It seems that children are destined to have their super hero's that they admire or look up too. In some sense we all need our hero's that represent the type of people that we want to be. In the mid 1960ies one of those super hero's was Batman. The Batman 1960ies Show was shadowed after the DC comic character created back in 1939. On January 12, 1966 ABC aired the first episode of the Batman 1960ies Show starring Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Robin/Dick Grayson. This dynamic duo would ensue on a journey that would forever endear them to Batman fans everywhere.
The show would end on March 14, 1968 but not until it had aired 120 episodes. At the series most popular it was one of only two primetime shows that aired 2 shows per week. The Wednesday and Thursday 7:30pm time slot belonged to the Batman 1960ies show and children of all ages gathered around their television sets to see which villain the caped crusaders would defeat in the next episode. The show was set in Gotham City, which of course was a parody of New York City. Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara always knew whom to call when the chips were down. They went to the red Bat-phone and called Batman.
Like Superman before him Batman's true identity was a secret. Where Superman was Clark Kent Batman was Bruce Wayne. The thing that drew millions to Batman was the fact that he was human. The only thing that set Batman apart from the average person was that he was rich. Bruce Wayne was able to do the extraordinary because he had the money to develop new technology and he had the heart and toughness to be a super hero. His parents had been murdered when he was a child and now he had the ability to fight the criminal masterminds who desired to wreak havoc on his city. For 120 episodes Batman did just that. He faced memorable foes like the Joker, Riddler and the Penguin and although they may have placed him in some pretty tough situations at times; he eventually proved that good always defeats evil.
With the boy wonder Robin at his side this dynamic duo marched into icon status and brought the comic book characters to life for all to enjoy. Like all good things the Batman 1960ies show was destined to finally meet it's demise. On March 14, 1968 the final episode aired. The show may have not been a true reflection of the comic book character. It may have turned into a prisoner of it's own creation but in the end it gave birth to a super hero on television that has survived in the hearts of millions. The 1960ies was a turbulent time in American history. It was a time when simple super heroes were needed to remind us that there was still hope for the American way and that crime did not pay. The show brought Batman to life and by doing so it breathed life into many of us.
