''The Adventures of Batman'' is an
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
produced by
Lou Scheimer
Louis Scheimer (October 19, 1928 – October 17, 2013) was an American producer and voice actor who was one of the original founders of Filmation. He was also credited as an executive producer of many of its cartoons.
Early life and education
...
's
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
studios. It showcased the 12-minute
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
segments from ''
The Batman/Superman Hour
''The Batman/Superman Hour'' is a Filmation animated series that was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1969. Premiering on September 14, 1968, this 60-minute program featured new adventures of the DC Comics superheroes Batman, Robin and Batgirl al ...
'', sometimes broken up by and surrounding another cartoon from Filmation's fast-growing stream of
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
stars. A re-branded 30-minute version premiered on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
on September 14, 1968, as ''Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder''. This version was repackaged without the
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
and
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
segments.
Olan Soule
Olan Evart Soule (February 28, 1909 – February 1, 1994) was an American actor, who had professional credits in nearly 7,000 radio shows and commercials, appearances in 200 television series and television films, and in over 60 films. Soul ...
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
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio personality, who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably '' American Top 40''. He was the first actor to voice Nor ...
, notable for his voiceover and radio work, was the voice of
Robin
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
**European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
**Bush-robin
**Forest rob ...
.
Batman and Robin would next appear in two ''
The New Scooby-Doo Movies
''The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. It is the second animated television series in the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, and follows the first incarnation, ''Sc ...
'' crossovers, various versions of ''
Super Friends
''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...
'' (featuring Soule and Kasem reprising their Batman and Robin roles, respectively) and ''
The New Adventures of Batman
''The New Adventures of Batman'' is an animated series that aired on CBS from February 12 to May 28, 1977, featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The series was a Filmation and DC Comics production in association with ...
'' in 1977.
Episodes
The Batman segment of ''The Batman/Superman Hour'' consisted of one story presented in two -minute segments and one story in a single -minute segment. 34 stories were produced (two-segment stories are listed first in each pairing):
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
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros.
It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video ...
released five selected episodes of the series on
VHS in the "Super Powers" video collection along with
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
,
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
and
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
.
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
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
, and streaming on
Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
.
On June 3, 2014, Warner Home Video (via
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and was based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery that manages its DC Comics units and characters in other units, ...
) released all 34 original, uncut broadcast episodes on DVD in Region 1 in a 2-disc set entitled ''The Adventures of Batman''. (Note: The episode pairings and order differ from the above list.)
On September 17, 2021, the show was available on
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
in Latin America, in celebration for Batman Day.
On November 15, 2022, it was announced Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release the series on Blu-ray on February 28, 2023.
[https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/11/filmations-the-adventures-of-batman-complete-series-remaster-coming-to-blu-ray/]
References
External links
*
*
Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder at ''Marks Cartoon Collections''The Adventures of Batman at ''Batman Yesterday, Today, and Beyond''on The Big Cartoon Database.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Batman, The
1968 American television series debuts
1969 American television series endings
1960s American animated television series
CBS original programming
English-language television shows
Batman television series by Filmation
Animated television shows based on DC Comics
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
American children's animated action television series
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated superhero television series
Television shows directed by Hal Sutherland