Testing for the ’66 Batman And Robin

I do enjoy when they throw the Riddler’s own gag at him.

When you think of the 1960’s Batman, you think of Adam West and Burt Ward. We’ve called it “the Batman with Adam West” and thanks to the comics Batman ’66. But we could have called it Lyle Waggoner‘s Batman.

Actually, not really. When they tested Adam West and Burt Ward they knew they had the right team, but by rights they needed to test another team as well. Enter Lyle Waggoner, who was probably best known for The Carol Burnett Show a year later and would get to work with another DC superhero with Linda Carter on Wonder Woman and The New Adventures Of Wonder Woman. He was tested with Peter Deyell and admittedly this is a name I don’t recognize. Imagine if the producers had decided this was the better team-up, though?

Something I find interesting is that the set used for the Batcave, and even the Batman costume are a little more on the serious side than the show we got. Wayne Manor was probably a set they had around since this was a screen test and maybe that’s true for the Batcave as well. Also, and maybe it’s because I’m so used to West and Ward (sounds like a law firm), but Waggoner and Deyell, while being good actors, didn’t fit the part as well and didn’t seem to click all that quickly. Watch Adam West and Burton Gervis Burt Ward’s screen tests and tell me I’m wrong.