The ME-TV BATMAN Episode Discussion Thread

[clavierankh]

I just checked my TIVO schedule. I'm showing Louie's Lethal Lilac Time and Nora Clavicle next week followed by the Minstrel. the next week.

[batmandc27]

I am a huge Batman fan, and I have the outline for this, which you will find very interesting... along with many others - contact me / reply so that we can discuss this unique period of Batman's history, since I have many questions for YOU about this area of the Caped Crusader's past as well and sense that we could have a great collaboration about this!

Take care, and thanks in advance for your time. Talk soon, then...

[LittleLouisGroovy]

<sigh> Watched "The Ogg and I/How to Hatch a Dinosaur". It's painful to see how Stanford Sherman turned Egghead from Batman's most brilliant enemy into Olga's cowardly, henpecked fiance. The character had the potential to be as important a villain as The Joker within the context of the series, especially with Vincent Price in the role. Why they decided to pair the character with Anne Baxter's Olga is a mystery to me. As with the Catwoman/Sandman mash-up, I wonder if it was a contractual thing.

[Gleeps, it's Batman]

My DVD malfunctioned and didn't record it this week. Maybe it sensed that it was Season 3 and rebelled <g>

I never got a reply back from ME-TV. Not that I was expecting one. Just wondered if anyone else wrote and complained about them no longer airing in order? It's like now they're putting them in a hat and just drawing out a title to see what to air each week.

[Dr. Shimel]

<sigh> Watched "The Ogg and I/How to Hatch a Dinosaur". It's painful to see how Stanford Sherman turned Egghead from Batman's most brilliant enemy into Olga's cowardly, henpecked fiance. The character had the potential to be as important a villain as The Joker within the context of the series, especially with Vincent Price in the role. Why they decided to pair the character with Anne Baxter's Olga is a mystery to me. As with the Catwoman/Sandman mash-up, I wonder if it was a contractual thing.

It was noted in a long-ago thread that this was originally a three-part episode, which would have ratcheted up the torture. For whatever reason, they chopped off one part of the trilogy and re-shot some scenes to make a stand-alone episode.

[Gernot]

<sigh> Watched "The Ogg and I/How to Hatch a Dinosaur". It's painful to see how Stanford Sherman turned Egghead from Batman's most brilliant enemy into Olga's cowardly, henpecked fiance. The character had the potential to be as important a villain as The Joker within the context of the series, especially with Vincent Price in the role. Why they decided to pair the character with Anne Baxter's Olga is a mystery to me. As with the Catwoman/Sandman mash-up, I wonder if it was a contractual thing.

Yeah, even as a kid, I was severely disappointed in Vincent Price's treatment in Season 3. He only shined in very small parts of each episode, too.

[Gleeps, it's Batman]

Okay, something is seriously wrong at ME-TV. In two weeks they have the first two parts of the Penguin/Marsha teamup on again. They just showed those eps recently!!!

Holy frustration!

Well, as long as I'm on the subject of the Penguin/Marsha episodes, I noticed something when it aired weeks ago. When they showed an establishing shot for the Gotham City Museum Of Antiquities, I recognized it as the Jeffersonian from the show Bones, which is actually the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. I took this screencap off of one of the Batman youtube uploads:

[sullydude]

Tonight's episode is the Minstrel's Shakedown and Barbecued Batman, featuring Van Johnson as the Minstrel. The show has some interesting guest stars and features my favorite, the Bat drone. I know some have discussed that this was a model for a batplane that the show was thinking of using at some point.
A rather solid episode that had the main villain not be involved in the bat-fight.
Hope those who have ME-TV get a chance to watch and enjoy this 2nd season episode.

[Dr. Shimel]

I'm shaking my head as I watch this episode, since the whole "stock market will crash and destroy the economy" is ironic given all the political histrionics currently going on. Where's Batman when you need him?

[LittleLouisGroovy]

Not having seen the series in years, I assumed that the Minstrel episodes were throwaways, but having watched them again, I've changed my mind. I think these episodes are quite strong, with an interesting villain, good scripts that contain moments of suspense and humor, and vivid camera work and editing. I also like that The Minstrel is unknown to Batman and Robin and that they have to make an especially strong effort to defeat him. And his final song is funny while still conveying a feeling of menace.

In addition, I really liked the scene between Gordon and O'Hara, in which O'Hara expresses doubts about Batman and Robin. It adds texture to the episode and gives it a bit of dramatic weight.

Making The Minstrel and electronics expert allows for a great number of story ideas. It's a shame they didn't bring back the character.

[sullydude]

Yes this was a pretty good episode, but I thought the death trap was not that great, it should have had a musical or electronic twist to it. Van Johnson was a solid choice as a villain and it was a good episode overall. I am enjoying my Saturday's on METV and getting two episodes of Batman each week.

[gothosmansion]

Agree. This is a strong episode that holds together as a plot very well. I also like the Joker episodes, Joker Trumps and Ace/Batman Sets the Pace, by this episode's writing team. Too bad they didn't write more episodes.

Also, nice trick by Batman to let Octavia go with the the homing transmitter in her back. I was glad to see the Caped Crusader employ a little strategy and not just wait around for the villain to give him a clue.

Finally, did anyone notice that Octavia was misidentified in the credits as "Amanda"?

[Dr. Shimel]

This was the seventh episode filmed for S2, yet it was the third show aired. The episode filmed right before it was the Clock King caper. That helps explain why, when the Duo confidently mentions how they've handled previous adversaries, Clock King is among those mentioned--even though he hadn't appeared yet.

[RetroBat]

Agree. This is a strong episode that holds together as a plot very well. I also like the Joker episodes, Joker Trumps and Ace/Batman Sets the Pace, by this episode's writing team. Too bad they didn't write more episodes.

It certainly was one of the better written episodes. The scene with O'Hara having doubts about Batman and Gordon defending him made the characters more three dimensional instead of props making one-liners. I agreed that they should made more episodes like the one that aired last night.

[Mr. Deathtrap]

Citizens,

The Minstrel episode is one of the stronger episodes from the standpoint of Batman as a detective. He spends a great deal of time in episode 1 tracking down Minstrel. Other examples are the conclusion of "Batman Trumps an Ace" and, surprisingly, realizing Green Hornet and Kato were alive inside Col. Gumm's machine after the life sized stamps were removed.

The Batman / Green Hornet crossover is weak because of the its ambitiousness and the program's constraints. Yet, watching again, I liked Batman noticing Green Hornet's stamp did not feature the Hornet Sting the hero was holding when shoved into the trap. This fact told the Caped Crusader all was not as it appeared.

Such detective work is much better than the Holemsian showing off Bataman often did to impress Commissioner Gordon.

Mr. Deathtrap