016•1 hr 3 min
The summer of 1966 brought “ Batman: The Movie" ! Now, in the winter of 2016, Tim and Paul, joined by “Batman at 45” author Chris Gould , look at the film from many directions: the fantastic music, the new elements not seen in season one (Compressed Steam Batpole Lift!), the references to Lyndon Baines Johnson (both the man and his policies!), the dangers on the Batman set, the dynamic among the four villains, and much more.
Feb 04, 2016•1 hr 34 min
Having finished Season One, this episode we take a breather and consider what we've learned. Firstly, just because a show is successful doesn't mean it has money to throw around. We explore such aspects as Joker 's laugh, the lack of continuity in '60s TV shows, and the interesting camera work sometimes employed on the series -- deep shots such as Penguin watching the Duo from afar. We do all this through the lens of a 2008 interview of show co-creator Lorenzo Semple Jr. - what it tells us about...
Jan 21, 2016•1 hr 7 min
The Penguin is back, but this time his hideout and henchman names are on the theme of fish, rather than birds! And he’s aiming to steal all the money donated by millionaires to smokin’ hot babes (each girl representing a charity, of course). Yes, the final arc of Season One is also its most sexist — and that’ s not even considering the rather suggestive bellows scene ! Tim and Paul discuss this arc’s Playboy Mansion feel, the staggering count of plot holes, the subtle joke at the expense of the ...
Jan 07, 2016•55 min
In Frank Gorshin 's last Bat-appearance till Season Three, the Riddler 's making a movie. Silent-film-scholar Paul is digging this arc! But why does the Prince of Puzzlers bother filming Batman and Robin when he's got luscious, leggy Sherry Jackson on his team? More to ponder: This arc is based on a comics story in which the Joker , not the Riddler, impersonated Charlie Chaplin . Does this work as a Riddler story? Also: Francis X. Bushman reunites with a silent-era costar; why the " Aunt Harriet...
Dec 31, 2015•1 hr 8 min
And at last we reach the Bookworm arc, perhaps one of the greatest of the series. I mean, it's got a giant cookbook in it! And it's got a shocking first scene, the great Roddy McDowell , one of the best supporting gangs we've seen, the first bat-climb cameo... oh, and did we mention the giant cookbook? True, it also contains the seeds of some of Season Two's excesses. But overall, you can't go wrong letting a writer write about a villain who's... a bad writer. Tim and Paul discuss some of the ar...
Dec 17, 2015•59 min
Victor Buono as King Tut is perhaps the most divisive villain among Bat-fans: some call him a genius, others roll their eyes whenever he appears. What is it that makes him more/less fun than the Joker or the Penguin? In this episode, having just watched "The Curse of Tut" and "The Pharaoh's in a Rut", we discuss this question and others: Why are there so many dummies in this episode? (Bruce certainly acts like one in the museum scene...) What happened to the Batmobile's security functions? Who t...
Dec 03, 2015•1 hr 1 min
Joker's latest crime is a hit on a fur store, in which he steals -- a hairpin? The story in "The Joker Trumps an Ace" and "Batman Sets the Pace" is loosely based on a comic-book story ("A Hairpin, a Hoe, a Hacksaw, and a Hole in the Ground") from Batman 53 (1949) — a bit too loosely, so that it doesn't quite make sense. This episode, Tim and Paul discuss the source material penned by Bill Finger, and how Francis and Marian Cockrell's script removes the Hoe, the Hacksaw, and the logic. Also: Does...
Nov 19, 2015•51 min
In Frank Gorshin’s third turn as the Riddler , the Prince of Puzzlers follows a very clear plan toward his goal of finding the Lost Treasure of the Incas, while taking credit for stuff Shakespeare wrote. Company man Batman , meanwhile, lauds the Incas' culinary achievements. Tim and Paul watch this arc and muse on its theme of preservation, the developments in Nelson Riddle ’s music for death traps, and note that the Gotham City Museum building looks strangely familiar....
Nov 05, 2015•56 min
Penguin’s back! And he’s -- gone straight? Meanwhile, the Duo commit a series of crimes in the name of bringing the waddling old avian to justice -- because surely he’s up to no good -- right? Tim & Paul analyze what could be seen as a rather dark arc -- if it weren't so funny!
Oct 29, 2015•59 min
What's your Bat-dream job? For Mark Racop it's making replica Batmobiles -- which has been his sole source of income at Fiberglass Freaks in Logansport, Indiana, since 2003. This episode we talk with Mark about the car's history, what it was really capable of doing vs. what was just special effects, how he got into the game and became the sole authorized maker of replica Batmobiles, and why the black, bubble-windshielded beauty still means so much to so many....
Oct 15, 2015•1 hr
At last, it's time to talk Catwoman! Lovely Julie Newmar 's first appearance on the show finally gives us a strong female character -- but what exactly do we mean by "strong female"? Also, how lines that strike adults as "what a square Batman is" jokes also worked to impart serious messages to kids, Nelson Riddle's beautiful musical narration, another raunchy joke that got past the censors, and more. About that cat in Zelda's workshop: Way too big to be one of the statues Catwoman stole!...
Oct 01, 2015•1 hr 2 min
Malachi Throne's turn as False Face was one of the oddest villain appearances in the history of the show. Throne was only credited as "?" until the closing credits of part two -- why? Throne gave at least two different stories about this ; which should we believe? While William Dozier thought the arc was a failure, and False Face never appeared again, some now regard this one as their favorite. Why? We discuss this question, as well as the mysterious cameo by two people on a subway, how TV False...
Sep 24, 2015•1 hr 1 min
This time we feature " Joker Goes to School " and " He Meets His Match, the Grisly Ghoul ," a fun arc that deviates from the formula that the series had established up to this point. Tim and Paul discuss these two episodes well-written scenes and weird errors, and the surprising susceptibility of Gotham’s teenagers to the lure of crime. Plus, a quick look at the career of Donna Loren , who plays Joker’s cheerleader moll, Susie....
Sep 10, 2015•58 min
You've heard it said millions of times that Adam West Batman is "campy". But... what exactly does that mean ? This episode, Tim and Paul explore camp. What is it? Where did the term come from? What's the difference between "camp" and "camping"? What does Batman have in common with drag queens? Also: Was Batman '66 a "sitcom"? Susan Sontag's " Notes On Camp " " Camp " on Wikipedia...
Aug 27, 2015•51 min
It's David Wayne's first appearance as the foppish Mad Hatter! Tim and Paul discuss other highlights of Wayne's career besides his two faceoffs with that other Wayne, Bruce! Doesn't Robin seem underemployed in this episode? Why is this arc's writer, Charles Hoffman, often dissed by Bat-fans? What's his connection to Diane McBain, who plays Lisa? Plus, the super-cool Super Instant Mesmerizer, why Tim found the plaster-dumping cliffhanger frightening when he was 9, and the surprising number of act...
Aug 13, 2015•56 min
The Riddler's back! And he's... focused. Less giggly, more speechy. This time he kidnaps a king (Reginald Denny), then threatens to blow up the (invisible?) Queen of Freedom monument. By the way, who IS Reginald Denny? A homing device again? That trick never works! Well... almost never. Also, Museum of Fame? Campiest. Museum. EVER. Tim and Paul discuss "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away" and "When the Rat's Away the Mice Will Play"!
Jul 30, 2015•47 min
We reach the first female villain in the series, Zelda the Great (Anne Baxter) -- but she's not so much a villain as a passenger to her benefactor's schemes. This occasions much discussion between Tim and Paul about not only the show's attitude toward women, but on what makes the show "campy" and what the appeal of camp was. Also, the comic book story on which this arc was based, in which Zelda's role was male. Why make the magician female? Did that change have unintended consequences? What comi...
Jul 16, 2015•54 min
It's George Sanders as Mr. Freeze! Unless you're a movie buff, you might not know much else that George Sanders did in film -- or why, in comparison, his Batman performance is a bit disappointing. Tim and Paul discuss. Also: Why did the writers make Batman responsible for Mr. Freeze’s condition? Where else did Shelby Grant and Robert Hogan appear? And the usual plausibility concerns — but maybe logical plotting just wasn't a priority on ‘60s TV?
Jul 02, 2015•54 min
Delicious! The Joker's TV debut! His inclusion in the Comedians' Hall of Fame! Tim and Paul discuss the various absurdities of this arc, its commentary on the power of the media, the series' portrayal of "deluded" women swayed into a life of crime, and more -- including a few gags that could get us voted into the Hall, too! Everybody stuff those ballot boxes!
Jun 18, 2015•34 min
This time Tim and Paul take a break from the episode-by-episode analysis to touch on some stray points that have come up. Why did the show drop us into the middle of Batman's career, skipping an origin story except for a couple of expository comments? What's Batman’s motivation as a character in the show, and how has that changed over time in the comics? Are we all misremembering a famous line from episode 2? Is Batman a bumbler? Finally, some Bat-trivia — what’s spinning before the opening sequ...
Jun 04, 2015•27 min
