WHM 2012 Batgirl on TV

My very first crush was on Yvonne Craig, aka Barbara Gordon, aka....sigh...Batgirl.

The BATMAN television series ran from January 1966 thru spring 1968. However, I was not old enough to watch it in its first-run prime time version. I first saw it on re-runs after school on KDNL TV-30 when I was about ten or so. And of course, Batgirl the character did not appear until the third (last) season, in the fall of 1967. So when I would watch the re-runs I would have about a 1/3 chance of finding an episode with Batgirl in it. Of course, they were usually broadcast in order, so if I hit a run with Batgirl I was sure of getting a huge Batgirl fix, atleast for a few episodes.

I'm not going to go into the details of the TV show. Some people love it. Some peope hate it. Personally, I think I am squarely in-between both camps (no pun intended). No matter your opinion, you have to admit that it made for great television. 

And even though Yvonne Craig was only on the series for one season, she played a very important part in countless many young boys' appreciation for the female form. I mean, come on....! Look at her!!! If I was a bad guy henchmen working for Mr. Freeze I would freeze in my tracks if SHE were coming after me! :-)

The other crush I had from that show was a bit more difficult to explain.Yes, I liked Catwoman. I admit it. Although she was a very "bad" girl, I kept hoping she would turn over a new leaf and help Batman and Robin. When Julie Newmar would corner Adam West and purr (literally, purr!) at him to team-up and make Gotham City theirs....how could he not weaken? It was perfectly written, perfectly cast, and perfectly acted. Classic, classic stuff.  

Julie Newmar as the first
(and best) Catwoman

Evidently because of legal reasons none of the BATMAN seasons are available on DVD. Twentieth-Century FOX, who owns the rights to the series, can't seem to reach an agreeent with Warner Bros, who owns the rights to the characters. This is a shame, because there are literally millions of people who would like to own these sets...including me!

Unfortunately for the very talented Yvonne Craig, "Batgirl" type-casted her and she could not find any good acting jobs after BATMAN ended. Which is a shame, because she had so much to offer. She had made a couple films with Elvis as well as other TV guest spots before BATMAN, so she had quite a few experiences. For example, she had guest-starred on THE MAN FROM UNCLE. I came late to the UNCLE craze; I still haven't seen all of the episodes, so I did not know that she had been involved with it. I had the good fortune to meet Miss Craig at the 2002 Mid-Ohio Convention. I wrote about that experience here. Suffice it to say that she was a friendly, open lady and I enjoyed meeting her and listening to her Hollywood stories. Sure, it was a little bit awkward to meet your "crush" and she looks a bit like your mother....but we still hve the photos and hopefully one day we'll have the DVDs.

In the meantime, here are two "songs" featuring Batgirl: the 3rd season opening theme with her edited in after Batman and Robin, and "The Batgirl Song," featured twice during the 3rd season. Enjoy!