| The Adventures of Batman | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Also known as | Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder |
| Based on | |
| Directed by | Hal Sutherland |
| Voices of | |
| Narrated by | Ted Knight |
| Theme music composer |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Allen Ducovny |
| Producers | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 14, 1968 (1968-09-14) – January 4, 1969 (1969-01-04) |
| Related | |
The Adventures of Batman is ananimatedtelevision series produced byLou Scheimer'sFilmation studios. It consists of the 12-minuteBatman segments fromThe Batman/Superman Hour, which premiered on September 14, 1968, onCBS. The following season, in 1969, a 30-minute version that omitted the Superman and Superboy segments aired asBatman with Robin the Boy Wonder.[1]
Olan Soule was the voice of Batman and is most likely best known for the role.Casey Kasem, notable for his voiceover and radio work, was the voice ofRobin.
Batman would next appear in twoThe New Scooby-Doo Movies crossovers and various iterations ofSuper Friends (featuring Soule and Kasem reprising their Batman and Robin roles), and would next appear in a self-titled series withThe New Adventures of Batman in 1977.[2]
The Batman half ofThe Batman/Superman Hour consisted of one story presented in two6+1⁄2-minute segments and one story in a single6+1⁄2-minute segment. 34 stories were produced (two-segment stories are listed first in each pairing):
| No. | Title | Written by | Original release date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "My Crime Is Your Crime" | Denis Marks | September 14, 1968 (1968-09-14) | ||||
| "A Bird Out of Hand" | George Kashdan | ||||||
My Crime Is Your Crime: Batman and Robin are thrown for a loop when they arrestthe Joker andthe Penguin for crimes they did not commit. A Bird Out of Hand: The Penguin unexpectedly goes straight. | |||||||
| 2 | "The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze" | Denis Marks | September 21, 1968 (1968-09-21) | ||||
| "The Joke's on Robin" | George Kashdan | ||||||
The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze:Mr. Freeze causes havoc in his quest to ransom $1 billion from the city and he uses a captured whale for his caper. The Joke's on Robin: Robin seems to lose his skills after he rescues a man from drowning thanks to the Joker. This segment featuresBatgirl. | |||||||
| 3 | "How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?" | Bill Keenen | September 28, 1968 (1968-09-28) | ||||
| "In Again, Out Again Penguin" | |||||||
How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?: The Joker raids technology firms to build a powerful solar mirror he can use as alaser weapon. In Again, Out Again Penguin: The Penguin commits crimes, even though he is supposedly incarcerated, and frames Batman and Robin for them. | |||||||
| 4 | "The Nine Lives of Batman" | Denis Marks | October 5, 1968 (1968-10-05) | ||||
| "Long John Joker" | Bob Haney | ||||||
The Nine Lives of Batman:Catwoman traps Batman and exposes him to a radioactive gas that will allow her to identify him in his secret identity. Long John Joker: The Joker makes a movie about pirates as cover to find the haul from a long-forgotten armored car theft. This segment features Batgirl. Note: The first segment of this episode features edited dialogue — in the show's syndicated run, as Catwoman and her henchmen pillage a jewelry exchange, it includes a line of narration, "The feline felon and her terrible tabbies indulge in an orgy of theft". This was changed in subsequent prints to "a spree of stealing". | |||||||
| 5 | "Bubi, Bubi, Who's Got the Ruby?" | Bill Keenen | October 12, 1968 (1968-10-12) | ||||
| "1001 Faces of the Riddler" | George Kashdan | ||||||
Bubi, Bubi, Who's Got the Ruby?: Bruce Wayne is captured by the Penguin in the robbery of a valuable ruby. Unfortunately for Penguin, Catwoman is also after the ruby. This segment features Batgirl. 1001 Faces of the Riddler: TheRiddler becomes an expert at disguises to fool Batman and Robin. | |||||||
| 6 | "The Big Birthday Caper" | Bob Haney | October 19, 1968 (1968-10-19) | ||||
| "Two Penguins Too Many" | Bill Keenen | ||||||
The Big Birthday Caper: The Riddler and the Penguin try to expose Batman by staging a mammoth birthday party for him and wealthy businessman Bruce Wayne. Two Penguins Too Many: Real penguins wind up helping the Penguin and the Joker to outwit Batman and Robin. | |||||||
| 7 | "Partners in Peril" | George Kashdan | October 26, 1968 (1968-10-26) | ||||
| "The Underworld Underground Caper" | Bill Butler | ||||||
Partners in Peril: A deadly contest is staged by the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler to one-up each other and gain control of Gotham City's criminal empire. This segment features Batgirl. The Underworld Underground Caper: The Riddler and Catwoman use an underground drill to commit robberies to trap Batman and Robin. | |||||||
| 8 | "Hizzoner the Joker" | Denis Marks | November 2, 1968 (1968-11-02) | ||||
| "Freeze's Frozen Vikings" | |||||||
Hizzoner the Joker: The Joker runs for mayor of Gotham City and is able to win. Freeze's Frozen Vikings: Mr. Freeze uses aVikings hoax to commit robberies. | |||||||
| 9 | "The Crime Computer" | Denis Marks | November 9, 1968 (1968-11-09) | ||||
| "The Great Scarecrow Scare" | Bill Butler | ||||||
The Crime Computer: The Penguin seizes a mammoth computer to use to outwit Batman and Robin. The Great Scarecrow Scare: TheScarecrow steals a painting and captures Batgirl as part of his plot to dispose of the Dynamic Duo. | |||||||
| 10 | "A Game of Cat and Mouse" | Bill Keenen | November 16, 1968 (1968-11-16) | ||||
| "Beware of Living Dolls" | Bob Haney | ||||||
A Game of Cat and Mouse: Catwoman steals the Crown Jewels, which the Joker is also after. Beware of Living Dolls:Dollman uses his dolls to pull off a crime spree. | |||||||
| 11 | "Will the Real Robin Please Stand Up" | Oscar Bensol | November 23, 1968 (1968-11-23) | ||||
| "He Who Swipes the Ice, Goes to the Cooler" | Bill Keenen | ||||||
Will the Real Robin Please Stand Up: A youth who bears a stunning resemblance to Robin is used by Catwoman when he ends up withamnesia. He Who Swipes the Ice, Goes to the Cooler: Mr. Freeze's diamond heist goes wrong. | |||||||
| 12 | "Simon the Pieman" | Denis Marks | November 30, 1968 (1968-11-30) | ||||
| "A Mad, Mad Tea Party" | George Kashdan | ||||||
Simon the Pieman: A flamboyant criminal pastry chef named Simon the Pieman and his gang steal valuables under the cover of the fairgrounds after they had gotten the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze out of the way. This segment features Batgirl. A Mad, Mad Tea Party:The Mad Hatter starts anAlice in Wonderland-based gang in a plot to steal a priceless antique teapot to use as part of his mad tea party. | |||||||
| 13 | "From Catwoman with Love" | Bob Haney | December 7, 1968 (1968-12-07) | ||||
| "Perilous Playthings" | Oscar Bensol | ||||||
From Catwoman with Love: Catwoman sends Batman a cat forValentine's Day, a cat with a collar that gives off radio waves. This segment features Batgirl. Perilous Playthings: Catwoman and her henchmen crash the production ofTom Thumb in Toyland and use toy-based plots to defeat the Dynamic Duo. | |||||||
| 14 | "A Perfidious Pieman Is Simon" | Oscar Bensol | December 14, 1968 (1968-12-14) | ||||
| "Cool, Cruel Christmas Caper" | Bob Haney | ||||||
A Perfidious Pieman Is Simon: Simon the Pieman steals four millionTurkish coins and is pursued to an electrical plant. Features Batgirl. Cool, Cruel Christmas Caper: Mr. Freeze disguises himself asSanta Claus. | |||||||
| 15 | "The Fiendishly Frigid Fraud" | Denis Marks | December 21, 1968 (1968-12-21) | ||||
| "Enter the Judge" | |||||||
The Fiendishly Frigid Fraud: A freak bombardment of meteors made of pure ice allows Mr. Freeze to stage a hoax. Enter the Judge: An international criminal who is incarcerated on the island prison Satan Island ends up escaping disguised as a judge when his pardon is denied. Now he is going around crashing criminal trials, gaining the Cosgrove gang and other low-level crooks as his jury henchmen in a plot to eliminate all crimefighters. | |||||||
| 16 | "The Jigsaw Jeopardy" | Oscar Bensol | December 28, 1968 (1968-12-28) | ||||
| "Wrath of the Riddler" | |||||||
The Jigsaw Jeopardy: The Riddler plans to blow up Gotham City's art gallery and winds up trapping The Caped Crusaders as well. This segment features Batgirl. Wrath of the Riddler: The Riddler uses a construction site as his hideout. This segment features Batgirl. | |||||||
| 17 | "It Takes Two to Make a Team" | Denis Marks | January 4, 1969 (1969-01-04) | ||||
| "Opera Buffa" | Bob Haney | ||||||
It Takes Two to Make a Team: The Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler are after anInca treasure map. They plan to break up the Dynamic Duo by making Robin jealous of Batgirl. Opera Buffa: The Joker seemingly traps Batman and Robin, but is haunted by their apparent ghosts when he tries to steal a valuabletiara at an opera. | |||||||
The original villain Simon the Pieman makes a cameo appearance alongside Sweet Tooth in theBatman: The Brave and the Bold episode "A Bat Divided".
In 1985,Warner Home Video released five selected episodes of the series onVHS in the "Super Powers" video collection along withAquaman,Superboy andSuperman.
In 1993, in Australia only, Warner Home Video released a four-volume VHS collection with four stories per volume.
In 2008, episodes were released as digital downloads oniTunes,[3] and streaming onAmazon Video.[4]
In June 2014, Warner Home Video (viaDC Entertainment) released all 34 original, uncut broadcast episodes on DVD in Region 1 in a 2-disc set entitledThe Adventures of Batman.[5]
In September 2021, the show was available onHBO Max in Latin America, in celebration for Batman Day.[6]
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the series onBlu-ray on February 28, 2023.[7]
