Batman Facts That Even The Biggest ’60s TV Buffs Don’t Know

20. One Batman villain made his debut on the show

Batman is known for its rich and extensive backlog of villains, so it’s strange in hindsight that a brand new baddie was introduced for the TV show. Yes, The Archer was never a part of the comic series, but bizarrely he featured on the television series for two episodes. Moreover, his character was a revised take on Robin Hood.

19. Early reviews weren’t favorable

The show turned out to be a huge success, but early impressions weren’t so flattering. An early pilot elicited much criticism from audiences, which would normally finish any show’s future potential. However, in the rare case of Batman, it was saved due to the fact that ABC had already purchased the show and so had no choice but to broadcast it.

18. Adam West was spotted in a Nestle commercial

Fans of the show might not be aware that Adam West was actually cast as Batman after producers saw him in a Nestle Quik commercial. Yes, the suave actor impressed with a James Bond-esque performance, immediately catching the eyes of the show’s creators. And with that, a star was born overnight.

17. A unique connection between The Dark Knight and Knight Rider

Getting the Batmobile right is essential to anything Batman related, and the one built for the show sits up there with the best recreations of the gadget-overloaded machine. The mastermind behind the vehicle was George Barris, who also built the legendary KITT car for Knight Rider.

16. The Bat Pack almost became the Rat Pack

Thought the previous fact was classy? Well, check out this one. Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra is said to have been irritated when he didn’t get the part of The Joker. Yes, Burt Ward who played Robin confirmed when he recalled: “From what I understand, Frank Sinatra was very upset because he couldn’t play The Joker.” And actually, having old blue eyes as the maniacal villain certainly would’ve been a major coup.

15. The show had some unusual inspiration

Hugh Hefner’s not exactly known for his geeky comic book knowledge, but the successful entrepreneur has been vocal about his love for the caped crusader in the past. In fact, legend has it that an ABC executive attended one of Hef’s Batman-themed parties in the ’60s, and was actually inspired to make the television show because of it.

14. Those nail-biting cliffhangers weren’t created by choice

Airing twice per week, Batman had the rare opportunity to keep audiences coming back to see how things would wrap up. Although, this wasn’t exactly intentionally done. ABC actually forced episodes to be split in two, as they only had two half-hour slots at their disposal. And so those iconic cliffhangers might not have been as effective were it not for the necessary episode splits.

13. A regrettable decision was made after the show’s conclusion

You may be surprised to learn that the Batcave cost a whopping $800,000 to construct. So what happened to it when the series concluded? Well, it was rather unceremoniously bulldozed down. There was one slight problem though – NBC were just about to offer the producers a chance to bring the show back. Holy blunder Batman!

12. Batgirl couldn’t save the show from cancellation, but she did highlight a very important issue

As ratings for the show started to dwindle during the second season, a new character was brought in to spice things up for the third: Batgirl. But ultimately Batgirl, played by Yvonne Craig, didn’t do much to save the show from its inevitable cancellation. However, she did cut an effective PSA advocating for equal pay for women, so it wasn’t all a waste of time.

11. An interesting idea was put forth for the reboot

Here’s an interesting “What if?” scenario. What if Adam West played Batman’s father in Christopher Nolan’s movie adaptations? Well, that’s exactly the question that was once posed by West, who was all for the idea. Of course, it was his idea, and Bruce Wayne’s father had already passed away in the movie’s timeline, but still… what if!

10. The show’s most popular catchphrase was literally repeated hundreds of times

Sometimes a saying or phrase becomes so iconic, that it leaks into the wider cultural spectrum. And Robin’s famous “Holy” catchphrase certainly falls under that description. But did you know that it was used almost 400 times during the show’s three-season run? Well, 378 to be exact, with Burt Ward stating in a 2016 interview that it equated to about three “Holy’s” every half hour.

9. Gotham City’s map was actually lifted from a U.S. city

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll recognize the Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City seen in the Batcave. However, it wasn’t exactly a map of Gotham City, but rather, a reversed layout of St. Louis, Missouri’s map. You’d need to have The Dark Knight’s ocular superpowers to notice this one though.

8. Adam West felt pigeonholed because of his role

It’s not easy being the hero Gotham deserves, and Adam West witnessed this first hand. The stone-faced actor claimed he felt typecast after his performance as Batman, noting that years went by following the show where he couldn’t break the stigma. He never gave up, though, and has since gone on to feature in popular shows like The Last Precinct and, more recently, Family Guy.

7. Burt Ward and Bruce Lee sparred off-screen too

Famously, Batman was the first time audiences got to see the skillful fisticuffs of Bruce Lee. As Kato from The Green Hornet, Lee had an entertaining fight scene with Robin, played by Burt Ward. However, the two were already antiquated before locking up on the show. In fact, Ward said an interview with Nerdist: “He and I lived in the same condominium complex, and he and I used to spar together.”

6. The show was allegedly quite perverted behind the scenes

Sorry, but we’re about to make your memories of the show much less innocent, because Batman was reportedly extremely sordid behind the scenes. According to Burt Ward’s autobiography, the somewhat flattering analogy of his “Beast in the Bat trunks” referred to all of the women who wanted his “bat sperm”…

5. Turning the Scrapmobile into the Batmobile

You probably won’t believe us when we say that the Batmobile was originally purchased for just $1, but it’s true. Yes, our favorite automobile mastermind George Barris bought a rather unspectacular Lincoln Futura, and modified it into the kick-ass looking piece of kit that can be seen on the show. Here’s the real icing on the cake though – it recently sold at auction for a staggering $4.6 million. Pow! Indeed.

4. There was a reason for The Penguin’s iconic laugh

It’s hard not to notice The Penguin’s violent grunt laugh, but the distinctive cackle wasn’t all acting. In fact, it couldn’t be helped according to Burgess Meredith, who played the devious villain. The role required him to smoke, a habit Meredith had given up years earlier. And the smoke irritated his throat so much that he improvised the laugh to mask bouts of coughing. Crafty!

3. A meeting to forget with The Pope

Adam West’s meeting with Pope Paul VI is another example of just how huge the series was in the ’60s. However, West wasn’t really in the best shape for their rendezvous. In a 2005 interview for the Independent, he recounted how hungover he was from the night before. He was suffering so much, in fact, that he didn’t kiss the Pope’s ring for fear of vomiting. Lovely!

2. Burt Ward was put in a ward following one particularly dangerous stunt

As a relatively unknown actor at the time, Burt Ward was tasked with doing much of the grunt work. He was even required to do his own stunts, something which put him in the hospital on the very first week of filming. The death-defying act almost sent Ward flying out of the Batmobile at 55 miles per hour, which he only narrowingly avoided by grabbing the gear stick, subsequently pulling his little finger out of joint. Ouch!

1. The National Safety Council lobbied for one important sequence

When Batman and Robin exit the Batcave, you may have wondered why there’s a shot of them fastening their seatbelts each time. Well, it’s actually because the National Safety Council pushed for it to be included. Producers agreed that it would promote safety, and promptly added the sequence.