Watching Superman: The Movie 1978 for the first time - Page 3

*CyberCubed* · 07-03-2013, 12:19 AM

Why are there so many live-action Superman TV series, yet there is only one for Batman (the Adam West Batman) show?

I mean Superman has the 50's series, the serials, radio show, Lois and Clark, Smallville, etc.

Yet Batman only ever had the 60's Adam West show, and the rest were cartoons. Why do they keep launching new Superman live-action shows? I wouldn't be surprised if another one is greenlit in another few years.

~~Leo656~~ · 07-03-2013, 12:43 AM

I've wondered that myself. Although Batman also had two movie serials in the 1940s. Pretty weak, but not an entirely bad effort for the time. Batman and Robin weren't super-heroes, they worked for the government as special agents fighting "The Japs". Eh, WWII and all that. They don't hold up terribly well, and they're really cheap, but eh, anything Batman is worth a look.

I would argue that one reason Superman has more shows is that Batman's almost constantly in film development, and producers actually don't like to have films and TV shows of the same property come out at the same time. You'd think the opposite would be true, but the conventional thinking is that multiple versions of the same property confuses the audience, as there are often contradictions between them. So they try and put space between the movie and TV versions of their characters. Since Superman's movies have taken decades at a time to make, TV shows have provided a cheaper way to keep the character in the public eye just as effectively (and with more room for character development) than films.

So I guess the reason could be that most of the focus on Batman has been making movies and cartoons rather than live-action TV shows, although there have been ideas for a few different shows but none got made. I think they were considering a "young Bruce Wayne" show once "Smallville" got huge, but eventually decided against it. They did have the "Birds Of Prey" spin-off show, but Batman wasn't really in that. It was a decent show, though.

I really can't complain that they keep doing Superman shows, but I wouldn't mind a Batman one. I'd prefer a real, in-costume Superman show (watching Lois & Clark has my mind going crazy imagining what could be done with modern budgets) but a Batman show would be welcome.

*CyberCubed* · 07-03-2013, 12:57 PM

I would like a realistic Batman show on TV as long as it had no teen drama romance crap. I worry if they made one Batman would be like 18 and Catwoman and Talia would be flirting with him in every damn episode.

~~Leo656~~ · 07-05-2013, 06:13 AM

That's probably what it would have been had the Smallville developers gotten a hold of it.

*gobo* · 07-05-2013, 03:12 PM

Gotten ahold of what? The Batlicense?

~~Leo656~~ · 07-05-2013, 03:20 PM

That's what I was referring to, yes.

*CyberCubed* · 07-05-2013, 03:54 PM

I'm surprised they made a Green Arrow show instead of Batman. They also tried to get a new Wonder Woman show on but NBC turned it down.

*NinjaPug* · 07-05-2013, 05:38 PM

The CW is currently working on a Wonder Woman show titled Amazon. It didn't get picked up for next season but they're still working on it.

07-05-2013, 03:12 PM	#45
gobo Wacky Action Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: on Earth Posts: 12,784	Gotten ahold of what? The Batlicense? __________________ Live and let live... or go to hell.

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07-03-2013, 12:19 AM	#41
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,888	Why are there so many live-action Superman TV series, yet there is only one for Batman (the Adam West Batman) show? I mean Superman has the 50's series, the serials, radio show, Lois and Clark, Smallville, etc. Yet Batman only ever had the 60's Adam West show, and the rest were cartoons. Why do they keep launching new Superman live-action shows? I wouldn't be surprised if another one is greenlit in another few years.

07-03-2013, 12:43 AM	#42
~~Leo656~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: nWo Country Posts: 27,703	I've wondered that myself. Although Batman also had two movie serials in the 1940s. Pretty weak, but not an entirely bad effort for the time. Batman and Robin weren't super-heroes, they worked for the government as special agents fighting "The Japs". Eh, WWII and all that. They don't hold up terribly well, and they're really cheap, but eh, anything Batman is worth a look. I would argue that one reason Superman has more shows is that Batman's almost constantly in film development, and producers actually don't like to have films and TV shows of the same property come out at the same time. You'd think the opposite would be true, but the conventional thinking is that multiple versions of the same property confuses the audience, as there are often contradictions between them. So they try and put space between the movie and TV versions of their characters. Since Superman's movies have taken decades at a time to make, TV shows have provided a cheaper way to keep the character in the public eye just as effectively (and with more room for character development) than films. So I guess the reason could be that most of the focus on Batman has been making movies and cartoons rather than live-action TV shows, although there have been ideas for a few different shows but none got made. I think they were considering a "young Bruce Wayne" show once "Smallville" got huge, but eventually decided against it. They did have the "Birds Of Prey" spin-off show, but Batman wasn't really in that. It was a decent show, though. I really can't complain that they keep doing Superman shows, but I wouldn't mind a Batman one. I'd prefer a real, in-costume Superman show (watching Lois & Clark has my mind going crazy imagining what could be done with modern budgets) but a Batman show would be welcome.

07-03-2013, 12:57 PM	#43
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,888	I would like a realistic Batman show on TV as long as it had no teen drama romance crap. I worry if they made one Batman would be like 18 and Catwoman and Talia would be flirting with him in every damn episode.

07-05-2013, 06:13 AM	#44
~~Leo656~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: nWo Country Posts: 27,703	That's probably what it would have been had the Smallville developers gotten a hold of it.

07-05-2013, 03:20 PM	#46
~~Leo656~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: nWo Country Posts: 27,703	That's what I was referring to, yes.

07-05-2013, 03:54 PM	#47
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,888	I'm surprised they made a Green Arrow show instead of Batman. They also tried to get a new Wonder Woman show on but NBC turned it down.

07-05-2013, 05:38 PM	#48
NinjaPug Foot Elite Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 4,390	The CW is currently working on a Wonder Woman show titled Amazon. It didn't get picked up for next season but they're still working on it.