Biography "Batman: Holy Batmania!" (2003) (TV)

Biography does Batman, 10 August 2015

Nice episode of the long-running Biography program, focusing on Batman. Well, focusing on Batman the 1966 television series. I grew up in the 60s and Batman has been a part of my entire life. I've probably seen every episode several times. Yeah, it's not true to the tone of the comics (especially the darker more recent Batman comics) and, yes, it's campy as hell, but it's a television show aimed at kids with the hope their parents would come along for the ride. Adam West and Burt Ward never took it seriously as their interviews here indicate. For them, it was a job - and a fun one. They got to do crazy things and work with some of Hollywood's brightest stars. They got paid to act goofy and wear tights. They fought off rubber sharks and Julie Newmar's advances. They flew the bat-copter and drove the bat-boat. They appeared in the #1 ranked show of 1966 and outsold James Bond in kids' toys. In short, Batman made them. Unfortunately, as the documentary points out, they were typecast and had trouble finding any work afterward. But both seem okay with it. After all, they were Batman and Robin. And how cool is that!

A few things I learned that I didn't know:

1. Lyle Waggoner did a test for the part of Batman. He's good, but the straight-faced Adam West was a better choice.

2. According the Cesar Romero (and I have no reason to doubt him) all the who's who of Hollywood wanted to appear in Batman. It must have been a good gig.

3. I'm not sure why I never realized that the Green Hornet (with Kato) were featured in one of the window scenes in Batman. 

Overall, this episode of Biography is an entertaining and interesting bit of nostalgia for me. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

7/10