Wild Mass Guessing for Batman (1966).
The three Catwomen were actually three different people
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 Disney Villain Death 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, (who are none too pleased with being duped) and of course Catwoman (who's certainly not happy about having been impersonated).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 skilled 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 the offer 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.
- The recent animated movies seemed to be pushing this as canon, though Adam West's death has put a halt to those stories.
- 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 Shark Repellent Bat Spray is really...
Ground stout-punching fish. Hell, it makes as much sense as anything else in that movie. Professor McElroy owes one of Tut's "Queens" child support.
Self-explanatory, really. King Tut's constant factual errors are his persona's childish rebellion against Professor McElroy's adult expertise — and this is also why King Tut leaves New Haven to travel to Gotham City each time.
- The Professor William McElroy / King Tut split is not the usual Jekyll & Hyde good / evil divide but more of a Clueless Boss / Psychopathic Manchild divide : Prof. McElroy is a reserved, very bookish North American expert on Egyptology and Yale professor and introvert who finds bewildering the anger of male students driven to protest and the crushes of female students, and in contrast, King Tut is loud, frequently makes wildly inaccurate claims that would likely horrify Prof. McElroy, flies from childish passion to childish passion without a moment's notice, and lusts after women but in a very childish fashion. In Real Life, nearly every scientific or scholarly expert has an inner nerd who loves to make playful nonsense in his or her field of expertise, and there is no reason Prof. McElroy would not be the same. King Tut doesn't even seem to fully understand the evil of his actions the way that The Joker or The Riddler do but simply operates off impulse in a way the very focused Prof. McElroy never would.
- This also explains why, the moment Professor McElroy becomes King Tut, he abandons Yale and New Haven — even though there is no Batman in Connecticut to stop him — and heads directly for Gotham City, a city replete with costumed criminals and with minions eager to work for them.
The Final Issue of Batman '66
- Will involve Batman joining the Superfriends, complete with Wendy, Marvin, and a Superman that looks like George Reeves.
- Mostly jossed. The last issue (of the regular series; crossover minis still pop up every now and then) is basically a two-part homage to the Title Sequence, though it does do a bit of Worldbuilding by establishing that the Daily Planet, Jack Ryder, and Billy Batson all exist.
- The later Wonder Woman '77 crossover also ends with Wonder Woman broaching the idea of a Justice League, though as of this writing (September 2017) nothing's really come of it.
The Waynes Weren't Killed
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.- Jossed. In the first episode, Bruce clearly states that his parents were murdered.
The 1960s Gotham is a sociopathic No Woman's Land.
Ever notice that every time a guest villain comes back, he has a completely different gang? 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 - violently.Every male villain we saw was a cold-blooded misogynist and considered the molls expendable. And why shouldn't they have? The molls usually weren't very intelligent, couldn't fight, and never did anything one of the male gang members couldn't have managed. After being captured and then escaping or being released from prison, the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, etc., each naturally concluded that the presence of the moll had compromised his plans, and so tracked her down and executed her as "punishment" for "causing his defeat." So why did they keep hiring new molls, you ask? Well, their profiles of insanity also included sexual perversion and sadomasochism, plus they needed a convenient "excuse" to keep killing women - an activity they all secretly enjoyed.
Suddenly, Batman's compulsion to get every moll he came across to reform takes on a new dimension of heroism. He wasn't being condescending and/or sexist. Quite the opposite: he knew that all these women were having their basic human rights violated regularly, 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).
- This also fits with the fact that the two most competent henchwomen in the series, Lydia Lympet and Miss Bacon, were treated with enormous respect by The Bookworm and Egghead respectively and thus never turned against them. Nothing bad ever seems to have happened to Lydia (but then, The Bookworm never made a repeat appearance), and Miss Bacon disappears only because the arch-criminal Olga replaced her.
The 1960's Joker wore makeup.
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 Fridge Logic 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 Cesar Romero'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.
Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered by supervillains.
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.
Governor Stonefellow's first name is Reginald.
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 (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. The professor is in full control of his King Tut persona.
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.- Then why does he forget that Batman is also Bruce Wayne?
The events and overall world depicted in the 60s series are birthed from the imagination of the comic book Joker.
The modern iteration of The Joker that is most commonly depicted in comic books and most other media is far darker and more 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. Therapy is a lot more successful in this universe than the DC Universe.
This 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 Bedlam House either. Miss KitKa is Catwoman's real identity in this universe.
The Miss Kitka persona was Catwoman's real identity before she turned to a life of crime. The only fake things were her Russian background and accent. This 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 obeys 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 Aside Glance from Bruce lets the grown-ups watching know that it's not that innocent.
Riddler, Catwoman, and Freeze are all Time Lords
- It would certainly go a long way to explain a few things...
- Much like how Cats Have Nine Lives, Catwoman has multiple regenerations: Her Julie Newmar form from the first two seasons regenerated into the movie's Lee Meriwether after 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 the movie allegedly based on her — only for her to regenerate as Eartha Kitt.
- Well Batman vs. Two-Face implies that the Lee Meriwether Catwoman is a separate character.
- Mr. Freeze was raised by humans and did not know his true nature until well after the accident which left him dependent on sub-zero temperatures. After fighting Batman and Robin the first time as George Sanders, Freeze eventually went mad from his frigid condition and attempted suicide, only to be regenerated as Otto Preminger. He also lasted once against the Caped Crusader before 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 his final big-release movie), becoming Eli Wallach.
- The Riddler we see in seasons 1 and 3, plus The Movie 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 Frank Gorshin to John Astin. The now-much saner but still creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky Astin!Riddler traveled 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, this went about as well as you'd expect.
- Much like how Cats Have Nine Lives, Catwoman has multiple regenerations: Her Julie Newmar form from the first two seasons regenerated into the movie's Lee Meriwether after 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 the movie allegedly based on her — only for her to regenerate as Eartha Kitt.
The John Astin Riddler is really Gomez in disguise.
The Lurch cameo in one episode seems to imply that the Addams Family of the famous TV series is in the same universe as 1966 Batman. It's possible Gomez impersonated The Riddler to troll Batman and Robin.- Actually, they'd be more likely to see it as a harmless game — or as what we would call cosplay today — and never once realize how seriously Batman actually takes it.
- And when that failed apparently Morticia disguised herself as Marsha to do it.
- Well, she does have an aunt who is a bona fide witch!
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 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.
- A number of times, Commissioner Gordon or Batman make allusions to the prison warden's "successful" or "lauded" rehabilitation programs, and at least one criminal, "Ballpoint" Baxter, is shown on screen to be rehabilitated.
