#176 "Marsha", first draft: Too much chat, not enough Bat

To The Batpoles! Batman 1966

We don't know whose idea the character Marsha, Queen of Diamonds, was, but it’s clear that she was created with one woman in mind: Zsa Zsa Gabor. A script for the actress was commissioned by Greenway Productions through a talent agency to two writers, Tom Cannan, Jr, and Jack Cash. The script they produced, Marsha, The Queen of Diamonds (note the extra definite article) is riddled with problems, from requiring special effects way beyond the show's means, to flagrant mischaracterization of the Caped Crusader, to some really lame “holys” from Robin. This time, we pick through the wreckage of one of the more egregious scripts we’ve discussed on this show. Who will buy? Nobody.

PLUS: A punk rock version of the theme by Thirty Going On Thirteen, and your mail about our episode on the development of the show.

William Self interview on the TV Academy site