With the release of the first trailer for Batman V. Superman this week, audiences were introduced to a new Batman, one clad in armor and as menacing as possible. Last November, a completely different take on the character was finally released on home video. This version was played by Adam West and he was a character who fought crime by day, had a young side-kick named Robin, was helped by the police, and fought some of the most colorful villains TV has ever seen. This was the famed 1966 TV series, a show that played the ridiculous straight and in doing so changed superheroes and comedy forever. I have a pretty personal connection to this show from when I was younger, so when it came out I had to get it. I set out to watch the first season wondering if a show this over-the-top could still be fun. The answer was yes, emphatically yes.
Batman may be fresher today than when it first came out. Today as we take our superheroes so seriously it feels unique to see a superhero who just enjoys being a hero and who fights villains even more ridiculous than he is. If you want to get into this wonderful show, here are a few rules before you watch:
1. Do not expect this to be the Dark Knight: This is a light-hearted take on Batman. If you are looking for a darker version, you will not find it here.
2. Suspend your disbelief: The show knows that it is ridiculous and there are plenty of plot-holes to be found if you search for them. That being said, this series is far more enjoyable when you aren't trying to pick it apart and instead take it on face-value. Some episodes are genuinely, bad, but in the first season at least, they are almost uniformly excellent.
3. DO NOT binge-watch: Batman is a show with a definite formula. Binge-watching will only serve to dull its impact as a piece of entertainment.
With those out of the way here are some recommendations I can make based on the first season.
Best episode to start with: "Hi Diddle Riddle" All stories are two-parters in the first season and this is the first one. It's one of the boldest pilots ever to be broadcast and it contains some of the best moments in the show. It also features Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, one of the best portrayals of a villain ever. All Gorshin's Riddler shows in the first season are fantastic.
Best episode overall: "the Purr-fect crime" Catwoman's introduction is a perfect episodes with loads of great lines, action, and a great villain. The sets and death-traps also look great which makes this an incredibly entertaining episode of television and Batman's best.
Other great episodes: "Joker's Wild" is pretty much just as good as the others mentioned above. "the Bookworm Turns" Is one of the zaniest and most surprisingly good episodes you will find. Unfortunately, in the first season none of the Penguin episodes are really excellent, but "the Penguin Goes Straight" is a pretty good episode overall. There were really only a handful of first season episodes that I disliked, so overall it's hard to go wrong.
Overall, whether it be the humor, the fights with the sound-effects spelled out, or the crazy death-traps, Batman has so much to offer as a piece of entertainment. It is something that I would recommend to not only fans of the character but anyone who enjoys television in general.
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