Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the 'Batman' TV Series – Celebrity Window Cameos

To celebrate the the 60th anniversary of the Batman TV series (1966-1969), I am writing a series of articles related to the iconic show. One of the joys of watching the series was the way the creators embraced the campy aspects of each episode, with tilted camera angles and gaudy lairs for the guest villains. It was like a comic book had come alive on screen.  

Batman (Adam West), Robin (Burt Ward), and the many guest stars proceeded with tongues firmly in cheek as they delivered lines of dialogue and deliberately exaggerated action sequences. No one ever took themselves seriously, and that was the inherent joy of watching the show. 

One aspect of the series that still intrigues me is how many major Hollywood stars wanted to guest star as the weekly villain. Considering people with serious acting credentials like Cesar Romero (The Joker) and Burgess Meredith (Penguin) wanted to appear on the series, it makes me realize that they wanted in on the hilarious hijinks.

One of the most interesting features of the Batman show was the celebrity cameos in the window. Batman and Robin would be climbing up a building using the famous Bat-rope, and a celebrity would emerge from a window. Silly banter would ensue between the parties, and then Batman and Robin would continue their climb up the building.   

The filming of these cameos during a Bat-climb was a simple endeavor. By turning the camera, Batman and Robin would appear to be walking up a building with a cityscape behind them. The celebrity would emerge from a window from below the set. While it seems a bit of a cheap trick now considering our current technology, I still think it was a rather ingenious concept at that time.

In all there were 14 cameos made during the 120 episode run of the three seasons. I thought I recalled more than that, but they are memorable and very humorous encounters. Here is a list of everyone who made a cameo appearance in the series:

1. Jerry Lewis
2. Dick Clark
3. The Green Hornet (Van Williams) & Kato (Bruce Lee)
4. Sammy Davis Jr.
5. Bill Dana as José Jiménez
6. Howard Duff as Detective Sam Stone from Felony Squad
7. Werner Klemperer as Colonel Klink from Hogan’s Heroes
8. Ted Cassidy as Lurch from The Addams Family
9. Don Ho
10. Santa Claus
11. Art Linkletter
12. Edward G. Robinson
13. Suzy Knickerbocker

14. Cyril Lord, the Carpet King

Even though the show was supposed to be for kids, the appearance of these celebrities proved that the adults were watching too – even celebrity adults!

Please check out the video below that features all the window encounters. Also, keep coming back here for more posts that will celebrate the Batman TV series' 60th anniversary. Until then, remember Same Bat time, Same Bat channel!

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the 'Batman' TV Series – The Creation of the Batmobile

 

This year is the 60th anniversary of the Batman TV series. I will be featuring different aspects of the show in my posts. This post celebrates the iconic Batmobile. It is a car that my young heart loved, and I still have it on my wish list – when I win the lottery I plan on getting one.

The Batmobile was an integral part of every episode of the show. Sleek looking with the bubble windows and distinctive fins, the Batmobile was filled with enough Bat gadgets to make James Bond envious. This series was the first time the Batmobile appeared in live action, previously only appearing in the comics before this show aired.

Barris in the Batmobile

So, how did they build the legendary car? William Dozier, the creator of the show, turned to legendary car customizer George Barris – known as the "King of the Kustomizers." Barris welcomed the challenge of creating the car, but  Dozier gave him only three weeks to do so because they would start filming their first episode of the series. Despite the pressure, Barris called it  "a fun project."

Barris got the idea to use a concept car called the Lincoln Futura (1955), which had

The 1955 Lincoln Futura

distinctive features similar to the Batmobile he envisioned. The car never succeeded on the market, and Barris was able to purchase one for $1. He then got to work turning a car that was a commercial dud into one of the most iconic cars ever to appear on a TV screen. 

Barris crafted the Bat nose, enhanced the fins to be Bat-like, gave the car a rear turbine exhaust, and customized the bubble canopies. He then painted it a glossy black with flaming orange trim, and the Batmobile came into being. 

Speaking of gadgets previously mentioned, the car was equipped with bulletproof windows, chain slicer, smoke emitter, and nail spreader. Its other features included a car phone, lasers, radar, Bat computer, ejector seats, and Bat-turn parachutes. It's a car that would make any little kid's heart beat faster. 

The Dynamic Duo in the Batmobile 

 I saw the Batmobile parked in New York City years ago – this is before I had a cell phone – so there are no pictures of me with it. It was part of a promotion and roped off, but it gleamed in the sunshine and, though I was all grown up, it made my little boy heart flutter.

The vehicle has appeared in different incarnations since the 1960s show, including Batman the Animated Series and various Batman movies. Despite all of them being cool in their own right, the classic 1966 Batmobile remains my favorite one. Now, I better go get that lottery ticket.

Come back here for more 60th Anniversary Batman content. Same Bat time, same Bat channel!  

All The Lonely People – Do They Belong Anywhere?

 

Remember the Beatles' magnificent song "Eleanor Rigby" and its memorable line: "All the lonely people/Where do they all belong?" That song always made me feel sad because I couldn't understand loneliness in my young life. I – fortunate to have a loving family –didn't see cases of people being lonely.

Of course, as I grew up I encountered numerous cases of people being lonely. It wasn't just poor Eleanor Rigby – there were real people who were living alone and staring out windows. I'd see them everyday on my way to work. They were people that I knew in my neighborhood that either lost a spouse or a parent, and now they were all on their own. 

I started thinking about this again today when I read a BBC article about lonely young people in China – there will be approximately 200 million young people living alone by 2030 in that country. 

It tells about an app that young people in China are using entitled "Are You Dead?" Apparently, it is very popular because it is a way to confirm that the person is still alive. If you don't routinely confirm that you're still breathing on the app, it will contact people on a list that you have provided to let them know you may be in trouble. 

Now, this got me thinking that this app would probably be successful here in the USA. I personally know people who are living alone –some of them for many years. Does our country have a problem with loneliness too?

I did a little research and discovered an article that explains how more than half of the American people (57%) are lonely. More than half? It seems that technology has worked against us in this situation. The more we are on our phones and behind closed doors, the more we are isolated.

COVID certainly didn't help matters. It forced many people to be alone, digging a deep hole which was harder and harder over time to escape. Having taught online at that time, students were given permission – since the situation was forced upon them by the virus – to keep their cameras off. Some of them never bounced back. 

I'm not sure that there is a way out of this mess. We can make an effort to reach out to people and try to check in on them, but this situation is bigger than we can handle alone, but if everyone came together and reached out to people they know who are lonely, that can make a difference. 

Are you feeling lonely? Do you want to know and understand why people are lonely? Check out a survey done by the Cigna Group. You will be shocked about how pervasive loneliness is in our world. 

If you want to get help, speak to your doctor about it sooner rather than later. Reach out to friends and relatives who probably don't know how you feel. Text CONNECT to 741741 for free, 24/7 support from trained counselors. In the UK call 116 123 (UK) for someone to talk to. 

Let's get help if we need it and help those people we know who are lonely and make an effort

to end this epidemic of loneliness! 

'SpongeBob SquarePants' Voice Cast Recreates Scenes from the Show

 

Having watched every episode a gazillion times with my kids over the years, I always wondered what the voice actors looked like. If you're a SpongeBob fan (the show can be enjoyed even if you don't have kids by the way), you've probably wondered what the cast looks like too.

This video gives us a nice look at the voice actors. I especially like seeing how Tom Kenny (SpongeBob) creates that extremely annoying but loveable laugh.

Sit back and enjoy the video. I know I'll never look at an episode the same way after watching this video!

*This video is six years old.

'Stranger Things' – Saying Goodbye Is Harder Than I Thought It Would Be

 

Stranger Things was something that seemed to be different than any other TV show when I first saw it back in 2016. I felt fresh and yet familiar. Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer found a way to evoke viewers' emotions and also remind some of them of their youthful days. 

Setting the story in a small town in the 1980s was brilliant because many parents who grew up in that time would like the story just as much as their kids would. The kids on bikes, the ubiquitous basement hangout space, the bright and shiny mall, and the weary chief of police all felt like something we saw before because we did, but that didn't stop us from loving it.

Season 5 – premiering in three releases November 26,  December 25, and December 31 –was both exciting and annoying. Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve are not the usual TV watching nights, but by dragging it out for a little over a month kept the tension and anxiety high.

Eleven training for her showdown with Vecna

The gang is all back in various ways working together, fighting the enemy and also some of them with one another. I don't want to go into any spoilers here, but let is suffice to say that people get hurt and the danger is high. The group does not only have to deal with the villain Vecna (a decidedly creepy Jamie Campbell Bower), but also the evil military Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) who will stop at nothing to capture Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) for her blood for use in experiments. 

Since I don't want to let the cat out of the bag so to speak, I will say that Season 5 was excellent, and seeing all the young actors who have grown before our eyes now as young adults is wonderful but also sad because we know we're saying goodbye to them. 

Vecna wants to reshape the world

Particularly moving is the journey of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) who in previous seasons sometimes was not involved in the action because had been a victim of Vecna. It was mostly about the group trying to save Will, but this season Will is front and center and learning to deal with new powers he has acquired.

As always in every season, Eleven is seen as the one who can defeat the evil that is threatening the kids and the whole town, but with Will coming into his own she has a partner. All of the group step up to work together to try to overcome the odds against them. 

Joyce and Hopper

The adults in the group Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) also have their moments to shine. They basically function as the parent figures for the rest of the team, with Murray (Brett Gelman) acting the part of the crazy but crafty uncle. Joyce has one specific moment that is sure to please when she finally uses the axe that she has been carrying around.   

This essay is really not for fans because they already know what happens, but it is for those of you who have not watched the series to come aboard. You are the luckiest in a way because you can sit down and watch all five seasons and binge away. We had to go through 2016-2025 to do that.

The kids are all grown up

While it's hard to say goodbye to this show and the characters, I am very happy I had the chance to follow them on their journey and watch the kids grow up. Watching the series with my son was a bonus, and he basically grew up as we watched the seasons over the years together. 

If you like a series about the supernatural but also like it to have a human heart. this series is for you. The actors are amazing, and I'm hopeful that all of these young people will have long careers in other vehicles that will be worthy of their talents.

I give the season and the series as a whole five thumbs up. Jump in and get to know the wonder of Stranger Things. You will be glad that you got to be a part of the world the Duffers built, one that is hauntingly unforgettable. 

New Year's Eve – Sadness and Hope on This Last Night of 2025

 

I don't know about you, but New Year's Eve has always made me feel a little down. While I have been lucky to always have someplace to go and people to be with, it seems a little incongruous to celebrate everyone and everything getting older. 

Still, a new year means a new start, at least in the sense that a beginning is always more exciting than an end. People like to make New Year's resolutions which, for the most part I do not do because I have never kept them when I have attempted to make them. 

Anyway, I am a little more sad this year because someone I used to know very well has passed away. Every year I send out an email right before Christmas to family and friends. It includes a picture of my kids – to show everyone how much they have grown – and I add some information about what transpired in the past year.

So, I did that again this year, and as the days passed I got some responses to the email. I get no responses from some people, but in this hectic season I've come to understand that. I always respond to one-to-one emails from people I know, but those that are sent BCC to large groups I tend to read and move on.

This one person – I'll call her Jane for this essay – has always responded to my emails. Our friendship goes back over 30 years when we started working together as teachers. Although I have not seen her in 20 years, we have stayed in touch. She took genuine interest in how I was doing and delighted in hearing about my kids. Jane loved getting the pictures and hearing about what they were doing in school.

Well, I kept waiting to see an email from Jane as I checked my mail each day, and then today I realized it wasn't coming. I looked her up online, and I found her obituary right away. I couldn't do anything about it because she had died earlier this year, but I felt I had to do something, so I started writing this article.

I remember Jane fondly because we had so much in common. Although she was 20 years older than I am, we still clicked. We were avid NY Mets fans, loved the theater, loved literature, and loved France. We also loved teaching even with all the challenges that the job threw our way.  

Jane was a wonderful person, but she never married and was an only child. As far as I know, she had no family. She did speak fondly of her parents and lived with her father in her childhood home until he died, where she then lived alone. I used to write to her there before email took over my means of communication, and then we corresponded that way.

Now, to get back to New Year's Eve, I will think of Jane tonight going into the countdown. Last year I had heard from her when I sent my message, and this year I know she won't be there. While I have said I don't do resolutions anymore, I am going to do intentions instead. One of them will be to stay in contact with people more often. I intend to listen more than I talk, and another intention is to have more meaningful conversations with people I care about. There are probably many more intentions I will think of after midnight tonight. 

I hope all of you will have a wonderful 2026. Let's go into the new year with hope for peace, love, and prosperity. Only we can make 2026 better for ourselves, so have the intention to do that starting tonight at midnight. 

Religious Meaning Behind the Christmas Song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

 

I always thought that the Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was just another song that was a lot of fun to sing. As kids, we would enjoy singing it because it is a catchy tune, but it also proved to be a test of our memories to see if we could get all twelve days in correct order. 

There is actually religious significance behind each day's gift that is given to the singer. The person whom the singer mentions in the repeated words "My true love gave to me" seems to be a very generous person, but now I know that it is all connected to the meaning of each of the twelve days. 

So what are the twelve days of Christmas? The first day is Christmas Day, December 25th, and the last day is January 5th (also known as the Twelfth Night). January 5th is Epiphany Eve, because January 6th is Epiphany – the day that the Three Wise Men/Three Kings visited the baby Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Here is a breakdown of the gifts and what they represent:

Day One: A Partridge in a Pear Tree – The bird represents Jesus. The bird will give its life for its babies.

Day Two: Two Turtle Doves – The doves represent the Old and New Testament of the Christian Bible.

Day Three: Three French Hens – Represent the words of the Apostle Paul "faith, hope, and love."

Day Four: Four Calling Birds –  They represent the four Gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Day Five: Five Golden Rings – Represent the five books of the Pentateuch (the Old Testament Law).

Day Six: Six Geese A-Laying  – They represent the six days God took to create everything. 

Day Seven: Seven Swans A-Swimming – The swans represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (found in Isaiah 11:1-2).

Day Eight: Eight Maids A-Milking – They represent the Beatitudes given by Jesus in (Matthew 5: 3-12). 

Day Nine: Nine Ladies Dancing – The ladies represent nine fruits of the Holy Spirit noted by the Apostle Paul in (Galatians 5: 22-23).

Day Ten: 10 Lords A-Leaping – The lords represent the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)

Day Eleven: 11 Pipers Piping – The pipers represent the 11 Apostles who carried on Jesus' work after he ascended into heaven.

Day 12: 12 Drummers Drumming – The drummers represent the 12 points of belief in the Apostle's Creed.  

So, there you have it – all the religious meaning behind the 12 gifts given in the song. Now that I have learned about them, I don't think I will ever think of this song in the same way again. 

Now, if you're really unfamiliar with the song, take a listen to it and read the above meanings as you do so. Enjoy!