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55 years ago this week, the series "Batman" debuted on ABC. Burt Ward's salary was $55 an ep
The series was originally planned to be straightforward in tone, a la "The Green Hornet", or "Superman". But Wm. Dozier felt the only way it would work, is if played f/ camp (tongue-in-cheek). CBS owned the orig. rights, had bought it w/ an eye toward a Sat. morning broadcast
DC re-obtained the rights & optioned them to ABC, by far the smallest network. In 1960 ABC only had 100 U.S. affiliate markets. It took the network 45 minutes to warm up their cameras & show studio images the day JFK was killed.
Lyle Waggoner & Peter Deyell screen tested f/ the two leads:
Adam West was considered based upon the success of these spots:
Adam West w/ a tot in a spot:
"Batman" aired on ABC twice a week- Wednesdays & Fridays, @ the same time, on the same channel. The Wed. ep would "conclude" in cliffhanger fashion, to be resolved in the Fri. open. The producer Wm. Dozier narrated
The show became such event tv on US campuses, where students would crowd into the same dorm(s) to watch, every celeb wanted to guest villain. So many so, "Batman" had to parcel out extra guest spots as "themselves", greeting The Dynamic Duo as they scaled the walls of their crib
The series was cancelled due to production costs & a 1968 ratings dip. NBC offered to cop, but ABC had already destroyed the sets & props.
