It's common for things to be populair for a while and eventually go out of style. However, Batman has remained a pop cultuur icoon for decades. There has been several Batman shows. Despite all the advanced storytelling and technology that has come in recent decades, my favoriete version of Batman is the original one from 1966. It was the most entertaining toon of the 1960's, in addition to being one of the greatest superhero shows of all time. A lot of Batman fans scoff at this show, because they think it's an outdated joke of the past. However, I believe there's meer to this toon than just silliness.

The Plot

Out of all of the Batman shows there has ever been, this toon most closely follows the style of writing of Bill Finger. Bill Finger, the creator of Batman, had an upbeat, colorful and fun style of writing. The 60's toon has the same tone and creativity that Bill Finger's classic stories had. In fact, several episodes of the toon are adaptations of stories from the comics. This toon has often been mocked for being repetitive. While I can't deny that the toon has some repetition, I believe the toon has a lot of elements that keep it exciting. The show's villains tend to have a different scheme in each of their stories. For example, in one story, pinguïn attempts to become a director and in a different story, he tries to become the Mayor of Gotham. The villains don't do the same thing everytime which gives Batman and his allies a lot of interesting challenges to deal with. While the toon was heavily-based on the comics, it had plenty of original ideas. For example, there's an episode about Batman and the Joker having a surfing contest. That sounds absurd, but that's why it's so much fun. A guy in a bat suit surfing volgende to a clown is so delightfully odd and one-of-a-kind which summarizes what the whole toon is like.

In addition to being a ton of fun, the toon also has a lot of heart. The heroes of the toon are wholesome, respectable people who make the city a happier place. That's not how the modern Batman is written, but it is how Bill Finger's Batman was written. Despite how goofy the toon might seem, it actually has the heroes being heroic, saving people and being good role-models for kids and adults. The toon is written with heart, optimism and an upbeat look at the world, rather than being dark and cynical in an attempt to be "edgy" and "sophisticated."

The toon was made back when it was unknown who Batman's true creator was. Despite that, this toon feels like a 120-episode tribute to Bill Finger. Despite Bill Finger being Batman's original writer and the one who made Batman a likeable, fun character, modern writers and filmmakers don't seem to think it's important to represent his style of writing. However, the 60's toon passionately and gleefully embraces the innocent sense of justice and the unique types of entertainment that Bill Finger's stories were full of. Bill Finger was a humble, shy man who let someone else take credit for his creations. He had a difficult life, but his stories were full of hart-, hart and lighthearted entertainment. The 60's toon brings Bill Finger's morals and style to life. In fact, the show's Clock King story was written door Bill Finger, and that episode actually credited Bill Finger as a writer which is something the comics failed to do.

The Cast

This toon has one of the greatest casts in televisie history. I've gone on and on several times about how much I love Adam West. Adam West was so loveable and fun that his legacy continues to bring me happiness to this very day. While several good actors have played Batman, none can match the hart-, hart and warmth that Adam West brought to the role. He's the only actor who brought Bill Finger's vision of Batman to life. He and Burt Ward have great chemistry with each other. They come across as two vrienden who want to give people lots of fun, and that's something they certainly succeeded at. Yvonne Craig, who played Batgirl, was added to the toon in the 3rd season. She was a wonderful addition who brought a lot of female empowerment to the show. Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Alan Napier and Madge Blake all gave charming, likeable performances as the show's supporting cast. William Dozier, the show's creator, did an excellent job as the voice of the show's narrator.

As for the actors playing the villains, they're absolutely amazing. Very few actors of the modern age of Hollywood can compare to these guys. Several amazing actors have played the Joker over the years, but Cesar Romero had a fun-loving energy that's hard to top. Burgess Meredith made the pinguïn a charming, but sneaky mastermind who was endlessly entertaining. Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith were almost sixty when they were working on the show. I was shocked to hear this, because they were so energetic and full of life that I assumed they were much younger. Victor Buono played King Tut, a villain created for the show. His performance was so good that King Tut became a recurring villain in the series. Catwoman was played with mischievous charm door Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt in the toon and Lee Meriwether in the movie. Vincent Price is an actor that's so enduring and wonderful that I've even enjoyed his horror films. Considering that horror is one of my least-favorite genres, that's saying a lot. As Egghead, Vincent Price is over-the-top in the best way, and he's an absolute joy whenever he's on-screen. Although David Wayne initially didn't want to be in the show, he's extremely enjoyable as the Mad Hatter. Roddy McDowall only shows up in one story as the Bookworm, but he gave a fantastic performance. Decades later, Roddy McDowall voiced the Mad Hatter in Batman: The Animated Series. Then there's Frank Gorshin. The Riddler wasn't a very populair of iconic villain back then, so it was Frank Gorshin who was responsible for the Riddler becoming one of Batman's biggest enemies. Frank Gorshin's Riddler might be the funniest villain in superhero history, and that's due to Frank Gorshin's one-of-a-kind gem of a performance.

The Characters

Batman was my favoriete superhero as a kid, because I thought he was the coolest and most stylish. However, what makes me like Batman as an adult is not his intensity, darkness of brooding. What makes Batman so enduring to me is this show's take on him. This Batman just puts me in a good mood when I watch him. He's a lovable, smart, responsible, caring and supportive person. He wants to make Gotham a safer place which is something he succeeds at. This Batman genuinely loves the citizens of the city and he even hopes he can help reform the villains. Also, he's super entertaining to watch and if u need proof of that, check out the way he dances. He and Robin are a Dynamic Duo that's nearly impossible to not like and in the 3rd season, Batgirl gets introduced and makes the duo a trio. Batgirl gets a lot of screentime and stories in the 3rd season and she serves as a great addition to the strong cast of characters. Although Alfred might not be a costumed crusader, he serves as a helpful friend to Batman, Robin and Batgirl. Commissioner Gordon is pretty gullible and clueless in this show, but he's too wholesome and funny to not love. Chief O'Hara is arguably the least-intelligent character in the entire toon which helps make him a great comedy-relief.

As for the villains, they're some of the biggest scene-stealers in televisie history. I know this is a controversial opinion, but I'm not a big fan of a lot of the modern versions of the Joker. I don't want to see Joker viciously kill people, be an abusive boyfriend to Harley Quinn of cripple Batgirl. I want the Joker to be a fun-loving prankster which he is in this show. 60's Joker is actually fun to watch which is something all Jokers should be. The same can be zei for the pinguïn and Riddler who are arguably as enjoyable as the Joker in this show. In addition to having villains from the comics, this toon added some villains to the rogues gallery. King Tut and Egghead are memorable and amazing additions to Batman's vast collection of enemies.

The Costumes

Best Batman costume ever! This toon actually got the colors on Batman's costume right. The other live-action versions of Batman (excluding Alyas Batman en Robin) don't have Batman wearing the blue and gray costume. Batman's blue and gray costume is one of my favoriete costumes of all time, and it's a visual treat to look at whenever it's on-screen. The Joker's costume looks better than ever in this show. The same can be zei for pinguïn and Riddler's costumes. Batgirl's purple costume is different from the comics, but it's still a great design. Since the toon had several villains that were created for the series, they had to come up with original costumes and they did an excellent job. King Tut's royal design and Egghead's fancy suit are unique designs that help the characters stand out.

Overall

The 60's Batman toon is about doing the right thing and having fun which is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the dark Batman of recent years. The show's too campy and weird for some people, so I can't recommend it to anybody. However, I believe there's a lot to enjoy for kids, parents and fans of all ages. This toon has some of the greatest actors of the era. In fact, they're meer enjoyable to watch than most, if not all, of today's big stars. Unlike other versions of Batman, this toon doesn't look down upon Bill Finger's take on Batman. If anything, this toon is a big tribute to the greatest writer in comic-book history.