Tonight, the city of Los Angeles will pay tribute to the late Adam West, the man behind the first live-action Batman and Bruce Wayne, in ABC’s 1966-68 Batman TV series. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Chief Charlie Beck and guests will hold a ceremonial lighting of the Bat-Signal at City Hall on the Spring St. steps, tonight at 9:00pm PT. Surprise Bat-guests will reportedly take part in the event.
On Saturday, June 17th, MeTV will pay tribute to West, with its “The Best of Adam West” programming block. The special will include memorable episodes of Batman, Maverick, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Rifleman, and The Outer Limits, featuring West.
Check out these press releases from D.C. Comics and MeTV for more information.
From D.C.:
THE GOOD CITIZENS OF LOS ANGELES TO PAY TRIBUTE
TO ADAM WESTMayor Eric Garcetti and LA Police Department Chief Charlie Beck to
Light Bat-Signal in Honor of Beloved Batman TV Series StarHoly Bat-signal, Batman! In a fitting tribute to pop culture icon Adam West, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Department Chief Charlie Beck will join surprise Bat-guests for a ceremonial lighting of the Bat-signal at City Hall this Thursday evening, June 15.
The legendary star of the classic Batman TV series, which aired from 1966-68, passed away on Friday, June 9 at the age of 88. In rememberance of West’s unforgettable portrayal of the celebrated “Bright Knight,” Mayor Garcetti and Chief Beck will light the iconic Bat-signal, which will be projected onto the tower of Los Angeles City Hall at Spring Street. Attending Bat-fans are invited to don their Bat-suits and trusty utility belts in honor of West’s signature role as the true crimefighter.
Here are the details of the ceremony:
When: Thursday, June 15
Time: 9:00 PM PST
Location: Los Angeles City Hall, Spring Street Steps: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
If fans are not able to join in the tribute Thursday night, the West family encourages Adam’s “old chums” to make a donation to the Adam West Memorial Fund for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Idaho-based charity for children diagnosed with cancer and their families, Camp Rainbow Gold.
From MeTV:
MeTV REMEMBERS ADAM WEST WITH ‘THE BEST OF ADAM WEST’
SPECIAL EPISODES OF CLASSIC TELEVISION SERIES FEATURING PERFORMANCES
BY THE CULTURAL ICON AIR SATURDAY, JUNE 17, BEGINNING AT 10AM ET/PT
6/14/17 – Chicago, IL – MeTV pays tribute to the career of Adam West with a special presentation of great Adam West performances from a variety of classic television series airing Saturday, June 17, 10:00am to 2:00am Sunday ET/PT. In honor of the television, film, and popular culture icon, “The Best of Adam West” will include beloved and memorable episodes of Batman, Maverick, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Rifleman, and The Outer Limits, all featuring Mr. West. Each tribute episode will air in its regularly scheduled MeTV weekend time period.
Adam West passed away June 9, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 88. West first gained his place at the pinnacle of popular culture with the debut of the Batman television series in January 1966, in which he starred as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The show ran for three original seasons and was wildly popular in syndication. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding comedy in its first year. The feature-length movie version starring West, Batman: The Movie, also premiered in 1966. It appeared as if West had simply exploded onto the sixties scene with the hip and highly stylized comedic interpretation of the comic book hero. In reality, the hardworking actor with the velvety voice and impeccable timing had been a contract player at Warner Bros. where he appeared in numerous television series. While Batman remains West’s signature role, his credits include over 60 films and more than 80 television appearances across a variety of genres, including multiple westerns. MeTV’s “The Best of Adam West” tribute will feature some of that wonderful body of work in addition to Batman.
“Few actors made such an indelible mark on American culture as Adam West. We at MeTV are deeply saddened by his passing, as are generations of television viewers. He was the very definition of timeless and memorable,” said Neal Sabin, Vice Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co.
MeTV Remembers Adam West with “The Best of Adam West” schedule:
Saturday, June 17, 2017 (All Times Eastern/Pacific)
10:00am Maverick, “Two Tickets to Ten Strike”
12:00pm The Big Valley, “In Silent Battle”
1:00pm Gunsmoke, “Ash”
2:00pm Bonanza, “The Bride”
5:00pm The Rifleman, “Stopover”
Sunday, June 18, 2017 (All Times Eastern/Pacific)
12:00am Batman, “Hi Diddle Riddle”
12:30am Batman, “Smack in the Middle”
1:00am The Outer Limits, “The Invisible Enemy”
*All shows run in their regular summer schedule time period.
To find out where you can watch MeTV in your area, click “Where to Watch” on MeTV.com.
What do you think? Are you an Adam West fan? If you’re in L.A., will you attend the lighting of the Bat-Signal? Will you tune in for MeTV’s block Adam West special episodes, this weekend? Let us know, below.
