The first season of "Batman" was a cultural phenomenon, taking the TV landscape completely and utterly by storm in the spring of 1966. There was even a movie produced during the summer after that first spate of episodes aired. When the show returned for its second season (the fall of 1966) it was still campy fun, but for the first time it seems a bit of fatigue had set in.
There are still some great episodes among these fall '66 and spring '67 airings. Catwoman (Julie Newmar) is solid in her numerous outings. Van Johnson's Minstrel is an interesting new villain. Egghead (Vincent Price) is also a treat. Burgess Meredith's "Vote For Penguin" campaign is a classic, and Marsha Queen of Diamonds (Carolyn Jones) provides some memorable scenes as well. A Joker (Caesar Romero)/Penguin three-part team-up might just be the best single arc of any Batman episodes bar none. Simply put, if you are a fan of pop camp Batman, there are some episodes from this season that will be among your favorites.
However, there are also a bunch of episodes this season that are "just okay" or even "downright bad" (the first season didn't have many of these clunkers). Art Carney's Archer falls flat. The same goes for Shame (Cliff Robertson). Great actors both, but the episodes just didn't work. A few other guest villains--Clock King (Walter Slezak), Chandell/Harry (Liberace), Puzzler (Maurice Evans), & Sandman (Michael Rennie)--are terrible. Just not cut out to be Bat-villains.
One thing that seems clear is the fatigue of producing two episodes a week (and a movie) for essentially a calendar year. The interesting plot hooks of Season One? Largely absent. The intensity the actors bring to the roles? Sometimes waning. Almost by definition, pop culture fads can only last for so long, and the bloom is clearly coming off the rose as these episodes progress.
Another oddity is the switch from stone-faced, straight-laced characters/plots (but given ludicrous lines and put in ridiculous situations) to the show making fun of it's own popularity. One scene in particular, in which Batman gets offered a Bat-burger at a restaurant, is almost jump-the-shark-esque in terms of the show's pivot in this regard. To me, Batman '66 works best when it is played completely straight, so to speak. You have all this crazy, wacky stuff going on around the Dynamic Duo, but there should always be a sense that they are taking it deadly seriously. That is what the first season captured so incredibly. Here, however, there are too many times (at least for my liking) where the show parodies itself.
Overall, though, these are still fun episodes to watch. If you are a Bat-fan, I wouldn't skip them just because of a drop in quality. Just keep in the back of your mind that the Bat-Mania is starting to wear thin. As a whole, I'd give this season 7/10 stars.
There are still some great episodes among these fall '66 and spring '67 airings. Catwoman (Julie Newmar) is solid in her numerous outings. Van Johnson's Minstrel is an interesting new villain. Egghead (Vincent Price) is also a treat. Burgess Meredith's "Vote For Penguin" campaign is a classic, and Marsha Queen of Diamonds (Carolyn Jones) provides some memorable scenes as well. A Joker (Caesar Romero)/Penguin three-part team-up might just be the best single arc of any Batman episodes bar none. Simply put, if you are a fan of pop camp Batman, there are some episodes from this season that will be among your favorites.
However, there are also a bunch of episodes this season that are "just okay" or even "downright bad" (the first season didn't have many of these clunkers). Art Carney's Archer falls flat. The same goes for Shame (Cliff Robertson). Great actors both, but the episodes just didn't work. A few other guest villains--Clock King (Walter Slezak), Chandell/Harry (Liberace), Puzzler (Maurice Evans), & Sandman (Michael Rennie)--are terrible. Just not cut out to be Bat-villains.
One thing that seems clear is the fatigue of producing two episodes a week (and a movie) for essentially a calendar year. The interesting plot hooks of Season One? Largely absent. The intensity the actors bring to the roles? Sometimes waning. Almost by definition, pop culture fads can only last for so long, and the bloom is clearly coming off the rose as these episodes progress.
Another oddity is the switch from stone-faced, straight-laced characters/plots (but given ludicrous lines and put in ridiculous situations) to the show making fun of it's own popularity. One scene in particular, in which Batman gets offered a Bat-burger at a restaurant, is almost jump-the-shark-esque in terms of the show's pivot in this regard. To me, Batman '66 works best when it is played completely straight, so to speak. You have all this crazy, wacky stuff going on around the Dynamic Duo, but there should always be a sense that they are taking it deadly seriously. That is what the first season captured so incredibly. Here, however, there are too many times (at least for my liking) where the show parodies itself.
Overall, though, these are still fun episodes to watch. If you are a Bat-fan, I wouldn't skip them just because of a drop in quality. Just keep in the back of your mind that the Bat-Mania is starting to wear thin. As a whole, I'd give this season 7/10 stars.