YES!. Sounds great. I am looking forward to this...

Batman Episode (1) … First Season – Hi Diddle Riddle


Original Air Date – January 12th, 1966

Major Villain – The Riddler played by Frank Gorshin



Important Guest Stars – Jill St. John as Molly



Pictured here with Adam West as Batman.

Window Cameos: None

Favorite Holy Word Spoken by Robin ... There isn't one that I find to be very noteworthy to share here and if he had spoken any Holy ******** ... I've find it not that important in this show. If there is one I would dismiss it altogether.

Critique of the Show (My Thoughts)

This show was the talk of the town everywhere when Adam West and Burt Ward appeared on National Television as Batman and Robin Ace Crime Fighters and it was the single most important beginning of a three years of Bat-Mania that swept the Country by storm and it was made to be very colorful, bold, dramatic, and true to the Comic Books that Batman was an iconic commodity of DC Comics. For what I heard from friends it was this show that added fuel to the fire and literally saved the Caped Crusader and added life to this beloved character from DC Comics.

I consider this show was sensational because it was unreal for me a child at the age of six going to be 7 years old back in 1966 of which my Parents gave me permission to watch this show on Wednesdays and Thursdays Nights on ABC at 7:30 PM. Matter of fact, our whole family watch it with curiosity and had a ball doing so.

This show opened up with attack on Molvanian Embassy display at Gotham City World's Fair and clues all pointing to Riddler while Commissioner Gordon ask members of the Gotham City Police Department - you think you handle the Riddler and kindly asked Inspector Basch and he said kindly no.

So, they called on the Services of the Caped Crusader and like many times after that; Commissioner Gordon had failed to disclose the identity of Batman and he said to himself a thousand times on that show that he owe him a great deal of gratitude for protecting the vital interests of Gotham City.

In the show, the dramatic clue was the riddle and going by memory - how an orange and a bell - something along that line and while they were all been thinking about it - they both needed to be peal. Therefore, clue is pointing to the Peale Art Gallery of which the Riddler was conducting business with Mr. Peale legally - and Batman knows that the gun was not real and played along with it and the Riddler hit Batman with a lawsuit that forces him to reveal his true identity in court.



Great Moment in this Exciting Show in Batman's Opening Success of where the Riddler contacted Batman via Batphone via Batmobile that led to the gun as a lighter and then Batman got sued in court by the Riddler.

Things aren't looking good for Batman. Even his father's law books couldn't help him and Alfred reminded both Batman and Robin about their fishing trips in the past.

So, after all this ... of which lead to clues to a disco place and this was a plot by the Riddler to separate the Dynamic Duo because Robin is underage and not allowed to enter it.

This was first time the Batusi was shown.



As a kid, I didn't know better ... but as a Adult and watching it last night - I was laughing of the silliness and camped appeal that made this show as success back then.

Eventually, the Duo separated and the Riddler managed to capture Robin, the Boy Wonder and Batman has to find him eventually and that's will take place in our next show entitled "Smack in the Middle".

There are some cool moments in that show of which Batman ordered Robin to watch for him in the Mini TV that built in the Batmobile in case he needed help and while that going on Batman was groggy coming out the disco place having that Orange Juice being spiked with a sleeping pill and the officer stopped him and while he is no condition to drive the Batmobile and at the worst possible moment - the Bat Signal was flashing in the sky indicating that Commissioner Gordon calling for Batman's help in this case. I consider this was the key scene in that show.

It started out with a Bang with actress Jill St.John as Molly along with the Riddler played by Frank Gorshin himself. This show was unreal back then and with plots and counterplots were placed at the right moment making Batman to really think of what to do next.

So, as the show ends ... with Robin captured and Batman being groggy and most importantly Riddler at the Mercy of Riddler - things are looking dicey for the Caped Crusader.


Bats



Other Guest Stars – Michael Fox as Inspector Basch and Ben Aster as Moldavian Prime Minister

I really liked Ben Aster as the Prime Minister here and his expressions on that show was priceless.


For the Record
I hope to have the 2nd Show done by Wednesday at latest so that I have two shows done this week and I'm going to try my best to do two shows a week by the end of July. It will be difficult for me at times when you have two clubs to run.

I hope that I'm off to a flying start and I have 119 shows to do and this will be one of the biggest reviews that I ever done and I hope to have it done by a year from now.

As i was a wee lad of 4 years in 1966, these were my faves in rerun's when i was old enough. I may have seen them and subconsciously remember a "feeling" of them (my mother told me she would set up on Friday nights watching Star Trek and i would sit on the couch rocking away watching mesmerized) but there was something wonderful about Batman in and of itself. The color, the fun, the silliness, the villains, the accessories and so much more. I am so glad to have this on DVD finally. Have watched from VHS copies i made myself and now to have it bright and beautiful in all of its glory is insane!

Looking forward to all you have to share here Juggy!

Great & honest review. Amazing what we overlooked as kids that we now notice as adults.

Did anybody really mistake Jill St. John as Robin the boy wonder?  Holy shades of cross dressing and blindness and indifference old chum! 

Gorshin really steals the show in this premiere Riddler appearance setting a standard the rest of the actors would likely have found difficult to follow if they weren't such accomplished legendary entertainers. His physical and emotive energy and acting virtually has him jumping out of the television screen. 

So true, brutalis ... I agree what you've written here.