"The New Adventures of Batman" (1977) TV series 1977-1978

Writer:

Bob Kane (characters)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

12 February 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Animation | Crime

Plot:

Batman, Robin and Batgirl fight crime in Gotham City with the "help" of Batmite.

Plot Keywords:

Batman | DC Comics | Mask | Tarzan | Based On Comic

Cast

Melendy Britt	...	Batgirl / ... (16 episodes, 1977)
Burt Ward	...	Robin (Dick Grayson) / ... (16 episodes, 1977-1978)
Adam West	...	Batman / ... (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Writing credits
Len Janson		(6 episodes, 1977)
Chuck Menville		(6 episodes, 1977)
Mark Fink		(3 episodes, 1977)
Arthur H. Nadel		(2 episodes, 1977)
Bob Kane		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Don Christensen	....	producer (16 episodes, 1977)
Norm Prescott	....	executive producer (16 episodes, 1977)
Lou Scheimer	....	executive producer (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Original Music by
Ray Ellis		(16 episodes, 1977)
Norm Prescott		(16 episodes, 1977)

Series Film Editing by
Jim Blodgett		(16 episodes, 1977)
Doreen A. Dixon		(16 episodes, 1977)

Series Art Direction by
Alberto De Mello		(16 episodes, 1977)
Herb Hazelton		(16 episodes, 1977)

Series Production Management
Joseph Simon	....	post-production supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Art Department
John Dorman	....	storyboard artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Paul Fennell	....	storyboard artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Mike Hazy	....	key art assistant (16 episodes, 1977)
Bob Kline	....	storyboard director (16 episodes, 1977)
Sherman Labby	....	storyboard artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Mario Piluso	....	storyboard artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Paul Sommer	....	storyboard artist (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Don Dinehart	....	camera operator (16 episodes, 1977)
R.W. Pope	....	camera supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)
Dean G. Teves	....	camera operator (16 episodes, 1977)
F.T. Ziegler	....	camera operator (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Animation Department
Barbara Benedetto	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Betty Brooks	....	paint supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)
Sheila Brown	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
James Brummett	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Bob Carr	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Jesse Cosio	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Zeon Davush	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Otto Feuer	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Jim Fletcher	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Ed Friedman	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
John Garling	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
George Goode	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Fred Grable	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Dick Hall	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Wes Herschensohn	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Lew Irwin	....	assistant animation supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)
Lou Kachivas	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Les Kaluza	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Ervin L. Kaplan	....	color director (16 episodes, 1977)
Pat Keppler	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Marsh Lamore	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Rudy Larriva	....	animation director (16 episodes, 1977)
Lonnie Lloyd	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Carol Lundberg	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Fred Myers	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Bill Nunes	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Rolando Oliva	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Tom O'Loughlin	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Casey Onaitis	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Jack Ozark	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Curt Perkins	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Don Peters	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Bill Pratt	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Virgil Raddatz	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
John Remmel	....	xerography supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)
Len Rogers	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Virgil Ross	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Don Schloat	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Don Schweikert	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Larry Silverman	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Marion Turk	....	checking supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)
Dardo Velez	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Cliff Voorhees	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Don Watson	....	background artist (16 episodes, 1977)
David West	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Ron Westlund	....	animator (16 episodes, 1977)
Gwen Wetzler	....	animation director (16 episodes, 1977)
Jim Willoughby	....	layout artist (16 episodes, 1977)
Lou Zukor	....	animation director (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Editorial Department
Joseph Simon	....	editorial supervisor (16 episodes, 1977)

Series Other crew
June Gilham	....	film coordinator (16 episodes, 1977)
Don Towsley	....	supervising director (16 episodes, 1977)

Production Companies

• Filmation Associates

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Other Companies

• Horta-Mahana Corp.  music and sound effects
• Technicolor  color by
• Shermley Music Co.  music publisher

Also Known As:

The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour (USA) (rerun title)

Runtime:

30 min (16 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:G (TV rating)

Company:

Filmation Associates

Trivia:

The Riddler was shown in the opening credits but never appeared in any of the episodes. This was because Hanna-Barbera held the rights to use The Riddler, Scarecrow, and Solomon Grundy for "Challenge of the SuperFriends" (1978).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Batman: Deep Freeze (#3.10)" (1994)

Blame the networks, not the show!

First of all, I'd like to correct another poster who claims most of the original cast of the 1966 TV version of Batman provided the voices for this cartoon version. Only Adam West and Burt Ward came back to do the voices in this cartoon. Secondly, Charles Napier was never in the 1966 version of the show. Now, as far as this Filmation cartoon version of Batman is concerned, while it may not have been the best cartoon representation of Batman, it really gave the networks (at the time) what they wanted, a cartoon show with no violence. We can thank the PTA and similar groups at the time with a massive campaign to curb violence on TV. As a result, most cartoon shows being shown in the late 70s were pretty lame (boring). The networks would not have allowed a typical Batman story to be shown in the late 70s. The original Filmation Batman "The Adventures of Batman" (1969) was a lot better than this version. That version looked basically like a cartoon continuation of the 1966-68 TV series of the same name. While Hollywood continues to make Batman abominations today, the 1966 TV show continues being the most fun version of the character, with Adam West still being the definitive "Batman". Yes, the 1977 cartoon version may have been a bit boring, but we shouldn't blame the production as much as we should the networks. This was the kind of shows they wanted to release to the young public in those days. OK Batmite was annoying, but once again, don't blame the production, the character (as annoying as he is) was actually a character in the comics before he came to TV. As with most Filmation shows of the mid-late 70s, the New Adventures of Batman gave us a special "morals" message at the end of each episode. At least the shows in those days cared enough to instill morals in young people, something today's cartoons don't seem to care at all about. All in all, I would say that while this version of the cartoon Batman may not have been the best, it's certainly far and away better than most of today's cartoons. There's also a big reason this cartoon is worth seeing, it starred the voice of the man who will always be known as the "only" Batman that mattered, Adam West.