The Dynamic Duo!

Batman! (all photos courtesy Batman/ABC/20th Century Fox/DC Comics).

Everybody loves the Batman!


Batman, also known as the Caped Crusader, fights crime while posing as a rich playboy.


Batman was created by DC Comics and has been a fixture in the comic book universe for many decades.


Unlike recent representations, Batman often has been portrayed in a lighthearted fashion which is perfectly in keeping with the holiday season.


While the story of Batman has become a series of blockbuster films, many fans still remember it best as the 1966-1968 television series that aired on ABC-TV. This page has some Batman TV series coloring pages free and downloadable.


Batman is a fictional character who was created by Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. The Batman character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939.


The 1960s television series was not the first time that Batman appeared on film. In fact, the character (first called "the Bat-Man") was featured in a 1943 black-and-white serial series that spanned 15 chapters and was shown in theaters.


In fact, the theatrical re-release of the 1943 serial in 1965 is what gave producers the inspiration to bring the character back in a television series.


The star of the television series was Adam West. As Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne, he engaged in adventures with his partner, Robin/Dick Grayson, played by Burt Ward.


The distinguishing feature of the television series was a humorous and lighthearted attitude that many viewed as camp. It also was very colorful, as color televisions were just becoming popular and producers wanted to take full advantage of it.


Batman and Robin live in Gotham City. They fight a variety of colorful villains who have descriptive nicknames that reveal their primary criminal traits.


Batman and Robin work closely with the Gotham City police. When they need Batman's help, the police send a Bat-signal that reflects off of clouds.


Even though the television series aired for only parts of three seasons, it often aired more than once a week. This led to the creation of 120 episodes, which now would be enough for four or five weekly seasons.


Batman and Robin rode in their distinctive Batmobile, which was a modified 1950s concept car that never entered production.


The Batman television series used a lot of gimmicks that created a distinctive look that has never been equaled.


These gimmicks included tilting the camera to make certain scenes appear off-kilter and written descriptive words such as "Wham!" and "Pow!" shown in comic book style.


The Batmobile was parked in the Bat Cave underneath Wayne Manor on the outskirts of Gotham City.


The Batmobile would leave the Bat Cave via a hidden tunnel that led out to a road.


The villains in the Batman television series were colorful and hammy.


These villains were led by the Joker, played by Cesar Romero. Many of these villains appeared several times on the series.


Frank Gorshin played the Riddler.


John Astin also played the Riddler in a few episodes.


Batman and Robin were helped by Batgirl, played by Yvonne Craig. She was the daughter of Commissioner Gordon and was an inexperienced but enthusiastic crimefighter.


Batgirl often wound up needing to be saved herself.


Julie Newmar played Catwoman for most of the series. She wore a black skintight catsuit.


Some people forget that two other women also played Catwoman.


One of the other women who played Catwomen was singer Eartha Kitt.


Lee Meriwether played Catwoman in the related Batman film that otherwise featured the same actors and characters as the television series.


Burgess Meredith played the Penguin. He liked to smoke using a long cigaret holder.


Meredith later appeared in the "Rocky" films.


When Adam West passed away in 2017, the Los Angeles police sent a Bat-Signal into the night sky as a tribute.


The only surviving main cast member as of this writing is Burt Ward.


There were many other memorable villains aside from the main ones.


These villains include, among others, Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, King Tut, Egghead, Marsha Queen of Diamonds, Shame, Louie the Lilac, and Lord Marmaduke Ffogg.


One of the enduring images of the television series was when Batman and Robin climbed the sides of buildings.


Top stars of the day such as Jerry Lewis and Sammie Davis Jr. would pop out of windows and greet the Dynamic Duo.


The producer was William Dozier. He also narrated the series.


Dozier told viewers at the end of episodes that they should return for future episodes at the "Same bat time, same bat channel."


Batman and Robin were aided in their adventures by their faithful butler, Alfred, played by Alan Napier.


Commissioner James Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department was played by Neil Hamilton. He would summon the Dynamic Duo either using the Bat-Signal or the Batphone.


Many of the characters and plots in the episodes were drawn from the comic book adventures of Batman and Robin.


Because "Batman" was aimed at children, the characters were scrupulously careful to follow safe practices such as fastening seat belts in the Batmobile.


When in real trouble, Batman would use special items in his utility belt to get out of trouble. Sometimes these items were quite large.



2021

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger, Danger!

Merry Christmas from "Lost in Space" (All images courtesy CBS/20th Century Fox).

Science fiction shows on televisions, which you would think would become out of date very quickly, in actuality have some of the longest shelf-lives of any classic television shows.



"Lost in Space" was a science fiction television series created by Irwin Allen that ran from 1965 to 1968. While there have been various remakes in film and television, this page is about the classic television series that began it all. Here we have Classic Lost in Space coloring pages free and downloadable.


The "Lost in Space" cast members were Angela Cartwright, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Bob May (Robot), Jonathan Harris, June Lockhart, Guy Williams, and Billy Mumy.


"Lost in Space" was loosely based on the 1812 novel "Swiss Family Robinson" by Johann David Wyss. That was about a Swiss family shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean and forced to survive on a deserted island.


"Lost in Space" was set in outer space, not the Pacific Ocean, but otherwise it was fairly similar to its source material. The Robinson family, sent into space to colonize another star system, is prevented from reaching its destination. They must learn to survive in uninhabited places while they try to either get home or to their destination.


The Robinsons are aided by their robot, which does not have a name (or at least is not called by any name during the series other than "Robot").


The Robot's purpose is to help the Robinsons adapt to their environment and to protect them. He is capable of electrical blasts from his two retractable robot arms that discourage attacks.


The Robinsons travel in a spacecraft called the Jupiter 2. This spacecraft is often grounded, but there are times when the Robinsons manage to get it into space and travel to other worlds.


However, the Robinsons are truly lost. Thus, while they can travel through space in the Jupiter 2, they don't know where to go. They wind up wandering aimlessly and landing on new worlds where they once again must adapt to alien conditions.


When exploring their new home, the Robinsons use the Chariot. This is a treaded vehicle that is able to overcome a variety of hostile environments.


The most challenging situation the Chariot faces is when it is caught in a giant ocean whirlpool.


There are lots of futuristic gadgets on "Lost in Space." Some of these were real-life technology at the time. These included the jetpack used by Professor John Robinson, the expedition's leader.


John Robinson used the jetpack to search for lost crewmembers.


One major difference from "Swiss Family Robinson" was the presence of a villain. This was a stowaway, Dr. Zachary Smith.


Dr. Smith was a saboteur who tried to destroy the Jupiter 2 but wound up trapped on board. He fails in his mission and survives to become a constant source of problems for the Robinsons.


Maureen Robinson, John's wife, handles domestic chores aboard the Jupiter 2.


She is largely responsible for Dr. Smith being given full crew privileges aboard the Jupiter 2.


Dr. Smith develops a strong bond with the Robinsons' son, Will Robinson.


Dr. Smith, Will Robinson, and the Robot engage in a lot of adventures together.


The Jupiter 2's pilot is U.S. Space Corps Major Don West. He is the second-in-command and, like Dr. Smith, is not a member of the Robinson family.


Major West romances the Robinsons' older daughter, Judy.


While the Robinsons rarely encounter alien civilizations, they do often get unwelcome visitors.


The Robot helps Professor Robinson and Major West defend the Jupiter 2 in those situations.


Dr. Smith sometimes helps to defend the Jupiter 2, especially in the early episodes.


However, Dr. Smith usually is the source of the Jupiter 2's problems in the first place.


Dr. Smith's origins are murky. He is a member of Alpha Control, the organization that sent the Jupiter 2 into space.


However, while posing as an Alpha Control doctor, Dr. Smith actually is an agent for an unidentified foreign power.


The Robinsons have a younger daughter, Penny.


Penny is in that awkward stage that Britney Spears would call no longer a girl, not yet a woman.


John and Maureen remain a loving couple despite everything that the universe can throw at them.


This includes at least one instance when John tries to kill Maureen. But, he was possessed by aliens, so it doesn't really count, sort of.


Judy get the least airtime of everyone, so let's rectify that a little bit right here.


I can't remember which episode featured Judy wielding a laser pistol, but it was probably the only one.


In one of their earliest adventures, the Robinsons encounter one of their most impressive adversaries.


This is the Cyclops. He's called Cyclops because he has only one eye. That's what creatures with one eye are almost always called.


While there are some great possibilities with the Cyclops, nothing much happens with him. Eventually, he just falls over.


But, he's a great character anyway.


The real action usually takes place with the Robot and Dr. Smith. They are frenemies.


When they aren't trying to kill each other, the Robot and Dr. Smith invariably are encountering aliens who want to kill them.


However, Professor Robinson always comes along to save the day in his colorful outfits.



2019