Lorenzo Semple Jr, pivotal figure in the development of the 1966 Adam West Batman TV series, has dies at the age of 91.
Say what you will about Adam West’s Bright Knight, 1966 Batman TV series, but you cannot deny the indelible impact it has had on the character and pop culture as a whole. Nowadays, your average person will remember a few iterations of Batman, and one of them will almost always be Adam West’s campy incarnation. Who doesn’t know that ridiculously catchy theme song? Personally, I tried to avoid it until recently, when I had to go through a few episodes to be able to program a Batman party. It’s not as bad as its reputation. Yeah, there’s a fair amount of facepalm-worthy moments, but overall it was clever and its tongue was firmly planted in its cheek.
Regardless, the sad news is that Lorenzo Semple Jr., a key figure in bringing this legendary (or infamous, however you want to look at it) show to the air has passed away. The unfortunate news was announced on Friday, March 28th, by his daughter Maria Semple. He died at the age of 91 to natural causes, in his Los Angeles home.
Semple Jr. was a very prolific writer, penning several movies, plays, and TV shows, but his legacy lives on in the unbridled popularity of the 1966 Batman TV series. Semple Jr. was hired by producer William Dozier to create the show and dadgummit, did it happen. Semple Jr. penned the first four episodes of the series and from thereon out served as head writer and script consultant. The general characterization of Batman being an upstanding citizen belongs to Semple Jr. The story goes that he was also largely responsible for the word balloons that have been implanted in our memories… You know… POW! ZAP! BAM! As you can see, most of the hallmarks of the show can be traced back to this fellow, so it’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to him. He will be missed.
Source – Hollywood Reporter
