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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.

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Jan 5, 2017

Hatter shooting radioactive spray from a plastic gun

When Mad Hatter’s foppishness is now complete with lisp; when Batman is wearing a pink cowl; when Bruce and Dick are afraid Alfred is going to reveal their “secret” to Aunt Harriet, you know it’s the campiest Batman arc ever! Perhaps too campy; David Wayne’s portrayal of the Hatter is now so over-the-top, the character seems to be in on the joke. We ask: at this point, has Batman killed camp?

Other burning bat-questions: How much does plausibility matter in comedy? With this mid-season two arc pushing every possibly boundary, how far is too far? Are those bat-skeletons being signified by a marimba, or a xylophone? Why can’t Batman remove radioactive headwear even in the privacy of his own Batcave?

We also beg to differ with other commentators’ complaints about this arc, and find some surprising skeletons in the supporting cast’s closets!

This episode's theme:

The Jean Hale role that caught the Bat-producers' eyes!