To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

Tim and Paul

Like many who grew up in the '60s and '70s (and perhaps even '80s and later), Tim and Paul had the course of their lives changed by the 1966 Batman TV show, from the types of play they did growing up to their present-day interests. In this series, they discuss the show's allure and its failures, the arc of the show from satire to sitcom, its influences (the '40s serials and the comic books themselves) and the things it, in turn, influenced. SUPPORT "To the Batpoles!" and DeconstructingComics.com via Patreon!

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#41
September 10 · 3 min
BAT BITS #41 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "Doom-Trap": The Charles Hoffman Treatment
While we had previously thought there was no existing early version of Lorenzo Semple's script for "Zelda the Great"/"A Death Worse than Fate", an alert listener has sent us a… well, related treatment. It's by Charles Hoffman and is based on "Batman's Inescapable Doom-Trap" from Detective Comics 346, retaining Carnado as the magician, rather than Zelda. The treatment varies from the comics story, but in different ways from "Zelda". This time, we examine the treatment and compare it to the comics story and the TV version. Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month to hear our discussion of the treatment in our bi-weekly examination of Batman 66 on BAT BITS! Or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly show Silver Age Batman, in which Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s. In the latest episode, Tim and Kumar discuss "The Double Crimes of Two-Face" from Detective Comics 187. And coming on September 19, Patrick joins Tim to discuss another Harvey Dent story, "Two-Face Strikes Again" from Batman 81! Sign up today!
#40
August 27 · 53 min
BAT BITS #40 (FREE) Mark Racop talks Fiberglass Freaks Batman Museum!
This time we present an interview with Mark Racop, founder of Fiberglass Freaks in Logansport, Indiana, the world's only licensed creators of accurate 1966 Batmobiles! He has also created the Fiberglass Freaks Batman Museum, a repository of Bat-pop culture, with lovingly recreated sets from the show and displays that are constantly changing, with still many plans for future upgrades. This is a free episode with ads. To listen ad-free AND get an additional 7 minutes of the interview, go to patreon.com/deconcomics, where you can hear this and every Bat Bits episode for the low, low price of two bucks a month! The additional interview portion that's only in the Patreon version includes discussion of the museum's recreation of the Batcave's atomic pile, the effect of Batman 66 on the comics industry, and the Burroughs 205, the flashing-lights computer seen in the Batcave and in many other TV shows and movies. It was a real computer! It looks cool, but what did it actually do? Join us at patreon.com/deconcomics to hear the full interview!
August 13 · 3 min
BAT BITS #39 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "Blankman" and Batman '66
Blankman is a 1994 movie about two brothers who grow up loving BATMAN '66. We know the feeling. When they grow up, circumstances lead the nerdier brother to style himself as a superhero. It's a comedy — sometimes. The tone of the movie veers too dark in spots to keep it feeling comedic. Is it a terrible movie? Is it a classic? Tim and Paul have watched it and, in the latest Bat Bits, they give their Bat-take on it. Listen to the MP3 for a short clip of the show! Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month to hear our discussion of the movie in our bi-weekly examination of Batman 66 on BAT BITS, or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly show Silver Age Batman, in which Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s. In the latest episode, Tim and Paul discuss "The Ice Crimes of Mr Zero" from Batman 121, which was the basis for the Batman 66 episodes "Instant Freeze" and "Mice like Cheese"! Holy treasure trove of Bat info! Sign up today!
July 30 · 2 min
BAT BITS #38 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "The Ring of Wax" script, pt 3
On the latest Bat Bits, we finish our look at the draft of "The Ring of Wax" by Jack Paritz and Bob Rodgers, featuring a nonexistent fountain, a gun that doesn't make it to the final, the return of a familiar building, and more! Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month to see the script and hear our discussion of it in our bi-weekly examination of Batman 66 on BAT BITS, or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly discussion of Silver Age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s. In the latest episode, Tim and Paul discuss "The Ice Crimes of Mr Zero" from Batman 121, which was the basis for the Batman 66 episodes "Instant Freeze" and "Mice like Cheese"! Holy treasure trove of Bat info! Sign up today!
July 16 · 3 min
BAT BITS #37 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "The Ring of Wax" script, pt 2
On the latest Bat Bits, we continue walking through the draft of "The Ring of Wax"/"Give 'Em the Axe" by Jack Paritz and Bob Rodgers, featuring the final mention of the Batmobile's security system, a significant change following the deathtrap, a swap of one antifeminist comment for another, and more! Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month to see the script and hear our discussion of it in our bi-weekly examination of Batman 66 on BAT BITS, or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s. In the upcoming episode of Silver Age Batman to be published on Patreon July 25, Tim and Paul discuss "The Ice Crimes of Mr Zero" from Batman 121, which was the basis for the Batman 66 episodes "Instant Freeze" and "Mice like Cheese"! Holy treasure trove of Bat info! Sign up today!
July 2 · 2 min
BAT BITS #36 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "The Ring of Wax" script pt 1
It's been quite a while since we've taken a look at "The Ring of Wax"/"Give 'em the Axe", but it's finally this arc's turn for an examination of its first completed draft script. How well did Jack Paritz and Bob Rodgers do at sticking to Semplian ideas of Batman? Where did they not go into enough detail to get their story across? And what do we notice about a certain Gotham City politician? We begin our multi-part look at this script, which you can see for yourself on our Patreon page! Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month for bi-weekly examinations of Batman 66 on BAT BITS, or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Tim and Emmet discussed "The Man Behind the Red Hood" from DETECTIVE COMICS 168! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
June 18 · 2 min
BAT BITS #35 NOW LIVE: Women in Season Three: Olga, Batgirl, and Male Chauvinists
Here is an audio promo of our latest episode! Nancy Northcott joins us once again to discuss women on Batman. This time, we're focusing on the Egghead/Olga team-up episodes. Are they as full of sexism as we'd expected from a 1967 TV show? What do we make of the leggy babe technician at the Radium Center? Is crime fighting "better left to the men"? What's implied by Batgirl's "Sixth sense"? And other general observations about "The Ogg and I", "How to Hatch a Dinosaur," and "The Ogg Couple." Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month for bi-weekly examinations of Batman 66 on BAT BITS, or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Tim and Patrick discussed "The Vanished Batman" from BATMAN 101! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
#34
June 4 · 50 min
BAT BITS #34 (FREE EPISODE): Walla Walla Celebrates Adam West!
It goes without saying that Batman '66 wouldn't be Batman '66 without Adam West. Never mind Keaton and the others; Adam's our Batman! Adam's hometown of Walla Walla, Washington, celebrates Adam's legacy on and around his birthday of September 19, dubbed "Adam West Day". In this e pisode, Brian Marsmaker from the Adam West Day planning committee and Adam West Day founder Jonathan Grant join us to talk about this year's festivities, the origins of the annual event, Adam's early life in Walla Walla, and their own favorite Batman episodes and villains. Plus, match your Bat-knowledge against our guests' in Tim's Bat-Quiz! Join our Patreon for $2/month to hear this episode with no ads, and to hear all our past and future episodes!
May 21 · 3 min
BAT BITS #33: Why such a long recap for "Joker Goes to School"? NOW LIVE ON PATREON!
Recently on BAT BITS we talked about what went into writing the recap we see at the start of part two of many Batman episodes. Then we noticed that the recap of "The Joker Goes to School" is considerably longer than any other Season One recap. This time, we look for clues as to why this recap lasts 2 and a half minutes, when all of the others are less than 2:00! Subscribe to our Patreon for $2 a month for bi-weekly examinations of Batman 66 on BAT BITS, or, for $4 a month, get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Tim and Kumar discussed the origin of Killer Moth from BATMAN issue 63! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
May 7 · 2 min
BAT BITS #32 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "Battyman" parody in CRACKED
In their years of podcasting about Batman 66, Tim and Paul have covered a number of parodies and ripoffs of the show, from MAD magazine to Batfink. But a listener has informed them of another one, b from the March 1988 issue of Cracked magazine. Even more than a year out from the 1st Michael Keaton Batman movie, interest was running high with still very little known about the film, so cast reunions and flashbacks to the '66 show were numerous. How does this parody stack up with the others we've discussed? Find out by listening to Bat Bits! Subscribe to our Patreon for at least $2 a month, or, for $4 a month, you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Kumar and I discussed the origin of Killer Moth from BATMAN 63! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
April 9 · 1 min
BAT BITS #31 NOW LIVE on Patreon: REVIEW: "Batman Meets Godzilla" #3
Eric Elliot's labor-of-love project to convert the 1960s treatment for the unmade film Batman Meets Godzilla into a comic has finally been completed! Eric scripts and a squad of 10 artists handle the artwork. So how does it look? On the latest Bat Bits, we review issue 3. Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, Paul and I discussed the story "The Challenge of Batwoman" from BATMAN 105. So slide down your Batpole and join today!
March 26 · 3 min
BAT BITS #30 NOW LIVE:: Women in S3, pt 2: Cringe
At last, we're again joined by novelist Nancy Northcott to discuss the portrayal of women in Batman 66! We pick up near the start of Season Three, with the episodes "The Unkindest Tut of All" and "Louie, the Lilac." Can Tim, Paul, and Nancy survive S3? Have any three people used the word "cringe" more frequently in the space of 45 minutes? How is it that the Bat-season with more female villains and a female hero also seems to be the most sexist? Listen and find out, my dear. (cringe) Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, the establishment of the idea that Bruce Wayne once wore the Robin costume! And coming up, Tim and Paul look at another comics story featuring Batwoman! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
March 12 · 3 min
BAT BITS #29 NOW LIVE: Rewriting Recaps
As Tim and Paul have examined first draft Batman scripts, it's become clear that the draft recaps of part one that you hear at the start of part two are often completely rewritten for the final. But why did this rewriting take place? What were the goals of the recaps that Lorenzo Semple and co. thought weren't being served as written by the contributing writers? In the latest Bat Bits, we compare the recap in the draft of "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away" to what was broadcast and try to glean the reasons for the changes. Listen to Bat Bits by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, the establishment of the idea that Bruce Wayne once wore the Robin costume! So slide down your Batpole and join today at https://www.patreon.com/c/deconcomics !
February 26 · 2 min
BAT BITS #28 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "A Riddle a Day" script pt 4
This time, we conclude our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away", featuring a VERY different, and surprisingly lethal, climactic scene at the Queen of Freedom Monument! We also see an instance of writer Fred DeGorter not quite getting Batman. The Caped Crusader isn't so much warm and friendly to Commissioner Gordon as a take-charge expert on dealing with criminals! Apparently Batman outranks the police commissioner! Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, an early and significant appearance by the Catwoman! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
February 12 · 2 min
BAT BITS #27 NOW LIVE: "A Riddle a Day" script pt 3
This time, we continue our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away", picking up with the Dynamic Duo's escape from Riddler's spinning deathtrap! Who impersonates Batman, and why does the script try to hide that info? Why did Gordon think that Batman was dead? What country is King Boris from? We'll dig into all of it! Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, an early and significant appearance by the Catwoman! So slide down your Batpole and join today!
January 29 · 2 min
BAT BITS #26 NOW LIVE: "A Riddle a Day" script pt 2
This time, we continue our discussion of the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away"! We touch on how Fred DeGorter wrote the Riddler vs how the lines were re-written, Robin inadvertently insulting Batman, and more, including a certain establishing shot that we didn't get in the finished episode…. Listen to Bat Bits and see the script we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! At $4 a month, you'll get that AND our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics, as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins me to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s — most recently, the first appearance of Bat Mite! So slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!
January 15 · 2 min
BAT BITS #25 NOW LIVE on Patreon: "A Riddle a Day" script pt 1
This time we begin a new series on the draft script for the show's second Riddler story, "A Riddle A Day Keeps the Riddler Away"! We cover everything from rearranged scenes to a missing answer to a riddle, as well as some obvious cost cutting! Listen to Bat Bits and see the scropt we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!
#222
Dec 18, 2025 · 1 hr
#222 Semple's Batnotes: Seven Surprising Points
We're back with a one-off episode to share several exciting pieces of news! First, Lorenzo Semple's Batnotes memo (also known as "Bat Poop"), sent to prospective Batman writers, outlines Semple's concept of the show. It was thought by many to be lost, but now it has resurfaced! This time we share the seven most surprising things we found in this 14-page memo. It also inspires Paul to take a long-awaited Camping Trip! Second, our book is coming along. The plan is for it to cover Batman season one, with future books to cover the other two seasons. It's not finished, and now that we've belatedly hit on a good angle on the show, some parts that were thought to be finished may need a lot more work. We'll fill you in. Finally, we got some lavish praise from podcaster Frank Santopadre on his Fun For All Ages podcast! Aw, shucks… Plus the Smooth4Lyfe EDM version of the Batman theme! Semple's TV Academy interview Follow us on Bluesky Batgirl's arrival
Nov 27, 2025 · 2 min
BAT BITS #24 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to Bat-writers in 1965, pt 5
This time we wrap up our discussion of Lorenzo Semple Jr's BATNOTES memo for prospective BATMAN 66 writers. These last few pages of the memo cover the show's running characters, including a surprising early take on Aunt Harriet, as well as the now-familiar format of the show and the question of showing supered titles on the screen rather than narration! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and '60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!
Nov 13, 2025 · 1 min
BAT BITS #23 NOW LIVE on Patreon: Advice to Bat-writers in 1965, pt 3
On the latest Bat Bits, we discuss Lorenzo Semple Jr's guidelines regarding Batman's arsenel: The Batmobile, the Batcave, and all his various devices. We discuss reasons to label everything in the Batcave and Batman's general resourcefulness. Whatever he needs is always there when he needs it! Listen to Bat Bits and see the memo we're discussing by subscribing to our Patreon for at least $2 a month! For $4 a month, you ALSO get our monthly discussion of silver age Batman comics as Paul or another in our stable of co-hosts joins Tim to examine individual Batman stories from the 1950s and 60s! Slide down your Batpole to join our Patreon today!

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