History WMG / Batman1966

Given that three different women played her in the series this seems kind of likely. My thinking is that the Newmar Catwoman is the original and was active for some years until her DisneyVillainDeath in "Better Luck Next Time." She was very badly injured and laid up for some months, during which time the events of the Movie occurred. Given she was able to "impersonate" a Russian woman so well, it seems likely that Lee Meriwether's Catwoman actually was a Russian, a rogue Soviet agent who looked enough like Catwoman to impersonate her and take part in the villains' four-way scheme. Her motive was money, but when the truth was discovered it was a huge embarrassment for the Soviet government and she was thrown into jail where she is fighting deportation (to certain execution) and dodging the occasional agents of the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and of course Catwoman who are none pleased with being duped.

** This would actually explain why Batman's romantic impulses towards the Julie Newmar Catwoman faded away between TV seasons and never began with the Kitt Catwoman : he never recovered from having his heart broken by the Meriweather Catwoman, who'd made it clear in the film that she'd been duping Bruce Wayne all along!

The Joker is described in his first appearance as a "master of disguise", yet the only time this is really seen is when he impersonates a fat Maharajah. So perhaps the white face painted lips, and garish green wig ''' are''' the disguise (and here FridgeLogic would kick in and ask why the police never thought to simply take a bar of soap and water to Joker's ugly mug). Notice that when Joker wore "normal" clothing it always hung oddly on him, showing Creator/CesarRomero's unpainted neck and wrists, thus bolstering the theory that the clown getup was just a gimmick to hide a handsome but troubled face. Showmanship? Trying not to shame his family? An already wanted criminal hiding in plain sight under grease paint and a bad toupee? We'll never know why.
** This might be why the comic book Joker's tragic accident was transferred to the TV Mister Freeze instead.

Just a personal theory of mine, which I suggest because in the show Batman was never really depicted fighting any 'normal criminals' even though he still did so in the 60s comics. What's more, Batman was only called in whenever a supervillain showed up. These lead me to suspect that whoever killed the Waynes might actually have been a supervillain themselves, and why Batman tends to deal with those as an opposing force, like a subversion of the 'superhero paradox.'
** Come to think of it, do regular crooks even exist in this universe?! Every crook I see has a bright colorful costume, even the henchmen.

The Lurch cameo in one episode seems to imply that Addams Family is in the same universe as 1966 Batman. It's possible Gomez impersonated The Riddler to troll Batman and Robin.

* This also explains why, the moment Professor McElroy becomes King Tut, he abandons Yale and New Haven even though there is no Batman there to stop him for Gotham City, the land of costumed criminals.

** This would actually explain why Batman's romantic impulses towards the Julie Newmar Catwoman faded away between TV seasons and never began with the Kitt Catoman : he never recovered from having his heart broken by the Meriweather Catwoman!

[[WMG: Professor Mackelroy owes one of Tut's "Queens" child support.]]

* Given how their bosses seemingly are released from jail within months for crimes like attempted murder, the henchpeople presumably get off lighter. Therefore, the fact that they never reappear could suggest that they do reform while in prison. Lots of them ''do'' seem less evil than their bosses.

Given that three different women played her in the series this seems kind of likely. My thinking is that the Newmar Catwoman is the original and was active for some years until her DisneyVillainDeath in "Better Luck Next Time." She was very badly injured and laid up for some months, during which time the events of the Movie occurred. Given she was able to "impersonate" a Russian woman so well, it seems likely that Lee Meriwether's Catwoman actually was a Russian, a rogue Soviet agent who looked enough like Catwoman to impersonate her and take part in the villains' four-way scheme. Her motive was money, but when the truth was discovered it was a huge embarrassment for the Soviet government and she was thrown into jail where she is fighting deportation (to certain execution) and dodging the occasional agents of the Joker, Penguin, Riddler and of course Catwoman who are none pleased with being duped.

Kitt accepted the offer and and established herself as the successor Catwoman over the next few months. While her skin color alone made it clear this wasn't the same Catwoman, word soon got around the underworld that Kitt was Newmar's chosen heiress and she quickly proved herself a worthy successor. One condition the Newmar Catwoman laid down was no flirting with Batman, but luckily the Kitt Catwoman wasn't interested in him anyway, although she might be bisexual given some of her interactions with Batgirl.

The "Catwoman" in "The Entrancing Doctor Cassandra" is the Meriwether one, still in jail after the United World fiasco. By this point the other major villains have mostly given up caring about her, and she only joins in the breakout in the hope of getting away to a country with no extradition treaty (and as far from the other two Catwomen as possible). She's badly out of practice by this time and doesn't put up much of a fight when the plan goes pear-shaped.

Bruce Wayne is MUCH more well-adjusted in that series, and Gotham itself is a much nicer place. My thought is that while the mugging still happened, Joe Chill didn't kill Thomas and Martha Wayne, but merely wounded them with his gun. This still inspired young Bruce to want to fight crime, and further inspired his parents to use their fortune to help clean up Gotham and end most of the petty crime. This is what connected the Waynes to the Gotham Police Department (thus explaining the social connection between Bruce and Commissioner Gordon in the series). Meanwhile Bruce, while not insanely driven to become the ultimate ninja and detective, still found it a good idea to learn at least one form of martial arts, and went to the best colleges he could. Thomas and Martha died eventually, but not in a sudden, tragic way that would cause a breakdown. As for what inspired the bat theme? Maybe he grew to like them in his studies, or something.

Suddenly, Batman's compulsion to [[HighHeelFaceTurn get every moll he came across to reform]] takes on a new dimension of heroism. He wasn't being [[CondescendingCompassion condescending]] and/or sexist. Quite the opposite: he knew that all these women were having their basic human rights violated on a regular basis, and getting them out of a life of crime was the only surefire way to bring about true equality in Gotham (and save their lives, of course).

The Joker is described in his fist appearance as a "master of disguise", yet the only time this is really seen is when he impersonates a fat Majarajah. So perhaps the white face, painted lips, and garish green wig '''are''' the disguise (and here FridgeLogic would kick in as ask why the police never thought to simply take a bar of soap and water to Joker's ugly mug). Notice that when Joker wore "normal" clothing it always hung oddly on him, showing Creator/CesarRomero's unpainted neck and wrists, thus bolstering the theory that the clown getup was just a gimmick to hide a handsome but troubled face. Showmanship? Trying not to shame his family? An already wanted criminal hiding in plain sight under greasepaint and a bad toupee? We'll never know why.

The modern iteration of The Joker that is most commonly depicted in comic books and most other media is far more dark and dangerous than the one in the 60s Batman show, and the same can be said of the universe he inhabits. This is because the 60s Batmanverse is merely a walking "fever dream" of the "real" Joker. The Harlequin of Hate has a marked disregard for the lives he takes and the general havoc he wreaks; that's because he thinks it's all a game, a harmless romp where nobody really gets hurt. The show reflects Joker's exaggerated views of Batman as a stoic stick in the mud who takes himself way too seriously, Robin as a corny bundle of narmish, pedantic witticisms, the Gotham City Police Department as a bastion of ineffectual stupidity, and even his own contemporaries like The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman as mischievous, slightly sinister but ultimately benign criminal pranksters with a flair for the dramatic. This would also explain all of the more outre' and outlandish props, deathtraps and situations featured in the series, as such could only be sprung from a mind as uniquely outrageous as that of the Clown Prince of Crime. The "real" Joker doesn't think the stakes in the "real" world will ever get any higher than the "Dynamic Duo" being tied to a giant cuckoo clock deathtrap, from which they will naturally easily escape, only to defeat the villain of the week and restart the whole game all over again, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel, next week.

Which is why the Joker is more of a goofy trickster, Batman is a lot happier and more well-adjusted, and his Rogues Gallery is more eccentric than crazy. Arkham Asylum isn't a BedlamHouse either.

The Miss Kitka persona was Catwoman's real identity before she turned to a life of crime. The only things were fake was her russian background and accent.

The bright knight seems like a boy scout in this show. This is the same guy who refuses to drop a bomb in a lake full of ducks. He obey all laws even when he is pursuing a crook. If Catwoman, or any woman, asks to sleep with him, he would refuse. He is a wait-til-we-get-married type of guy.
** There was one episode where his date invited him to her apartment for "cookies and milk". A sly AsideGlance from Bruce lets the grown ups watching know that it's not that innocent.

** Mr. Freeze was raised by humans and had no knowledge of his true nature until well after the accident that left him dependent on sub-zero temperatures. After fighting Batman and Robin the first time as Creator/GeorgeSanders, Freeze eventually went mad from his frigid condition and [[DrivenToSuicide attempted suicide]], [[ICannotSelfTerminate only to be regenerated]] as Creator/OttoPreminger. He also lasted once against the Caped Crusader before [[LargeHam dying from a sheer heart attack from too much ham]] (or maybe because he went to the future and saw the box office numbers for [[Film/{{Skidoo}} his final big-release movie]]), becoming Creator/EliWallach.
** The Riddler we see in seasons 1 and 3, plus TheMovie in between, was the Riddler's original form. Long after the series ended, Riddler eventually worked himself to death in his obsession with besting the Dark Knight, only to regenerate from Creator/FrankGorshin to Creator/JohnAstin. The now-much saner but still [[Series/TheAddamsFamily creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky]] Astin!Riddler travelled back in time to 1967 -- the show's second season --to see if he could accomplish what his previous incarnation could not. Because this is the Adam West series we're talking about, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption this went about as well as you'd expect]].

The Lurch cameo in one episode seems to implied that Addams Family is in the same universe as 1966 Batman. It's possible Gomez impersonated The Riddler to troll Batman and Robin.

[[WMG:Most to all of the show's henchpeople reform after their first appearances.]]
* Given how their bosses seemingly are released from jail within months for crime like attempted murder, the henchpeople presumably get off lighter. Therefore, the fact that they never reappear could suggest that they do reform while in prison. Lots of them ''do'' seem less evil than their bosses.

Ever notice that every time a guest villain comes back, he has a completely different gang? [[PunchClockVillain That's partly because all the henchmen are either freelancers who work for whichever villain will offer them the best deal, or they're guild members who contract with one villain after another on a temporary basis (we just didn't notice this because they were wearing different costumes while part of different gangs).]] But, then, why are the ''molls'' different? Can't any of these villains commit to a romantic relationship? The answer, of course, is no. No villain can stay in a relationship because he's always the one who ''ends'' the relationship - [[BastardBoyfriend violently]].

* And when that failed apparently Morticia disguised herself as Marsha to do it.

* And when that failed apparently Morticia disguised herself ax Marsha to do it.

The Lurch cameo in one episode seems to implied that Addams Family is in the same universe as 1966 Batman. It's possible Gomez impersonated The Riddler to troll Batman and Robin.

Given that three different women played her in the series this seems kind of likely. My thinking is that the Newmar Catwoman is the original and was active for some years until her DisneyVillainDeath in "Better Luck Next Time." She was very badly injured and laid up for some months, during which time the events of the Movie occurred. Given she was able to "impersonate" a Russian woman so well I wonder if Lee Meriwether's Catwoman actually was a Russian, a rogue Communist agent who looked enough like Catwoman to impersonate her and take part in Villain's four way scheme. Her motive was money but when the truth was discovered it was a huge embarrassment for the Russian's and she was thrown into jail where she is fighting deportation (to certain execution) and dodging the occasional agents of the Joker, Penguin, Riddler and of course Catwoman who are none pleased with being duped.

Following all this the Newmar Catwoman returned to crime in an attempt to restore her reputation and acted as Catwoman for most of Season two, however constant defeats and her injuries (as well as Batman's complete disinterest in her) led to her eventual final retirement during the gap between seasons. During this time she met the Kitt Catwoman a gifted thief and Criminal in her own right. Recognizing she could no longer remain active and not wanting a repeat of the recent fiasco she made an offer to Kitt, to let her take over the Catwoman role in exchange for a cut of the loot (The Newmar Catwoman having lost most of her ill-gotten gains due to constant imprisonment).

Kitt accepted and over the next few months established herself. While her skin color alone made it clear this wasn't the same Catwoman word soon got around the underworld that Kitt was Newmar's chosen heiress and she quickly proved herself a worthy successor. One condition the Newmar Catwoman laid down was no flirting with Batman, but luckily the Kitt Catwoman is not interested in him anyway, although she might be bisexual given some of her interactions with Batgirl.

The "Catwoman" in "The entrancing Doctor Cassandra" is the Meriwether one, still in jail after the United world fiasco. By this point the other major villain's have mostly given up caring about her, and she only joins in the breakout in the hope of getting away to a country with no extradition treaty (as as far from the other two Catwomen as possible). She's badly out of practice by this time and doesn't put up much of a fight when the plan goes pearshaped.

[[WMG: The real reason it hasn't been released on video? They can't afford it]]
It's so [[SoBadItsGood cheesy]] that they need to include a case of wine with every DVD.
** [[http://comicsalliance.com/batman-1966-classic-tv-series-home-video-release-warner-bros/ Is that so?]]

In the Adam West series, many jokes were made based on Gotham being outrageously similar to New York City, including the state governor's name being "Stonefellow", as a pun on New York State's then-governor, Nelson Rockefeller. Governor Stonefellow's first name was never mentioned in the series, but an issue of the comic contemporary with the series ([[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_Vol_1_194 Batman Volume 1, 194]]), had a character named Reginald Stonefellow who parodied other things Rockefeller was known for-- his wealth and his interest in collecting art. Therefore, these two one-off characters may be comic and TV versions of the same man.

** Much like how CatsHaveNineLives, Cat''woman'' has multiple regenerations: Her Creator/JulieNewmar form from the first two seasons regenerated into the movie's Creator/LeeMeriwether after [[Film/BatmanReturns she killed her former boss Max Schreck by tongue-kissing him through a taser while Schreck was hooked up to a high-voltage electricity box]]. After giving the Dynamic Duo a good runaround, Meriwether's Catwoman time-travelled to the early 2000s for reasons irrelevant and died of shock after seeing [[Film/{{Catwoman}} the movie allegedly based on her]] -- only for her to regenerate as Music/EarthaKitt.

* The Lurch cameo in one episode seems to implied that Addams Family is in the same universe as 1966 Batman. It's possible Gomez impersonated The Riddler in a few episodes to troll Batman and Robin.

** The Riddler we see in seasons 1 and 3, plus TheMovie in between, was the Riddler's original form. Long after the series ended, Riddler eventually worked himself to death in his obsession with besting the Dark Knight, only to regenerate from Creator/FrankGorshin to Creator/JohnAstin. The now-much saner but still [[Series/TheAddamsFamily creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky]] Astin!Riddler travelled back in time to 1967 -- the show's second season --to see if he could accomplish what his previous incarnation could not. Because this is the Adam West series we're talking about, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption this went about as well as you'd expect]].

[[WMG: In the 60's Batman series the three Catwomen were actually three different people]]

[[WMG: The real reason the 60s series hasn't been released on video? They can't afford it]]

[[WMG: In the [[Series/{{Batman}} Adam West series]], Professor Mackelroy owes one of Tut's "Queens" child support.]]

[[WMG: In the '60s TV Series Universe, the Waynes Weren't Killed]]

[[WMG: Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered by supervillains in the Adam West show.]]

** There was one episode where his date invited him to her apartment for "cookies and milk". A sly SideGlance from Bruce lets the grown ups watching know that it's not that innocent.

Egyptologist Professor William McElroy is fully aware he is King Tut. He's faking amnesia (and insanity) to avoid going to prison. He is the smartest criminal on the show if you think about this. Just tell Batman and the cops you have a split personality, and they will send you home.

[[WMG: Miss KitKa is Catwoman's real identity in this universe.]]

The bright knight seems like a boy scout in this show. This is the same guy who refuses to drop a bomb in a lake full of ducks. He obey all laws even when he is pursuing a crook. If Catwoman, or any woman, asks to sleep with him, he would refuse. He is a wait-til-we-get-married type of guy.

[[WMG: Batman/Bruce Wayne is a virgin.]]
The bright knight seems like a boy scout in this show. This is the same guy who refuses to drop a bomb in a lake full of ducks. He obey all laws even when he is pursuing a crook. If Catwoman, or any woman, asks to sleep with him, he would probably refuse. He is a wait-til-we-get-married type of guy.

The bright knight seems like a boy scout in this show. This is the same guy who refuses to drop a bomb in a lake full of ducks. He obey all laws even when he is pursuing a crook. If Catwoman, or any woman, asks to sleep with him, he would probably refuse.

This version seems like a boy scout like superman. This is the same guy who refuses to drop a bomb in a lake full of ducks. He obey all laws even when he is pursuing a crook. It's not a stretch for him to wait until he is married to have sex with a woman.

The Miss Kitka persona was Catwoman's real identity before she turned to a life of crime. The only things were fake was her russian background and accent.