TV Series: Batman

Over the last two weeks I've been catching up with the Batman TV series. I can't call it bingeing. I've only been watching about two episodes a day. I bought the Blu-ray box set when it was first released in 2015. That's when I was bingeing. I watched it up to the middle of the second season. Then I stopped. I can't give an exact reason, except that my preference has always been films over television series. The box set has been sitting on my shelf unwatched for the last five years, ever since I moved to Germany. Now it's time to watch the rest.

"Batman" (the series) was a big part of my life in my early teens. When I lived in Walsall I used to visit my grandparents every Saturday afternoon. We lived close to one another. My family lived at 30 Westbourne Street, and they lived at 35 Borneo Street. (I've named the exact addresses so that any of my readers who live in Walsall can check). They're only about a quarter of a mile apart. I had a Saturday evening ritual. Some time after 4 pm the pop man came and delivered the week's supply of pop for my grandparents. At 5:20 pm I poured a glass of orangeade, but I didn't drink it straight away. I waited until "Doctor Who" started, which was approximately 5:25 pm, depending on how long the broadcast of the sports results lasted. When the opening credits of "Doctor Who" started I took my first sip of the delicious pop.

I've never tasted any pop as delicious as the Corona orangeade. It's not sold any more. It was discontinued some time in the 1990's. That's a shame. After all these years I still remember the taste.

Later in the evening "Batman" was shown. I think it was 7 pm, but I'm not completely sure. What I do remember is that "Batman" marked the end of my evening with my grandparents. As soon as it finished I walked back home. "Batman" was shown twice a week, on Saturday and Sunday at the same time. I usually watched the Sunday episode at home, but if my parents wanted to watch something else (usually something awful like cricket) I'd go to my grandparents to watch it.

Some Batman fans complain that the series isn't faithful to the comics, because it's light-hearted and comical, not as dark as the comics. They're badly informed. When the Batman comics were first published in 1939 the stories were dark. The Comics Code Authority, created in 1954, put pressure on DC Comics to make the stories more suitable for children. Throughout the 1960's the Batman comics were camp and comical. The TV series was a faithful adaptation of the comics. It wasn't until 1977 that Batman returned to his dark roots.

The villains in the series are all iconic. Maybe I'll write about them all in future reviews, but today I'll concentrate on Catwoman. She's played by Julie Newmar in the first two seasons, and by Eartha Kitt in the third season. Julie Newmar was an incredibly sexy woman, which I recognised even as a young teenager.

The relationship between Batman and Catwoman began slowly in the first season, but by the middle of the second season it's at full speed. What's more intimate than sharing a milk shake? More than once Catwoman promises to renounce crime and become Batman's partner. The only condition is that Robin has to be killed, because three's a crowd.

They're really enjoying that milk shake.

Batwoman takes Catwoman for a ride in the Batmobile.

He even invites her back to the Batcave.

It's a bumpy relationship. She still ties Batman up when he tries to stop her stealing.

Or is he enjoying it?

Here's an amusing little detail. When Catwoman is in prison, her number is 39-24-37. Very appropriate!

Batman admires Catwoman's 39's. Be careful! She'll tie you up again!

There was a Green Hornet TV series that was broadcast at the same time as the second season of "Batman". The Green Hornet and Kato appear as guests in two "Batman" episodes.

Yes, that's Bruce Lee as Kato. It's a shame that "Green Hornet" was cancelled after only one season.

I'll carry on watching the rest of the Batman series. Slowly but surely. I might even write a few words about it in my blog.

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