Batman ('60s series) STILL NOT coming to DVD! (Major update post #52) (1 Viewer)

[Steve...O]

What a major disappointment. Looks like the BITS jumped the gun on this and reported without getting their facts checked out or at least clarified. Too bad. Thanks to Gord/Dave for digging into this and presenting a clear and concise summation of the situation.

Whether I buy this proposed West set depends on whether it truly provides an insider's view of the making of the series with meaningful antedoctes as opposed to being 2 hours of West calling Ward "Old Chum".

Not to belabor the bootleg issue that Ron referenced but it is rather telling that the respective studios have seemingly made no effort to stop the sale of these. I agree with that a legit release is needed ASAP to eliminate the market for these. It has been posted before in this forum that the DC division of Warners does not respect the West series and that is why the rights issues can't be worked out. Can anyone definitively confirm or refute this oft repeated story?

 

[JohnMor]

I have wondered the same thing, and never found an answer. Same production company, etc. You'd think the same problems & issues would block it's release as well, but for some reason not.

 

[Sam Favate]

I can't confirm or deny, but... come on. Look no further than last year's release of the 1977 animated Batman show to see that Warner has no problem releasing a show that could make the "Dark Knight" look silly. The '77 cartoon is probably the worst interpretation of the character.

Just last week, Little Steven's Underground Garage radio show did a tribute to the '66 Batman, saying it was the coolest show ever. The show has a hip quality to it that is appreciated. (Episode 329: Little Steven's Underground Garage: Archived Show)

 

[David Lambert]

Guys, the movie vs. series thing is simple: the licensing agreements that involved the movie all had language that basically covered presentations of the feature in other formats. That basically was able to interpreted by everyone, and most importantly from a legal standpoint, as covering home video release in formats that include VHS, DVD and Blu-ray.

However, there would have been no such language to cover the television episodes. While it was possible back in those days for theatrical films to be shown/re-used in "other formats" than the original theatrical venue (on airline flights, on TV, in school auditoriums for charity, and more...use your imagination), the era saw no way to re-use a television broadcast of a program's episode other than to show it on TV again as a re-run. Home video didn't exist, nor really did any other place that could see the re-use a TV show episode. So the language never existed as to who owned the rights to use a TV show somewhere else besides TV.

Since those rights aren't spelled out, the entities that have rights to all the elements get to slug it out "from scratch". Who owns the film/episodes? Who owns the characters? The stories? The music? Are any unique costumes covered in an existing agreement? How about the design of the unique props (like, say, a Batmobile)? How about the talent (both main cast and guest stars)? Writers? Directors? The people who invented the universe in the first place?

All that stuff is usually spelled out in the contracts, starting with the standard boilerplate language and getting into detailed, case-by-case agreements from there (music used in TV shows often falls into that category).

I'm no lawyer. Nor a Hollywood agent. Take it all with a grain of salt, but the bottom line is that the language was there for the Batman '66 film, but no language was there to cover home video releases where the TV episodes were concerned.

 

[mdnitoil]

I never got the impression that this was held up by Warner's/DC because of character image issues, but rather the god awful rights mess associated with this and any other Dozier properties out there. From all accounts, it's a real minefield to deal with. Green Hornet suffers from the same issues.

 

[Zack Gibbs]

Judging by all the excitement from one little offhand comment (that was far from a confirmation of anything), these folks are passing up some serious money.

I guess this is just karma enacting its will on all those who refuse the greatness of The Dark Knight.

As for the rights issues, I always imagined it was a matter of all the parties wanting more money than there was to go around.

 

[Carabimero]

This thread has definitely made me want to get out my own complete set I recorded off TV years ago. I'm not sure if the episodes are complete, but it looks like they'll have to do me, at least for this lifetime.

 

[Tony J Case]

Man, I hate to be right about this.


Ah, see that would require the studios to actually have some comon sense, and not be consumed by this stupid greed mentality (what - they can't do a 50/50 split and make SOME money instead of 100% of nothing?). But they *NEVER* will - and by this point I'm well beyond caring.

 

[Jason_V]

Well, at least it's nothing as depressing as wanting to get Adam West recorded before he couldn't do it anymore.

Hey...I'm trying to look on the bright side.

 

[Ruz-El]

This has nothing to do with the studios not having common sense. If the guy who designed the Batmobile demands $100,000 and 5% of the profits an episode, and the girl who designed the BATCOMPUTER wants $10k and 3%, is the general public going to be prepared to pay $500-$700 a set? I know YOU guys are prepared too, but really, most of us here on the boards don't count since we're more collectors, as opposed to the mass amount of general consumers that help pay the bills.

 

[David Deeb]

Forget Adam West for a minute, I don't know if we'll see this before WE turn 80.

Life is way too short, not only for the great Adam West, but for all of us and even the short-sighted execs & attorneys who will be 80 themselves one day.

And their inability to come to some resolution is childish.

Will depriving the public of it for another 10, 20 or 30 years actually accomplish anything?

 

[troy evans]

[Robin]:" Hey Batman, let's go beat the shit out of some of those ass wipe executives at Fox/Warner/DC for delaying our series release to dvd. [Batman]:"Okay old chum! We'll write all their bullshit excuses on batarangs and throw them at the cracks of their asses!.....cue 60's theme song.

 

[Ruz-El]

Starting to look a little Star Wars around here....

 

[WillG]

Interesting. If I were to own an unofficial copy of the series, it would be a set that was taped off of TV Land that does not look good, is edited to hell and sped up virtually everywhere where dialogue isn't taking place. Better copies would be nice.

 

[FrancisP]

I'm considering going the bootleg route and tell Warner/Fox/DC where they can go. Maybe someone needs to tell these executives that 100% of nothing is nothing. The stupidity in this is amazing. Apparently even an 80 year old Adam West has more brains than the tvondvd divisions at Warner or Fox. If you want to know where to go, try a search engine and it should find some sites.

 

[Elena S]

Maybe that would actually accomplish something.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: They're MORONS.

 

[Carabimero]

WillG, I hear you. I'd love to see these alleged bootlegs made from studio masters.

 

[Brian Himes]

I think that this might be the set that I try and find. My patience has worn WAY thin on this and the Bionic shows.

It's time for me to take mattters into my own hands.

 

[Bryan^H]

Before you blow good money on a set, realize it may be may be the same as throwing your money away. I've gone that route, and the sets I have are now all unplayable. Aside from extra dvd cases, I didn't gain anything. Discs are garbage, and the people who sell them don't care!

Fox released the 60's Batman movie on dvd right? IF WB's gave them the greenlight for that, what's stopping the tv show? I still don't get it.

 

[JonZ]

I have nothing to offer except:

Yvonne Craigs hips on DVD

Theyd have my money

"I'm considering going the bootleg route and tell Warner/Fox/DC where they can go."

I know were not supposed to talk about it, but I ended up doing this with Beavis & Butthead. I was tired of waiting and getting selections of episodes.

100% of nothing is nothing - absolutely right.