Sandro Monetti
Host
Harry Van Gorkum
Guest
Burt Ward
Guest
Ashley Victoria Robinson
Guest
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Holy debates Batman! Who’s the Best Caped Crusader? That’s the question to be answered on this week’s episode as the panel discuss the merits of Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck before revealing the result of the public vote on which star most perfectly portrayed Gotham City’s greatest hero. Joining host Sandro Monetti in the studio is TV legend Burt Ward, who played Robin to Adam West’s Batman in the iconic 1960s series, who shares his collection of fascinating stories. Other guests include Batman expert Ashley Victoria Robinson and actor Harry Van Gorkum, who both appeared alongside Clooney, Schwarzenegger and co in Batman and Robin. To the Batpoles!
WHY BATMAN STAR BURT WARD IS A REAL LIFE SUPERHERO
by Sandro Monetti, host, Who’s the Best Podcast
One of the best things about hosting this podcast has been getting to meet my own heroes – and, Holy Interview, Batman! – chatting with Burt Ward was an incredible thrill and honour. What a legend Burt is!
More than 50 years after playing Robin in the original Batman TV series, Burt Ward is still a superhero – but now, rather than human victims of The Joker, The Riddler and The Penguin, he helps four-legged friends to live happier, healthier lives.
The Canine Crusader has rescued and rehomed more than 15,000 dogs through Gentle Giants, a non-profit foundation he formed with his wife Tracy, who shares his passion for pets. At any one time, the couple have up to 50 rescue dogs in their California home, many even sharing their marital bed! They also donate profits from their Gentle Giants dog food to dogs in need.
We discussed this and more on ‘Who’s the Best… Batman’, the latest fun edition of the Who’s the Best podcast, where Burt, who played Robin on the 1960’s Batman TV series, shared fascinating stories about the perils of having to do his own stunts, as there was no budget for a stunt double.
He seemed to be in the emergency room as much as on the set in those early days, but despite suffering countless cuts and bruises, and even third degree burns, Burt came back again and again to fight crime alongside co-star Adam West. Burt could always handle himself in rough and tumble scrapes. After all, he was a martial arts expert from a young age, which was one of the things that helped him land the role of Robin against the 1,000 other young actors who went up for the part.
The show remains hugely popular to this day in repeat runs around the world, and he will soon appear in a ‘hush-hush’ role – which may or may not be Robin’s alter ego Dick Grayson – in multi-series crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, which recently filmed in Canada.
Burt has also been back in the Batmobile in Hollywood, driving in it at last week’s Hollywood Christmas Parade while waving to adoring crowds. He’ll be back again on Hollywood Boulevard on January 9, when he receives his well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which will be right next to his crime-fighting partner, the late Adam West.
The ceremony will be followed by Burt calling the world to action in a Global Batusi Dance for Peace Day from the Hollywood Museum. If you’re not familiar, the Batusi was the dance invented for the 1960’s Batman series and famously copied by John Travolta and Uma Thurman in their dance scene from the movie Pulp Fiction.
But the question remains: Who’s the best Batman? Will your favourite be crowned the ultimate Caped Crusader?
Find out more about Gentle Giants at www.gentlegiantsdogfood.com or follow them on Twitter @GentleGiantsRsQ and Instagram gentlegiantsdogfoodandproducts.