# Batman The Television Series: Season 3 - DVD Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=59121[/img] 
*Title: Batman The Television Series: Season 3* 

*Movie:* :4stars:
*Video:* :4stars:
*Audio:* :4stars: 
*Extras:* :2.5stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*77




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=59129[/img]*Summary*
It’s been a while, and I’ve chewed through all 100+ episodes of the series and I have to say, it’s a rather sad thing to say goodbye to a long running TV show like “Batman: The Television Series”. Characters come and go, but the main handful stay the same, allowing for some fun and quirky adventures. Season 3 was cut a slight bit short at 26 episodes before it was cancelled, but that’s more than enough to eclipse most modern TV series in terms of quantity. Thankfully quality was kept just as high as the quantity, as the show was axed before it’s time (In my humble opinions). 

This is the season of changeups, which may have attributed to a little bit of the series decline in ratings. On the 95th episode of the series, we get a change in pace as Barbara Gordon (Yvonne Craig) makes her first appearance as Batgirl. This adds a whole different dynamic to the show as the dynamic duo has to make do by becoming a dynamic threeo (ok, that didn’t work so well, but you get my drift). Still the novelty of having a third wheel wears off rather quickly, and the lack of Julie Newmar is a big hole in the side of this ship. Penguin and Joker are relegated to side stories as some of the more odd characters get their time in the sunlight (a little more than they should I think). Tut, The Mummy, Olg, Minerva, they all get their 15 minutes of Batfame, even though the audience was crying for more Joker, Riddler and Penguin. Although, Penguin does get a few solid episodes in for his time. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=59137[/img]
Season 3 was a sad affair, and not because it was a poor season. I really did enjoy the mixup, but the constant changing of minor villains and the loss of Julie Newmar was too much for the writers to bear. The ratings dipped down to about 1.75 from 2.23, which was a HUGE hit, and the powers that be decided that the writing was on the wall. Cancelling the series without a second thought we are left with a series that could have had a season or two more life left in its veins, but who actually knows. 

Whether you’re a fan of the old fashioned tongue and cheek comedy nature of the Brooding dark Knight, no one can deny the influence the old series was on the Batman world. There have been homages to Adam West’s portrayal almost on the same level of wink and a nod that William Shatner gets for his James T. Kirk, and everyone takes it in stride. I grew up watching episodes of “Batman the Television series” since I was at least 6 years old, and no matter how gritty or realistic the new iterations of Batman have become, I will always hold this adaptation with warm fuzzies.




*
Episode Rundown

Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin
Ring Around the Riddler
The Wail of the Siren
The Sport of the Penguins
A Horse of Another Color
the Unkindest Tut of All
Louie, The Lilac
The Ogg and I
How to Hatch a Dinosaur
Surf's Up! Joker's Under!
The Londinium Larcenies
The Foggiest Notion
The Bloody Tower
Catwoman's Dressed to Kill
The Ogg Couple
The Funny Feline Felonies
The Joke's on Catwoman
Louie's Lethal Lilac Time
Nora Clavicle and the Ladies' Crime Club
Penguin's Clean Sweep
The Great Escape
The Great Train Robbery
I'll be a Mummy's Uncle
The Joker's Flying Saucer
The Entrancing of Dr. Cassandra
Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires
*




*Rating:* 

Not Rated by the MPAA




*Video* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=59145[/img]Given that all 3 season masters were struck at the same time, I have to say that it's pretty obvious that they will look pretty much identical. Bitrate is similar, episode spread is nearly identical and the same great transfer that was done on the first half of the season is replicated for this second half. The series has undergone a painstaking restoration process that nets us a very VERY pleasant looking image. The series has literally never looked this good (except on the Blu-rays) and looks like the negatives were in very good shape. Colors are bright and cheery, and tend to have a slight red/orange push to them. The facial tones tend to look a bit ruddy as a result, but that in no way looks off kilter or obstructs the fine detail. The detail level itself is excellent, and shows off more intricacies of the show than I have ever seen, even on the Television broadcast re-runs over the years. The crazy gadgets in the bat cave or the intricate detailing on the Batmobile have never looked so real and lifelike. The episodes sometimes open with stock footage of varying quality, but that is something that is kind of out of the studios control in terms of restoration. The show has a lot of episodes per disc, but no major compression anomalies jump out at you, besides some mild macroblocking here and there. 











*Audio* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=59153[/img]Same as before. the audio tracks were mastered and struck at the same time, so what follows is exactly what was heard in the previous season reviews. Given the same Dolby Digital 1.0 track that the blu-ray got, the show sounds rather excellent given its source. The 1.0 track naturally doesn’t give a 5.1 experience, but being that the show was shot in 1.0 it is a very faithful representation of the Television show and certainly will please fans. The dialog is clean and crisp with no pops or hisses or other anomalies in the track that was quite common among the older TV shows of that era. Clarity of effects also is on par with the dialog, blending in seamlessly to create a well-crafted track for fans to enjoy. I have no complaints about the track itself, but rather can’t give it a higher score due to the inherent limitations coming from a 1.0 track in a 5.1 and greater world. Excellent restoration work and a great audio track. 







[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=59161[/img]*Extras* :2.5stars:
• Hanging with Batman
• Holy Memorabilia Batman!
• Batmania Born! Building the world of Batman
• Bats of the Round Table
• Inventing Batman: In the Words of Adam West
• Na na na Batman!
• Bat Rarities! Straight from the Vault 
















*Overall:* :4stars:

It’s been many many decades, but finally the entire 1960’s Batman TV series has finally been completed on DVD and Blu-ray. Whether you choose the individual DVD seasons, or the giant Blu-ray or DVD mega boxset, there’s really no wrong choice. The series lasted a few years shorter than what I would have hoped for, but it’s creation paved the way for many more Batman renditions to come, and has influenced modern Batman fans and creators to this day. This individual season is great for those of you who have a favorite season, or for those who like to have individual sets or piecemeal your purchases, while the giant Blu-ray and DVD mega sets satiate the collector in all of us. Audio and video are on par with the other 3 boxsets released in the series and if you’ve been collecting those, than Season 3 is just in line with what has come before. Highly recommended


*Additional Information:*

Starring: Adam West, Burt Ward, Burgess Merideth, Alan Napier
Created by: William Dozier
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 MPEG2
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1.0, Portuguese DD 1.0
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: Unrated
Runtime: 655 Minutes
Own it on DVD November 3rd, 2015



*Buy Batman The Television Series: Season 3 On DVD at Amazon*



*Recommendation: Highly Recommended​*







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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for the review. I am a fan of the whole Batman tv series since I watched it as a kid. Yes, it will not will any great awards but for what it was, it was great entertainment for a kid. I will have to check it out to relive my youth!


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