Even after Batman made ABC’s “second season” schedule, to start in January 1966, there was still concern about how audiences would react. Will they get the joke? Should a laugh track be used? In a memo dated January 14, 1966 - the day after the second episode, Smack in the Middle, was first broadcast — Joseph Schrier, Director of Program Development at ABC, reports on audience testing on the pilot. While some adults got the joke, others weren’t quite sure if the show was meant to be funny. Audience reaction to Batman and Robin was mixed, as well, with some noticing that Robin was solving all the Riddler’s riddles while Batman seemed to be flailing. This time, we look at that report, discuss why Batman could be perceived as rather dense in the pilot, and how well the report’s recommendations were followed.
PLUS: Musician Noiselund shows creativity and voluminous Bat-knowledge with his music video “Buttercup”; a 1989 report about Michael Keaton’s casting as Batman, and Adam West’s reaction to it; and we read your mail about our episode on the life of Neil Hamilton.
Read the draft of The Sandman Cometh, and comment on it for our next episode!
#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
#212 That’s no bat, boy, that’s Captain Nice!
#211 Holy overbooking! The Late Show’s Batman reunion
#210 The Sandman Cometh Alone (part 2)
#209 The Sandman Cometh Alone (part 1)
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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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