When ratings for the Batman TV show started tanking in early 1967, the producers didn't reach for a darker script or a bigger explosions budget. They reached for purple spandex. Enter Yvonne Craig. She wasn't just a guest star; she was a calculated, last-ditch effort to keep the "Biff! Bam! Pow!" era from going extinct.
The introduction of Batgirl on the Batman TV show changed the dynamic of the series forever. Honestly, if you only know Barbara Gordon from the gritty modern movies or the Killing Joke comic, the 1960s version is going to feel like a fever dream. She was a librarian by day and a high-kicking, motorcycle-riding vigilante by night who—and this is the weird part—never actually punched anyone.
Why the no-punching rule? Because 1960s television executives had very specific, and frankly bizarre, ideas about what was "feminine." Yvonne Craig once mentioned in an interview that the producers felt karate chops were okay, but a closed-fist punch would make her lose her femininity. So, she danced around her enemies. Literally.
The Million Dollar Debut (That Saved the Show)
Season 3 was do-or-die. ABC was ready to pull the plug after the second season's novelty wore off. To save the brand, executive producer William Dozier commissioned a short 8-minute presentation film to show the suits what a female hero could do. He didn't just want a girl Batman; he wanted someone who would bring in young girls and, quite cynically, keep the "over-40 male audience" glued to the screen.
It worked. The network bought in, and Batgirl made her official debut in the episode "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin" on September 14, 1967.
The TV version of Barbara Gordon was slightly different from her comic book counterpart, who had debuted just months earlier in Detective Comics #359. In the show, she lived in her own apartment with a secret rotating wall. One side was a standard 1960s vanity; the other held her purple suit and a "Batgirl-cycle" that she somehow kept in a tiny closet.
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Why Yvonne Craig was the only choice
Craig wasn't some random model they shoved into a mask. She was a classically trained ballerina who had toured with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. That background was crucial. Since the show wouldn't let her punch, her fight scenes became a series of high kicks, spins, and graceful takedowns.
She did her own stunts. Most of them, anyway. Whenever you see Batgirl riding that purple motorcycle with the white lace trim, that’s usually Craig herself. She loved that bike. It gave the character a level of independence that Batman and Robin actually lacked—they were always tied to the Batmobile, but Batgirl was a solo act.
The Secret Identity Nobody Guessed
The most hilarious trope of the 1960s show was that Batman and Robin never figured out who she was.
Barbara Gordon was the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. She worked at the Gotham City Public Library. She was constantly around the Caped Crusaders in her civilian life. Yet, because she wore a red wig under her cowl (her real hair was short and dark), they were completely stumped.
"I think I've just met a new member of our team... or a crime-fighting rival," Adam West’s Batman pondered in the first episode.
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She wasn't a sidekick. That’s the key. While Robin was basically Batman’s intern, Batgirl operated on her own terms. She had her own gadgets, like a specialized utility belt and a "Bat-compact" that functioned as a communication device. She often saved the Dynamic Duo from whatever deathtrap they’d managed to fall into that week, only to disappear before they could thank her.
The Costume That Defined an Era
We have to talk about the suit. Designer Pat Barto went with a vibrant purple and gold palette. It was a stark contrast to the gray and blue of the men. It was also incredibly uncomfortable.
Craig mentioned years later that the first mask they gave her actually left dents in her face. They had to redesign the cowl so she wouldn't look like she'd been crying for three hours every time she took it off. The suit was made of a material called "Lurex," which was basically itchy, metallic-flecked fabric that didn't breathe at all.
Despite the physical discomfort, that image of the purple-clad hero became the definitive version of the character for decades.
The Impact on the Bat-Franchise
The 1966 show is often mocked for being "campy," but it’s the reason Batgirl exists today. If William Dozier hadn't asked DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz to create a female counterpart for the show, Barbara Gordon might never have been born.
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She wasn't just there for window dressing. In 1974, years after the show was canceled, Yvonne Craig put the suit back on one last time. It wasn't for a movie; it was for a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the U.S. Department of Labor. The topic? Equal pay for women. In the ad, Batgirl refuses to save Batman and Robin from a ticking time bomb until they promise she’ll get paid as much as Robin. It was a surprisingly progressive moment for a character born out of a "no punches" rule.
Why Season 3 Still Failed
Even with Batgirl’s popularity, the show was canceled after Season 3. Why? Basically, the budget.
By the third year, the producers were cutting corners everywhere. They stopped doing the two-part cliffhanger episodes to save money. The sets looked cheaper. They even stopped using the "moving" backgrounds for the Batmobile scenes. Adding a third star—even one as talented as Craig—couldn't outweigh the fact that the "Bat-mania" fad had simply run its course.
NBC actually offered to pick the show up for a fourth season, but there was a catch. They wanted to see the sets. Unfortunately, the sets had already been bulldozed and destroyed by the previous studio. Rebuilding them would have cost too much, so the 1960s Batman universe ended right there.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to appreciate the legacy of Yvonne Craig and Batgirl on the Batman TV show, don't just watch the clips on YouTube. Dig into the history.
- Watch the "lost" 8-minute pilot. You can find it on the official Blu-ray releases. It features the Killer Moth as the villain and shows a much more "Bacall-esque" version of Barbara Gordon.
- Compare the 1967 debut to the 1960s comics. Notice how the show influenced the comic art, particularly the bike and the cowl shape.
- Read Yvonne Craig's autobiography. It's called From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond. She’s incredibly honest about the industry and what it was like working with Adam West and Burt Ward.
The 1960s Batgirl was a pioneer. She proved that a female superhero could carry her own weight, even in a world of "Bams" and "Pows." She wasn't just a girl in a costume; she was a librarian who decided she had more to offer Gotham than just late fees.
Actionable Takeaway
To understand the evolution of female superheroes, track the transition of Barbara Gordon from the 1967 TV series to her transformation into Oracle in the 1980s. The contrast highlights the shift from 60s "femininity" to modern psychological depth.