Back in September 2008, we posted
an extensive look at all the reasons why the popular live-action '60s
Batman series isn't on DVD yet. And, as far as we know, nothing's changed. Oh, we've heard rumors, for certain. There have been rumors for years and years; they come and they go.
Are there fresh rumors? Sure. And it seems like show star Adam West has heard them, too! About an hour ago @theRealmCast
tweeted a post called "
Adam West talks the possibility of BATMAN on DVD plus more ," and linked to
this interview with West [
NOTE: here is a link to the original full-length interview; thanks to Craig Crumpton for sending this to us!]. There the star was asked "
Do you have any idea when we might see 'Batman' come out on DVD?," and was quoted as saying this in answer (links added by ourselves for clarity):
I guess FOX and Warner Bros. have been trying to sift that one out. I think it’s simply a matter of dividing up the pie. I’ve heard that they’re very close to an agreement and they’ll be bringing it out. In the meantime, because they haven’t and people have been screaming for it, I did “Adam West Naked.”
But of course, you’re right. People want “Batman” released on DVD and I think it will happen. “Batman: The Movie” is available and it’s always sold really well. But it seems most people have seen that.
Now, with all due respect to Mr. West, we do have one point we'd like to make about the companies he named. Fox most certainly owns the episodes, but a few years ago (when we put together the write-up we mentioned at the top), we spoke to executives at Warner Home Video about
Batman, and we were told in no uncertain terms that they have nothing to do with it; sister company DC Comics owns the character rights (and other trademarked properties associated with the characters), and we were told it would be them who Fox would have to negotiate with. Since then, we've been told that this is incorrect, but the fact is that we haven't been told otherwise by anybody who is directly working for DC, Warner or - for that matter - Fox or otherwise actually involved in any purported negotiations, so we are sticking by what we were told in 2008 the involved entities are Fox and DC (and the Dozier estate, and other claimants as mentioned in our old article).
We know that this show is the most-wanted unreleased-on-DVD television show there is, which is why we're jumping on the quote in the interview and passing it along to our readers. Please visit the linked interview for the rest of it, including West's very logical reason as to why it makes sense to release the classic show alongside the current crop of films. And stay tuned, of course, because we'll certainly update you the second we have any concrete info about a real release of the program everybody wants so badly!
