Holy Info, Batman! Behind-the-Scenes Facts About TV's Batman

Batman, the TV series, made its debut as one of TV's first mid-season replacements on January 12, 1966. Featuring Adam West in the lead role and Burt Ward as Robin, his co-crime fighter, the show became a breakout hit.

Batman was everywhere, and the show quickly developed into the biggest marketing campaign in television history up to that time. Not only was every kid in America talking about Batman, but Batman magazines, T-shirts, costumes, posters, banners, records, etc., were everywhere—the biggest marketing craze since the Beatles themselves. The series success was short-lived, however. The fad quickly burned itself out, like a meteor shooting through the sky.

Now, though, Batman holds its rightful place in TV history as a genuine campy TV classic.

Let's take a look at some facts you may not know about Batman...

Audience Reception

Batman was originally planned to be a very serious show. Prior to the show's debut, ABC held 2 test screenings: one with a laugh track dubbed in and one with additional narration. According to Adam West, both fell flat, and the "campy" approach was eventually decided upon instead.

Comic Book Savior

Batman's success as a TV series actually saved the Batman comic book from cancellation. Bob Kane, Batman's creator, has said the show's success gave the slumping Batman comics a much-needed boost in sales. Diehard Batman fans, however, never liked the series because of its campiness. After the show was cancelled, the Batman comics deliberately took a much more serious turn to placate upset fans.

Alfred's Return from the Dead

Bat Who?

Alan Napier was the show's only cast member who had never heard of Batman and had no idea who the character was before the show began filming.

The Role of Aunt Harriet

The Bulge in the Crotch

The Value of a Sidekick

Burt Ward reportedly earned just $350 a week for the first season of Batman.

"Quick! To the Batmobile!"

Quack, Quack, Quack

Batgirl, Harbinger of Doom

What Could Have Been...

Lyle Waggoner was the other actor considered to play Batman, but ultimately lost the role to Adam West.

Mickey Rooney was originally offered the role of the Penguin, but turned it down.

Frank Sinatra was a big fan of Batman and supposedly expressed interest in the Joker role.

Because of his great success as Batman, Adam West was offered the role of James Bond in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. West declined, saying the role should be played by a British actor. George Lazenby, an Australian, got the role instead.

Eddie Deezen has appeared in over 30 motion pictures, including Grease, WarGames, 1941, and The Polar Express. He's also been featured in several TV shows, including Magnum PI, The Facts of Life, and The Gong Show. And he's done thousands of voice-overs for radio and cartoons, such as Dexter's Laboratory and Family Guy. Read all Eddie's mental_floss stories.