CATWOMAN (Julie Newmar) Best of Season 2

Julie Newmar as Catwoman set alight the nation when she debuted on Batman in 1966. It was the 19th episode and the episode that truly cemented Batman as a true cultural phenomenon. (The Joker had already appeared on 4 episodes before Catwoman was introduced.)

Newmar's Catwoman became the most popular character on the series next to the Dynamic Duo themselves. When season 2 wrapped up, the network was faced with falling numbers for Batman, its highest rated program. How could they get back to number 1 in the Neilsens?

The idea was to have Catwoman as the permanent villain of the week for season 3, which would be down to one half-hour episode a week rather than 2. Not only was this not practical from a storyline point of view, Julie Newmar wasn't available to appear even in a half dozen episodes much less a season of 26 shows.

A pilot for Batgirl had already been shot, considered for a slot for ABC's 1968-69 schedule. But with a combination of falling audience numbers and no Newmar, the network decided instead to fold Batgirl into the Batman series. Hey, she had a tight costume that closely resembled Catwoman's so why not?

Eartha Kitt assumed the role of Catwoman for season 3 when Batgirl made her big splash. Although a very popular character, Batgirl didn't add enough punch to save the ratings decent. Batman was canceled in the spring of 1969 with reruns airing through the summer.

NBC, who were having their own ratings problems, offered to pick up Batman for a 4th year but the sets had already been destroyed so that wasn't financially feasible. Considering how awful most 3rd season shows were, due to a reduced budget, that was perhaps a blessing.

1960's TV Seasons: 1961 / 1964 / ABC 1966 / 1967 / 1968 / 1969 / Fall Previews / Sharon Tate on The Beverly Hillbillies / Pistols 'N' Petticoats / How Lee Meriwether Became Catwoman / Elinor Donahue on The Andy Griffith Show / Jeopardy! in the 60s & 70s / Whatever Happened To Lost In Space's Guy Williams? / Best of Julie Newmar Catwoman Season 2 / The New People / Dark Shadows Director Lela Swift / The UN Goes to the Movies / Stories About Filming Batman from Burt Ward / Life With Linkletter / The Green Hornet / Best of The Joker / Matt Weiner Interview / Lost in Space: Mark Goddard Interview / 1961 CBS Fall Season / Bette Davis TV show: The Decorator / The Hathaways / He & She / Eartha Kitt as Catwoman / The Good Guys / James Drury of The Virginian / The Ron Hicklin Singers / Man From U.N.C.L.E. on DVD / Behind the Scenes at The Andy Griffith Show / Pat Buttram & Green Acres / Remembering Clint Walker / Cheyenne / Camp Runamuck / Gilligan's Mary Ann - Dawn Wells / 1960's Nightclub Comic Rusty Warren / Johnny Carson Tonight Show 1964 / That Girl / TV's Greatest Car Stars / Best of Batgirl 1967-68 / TV Shows to Movies / Batman Season 2 / Supermarionation / The Virginian's Clu Gulager / William Windom / New Bewitched Book / Court Martial / Cast Changes on Bewitched and Green Acres / Sammy Davis Jr. Show / Sunday Morning Cartoons / Naked City / Joe E. Ross / Alan Young Interview / Sherwood Schwartz Interview / Walter Cronkite Moon Landing / The Farmer's Daughter / Petula-Clark /

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ALSO: Eartha Kitt as Catwoman

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