"Batman: The Complete Television Series" Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

One of the most anticipated home video releases of all time has arrived on Blu-ray, DVD and for Digital Download! To the Batcave!

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Batman: The Complete Television Series
Studio: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 11th, 2014

Synopsis: The classic 1960s Batman live-action television series is here - in color! TV's iconic Dynamic Duo has been captured, along with a legion of abominable archenemies in a POW-erful collection. Featuring all 120 original broadcast episodes, ever popular guest stars like Julie Newmar and Cesar Romero, complete episode guide - and exploding with over 3 hours of all new extras - you can bring home all the crime fighting action that won generations of fans!

Includes:
-All 120 Original Broadcast Episodes Fully Remastered
-32-Page Complete Episode Guide
-Over three hours of all-new Extras:
--Hanging with Batman – A true slice of life in the words of Adam West
--Holy Memorabilia Batman! – A journey into the most sought after collectables through the eyes of 3 extraordinary collectors
--Batmania Born! - Building the World of Batman – Explore the art and design behind the fiction
--Bats of the Round Table – A candid conversation with Adam West and his celebrity friends, chatting all things Bat ’66
--Inventing Batman in the words of Adam West (episode 1 &2) - A rare treat for the fans as Adam discusses his script notes on bringing Batman to life in the first and second episodes
--Na Na Na Batman! — Hollywood favorites stars and producers recount their favorite Batman memories
--The original Batgirl pilot, screen tests and more!

Remember - this thread is to discuss the home video release of Batman! Discuss episodes of the classic Batman series in the official television series talkback!

Batman is finally available to own! Discuss this home video release!

Related Discussion:
-Batman: The 1960s Classic TV Series Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The 1966 Movie Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman '66 Comic Series Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Brave and The Bold "Chill of the Night" Talkback (Spoilers)
-Batman: The Animated Series "Beware The Grey Ghost" Talkback (Spoilers)
-Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Video Game Talkback (Spoilers)

 

[Road to Gotham]

They did an OUTSTANDING job of remastering the episodes.
The colors pop off the scene.
I have watched the 1st season. Brings back fond after-school memories with a glass of chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookies.

Frank Gorshin cackles with glee as he hops/jumps around the various sets as the Riddler.
Cesar Romero brings mirth and mayhem as the Joker. Mad laugher fills the screen.
George Sanders as the right icy tone as the COOL Mr. Freeze.
Julie Newmar is Sexy and seductive as the Catwoman. She could kiss you or slash you across the creek.
Burgress Meredith waddles his way as the Master of Fowl Play, The Penguin. A Cunning bird with multiple umbrellas to preplex the Dynamic Duo.
Victor Buono played my favorite created for the show villain, King Tut.

Should be noted that the Zelda the Great and False Face episodes were based on comic book stories as were the first Joker and Penguin appearances.

The BATGIRL pilot is included as a bonus feaure.
It in the Bat-Rarities section along with screen tests for Burt Ward and Lyle Waggoner.

Overall this box set which I got on Blu-Ray gets a solid 'A' from me.

 

[Spider-Man]

I'm splitting my time between this and the new Lego Batman game and both are so much fun. I find that this show holds up much better than I expected. While binge watching does make the show's formula abundantly clear, the show is just so much fun. I might talk more about the show in its own thread since a lot of this I am actually seeing for the first time. The set itself is fantastic. I really enjoyed the three hours of bonus features. I actually jumped on those first as I was really interested in some of the behind-the-scenes stuff and to finally get a good look at how it all went. While it doesn't go as detailed as I'd like it still does a great job telling us about how everyone on the show knew exactly what they were doing when making this show. The package itself is really nice though I would've taken a more stripped down version for the Blu-ray if that came out. I don't mind the car and cards and bonus book but those doesn't really interest me. Still the design is really fantastic. The disc holders are a little too snug but aside from that everything is good here. This set is going to keep me entertained for a long time.

 

[James Harvey]

For those interested, The World's Finest has a review up for the Batman: The Complete Classic Television Series - Limited Edition Blu-ray release. For those interested, click on the image below to check it out.

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Surely plenty of Toonzoners have picked up this major home video release! Sound off on it! Let's hear your thoughts on Batman: The Complete Classic Television Series finally coming to home video!

 

[Road to Gotham]

Just a Note. Its been mention on other forums.
There is a minute missing from PART 2 of the Marsha Queen of Diamonds episode.
It the final tag scene with Aunt Hilda teaching at a cooking school.

Some people are so upset about this they are refusing to buy the complete series.
It doesn't bother me. Its only 1 minute.

Also of note. There is no opening narration on the very 1st episode. That is correct as the narration was later added for reruns.

 

[Storm Eagle]

There's an infomercial that's airing on TV that offers season 1 and season 2-part 1, and a few other things. They can be seen on batmanondvd.com. It's too bad that some of those things aren't included in the Blu-ray set. Especially the original movie.

 

[Ed Liu]

As part of this release, I got a chance to interview Adam Freaking West. You guys just have absolutely NO idea how geeked out I was at this opportunity, to the point where I started going off-script from the questions I had in mind and ended up in fanboy babble land. I get the sense he gets that a lot, though, and he was an absolute joy to talk to.

But yeah. I got to interview Adam West. Was on a contact high after that for, like, an hour. Makes up for not being able to get to his NYCC press conference, where I'd have asked him to do the Batusi for me as part of the Batusi Project. Perhaps some other time.

Love this set, too. Review is forthcoming.

 

[Stu]

That must be a personal, professional point of pride. He even called you Ed! You are friends with Batman!

I don't have this set, and seem to be struggling to find the blu ray set in stores. I've seen the DVD, but I would sooner have it on blu. Anyone else from the UK seen it in stores?

 

[Storm Eagle]

Okay, so does the Blu-ray set have these things?

-Adam West Naked (special feature on a disc maybe?)
-script for "The Joker is Wild"
-personal letter from Adam West

 

[Ed Liu]

Okay, so does the Blu-ray set have these things?

-Adam West Naked (special feature on a disc maybe?)
-script for "The Joker is Wild"
-personal letter from Adam West

There is a letter from Adam West at the front of the Episode Guide, and the "Adam West Scrapbook" in the LE set. The other bonuses you mention are not in the set.

 

[rggkjg1]

Has anyone got the exclusive blu-ray set that came with the hardcover edition of Batman: The TV Stories? I ordered one via my local comic shop, but of course the one I got didn't have it. Currently in the process of getting this mix up sorted out.

I haven't watched any of the discs, but the packaging seems a little bit underwhelming. I like that it's the same size as The Dark Knight Trilogy ultimate blu-ray, but with a box that big, there is still a lot more extra goodies that could have been included. Forgetting the potential for more goodies, they still could have had larger packaging to house the discs inside the box. With that space available, they seriously couldn't think of a way for each disc to have it's own slot, instead of stacking two on top of each other? Analyzing the way the box is set up, I actually wonder if there is room in the box to fit that hardcover, or if those get shipped separately because it can't fit inside the box. I thought the Adam West scrapbook didn't have enough pages to "work" as a hardcover. The episode guide as a hardcover booklet and the scrapbook as a softcover would have been better to me. For the sake of completion, I wouldn't have minded if they included the movie in this set. Even if they just carried over the same exact disc as the individual blu-ray release.

I wouldn't say they dropped the ball on the packaging, but given the potential for what more could have possibly been included, or how what we got could have been presented differently/better, leaves me a bit underwhelmed. There's that, and that I had to wait longer to get this, pay MORE than I would everywhere else for it, and ultimately not get what I ordered.

 

[Ed Liu]

Has anyone got the exclusive blu-ray set that came with the hardcover edition of Batman: The TV Stories? I ordered one via my local comic shop, but of course the one I got didn't have it. Currently in the process of getting this mix up sorted out.

That package looks like it was only offered to comic book shops, and is almost certainly just a combo of 2 items offered together as a convenience. Considering how the direct market works, I don't think Warner Bros. would make special LE boxed sets to accommodate a full-size comic book HC in addition to all the other stuff in the set. That means that your comic shop where you ordered it is the one that has to come up with the HC for you, though.

The reason why the movie isn't in there is that it was released by 20th Century Fox, while the TV series set was released by Warner Bros. They're co-owners of the property, but friction between the two is the reason why it took so long for the TV series to be released in the first place (as detailed in this big article at Wired detailing the long, sordid story). I'm guessing WB just didn't want to license the movie in addition to the entire TV series just to include it in the series sets.

 

[Storm Eagle]

There is a letter from Adam West at the front of the Episode Guide, and the "Adam West Scrapbook" in the LE set. The other bonuses you mention are not in the set.

Okay, thanks for that.

There will be a complete set on Blu-ray that isn't limited in number, yet lacks the perks that are exclusive to the limited edition. It comes out on December 16th.

Batman DVD news: Release Date for Batman - The Complete Television Series Blu-ray Unlimited | TVShowsOnDVD.com

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

That must be a personal, professional point of pride. He even called you Ed! You are friends with Batman!

I don't have this set, and seem to be struggling to find the blu ray set in stores. I've seen the DVD, but I would sooner have it on blu. Anyone else from the UK seen it in stores?

The limited edition Blu-Ray set is exclusive to Amazon.co.uk.

 

[Spider-Man]

I will admit I am a little disappointed they would release that no-frills Blu-ray set so soon. I likely would have held off for that one since the toy car and scrapbook aren't really of interest to me. Still I do like the set I have and the quality of it is really great. WB really put a lot of effort into it which you really have to give them credit for. Some reviewers are calling this the last major release of the physical media era and I kind of agree. This was the big release we have been waiting nearly twenty years for and its here and I wasn't disappointed in it.

 

[Ed Liu]

My review of the LE set is up now. Short version is that I think any show where you can enjoy it one way as a kid and another way as an adult is, by definition, a really good show.

Batman '66 is a really good show.

As good a place as any to drop this: there was a treatment written for a sequel to Batman: The Movie that would have sent Adam West, Burt Ward, and Yvonne Craig (sigh) to Tokyo.

Where they would meet Godzilla.

And where the plot involves a Benny Hill-style nude bathhouse chase scene, numerous robot impostors, a Japanese-built Batmobile, and strategic use of female Godzilla mating calls.

I swear I am not making this up. But if the WB Animation people are looking for a Batman '66 project to do as an animated DTV movie, I have a suggestion for them.

 

[Mandouga]

Best not to give them any ideas...

Sent from my iPod touch using toonzone

 

[James Harvey]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just sent out the following press release regarding the noted missing content and planned replacement discs for the Batman: The Complete Television Series collection. This notice applies to both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the set. Please continue below for all the details.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will provide fans with replacement discs and digital repairs to the few minor technical issues identified in its recent release of Batman: The Complete Television Series.

Amounting to less than five minutes of footage within the 50-plus hours of entertainment, the issues encompass one 60-second dropped scene in the episode entitled "Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds"; a brief piece of rarely-heard William Dozier narration that originally opened the pilot episode, "Hi Diddle Riddle"; and an assembly of villain tags from the end of assorted episodes.

"The restoration process of this footage - spanning 48 years and two major studios - has been a super heroic task, and we deeply regret even the smallest of glitches occurring in that process," said Rosemary Markson, Senior Vice President, TV Brand Management & Retail Marketing, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. "We recognize our obligation to the fans of this landmark series, and we have worked diligently to identify all issues and provide resolutions as quickly as possible."

To resolve these issues for consumers purchasing Batman: The Complete Television Series, WBHE will make available complete replacement discs for the discs that originally included the episodes "Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds" and "Hi Diddle Riddle." The villain tags will be re-issued as an assembled string on one of the aforementioned discs and, as an added bonus, WBHE has acquired rights and legal clearances to both a Bat-vehicle teaser that originally aired as part of the second season-opening "Shoot A Crooked Arrow" episode, and one of the original promotional tags that aired on the original showing of the "The Duo Defy" episode. Additionally, all fixes will be made to all Digital HD versions of Batman: The Complete Television Series.

To obtain the replacement discs, consumers who have purchased Batman: The Complete Television Series are directed to Help: Customer Service - WarnerBros.com.

Worldwide demand for the Limited Edition box set of Batman: The Complete Television Series has been tremendous, resulting in widespread retailer sellouts and rapidly dwindling inventories heading into the holiday season. To fulfill consumer interest, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced a new streamlined Blu-ray box set that includes all 120 episodes and matching enhanced content from the limited edition set, but without the added premium items or Digital HD copy. Purchasers of this set will also need to utilize the customer service website to obtain replacement discs.

 

[Mandouga]

Okay..., and what about the individual season sets, or are "the rest of us" going to be left out in the cold?...

 

[Storm Eagle]

Okay..., and what about the individual season sets, or are "the rest of us" going to be left out in the cold?...

You could always try them anyway and see what they say.