After ABC canceled the series, the producers waited to see if anyone would pick it up, then bulldozed the Batcave set. Two weeks later, NBC made an offer, unaware that the set had been dismantled. Unwilling to invest in the cost of rebuilding NBC declined to acquire the series.
A total of 352 "Holy" words were used by Robin.
The Batmobile was a customized 1955 Lincoln Futura, which had been used in the film It Started with a Kiss (1959). According to Barris, there were five Batmobiles made during the 1966-1968 run of the Batman series.
The Shakespeare bust used to slide open the bookcase and expose the Bat-poles had an electric switch that couldn't open the bookcase, but it did turn on a light behind the set to signal the crew to slide it open.
Burgess Meredith had not smoked in 20 years when he was cast as the Penguin. He came up with the Penguin's distinctive squawking sound because the cigarettes were irritating his throat.
The Penguin's waddling was largely a result of improvisation by Burgess Meredith, as he found it difficult to stand and walk straight while wearing the rubber padded fat suit that was part of his costuming.
The Batcave set was built on the exact spot where the Skull Island Gate was located in the original King Kong (1933). This was pointed out by a visitor to the set who had served as a technician on "Kong".
The Riddler was just a minor and forgettable villain in the comics. This series is responsible for turning him into one of the most popular villains in Batman's rogues gallery.
The "Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City" is a reverse image of St. Louis, right down to Forest Park, Fairground Park, Tower Grove Park, Lafayette Park, and Horseshoe Lake on the Illinois side, as well as the other river and road networks.
Otto Preminger was kept locked out of his house by his grandchildren until he agreed to be cast on the series as Mr Freeze.
Eli Wallach successfully sought his guest role on the series at the urging of his children, and Tallulah Bankhead saw appearing on the series as an opportunity to entertain her grandchildren.
Julie Newmar was visiting her brother at his College in New York when first contacted with the offer to play Catwoman. A group of her brother's friends were regular watchers of the series and after consultation convinced her to take the part.
84 different word overlays were used during the fight scenes from "Bam" to "Kapow".
When the series premiered, Alfred had been "killed off" a few years earlier in the comic book series. However, when the producers announced that they intended to make Alfred a regular character, he was brought back to life in the comic book as well.
Batman creator Bob Kane noted that this series saved the Batman comic series from cancellation when the show revived the character's popularity. Despite this, most comic fans despised this series for stereotyping superheroes and comics as campy nonsense.
Soon after the show was canceled, the Batman comic books took on a dark and deadly serious tone that was reminiscent of the original comics in the late 1930's as a reaction to the TV show's light touch.
In all the scenes of the villains' hideouts, the camera filmed at an angle or "crooked". This shot is known as an "oblique" or "dutch" angle. This was because all the villains were also crooked and it gives a sense of something being wrong in the scene/shot.
Frank Sinatra, Natalie Wood, and Cary Grant were all fans of the show, and wanted to be on it, but the producers were never able to come up with the right roles for any of them.
Mr. Zero was renamed Mr. Freeze for this series. The named change eventually made its way into the comics as well.
Shortly after the series began to air in England, several children were hurt while "flying" out of windows trying to emulate Batman. An announcement by Adam West in the role of Batman was filmed to discourage children from the practice, and made it clear he himself could not "fly".
According to Adam West, because of the show's popularity, he was offered the role of James Bond for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). He declined because he felt the role should go to a British actor. The role wound up going to Australian actor George Lazenby.
Before going on the air, this show received the worst audience test scores in the history of ABC. It only went on the air because so much money had already been invested in it.
During the run of the series, this show crossed over with The Green Hornet (1966). The Green Hornet (Van Williams) and Kato (Bruce Lee) teamed up with the Dynamic Duo in one episode, and did a window cameo in another.
Burt Ward has stated that he was badly injured several times while filming the show. In memorable incident, he was flung out of the Batmobile after his door flew open during a high speed turn.
The National Safety Council brought up the safety issue in the Batmobile. They wanted to know why the Batmobile was not fitted with seat belts. The producers answered that question by having Batman and Robin "buckling up" before they tore out of the Batcave.
The scene of the Batmobile leaving the Batcave was filmed at Bronson Cavern in Hollywood Hills.
Because of a contract dispute, Frank Gorshin missed one episode and was replaced by John Astin. Also, the episode featuring the villain "The Puzzler" was originally written to feature The Riddler. Gorshin did return for one episode in the final season.
Frank Gorshin disliked wearing the Riddler's skin-tight outfit and a Riddler business suit was designed for him to wear. This suit was later incorporated into the Batman comics and it largely became the character's standard look.
Burgess Meredith's role as The Penguin was one of the more popular guest roles, so much so that the producers actually had a script ready for him whenever he was in Los Angeles.
The props used in this show (such as the computers and guns) also were used in Lost in Space (1965), The Time Tunnel (1966), Land of the Giants (1968), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964).
According to Adam West, then US Attorney General (later Senator) Robert F. Kennedy was a fan of the show. Attempts were made to have him make a cameo as a character named Attorney General, but details could not be worked out.
The Batmobile turntable in the Batcave was not powered, as watching the show would have you believe. It did rotate, but only with the help of six crewmen out of camera range.
Mary Ann Mobley was the first choice to play Batgirl. Originally, the character was to have her own TV series which would lead-in to Batman each week.
The uncredited narrator for the series is voiced by producer William Dozier. On the 1966 Original Televison Soundtrack Album, the narrator is identified as "Desmond Doomsday".
Mickey Rooney turned down an offer to play The Penguin. Spencer Tracy was offered the role, but he said he would only take the part if he could kill Batman.
Each main villain had their own theme music.
Of all the villains portrayed on the television series, Mr. Freeze had the most actors portraying him: George Sanders, Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach. Catwoman had three actresses as well - Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, and Lee Meriwether (in the movie version).
When playing The Joker, Cesar Romero painted over his mustache rather than shave it off.
Eartha Kitt took over the role of Catwoman in the final season because Julie Newmar was busy filming Mackenna's Gold (1969). Some of ABC's southern affiliates objected to the casting of Kitt, but Charles B. Fitzsimons' said he and the show's other producers didn't care about the issue.
Despite the show's popularity, it was not released on DVD until late 2014. This was supposedly due to a rights dispute between 20th Century Fox, who produced the show, and Time-Warner, who own the character's publisher, DC Comics.
The Joker and the Penguin are tied for the most stories written for them (10 each, with multi-episode stories counted as a single story). 19 villains, on the other hand, appeared in only one story.
Decades after the show's end, Cesar Romero claimed he had done the Joker's laugh so many times that it permanently altered his natural laugh.
Lesley Gore, who played one of Catwoman's Pussycats, and a "love-interest" for Robin in two episodes, had a Billboard hit with "It's My Party", and was the niece of one of the producers of the show.
The character of Aunt Harriet was introduced in the comics in 1964 - eighteen months before the show first aired. Her appearance coincided with the killing off of Alfred the Butler.
Prior to being cast for the show, Alan Napier had never heard of Batman. As such, Napier was highly reticent to the idea of playing Alfred in a TV series that sounded ridiculous. However, when his agent mentioned the role could pay over $100,000, Napier changed his mind.
In the first season, Burt Ward (Robin) was paid $350 per week.
Yvonne Craig has stated that she briefly did have a stunt double, but did most of her stunts herself. She actually operated the Batgirl Cycle herself as well. She was an accomplished biker at the time, and actually owned a bike.
At the end of season three, ABC planned to cut the budget by eliminating Chief O'Hara and Robin. Batgirl would then become Batman's full-time partner. Both William Dozier and Adam West were opposed to the idea. ABC canceled the show a short time later.
Adam West (Bruce Wayne / Batman), Burt Ward (Dick Grayson / Robin) and Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon) are the only actors to appear in all 120 episodes of the series.
Jose Ferrer and Gig Young were considered for the role of the Joker. Frank Sinatra also expressed interest in the role.
The role of Mayor Linseed, played by actor Byron Keith in 10 episodes of the series, was a play on the name of John V. Lindsay, who was the mayor of New York City at the time.
The rotating "blur"/fanfare that occurs just before the opening "Batman" theme song is actually a rotated picture of the "START BUTTON" on the Batmobile's instrument console.
Suzanne Pleshette was one of the original choices to play Catwoman before Julie Newmar landed the role.
The first show to hold two spots in the weekly Neilsen ratings every week, a feat not duplicated until Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999) over 30 years later.
Burgess Meredith made a brief cameo appearance as The Penguin in The Monkees (1966) episode, The Monkees Blow Their Minds in 1967. However, he wore a black top hat instead of the purple one, and his prosthetic nose wasn't worn.
Batman aired from January 12, 1966 to March 14, 1968 on ABC for 120 episodes.
Adam West, Roddy McDowall, Robert Hastings, Barry Dennen, Steve Franken, Michael Pataki and Judy Strangis are the only actors to appear in both this series and Batman: The Animated Series (1992).
In 1974 Yvonne Craig and Burt Ward reprised their roles as Batgirl and Robin, and William Dozier returned as narrator, for a US Department of Labor PSA advocating Equal Pay for Women. Adam West, wishing to distance himself from the role, turned the PSA down, and Batman was played by Dick Gautier.
Madge Blake became seriously ill just before filming on the third and final season commenced, causing her to leave the series. However, she is briefly seen as Aunt Harriet in the "Ring Around the Riddler" and in the three-part Lord Ffogg/Londinium story arc.
In addition to the declining health of Madge Blake, Aunt Harriet was written out during season three due to the budgetary cutbacks. For the most part, Aunt Harriet was said to be away on various overseas vacation trips during season three.
Catwoman was the only major villain whose costume was completely different from the one seen in the comics. For a brief time, her costume was drawn in the comics to resemble the TV costume.
Chief O'Hara was a creation of the producers for the TV series. DC Comics would eventually adapt O'Hara for use in the Batman comics as well.
DC Comics adapted King Tut, created for the television series, for use during the 2000's. In addition, King Tut likely inspired Maxie Zeus, a villain introduced in the comics during the 1980's.
Cesar Romero wore his own watch while filming the show. The watch was a gift to Cesar from the president of Mexico.
During Season Three, each episode ended with a teaser featuring the next episode's villain.
Chief O'Hara's first name is never revealed on the series. According to some sources his first name is either Miles or Clancy. Likewise, Commissioner Gordon's first name (James/Jim) is never used.
Alfred's last name was never revealed on the show. In the comics, and other adaptations, his last name is established as Pennyworth.
The real names of the Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman (Edward Nigma, Oswald Cobblepot and Selina Kyle respectively) were never used or referred to in the show. The only villain who was ever called by his real name (Jarvis Tetch) was the Mad Hatter.
Anne Baxter was the only person, actor or actress, during the run of the series, that had & acted two different criminal role personalities: Zelda and Olga.
Frank Gorshin's maniacal high-pitched laugh as The Riddler is greatly influenced by that of the character "Tommy Udo", played by Richard Widmark, in Kiss of Death (1947).
The steps leading to Commissioner Gordon's office, seen in every opening of every show, was shot on the Warner Brothers lot and are still standing.
While most of the villains were from Batman comics, a handful originated as enemies of other heroes. The Archer and The Puzzler were villains from Superman stories, and Clock King was originally an enemy of Green Arrow.
Two sets of screen tests were filmed for the series, one with Adam West and Burt Ward, the other with Lyle Waggoner and Peter R.J. Deyell. The roles went to West and Ward. Waggoner would go on to star in another live-action adaptation of a DC comic, Wonder Woman.
In 2013, DC Comics published Batman '66, a series of Batman comic book stories set in the continuity of the TV series. Some stories included the first comic book appearances of villains who had been first created expressly for the TV series.
Two-Face was not a recurring villain in the show, because it was felt he would be too frightening for younger viewers and was dropped.
Jose Ferrer was originally cast as the Joker, but turned the part down shortly after. Ferrer was an uncle by marriage to George Clooney who played Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman & Robin (1997).
Writer Stanley Ralph Ross named many characters (and settings) after friends and family members. In addition, Ross would use foreign words and phrases, some of them subtly dirty, in many scripts.
Originally conceived by ABC as a serious dramatic show, at one point Mike Henry (best known as one of many actors to play Tarzan) did publicity photographs in the role.
Before season three, a promotional short was filmed with Yvonne Craig as Batgirl and Tim Herbert as Killer Moth. The short was convincing enough for ABC to pick up Batman for another year with the thought being that Batgirl would attract more female viewers.
Adam West was 37 years old when the show started. At 191cm, Adam West is the same height as Batman is in the comics.
Alan Napier was a friend of Michael Gough, who would later play Alfred in the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman movies.
At 191cm, Cesar Romero is the tallest actor to play the Joker onscreen. Jack Nicholson was 175cm, Heath Ledger was 185cm, and Jared Leto was 175cm.
Two of the actors who played villains both died on the same day (New Year's Day), but 12 years apart. Victor Buono (King Tut) died in 1982, and Cesar Romero (The Joker) died in 1994.
ABC initially ordered the series for the 1966-67 TV season. However finding themselves in desperate need of programming, the network decided to add the show as a mid-season replacement in January 1966.
Staff Writer Stanley Ralph Ross would later work on the Wonder Woman TV series, also adapted from DC Comics. In addition, Ross voiced characters in the Superfriends franchise, which featured Batman and Robin as regular characters.
In some early episodes, a brown 1964 Pontiac Tempest can be seen driving by the Gotham City Police Headquarters just before the Batmobile arrives.
Of all of the Guest Villains, the oldest was Maurice Evans (The Puzzler), born June 3, 1901. The youngest was Victor Buono (King Tut), born February 3, 1938.
