When Batman hit in early 1966, it set a trend of superheroes in pop culture that many rushed to emulate. By the time many of these bat-mimics were ready for public consumption, the trend was on its way out. One such wave-rider was
When Batman hit in early 1966, it set a trend of superheroes in pop culture that many rushed to emulate. By the time many of these bat-mimics were ready for public consumption, the trend was on its way out. One such wave-rider was Captain Nice, created by Buck Henry, and repeating some gags from Henry’s hit Get Smart. While Captain Nice brought some really funny moments, it failed to catch on with audiences. Was this simply because the bat-bubble had burst? Or was it that Henry wasn’t the right person to grab the lightning in a bottle that Lorenzo Semple, Jr., had captured? We look at the strengths and weaknesses of the show, the possible reasons for its failure, and whether Captain Nice was meant to be a bat-clone, or a conventional sitcom starring a superhero.
Plus, the Solid Ghost Band theme version, MTV looks at a party commemorating 20 years since the last Batman primetime episode, and ChrisBCritter explains how Dr. Somnambula’s stethescope worked!
Watch Captain Nice on Archive.org
Batman Reunion Party, 1988
Sold Ghost Band theme version
#217 A well-planned bat-reunion: The Wil Shriner Show, 1988
#216 Putting a Finger on the Clock King script
#215 Women in Season 3, pt. 1: Villains (and heroes!) approach gender parity
#214 “Mr. Terrific”: A tough pill to swallow? Pt 2
#213 “Mr. Terrific”: A tough pill to swallow? Pt 1
#211 Holy overbooking! The Late Show’s Batman reunion
#210 The Sandman Cometh Alone (part 2)
#209 The Sandman Cometh Alone (part 1)
#208 The Pilot Audience Report: Why did Batman seem “kind of stupid”?
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#207 The Bat-bible, and Buck Henry’s rejection of camp
#206 Neil Hamilton: From silent film star to Gotham’s top cop
#205 Batman - Star Trek ACT-OFF, pt. 2
#204 “Rembrandt III”: Watching paint dry
#203 “Has TV gone batty?” Snarky press coverage from 1966
#202 British Batmania: A Slow Burn
#201 Chip Kidd’s Book of Bat-Merch
#200 “Batman: The Movie”: The Novel
#199 "Nora Clavicle" scripts and writing in season three
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