There are two ways to look at the ’60s television series incarnation of Batman: as a successful attempt to turn dark material into lighter fare, or as a gaudy and shallow mess that sullies the serious reputation of an iconic character. From a modern perspective—and with the three super-serious Christopher Nolan films fresh in the mind—it is difficult to view the series objectively.
Series producer William Dozier supposedly hated comic books, so his approach was to turn Batman into a campy comedy, with oversized villain performances, outlandish gadgetry, and two playful lead performances from Adam West as Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson, his young ward. The bright and breezy attitude of the show is antithetical to the Nolan films, which lash out with great but murky purpose. Those films are spectacular, but they are by no means definitive, and the ’60s television series embodies an ...
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