Holy quagmire! It seems audiences were lucky Batman was even released. Here’s the problem. The 1966 TV show was trapped in a legal snare, a dastardly tug-of-war like no other. ABC owned the television rights, DC Comics owned the characters, FOX owned distribution rights, and Greenway Productions (William Dozier’s company) shared ownership with FOX. Later, Warner-owned DC.
This lead to a fight to the death between FOX and Warner over distribution rights. At one point in the standoff, a Warner Bros. exec said he would never allow FOX to release a Batman home video. His exact words? “Over my dead body.”
8 Bands Covered ‘Batman Theme’
The impact that the Batman theme song has had on pop culture is unquestionable, to say the very least. So much so that even musicians have covered it. In all, the opening song was recorded by eight bands. With tannins of secret spy movie riffs and horns blasting to cartoon bubbles of “Pow” and “Zonk,” this song is punctuated by just one word, “Batman!”
Nevertheless, it was recorded by significant acts like The Who and The Kinks, who included the jazzy, surf rock-inspired tune on their albums. David McCallum, Al Hirt, The Standells, The Ventures, and surf rock band Jan and Dean also covered it, to name a few more.
A Delayed Video Release
Batman went off the air in 1968. Forty-six years later, it finally came out on video. Can you imagine waiting 46 years to stream your favorite TV show? Well, Bat-fans had to wait. News of the video release surfaced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con event.
With Bat merch circulating the convention, comic fans got a taste of Batmania. Finally, at long last, the Batman DVD was released in 2014. Ironically, the only reason a copy of the 120 episodes existed was Mark Hamill. Using his star power, he convinced FOX to videotape a box set for his personal library.
Batman’s Origin Story
The Bat story goes back to his childhood when young Bruce witnessed muggers murdering his parents. The boy vowed vengeance on all criminals forever. These early editions depict Batman as a ruthless vigilante, much darker than his ‘60s renditions. During that time, the TV show and the comics mirrored one another.
But back in 1939, in DC Comics #33, Batman was just revealing his mission: “Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible…a…a…A bat! It’s an omen! I shall become a bat!”
William Dozier Voiced the Narrator
William Dozier played a major role in creating and producing Batman, but what many people do not know is that he was also the narrator of the show. The role is uncredited, but the voice is unforgettable. “Tune in tomorrow: Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!”
Dozier stepped out of the box creating the show; he knew it was something special, something avant-garde, something original. One modification from the average sitcom is that it does not have a laugh track. Instead, like cartoons, it has music. At first, when it flopped during screening, he tried adding a laugh track but took it off.