Batman: The Complete Series (1966-1968)

[Schfooge]

Originally Posted by jdw89

I really want to like this show more, can someone tell me the best way to enjoy it?

Just keep in mind that it's meant to be comedy. If you try to appreciate it as serious adventure, you'll be put off by how cheesy it can be. The cheese is not accidental - it's deliberate.

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by jdw89

I really want to like this show more, can someone tell me the best way to enjoy it?

Just watch the movie, it's pretty much an extended episode, just with a slightly bigger budget. The tone of the movie is the same as the TV show, plus you get all four primary villains in it.

Most of all though remember it's meant to be cheesy and campy, it was never meant to be taken seriously.

[Batmon77]

Originally Posted by Schfooge

Just keep in mind that it's meant to be comedy. If you try to appreciate it as serious adventure, you'll be put off by how cheesy it can be. The cheese is not accidental - it's deliberate.

Its not a Comedy show.

Camp and Comedy are different.

[ApolloOne]

I see at the top of the page the price has dropped $0.01. Gonna jump on it now that it's affordable!

[Bruce Campbell]

Originally Posted by ApolloOne

I see at the top of the page the price has dropped $0.01. Gonna jump on it now that it's affordable!

I should call Best Buy and price match.

[Schfooge]

Originally Posted by Batmon77

Its not a Comedy show.

Camp and Comedy are different.

In this case, the camp was used for humorous effect - therefore it's comedy.

[megafan2000]

Originally Posted by Sons Of Sparda

I doubt they will have many copies. I wouldn't be surprised if they only get 2 copies in. It happens a lot on big sets like this because they take up lots of shelf space.

My Best Buy still had at least a few readily available copies of the Halloween box the week of Halloween. They never ran out of stock in the one month of time between release and Halloween. Take that for what it's worth when the company's say "this is a limited edition big box set".

[y2jman]

just saw unboxing i don't know maybe i should try to do batmanontv.com i just dread the whole 5 paymant thing

[Bruce Campbell]

Originally Posted by y2jman

just saw unboxing i don't know maybe i should try to do batmanontv.com i just dread the whole 5 paymant thing

There is an option to pay all at once. I wish they would send these out already by accident. I want it now.

[Takeshi666]

Originally Posted by mymythos

If Mr. West is holding the actual size package

Mr. West [...] actual size package

"Adam West Naked"? "Actual size package"? I'm not so hot over this whole thing anymore.

[batfan08]

Originally Posted by jdw89

I really want to like this show more, can someone tell me the best way to enjoy it?

Keep an open-mind. I watched reruns of this show along with The Animated Series and the Burton films growing up, and I learned to appreciate that, even though this Batman may inhabit a zanier, campier world, the core of the character remains the same as any other iteration. More importantly: have fun and don't overthink it. There's a charm to its quirkiness, and it's very entertaining if you allow it to be.

[Batmon77]

Originally Posted by Schfooge

In this case, the camp was used for humorous effect - therefore it's comedy.

Batman didnt have a laugh track.

Get Smart, Gilligan's Island, The Munsters, and the Addams Family have laugh tracks.

I dont consider Batman in the same boat as the shows above.

Being Camp isnt intentional comedy.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show isnt a Comedy.
Campy James Bond elements doesnt deem one a Comedy.

Amusing doesnt = Comedy.

[Takeshi666]

I watched the first episode on youtube. When West delivers a ridicilously expositionary and rather abrupt speech about Bruce Wayne's childhood tragedy, I thought "this is ridicilous!", only to immediately remember what I was actually watching, and said "Oh, right." - and continued watching the rest of the episode.

[GrouchoFan]

Originally Posted by jdw89

I really want to like this show more, can someone tell me the best way to enjoy it?

Do NOT watch the movie version first. While certainly similar in tone, I find the movie drags in spots. BATMAN '66 is perhaps best enjoyed in small doses; the movie is maybe too much of a good thing. Do NOT binge watch the series if you are a first timer. Watch Part One, then resist the urge to immediately watch the conclusion. Wait 24 hours like the original audiences had to, like I had to seeing it in syndication in the 1970s, and like the producers intended. Try to figure out how Batman and Robin will escape certain doom! Then watch the conclusion. I give you permission to not wait a whole week for the episode after that. I'm not crazy! 1 episode a day until you "get it." And please bear in mind this show is from a time when comic books were actually FUN to read, not dreary angst-fests like the last 25 years or so.

[MikeZ.]

I think I was the only one alive for this back in 1966...

[RBBrittain]

Originally Posted by pitchman

I called WBShop on Monday when I realized that although my pre-order had the correct billing address, it was scheduled to be sent to the wrong shipping address. The rep I spoke with was very helpful and took care of making the change. She said since I ordered from there previously, the system may have defaulted to an old address.

In any event, long story short, she said it was good I called when I did since they were still awaiting the product and hoped to have the sets on Wednesday or Thursday (today) and would begin shipping immediately. So, it's likely review copies are not out there, of if they are, they are screeners and not the full retail version.

I called WBShop myself yesterday; they had not yet received their shipment, but were still planning on shipping as soon as it came in. Also, though she wouldn't confirm how these were shipping, she did say they normally use UPS Ground for packages of over 1 lb. (as this certainly will be), and the fact that Tuesday is a holiday for USPS (Veterans Day) but not UPS may also influence how they ship. (In other words, expect it by UPS.)

Originally Posted by jdw89

I'd say Saturday or Sunday at the latest

I already cancelled my Amazon order as it's highly unlikely they'll drop any further; WBShop beat them even though they charge tax in my state and Amazon doesn't. To be safe, if you're gonna cancel I'd do it now; though most of the time Prime orders don't start shipping till Sunday, I've seen them start as early as Friday.

[RBBrittain]

Originally Posted by MikeZ.

I think I was the only one alive for this back in 1966...

I was alive when it was on the air; very young, yes, but definitely alive. I probably watched some of the season 3 episodes in their original broadcasts.

[MikeZ.]

Originally Posted by RBBrittain

I was alive when it was on the air; very young, yes, but definitely alive. I probably watched some of the season 3 episodes in their original broadcasts.

I was 8 in 1966, and comic books were $.12, and a pleasure to read. Wish I had had the foresight to keep my trading cards, but of course did not.

[GuruAskew]

Originally Posted by Batmon77

Batman didnt have a laugh track.

Get Smart, Gilligan's Island, The Munsters, and the Addams Family have laugh tracks.

I dont consider Batman in the same boat as the shows above.

Being Camp isnt intentional comedy.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show isnt a Comedy.
Campy James Bond elements doesnt deem one a Comedy.

Amusing doesnt = Comedy.

There's unintentional camp. The Columbia Batman serials weren't meant to be hilarious but they are. The producers of the Batman TV series saw college kids going crazy over the unintentional comedy in those serious and set about making an intentionally-campy show.

The show was meant to be funny. You can debate whether or not the Columbia serials should be classified as comedy but there's no debate on the TV series.

Compare the Batman series to the first four Bond films that had been recently-released at the time of the show's debut and you'll see how much more comedic the tone of Batman was.

[DocLathropBrown]

Originally Posted by GuruAskew

There's unintentional camp. The Columbia Batman serials weren't meant to be hilarious but they are. The producers of the Batman TV series saw college kids going crazy over the unintentional comedy in those serious and set about making an intentionally-campy show.

The show was meant to be funny. You can debate whether or not the Columbia serials should be classified as comedy but there's no debate on the TV series.

Compare the Batman series to the first four Bond films that had been recently-released at the time of the show's debut and you'll see how much more comedic the tone of Batman was.

It's not even a case of interpretation, any interview with William Dozier reveals that he said he wanted to do it "so straight and so goofy" that it would be funny.

The show is an intentional camp comedy. Case closed.