Back in 1966, the Batman series was an overnight sensation on ABC. Starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the caped crusaders, the series ran for three seasons and 120 episodes. Kids tuned in to watch the action while parents enjoyed the show’s campy satire.
Another big attraction for viewers was the array of colorful villains. The Batman comic books have always had plenty of crazy villains but the TV series took it to a new level, often attracting big name celebrities to play the parts. Many of the stars have said that they agreed to do the show at the request of their children or grandchildren who were big fans.
While villains like Riddler (Frank Gorshin, John Astin), Joker (Cesar Romero), Catwoman (Julie Newmar, Earth Kitt), Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Egghead (Vincent Price), Mr. Freeze (George Sanders, Otto Preminger, Eli Wallach) and King Tut (Victor Buono) made multiple appearances, many villains only appeared once or twice.
More about:
Batman (1966),
Batman: The Brave and the Bold,
The New Adventures of Batman
