WHY ISNT THE BATMAN TV SERIES OUT ON DVD!!!!

[bastard_robo]

I NEED MY WEST DAMN IT!!!!!!


Probably one of the greatest Tv series of all time, huge pop culture phenomenom, and best of all, THE WEST!, isnt on DVD!!!!


WHAT THE HELL!!!

[Shane]

The movie is, isn't that enougf?

I mean how mucho of it could you watch?

I say this with the realization that |I would buy it and watch it daily with my kids.

[DirtyRatBastard]

well, it took forever and a day for me to recieve Rockford on DVD, but I kept the faith, as should you.

The easier answer though is that the Batman series is contractually tied up. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that it aired on ABC, which technically makes it a Disney property now, however, since the intellectual property of Batman is a Warner Bros. possession, you won't see Batman on DVD until rights and royalty issues are hashed out...which sucks, I know.

Just thank the market of competitive commerce for your pain.

[ONeillSG1]

How many season were there total?

I was young when I saw the local Channel 11 re-runs (WPIX-NY) and it was all a blur to me.

[Shane]

http://www.sell.com/2ZZD8

[ONeillSG1]

Is that an official release or a bootleg?

[Shane]

Is that an official release or a bootleg?

yes

[DirtyRatBastard]

I smell shenanigans

[ONeillSG1]

Is that an official release or a bootleg?

yes

You are worse than a civil lawyer on coke.

[zombieslayer]

I smell shenanigans

Everyone get your brooms!

[ONeillSG1]

I smell shenanigans

Everyone get your brooms!

Why?

Damn, I inadvertantly gave this a bump.

My bad.

EDIT: UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!!! YES!!! MY TO THE "T"!!!! OWNGE!!!

[Shane]

it's bootleg, but |I saw alot of old tv bootlegs around if you really want it on dvd you can find it.

[kortanaskew]

well, it took forever and a day for me to recieve Rockford on DVD, but I kept the faith, as should you.

The easier answer though is that the Batman series is contractually tied up. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that it aired on ABC, which technically makes it a Disney property now, however, since the intellectual property of Batman is a Warner Bros. possession, you won't see Batman on DVD until rights and royalty issues are hashed out...which sucks, I know.

Some day we'll see it. Also the movie is a FOX Release. And the show it was done under 20th centruy Fox television.

It gets complicated for the old stuff when a film a competing movie studio NOW owns the comic company. The marvel stuff just comes out under who put it out originally. But the DC stuff, they want it to come out under warner and some negotiations have to be struck for it to happen.

Liek the Batman Serials. Those were put out under Columbia Tri-star. But must have had Blessings from DC as they had all new Batman artwork on their covers.

Previous releases just ahd actual dull pictures fromt he serial on the TAPEs.

[bc1970]

Rockford got brought up. That took a while supposedly due to legal fisticuffs between Garner and Universal. I guess it got sorted out. Lee Majors had sued for royalties also for Six Million Dollar Man, right about the time The Farraly's were gonna do a movie with Chris Rock. It was for back money on the show and Universal Amusement Park stuff, plus probably a cut from the movie. SMDM is on dvd in the UK, so I hope it gets figured out over here.

[kortanaskew]

i just want to bring up this point now to show what kind of a mess these rights must be in.

While watching the special features on the Batman Anthology set, they show clips from Batman serials, and all of the old cartoons. But when it came to the TV series not one image of Adam West's show was to be seen.


It looks like we'll see the old Batman filmation cartoon before we see the 1966 Batman live action series.

[Retardo_Montalban]

http://www.deluxed.de/sb/files/batmanurdurdur.swf

I thought this was funny. It's an actual song and it never ends. Ever. I've had it on for 10 minutes now.

[Shane]

They need to just do a new quality batman series.

[Shane]

http://www.deluxed.de/sb/files/batmanurdurdur.swf

I thought this was funny. It's an actual song and it never ends. Ever. I've had it on for 10 minutes now.

and I got yelled at by my wife for that thing.

it's great.

[JoMovie]

They need to just do a new quality batman series.

One would think an updating for a series would be in order.

Superman has had enough series Tv

Time to give the Dark Knight his due once again.

[HollywoodBabylon]

The TV series of 'Batman was as camp as a row of tents. Trash-TV at is best.
Maybe John Waters should direct any proposed new series.

[Doc Holliday]

I'm amazed this isn't already available! Perhaps its because when all the people who were involved with the show get together again they decide to get back on the coke instead

The fanbase is so dedicated...re-releasing is just a license to print money, you'd think.

Me personally, I'd like to see them re-release just to put some cash in Adam West's coffers.

I watched last year the Adam West evening on the Biography channel and I've got to hand it to that guy...he really has been at the very top and also rock rock bottom as well....but he always seemed to take it in his stride and handle the fans with the same dedication/love for the show as he had the day he auditioned.

Even when he was reduced to horrid appearances at cattle fayres where hardly anyone knew him. His life is fascinating.....he fell in love with his wife the first time he ever met her...but she was betrothed to another (think it was his producer) so he left it at that. A few years later this guy died and the future mrs west went to Europe...I think it was Paris.

West went to Paris, with nothing but a memory of what she looked like - no address, no sense of what job she had taken - or even if she was even still there...yet, after a couple of months he found her, romanced her and soon they married, which they remain happily so, to this very day.

I love that story - and wish I had the humility he possesses.

[Shane]

The TV series of 'Batman was as camp as a row of tents. Trash-TV at is best.
Maybe John Waters should direct any proposed new series.

What?

you know it would be just like the 60's series but with batman and robin doing it.

Bad idea.

[HollywoodBabylon]

The TV series of 'Batman was as camp as a row of tents. Trash-TV at is best.
Maybe John Waters should direct any proposed new series.

What?

you know it would be just like the 60's series but with batman and robin doing it.

Bad idea.

What?

You mean to tell me Batman and Robin weren't "doing it" (so to speak) in the 60's series............?
Watch it again. You may be shocked.

[Shane]

[quot e="HollywoodBabylon"]The TV series of 'Batman was as camp as a row of tents. Trash-TV at is best.
Maybe John Waters should direct any proposed new series.

What?

you know it would be just like the 60's series but with batman and robin doing it.

Bad idea.

What?

You mean to tell me Batman and Robin weren't "doing it" (so to speak) in the 60's series............?
Watch it again. You may be shocked. [/quote]

That series was just wrong.

I'd like to see something more along the lines as Batman begins in a series. not alot of over the top action, but some long and interesting plots that carry throughout.

in a tone a bit more down to earth and serious than the Flash was.

[Doc Holliday]

in a tone a bit more down to earth and serious than the Flash was.

If its the movie version I'm thinking of (Amanda Pays?)...you could be a comedy clown on Pluto and still fit the criteria above.....

...the bit in that film that made me laugh loudest was the dramatic reveal of his insignia....

.....all that was missing beforehand was an actual drum, literally rolling across the stage...

[Shane]

Flash was probibally the best superhero t.v. series made. Nobody has given the whole superhero thing a serious thought on television without changing it so drasticly that it no longer resembles a superhero show. (Smallville)

I would love to see almost any D.C. or Marvel done well as a series. I think batman would be great to go with, or do a sandman series, and structure it after shows like Carnivale.

I think I got off topic.

[TheButcher]

Warner Bros. Set to Produce Merchandise Based on Adam West Batman Series

Could a new deal between Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and the cast of the 1960s Batman series potentially open the door to DVDs finally being made?

Warner Bros. sets licensing for 'Batman' show - Rights issues resolved on Fox's campy 1960s series

As a blitz of merchandise hits store shelves for "The Dark Knight Rises," Warner Bros. is turning to a campier source for a new Caped Crusader product: the 1960s "Batman" TV series.

For the first time in 40 years, Warner Bros. Consumer Products will be able to use the likeness of the show's stars, including Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Alan Napier, Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith, on everything from apparel to toys, home goods, publishing and promotions.

WBCP will introduce the new "Batman" product opportunities to potential partners and retailers at next week's Licensing Expo, running June 12-14 in Las Vegas. First products will launch in the spring.

Retailers had requested a larger merchandise line tied to the show over the years, but studio arm had previously been able to use only the series' logo, POW!-packed animated opening sequence and the Batmobile for product, not the actors, due to rights issues as the series was produced by 20th Century Fox. As a result, studio was limited to a small line of T-shirts and a die-cast Batmobile made by Mattel.

Studio began negotiating with Fox, West and the estates of the show's other thesps for the rights to their likenesses in August 2009. Batman is a DC Comics character.

Division is eager to exploit the "Batman" series, which aired on ABC from 1966-68, especially its colorful characters, gadgets like the Bat phone and Bat boat, and kitschy humor, an easier sell for retailers than the darker, more serious and gritty tone of Christopher Nolan's film trilogy.

Company is talking to department stores about carrying exclusive lines of "Batman" show merchandise, the way Bloomingdale's turned to its household brands like Marc Jacobs and Psycho Bunny to tap into the 75th anniversary of DC Comics.

"For the first time in over 40 years we will be able to offer fans a full merchandise program that captures the classic, kitschy look and feel of the original 'Batman' TV show," said Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "This new licensing program allows our partners to take advantage of the characters, gadgets and humor that made the show a smash hit in its day and a perennial favorite decades later."

Warner Bros. also will promote "Man of Steel," the next two "Hobbit" films, "The Looney Tunes Show," "The Wizard of Oz," "Scooby-Doo" and "ThunderCats" TV shows at the Licensing Expo.

[TheButcher]

The Batman '66 Project: A Graphic Design Love Letter To The Campy Caped Crusader

[TheButcher]

Editorial: Contemporary Superhero Films Should Take a Lesson from BATMAN: THE MOVIE



Mattel Announces an Adam West Batman Toy Line - Could a DVD release of the 1960's show be far behind?

[TheButcher]

5.2 Reasons it's the Right Time to Dig the Batman TV Series

CBR:
DC to launch digital-first Batman comic based on classic TV show [Updated with art]

CA:
DC Announces 1966 'Batman' Comic By Jeff Parker, Jonathan Case and Michael Allred

[TheButcher]

What Secret Plans Are There For The ’66 Batman TV Show At Comic-Con?

Fixed.

Thanks!
Batman ’66 TV Series Coming To DVD? This Comic-Con Bag Seems To Say So

[TheButcher]

Rumours Of A New Batman TV Show Without Batman

At San Diego Comic Con I heard rumours, but only when back in London, do they seem to have coalesced. They do, however, seem to be incorrect.

It seems sure now that we’re getting the Batman 1966 DVD finally released after Fox and Warners did some kind of intra-company deal.

But at San Diego I was also hearing that, with the success of Arrow recently, the end of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, and the predicted success of the Agents Of SHIELD TV show that it is time for a new Batman show, living in the continuity of those Batman movies.

That the show would be a side story to the main Batman event however, focused on the Five Families of Gotham, the mafia that run the city, and how their criminal and corrupt political power base is impacted by the emerging of Batman in the scene, though he would rarely be seen in the show And considerable influence from the classic DC series Gotham Central.

However, while many people want such a show to exist, informed Bleeding Cool sources at Warners insist that no such show is on the cards. Now, as we know from the Doctor Who Missing Episodes rumours, fan blinkers can exist at all levels of an industry. But there’s no reason why such a show couldn’r exist. Something like it must have been discussed at Warners at some point. And if a few people are rather more excited about what ifs and possibles than reality would justify – well, ideas have to come from somewhere don’t they?

[TheButcher]

1960s Batman TV Series To Hit DVD This Year‏

[TheButcher]

BATMAN vs. GODZILLA

As a child of the seventies, I grew up watching Batman reruns and Godzilla Saturday matinees on television, but even with my fervent imagination I never dreamed of a crossover between the two. The studios that held the rights to the characters, on the other hand, considered that very thing back before I was even born, each of them envisioning the combo as a sequel to their own successful sixties-era movies.

Toho Studios, following the financial success of 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla, was eager to pit their giant radioactive dinosaur against another American icon, and set their sights on the Caped Crusader. So in 1965, Godzilla series screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa wrote a proposal for Batman vs. Godzilla.

Inventory of the William Dozier Papers, 1941-1977

http://martingrams.blogspot.com/2011/05 ... eries.html

[TheButcher]

Bleeding Cool:
Denver Comic Con Celebrates Batman’s 75th Anniversary With ’66 Cast Appearances

Denver Comic Con is going full steam ahead on June 13th through 15th after doubling its number of attendees last year and epic growth since its opening in 2012. This time they are definitely playing to the huge interest in iconic TV properties (Star Trek was the big theme last year) by bringing in Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar and Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman in Batman: the Animated Series).

The appearances will connect with panel sessions, including a “reunion” panel for the ’66 cast. Conroy will also be participating in voice actors panels, spreading the Batman celebration throughout the con. These guests join previously announced Batman comic book creators Neal Adams, Christopher Jones, Yanick Paquette and Peter Tomasi. From TV to comics, this is going to be a very Bat-con, with DCC teasing more Batman-related announcements and guests still to come.

[TheButcher]

Batman, Green Hornet Meet Again After 47 Years
DC and Dynamite team up for a new digital and print comic series featuring the first meeting of the two millionaire vigilantes since an episode of the 1960s "Batman" TV series, co-written by Kevin Smith.

[TheButcher]

The Definitive Riddler
As Batman's Baddest Enemy, Frank Gorshin Has No Peer

Despite the surfeit of available character actors roaming Hollywood's studio lots in the mid-1960s, there were precious few who could have convincingly portrayed an insidious madman who terrorizes Gotham City while sporting a pair of skin-tight lime leotards bespangled with black question marks.

With the infallible luxury of hindsight, Frank Gorshin seems to be the only performer who could have pulled off such a brilliant and complicated stunt, as he did on the "Batman" TV show. It's hard to believe that anyone, regardless of his star power, could break Gorshin's link to the role of the Riddler--Batman's wackiest and deadliest arch-enemy.

John Astin tried, when Gorshin was unable to fulfill his riddling obligations on one particular "Batman" episode, because of another performing commitment. But Astin never really fit the suit, and his waxed mustache made him look more like a wimpy organ grinder than a ruthless criminal. What's more, he lacked that confident air and daredevil insanity that Gorshin conveyed so effortlessly on screen. He also couldn't giggle as incessantly or maniacally as his predecessor.

This summer, of course, Jim Carrey takes a whack at the role in "Batman Forever." Early returns suggest that he may be the one talent with enough reckless abandon to redefine the character's psychosis and create a whole new image of the Riddler in the minds of "Batman" aficionados. Gorshin hasn't seen the movie yet but even he agrees, saying, "Jim Carrey will be fantastic; he's a talented gentleman."

But there's an amazingly loyal fan base that holds the original TV show as gospel; those loyal fans, though presumably tolerant of Carrey's portrayal, will forever see only one man as the Riddler: Frank Gorshin.

After catching Gorshin's comedy act in Las Vegas in the mid-'60s, William Dozier, executive producer of the TV "Batman," knew the young performer had everything required to play the coveted part of the Prince of Puzzlers: an explosive, manic energy and live-wire daftness that would offset the deadpan campiness and highbrow corn of the television show. So believable were these qualities that viewers, though amused and enthralled by Gorshin's performance of the vivacious villain, would always wonder at the end of a Riddler episode if he was, in fact, really acting.

"I was acting all right," says Gorshin, who was interviewed in May when he was in Las Vegas starring as Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls." His voice, though noticeably attenuated from his nightly performances, still retains the famed elasticity that helped earn him his propers as an impressionist.

"More importantly, I enjoyed playing the Riddler, mostly because it did so much for me and my career."

Good `bad guy' roles

Before his stint as Batman's most fiendish foe, Gorshin was the ranking opening act in Las Vegas, playing big-name clubs and casinos during the early '60s, while occasionally nabbing a TV role or two. Impressions and standup were primarily his bag, though he earned kudos as a dramatic performer on television with his work on "Naked City."

He was landing more and more character roles on the sitcom circuit but, much to Gorshin's chagrin, he was rarely considered for "good guy" parts; in fact, when an actor was needed to play a shady, unsavory part, Gorshin's phone would inevitably ring before anyone else's in Hollywood.

Take his bit on "The Munsters," where he guest starred as the unctuous Dirty Deal Dan, a fast-talking, sharp-shooting used car salesman who pawned off a lemon on Marilyn Munster. Or as the racist alien with a split personality on "Star Trek," wreaking havoc down the halls of the Starship Enterprise.

"Hey, I didn't try to do bad-guy parts," he says emphatically, like a guy who has spent a career dispelling a common misconception about his typecasting. "But that's how everybody saw me. It's this strange dichotomy: People that know me can't imagine me being a bad guy. But people, when they meet me, see me as nothing but the bad guys.

"Believe me, I never wanted to be a bad guy; I wanted to play the hero too."

The casting of the ever-limber Gorshin as the Riddler catapulted the actor into a newfound stratosphere of popularity; it may also have been the key ingredient in the show's quick success. According to executive producer Dozier in Joel Eisner's "The Official Batman Batbook," early test marketing of a pilot show was greeted with tepid response. Audiences, it seemed, were either too jaded to appreciate yet another cartoon hero coming to life on television or too unsophisticated to catch the spirit of the show's broad, albeit deadpan, comedic stylings.

It was a tall order

However, according to Dozier (whose stentorian voice reminded viewers of the "Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel" at the close of every episode), ABC was desperately searching for a program to fill the choice 7:30 p.m. Wednesday slot. Ignoring the foreboding test market results, the network purchased 13 episodes of "Batman" as almost a last-ditch attempt to fill a gap in its spotty midweek lineup.

After the deal was closed, network executives did everything in their power to stave off the nagging pangs of buyer's remorse, and with good reason: If the test marketing was any indication, the young network could have easily purchased the biggest bomb in television's short history.

Still, there was hope. With solid writing, intelligent casting and a strong debut, the show had a shot. This rather tall order had to be filled in the first episode. Knowing they had to put their best foot forward, the producers decided to turn Gorshin's Riddler loose as the first villain to match wits with the solemn, wooden-faced West as the Caped Crusader.

That premiere, two-part episode, "Hi Diddle Riddle--Smack in the Middle," aired on Jan. 12, 1966, marking the beginning of a quirky television phenomenon that was unlike anything seen before, or after, the show's magical three-season run.

Gorshin, though playing down his contributions on the premiere, remains grateful to the producers for giving him the nod on the first episode, and also for giving him carte blanche to play the character as he saw fit.

"They really let me do what I wanted," he says. "And all I kept thinking was, when I was a kid, I remember reading the Riddler . He was a fun guy, even though his fun was derived from evil doings. But he had a great zest for life, and so much so that he constantly giggled, and laughed and loved the whole game, and fancied himself as being able to do everything and anything.

"With this, I thought, `Gee, that'd be fun to play.' And it was," he says.

Gorshin says he was in no way surprised by the series' instant success:

"I knew this was a hot show, though it only lasted three seasons. I knew because it was different, it was a pioneer in a lot of ways. It got a lot of publicity and acquired a strong following, and in the reruns it took on a whole new life and became even more successful," he says.

Impressions of youth

Gorshin says that until "Batman" gave him his big break, his star had been rising steadily, if slowly. For a while, he thought he was destined to become the world's most famous warm-up act and nothing more.

He was born in Pittsburgh 62 years ago and remained there through his college years at Carnegie Tech, where he studied drama. When he was in high school, he started to do impressions, first of friends and family, then celebrities.

"I don't know why I started doing impressions," he says, "I just knew I could do them. I would enter talent contests and win and so I figured when I graduate, I'd study drama. It seemed like the natural thing to do."

He found himself in the U.S. Army's Special Services after college, performing for troops stationed in Germany and England during the 1950s. A series of events and auditions finally led the young Gorshin to Las Vegas, where he quickly earned a reputation as an irrepressibly energetic comic with one of the most life-like voice characterizations of Kirk Douglas on tap.

When asked if he still does a mean Kirk, Gorshin wastes no time slipping into character and peeling off his trademark Douglas line, "I ain't gonna eat this slop." Rest assured it's a bit that has aged well.

The only jump his career ever took, he says, is when he landed the part of the Riddler.

"Once that `Batman' episode aired," he says, "I was elevated to headliner and I was on my way."

Gorshin would go on to enjoy a flourishing career, both on stage and television. In fact, he recently took time off from "Guys and Dolls" to make a few cameo appearances on "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," and is about to open in "Breaking Legs" in Jacksonville, Fla. Gorshin's the first to admit, though, that nothing he has tackled has been so indelible as his portrayal of the Riddler.

Asked to summon a favorite memory from his days on the "Batman" series, Gorshin gives a few moments to a very silent reverie. Finally, he submits this account:

"I remember one day, I had my green Riddler underwear on, and the purple belt and mask. I ran into a friend of mine on the lot who I hadn't seen in a while. He turns to me, seeing me in this get-up, and says straight-faced, `Hi-ya, Frank . . .. you workin'?'

"I couldn't say anything. I just laughed."

[TheButcher]

New BATMAN: THE COMPLETE TELEVISON SERIES Trailer Reveals November Release
A new sizzle trailer reveals a November release for the much beloved Batman television series on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD.

[TheButcher]

BleedingCool:
From $284.99 To $39.98 – 5 Different Ways To Buy The Batman ’66 TV Series


io9:
This is how much better Batman '66 looks on Blu-Ray

[so sorry]

io9:
This is how much better Batman '66 looks on Blu-Ray

That's pretty impressive, and it doesn't look painted on or fake.

[TheButcher]

How the 1966 Batman Series Is the First Faithful Superhero Adaptation
We celebrate the release of the Batman TV series on Blu-ray with a look at its genesis and roots in comics and serials.

[TheButcher]

EW:
Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar return for animated Batman movie!
'Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders'

[TheButcher]

WILLIAM SHATNER TO VOICE TWO-FACE IN NEW BATMAN ANIMATED FILM
Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register revealed that the next DC Comics-based animated film will be a sequel to the ’66 Batman send-up, titled “Batman vs. Two-Face.”

[TheButcher]

io9:
Just Look at This Gorgeous Concept Art for the 1966 Batman Show