The Adventures of Batman

The Adventures of Batman is an animated television series produced by Lou Scheimer's Filmation studios. It showcased the 12-minute Batman segments from The Batman/Superman Hour, sometimes broken up by and surrounding another cartoon from Filmation's fast-growing stream of superhero stars. A re-branded 30-minute version premiered on CBS on September 14, 1968, as Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder. This version was repackaged without the Superman and Superboy segments.[1]

See also: The Batman/Superman Hour
The Adventures of Batman
Title card
Also known asBatman with Robin the Boy Wonder
Based on
Batman
by
Directed byHal Sutherland
Voices of
Narrated byTed Knight
Theme music composer
  • John Marion Gart
  • (credited as
  • "John Marion")
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes17
Production
Executive producerAllen Ducovny
ProducerNorm Prescott
Lou Scheimer
Production companies
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 14, 1968 (1968-09-14) –
January 4, 1969 (1969-01-04)
Related

Olan Soule was the voice of Batman and is most likely best remembered for his work on that show, and many others in the Filmation stable. Casey Kasem, notable for his voiceover and radio work, was the voice of Robin.

Batman and Robin would next appear in two The New Scooby-Doo Movies crossovers, various versions of Super Friends (featuring Soule and Kasem reprising their Batman and Robin roles, respectively) and The New Adventures of Batman in 1977.[2]

Episodes

The Batman segment of The Batman/Superman Hour consisted of one story presented in two 6+1⁄2-minute segments and one story in a single 6+1⁄2-minute segment. 34 stories were produced (two-segment stories are listed first in each pairing):

No. in
series		 Title Written by Original air date
1"My Crime Is Your Crime"Denis MarksSeptember 14, 1968 (1968-09-14)
"A Bird Out of Hand"George Kashdan

  • My Crime Is Your Crime: Batman and Robin are thrown for a loop when they arrest the Joker and the Penguin for crimes they did not commit.
  • A Bird Out of Hand: The Penguin unexpectedly goes straight.
2"The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze"Denis MarksSeptember 21, 1968 (1968-09-21)
"The Joke's on Robin"George Kashdan

  • The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze: Mr. Freeze causes havoc in his quest to ransom $1 billion from the city and he uses a captured whale for his caper.
  • The Joke's on Robin: Robin seems to lose his skills after he rescues a man from drowning thanks to the Joker. Features Batgirl.
3"How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?"Bill KeenenSeptember 28, 1968 (1968-09-28)
"In Again, Out Again Penguin"

  • How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?: The Joker raids technology firms to build a powerful solar mirror he can use as a laser weapon.
  • In Again, Out Again Penguin: The Penguin commits crimes, even though he is supposedly incarcerated, and frames Batman and Robin for them.
4"The Nine Lives of Batman"Denis MarksOctober 5, 1968 (1968-10-05)
"Long John Joker"Bob Haney

  • The Nine Lives of Batman: Catwoman traps Batman and exposes him to a radioactive gas that will allow her to identify him in his secret identity.
  • Long John Joker: The Joker makes a movie about pirates — cover to find the haul from a long-forgotten armored car theft. Features Batgirl.

The first segment of this episode features edited dialogue — in the show's syndicated run, as Catwoman and her henchmen pillage a jewelry exchange, it includes a line of narration, "The feline felon and her terrible tabbies indulge in an orgy of theft". This was changed in subsequent prints to "a spree of stealing".

5"Bubi, Bubi, Who's Got the Ruby?"Bill KeenenOctober 12, 1968 (1968-10-12)
"1001 Faces of the Riddler"George Kashdan

  • Bubi, Bubi, Who's Got the Ruby?: Bruce Wayne is captured by the Penguin in the robbery of a valuable ruby. Unfortunately for Penguin, Catwoman is also after the ruby. Features Batgirl.
  • 1001 Faces of the Riddler: The Riddler becomes an expert at disguises to fool Batman and Robin.
6"The Big Birthday Caper"Bob HaneyOctober 19, 1968 (1968-10-19)
"Two Penguins Too Many"Bill Keenen

  • The Big Birthday Caper: The Riddler and the Penguin try to expose Batman by staging a mammoth birthday party for him and wealthy businessman Bruce Wayne.
  • Two Penguins Too Many: Real penguins wind up helping the Penguin and the Joker.
7"Partners in Peril"George KashdanOctober 26, 1968 (1968-10-26)
"The Underworld Underground Caper"Bill Butler

  • Partners in Peril: A deadly contest is staged by the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler to one-up each other and gain control of Gotham City's criminal empire. Features Batgirl.
  • The Underworld Underground Caper: The Riddler and Catwoman use an underground drill to commit robberies.
8"Hizzoner the Joker"Denis MarksNovember 2, 1968 (1968-11-02)
"Freeze's Frozen Vikings"

  • Hizzoner the Joker: The Joker runs for mayor of Gotham City and is able to win.
  • Freeze's Frozen Vikings: Mr. Freeze uses a Viking hoax to commit robberies.
9"The Crime Computer"Denis MarksNovember 9, 1968 (1968-11-09)
"The Great Scarecrow Scare"Bill Butler

  • The Crime Computer: The Penguin seizes a mammoth computer to use to outwit Batman and Robin.
  • The Great Scarecrow Scare: The Scarecrow steals a painting and captures Batgirl as part of his plot to dispose of the Dynamic Duo.
10"A Game of Cat and Mouse"Bill KeenenNovember 16, 1968 (1968-11-16)
"Beware of Living Dolls"Bob Haney

  • A Game of Cat and Mouse: Catwoman steals the Crown Jewels, which the Joker is also after.
  • Beware of Living Dolls: Dollman uses his dolls to pull off a crime spree.
11"Will the Real Robin Please Stand Up"Oscar BensolNovember 23, 1968 (1968-11-23)
"He Who Swipes the Ice, Goes to the Cooler"Bill Keenen

  • Will the Real Robin Please Stand Up: A youth who bears a stunning resemblance to Robin is used by Catwoman when he ends up with amnesia.
  • He Who Swipes the Ice, Goes to the Cooler: Mr. Freeze's diamond heist goes wrong.
12"Simon the Pieman"Denis MarksNovember 30, 1968 (1968-11-30)
"A Mad, Mad Tea Party"George Kashdan

  • Simon the Pieman: A flamboyant criminal pastry chef named Simon the Pieman and his gang steal valuables under the cover of the fairgrounds after they had gotten the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze out of the way. Features Batgirl.
  • A Mad, Mad Tea Party: The Mad Hatter starts an Alice in Wonderland-based gang in a plot to steal a priceless antique teapot to use as part of his mad tea party.
13"From Catwoman with Love"Bob HaneyDecember 7, 1968 (1968-12-07)
"Perilous Playthings"Oscar Bensol

  • From Catwoman with Love: Catwoman sends Batman a cat for Valentine's Day, a cat with a collar that gives off radio waves. Features Batgirl.
  • Perilous Playthings: Catwoman and her henchmen crash the production of Tom Thumb in Toyland and use toy-based plots to defeat the Dynamic Duo.
14"A Perfidious Pieman Is Simon"Oscar BensolDecember 14, 1968 (1968-12-14)
"Cool, Cruel Christmas Caper"Bob Haney

  • A Perfidious Pieman Is Simon: Simon the Pieman steals four million Turkish coins and is pursued to an electrical plant. Features Batgirl.
  • Cool, Cruel Christmas Caper: Mr. Freeze disguises himself as Santa Claus.
15"The Fiendishly Frigid Fraud"Denis MarksDecember 21, 1968 (1968-12-21)
"Enter the Judge"

  • The Fiendishly Frigid Fraud: A freak bombardment of meteors made of pure ice allows Mr. Freeze to stage a mammoth hoax.
  • Enter the Judge: An international criminal who is incarcerated on the island prison Satan Island ends up escaping disguised as a judge when his pardon is denied. Now he is going around crashing criminal trials, gaining the Cosgrove gang and other low-level crooks as his jury henchmen in a plot to eliminate all crimefighters.
16"The Jigsaw Jeopardy"Oscar BensolDecember 28, 1968 (1968-12-28)
"Wrath of the Riddler"

  • The Jigsaw Jeopardy: The Riddler plans to blow up Gotham City's art gallery and winds up trapping The Caped Crusaders as well. Features Batgirl.
  • Wrath of the Riddler: The Riddler uses a construction site as his hideout. Features Batgirl.
17"It Takes Two to Make a Team"Denis MarksJanuary 4, 1969 (1969-01-04)
"Opera Buffa"Bob Haney

  • It Takes Two to Make a Team: The Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler are after an Inca treasure map. They plan to break up the Dynamic Duo by making Robin jealous of Batgirl.
  • Opera Buffa: The Joker seemingly traps Batman and Robin, but is haunted by their apparent ghosts when he tries to steal a valuable tiara at an opera.

The original villain Simon the Pieman makes a cameo appearance alongside Sweet Tooth in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "A Bat Divided".

Home media

In 1985, Warner Home Video released five selected episodes of the series on VHS in the "Super Powers" video collection along with Aquaman, Superboy and Superman.

In 1993, in Australia only, Warner Home Video released a four-volume VHS collection with four stories per volume.

In 2008, episodes were released as digital downloads on iTunes,[3] and streaming on Amazon Video.[4]

In June 2014, Warner Home Video (via DC Entertainment) released all 34 original, uncut broadcast episodes on DVD in Region 1 in a 2-disc set entitled The Adventures of Batman.[5] Note: The episode pairings and order differ from the above list.

On September 17, 2021, the show was available on HBO Max in Latin America, in celebration for Batman Day.[6]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the series on Blu-ray on February 28, 2023.[7]

References
  1. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 114–122. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. "A History of Batman on TV". IGN. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  3. The Adventures of Batman on iTunes
  4. The Adventures of Batman on Amazon Video
  5. All 34 Cartoons from Filmation's 1968 Series are Coming to DVD Archived 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Medeiros, Kainan (2021-09-18). "HBO Max adiciona animações e filmes do Batman". Team Comics (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  7. "Filmation's 'The Adventures of Batman' Complete Series Remaster Coming to Blu-ray". 15 November 2022.
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