Batman repeats on ITV4

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stevezodiac
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Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by stevezodiac »

ITV4 have shown the Batman series three times over now but from tomorrow (Monday) they are showing them at 7am, or 6.50am depending on the day, which means you can watch them before leaving for work/school - or record them without having to worry about setting timers. I think this week they are up to the start of series three where Batgirl joins the cast. Sadly Frank Gorshin had left so no Riddler in that series.

Frank Gorshin was a brilliant impressionist and whenever you hear someone say, in a John Wayne voice, "Get off your horse and drink your milk" that came form Frank - I remember seeing him do it in a special shown on BBC2 around 1970. It is still being used now in an advert on Talksport.

Chris O'Leary
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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by Chris O'Leary »

I saw a recent afternoon repeat. It was so good I watched it again on ITV4+1 (available on satellite)

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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by alanultron5 »

I'm probably one of the few who likes the third series (It was never shown in UK in the 1960s) Not for Batgirl but for the `off the wall` humour that really took hold that season!

Egghead and Olga were a great duo and Ida Lupino and Howard Duff as Cassandra Spellcraft and Cabala are such a sight!

I know plots were non-existant-but after the first season the show was stuck in an over-repetitive formula! Wacky comedy and totally `bats` stories were the only way to go in my opinion!
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stevezodiac
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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by stevezodiac »

And there was the lovely Glynis Johns as Lady Penelope Peasoup in a three parter set in Londinium. With five mini-skirted beauties as henchwomen. The male villains had those deplorable cockney accents that Dick Van Dyke set the standard for - another turned up in a Man From UNCLE episode "Ow! Arv broke ma blooman' tooth!" female that time though.

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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by alanultron5 »

Yes Steve! That `representation` of the London dockyards takes some beating for sheer inaccurately!

Louie the Lilac trying to influence the `Flower People` was just so ludicrous it makes great viewing.

Series three has easily the `battiest` death traps-especially the one where The Joker tries to turn Batman & Robin into surfboards!! :o

Oh yes! Nora Clavicle got Batman, Robin & Batgirl all tied up in a sort of deadly `human knot` Well . . . I bet Burt Ward certainly enjoyed those scenes! :oops:
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stevezodiac
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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by stevezodiac »

The Joker and Batman having a surfing contest was daft. They both go into a changing room and emerge, still wearing their costumes, but with baggy surfing shorts on as well. Bit like Bungle Bear running around naked all day then putting his pyjamas on to go to bed. I believe Burt Ward had some success with the ladies while appearing in Batman. Of course Frank Gorshin had left the series by then so no Riddler in the 3rd series.

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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by alanultron5 »

Sorry Steve - but Frank Gorshin `Was` in the third season - just the once in the seasons second episode! It was the one he tried to beat Batman in a prize fight!! Joan Collins debut as the `Siren` that ep and she was in the following episode!

The reason that Frank Gorshin wasn't in Season two was a dispute over money! The series put John Astin in as the Riddler late on in season two-but he wasn't very good in the role so the producers gave in to Frank Gorshins demands.

Series 3 had Eartha Kitt as Catwoman due to Julie Newmar committed on a film. Other filming commitments were the reason that Newmar wasn't in the film either (Lee Merriweather filled in for her)

The villian that was played by the most actors was "Mr Freeze" George Sanders in season 1 and Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach in season 2. Only one actor played two seperate villians - Anne Baxter who was Madame Zelda in season 1 and then, far better as `Olga, Queen on the Bessorovian Cossacks` who partnered wonderfully with `Egghead` in series 3.

Burt Ward certainly was `affected` by attractive ladies on the set! They gave him Bromide tablets to control it!

Lesley Gore who played `Pussycat` in a season 2 `Catwoman` story told how part of Burts anatomy still got out of control (despite the Bromide) when they played scenes together and temporary special strapping was used to `dampen` things down a bit!

Naughty Burt! :o :o :oops:
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Niblet
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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by Niblet »

Frank Zappa wrote and produced a single by Burt Ward - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af7fgwpnly8

This is the b side, which wasn't written by Zappa-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03F4nmPow9M

http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/related/Burt_Ward.html

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stevezodiac
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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by stevezodiac »

And when John Astin didn't work as The Riddler they introduced a new villain The Puzzler. John Astin was in I'm Dickens, He's Fenster - an early 60s sitcom and one of my earliest tv memories. Along with the Pingwings of course which I still adore.

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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by alanultron5 »

Ironically, in the Batman comic-the Riddler was very much a `lesser` villian. It was the sucess of him in the TV series that promoted the character in the comic book.

A couple of characters in the mid 1960s comic that wern't used in the TV series were "The Scarecrow" and "The Outsider" Both were seen as bieng far too scary for children. I'm not certain but I think the `Outsider` was actually Alfred who had been changed into the very strange looking villian by some form of outer-space radiation.

Speaking of attractive ladies in season 3 Steve. I must admit I really fancy Barbra (Nora Clavicle) Rush! Naughty me!
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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

Burt Ward later claimed that the fame he attained as Robin in this show was his 'passport' to deviant couplings and 'free love' on a lavish scale---this is probably the most 'tastefully ' I can word this...........

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Re: Batman repeats on ITV4

Post by alanultron5 »

Tis` true `Spyguy` When Adam West gave an interview to ITV's morning show (Was that GMTV?) following the very sucessful Batman Repeats in the early 90s Burt Wards `Activities` were mentioned and Adam jokingly coined the phrase "Burt Ward, Orgy Master"

Both of them got back on "The Batcave Revisited" DVD (Made 2003, released 2005) Goodness me! Old Burt had reallty put on a `Lot` of weight in that - his appetites not just sexual either! He was very good in it though to be fair to him.

Old adverseries Frank Gorshin and Julie Newmar played themselves-but as villianous actors rather than their villianous counterparts. Frank looked very frail and I think since that was made he has sadly passed on.

Also appearing in a `waitress` cameo was Lee Merriweather who was the Film `Catwoman` (She was never in the TCV series) she looked really well in 2003.

Speaking of the Film. Due to copywrite wrangles no flashback scenes from the TV series could be used on the "Batcave" DVD- only scenes from the film. Such A shame!
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