Warner Archives this year has finally released all of your fave goofy DC superhero cartoons from the ’60s. But you can’t get them all in one place. That’s where we come in.
When I was Li’l Dan, the next best thing to watching the Adam West TV show was watching the Batman cartoon produced by Filmation. I’m not talking about the 1970s show (which I’m leaving out of this post). I’m talking about the original show produced in the ’60s for CBS on Saturday mornings.
By the time I caught them, they were in syndication on Channel 5 (WNEW at the time) in New York. My memory is that they used to run Part 1 of the Batman episode, an Aquaman episode, and then Part 2 of a Batman episode. I could be completely wrong about this. But that’s how it sticks in my mind and good luck trying to easily confirming that, even in the Internet Age.
In any event, along the way, they started re-running Superman, Superboy and those “bonus” episodes starring the Teen Titans, the Flash, Hawkman, etc. For years, the Filmation DC cartoons were lost to the mists of time save an incomplete collection of VHS tapes produced under the “Super Powers” banner and the occasional recurrence on Boomerang.
A few years ago, though, Warner Brothers got on the stick and started putting these out again, as they released the Super Friends seasons. But much was still missing. Now you can get it all. Yet oddly, strangely and weirdly, you cannot get it all in the same place. I’m guessing it all has to do with rights and superlawyers, but some of the cartoons are on disk, some are on iTunes, some are at the Warner Archive Instant pay service. Some are in more than one place and some are in only one place.
Now, things change all the time what with streaming services constantly shifting but as it stands now, here’s where you can get Batman, the Atom, Green Lantern, the Justice League and all the rest.
My son Sam compiled this guide:
The New Adventures of Superman
Season 1
DVD List Price: $26.99 (out of print)
iTunes: All episodes are $1.99. The whole season is $19.99.
Amazon: All episodes are $1.99. The whole season is $19.99.
Warner Archive Instant: Free with subscription.
Seasons 2 & 3 (which are combined)
DVD List Price: $19.97 (in print)
Warner Archive Instant: Free with subscription.
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The Adventures of Superboy
Complete Series
Warner Archive Instant: Free with subscription.
NOTE: You can find these cartoons in the New Adventures of Superman section. They’re included in the later Superman episodes. Check the show notes.
—
The Adventures of Batman
Complete Series
DVD List Price: $19.97 (in print)
iTunes: All episodes are $1.99. The whole season is $19.99.
Amazon: All episodes are $1.99. The whole season is $29.99.
—
Aquaman
Complete Series
DVD List Price: $26.99 (out of print)
iTunes: All episodes are $1.99. The whole season is $24.99.
Amazon: All episodes are $1.99. The whole season is $24.99.
—
DC Super Heroes*
Complete collection features three episodes each of the Atom, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Justice League of America and the Teen Titans
DVD List Price: $24.98 (in print)
iTunes: All episodes are sold with Aquaman episodes.
Amazon: All episodes are sold with Aquaman episodes.
Wait … that’s BIRDMAN!!
*In February 2014, Warner Home Video re-released DC Super Heroes in two volumes. Both volumes are $9.97.
August 23, 2014
Dan,
Re; Channel 5 reruns in the early 70’s – Wasn’t the ’60s Lone Ranger sandwiched in between the Batman and Aquaman segments?
Glenn
August 23, 2014
Entirely possible, Glenn. I don’t have much recollection of that. But it would help explain why I wanted the Lone Ranger and Tonto action figures.
November 11, 2017
Totally agree!! The filmation series were the best!!!!! Even put Aquaman in a positive light!!
December 5, 2015
The 1960s Lone Ranger cartoons from Format Films (same producers of the original animated iteration of the Chipmunks, called The Alvin Show) were indeed sandwiched into WNEW Channel 5’s “Super Heroes” half hour that otherwise contained the Filmation cartoons of the DC Comics characters. Channel 5 was famous for mixing and matching cartoons from different studios to make up their own unique shows.
December 6, 2015
Excellent, Paul! Thanks!
March 20, 2017
In Australia Aquaman always included an episode of of one or all of the Justice League and the Teen Titans. What’s interesting to note is that Wonder Girl and Speedy from the Teen Titans pre-dated Wonder Woman and Green Arrows first tv appearances. Also with the New adventures of Superman, my recollection was that all episodes had a Superboy cartoon. It is a shame that they are not included in the dvds. I’m hoping to get the dvds, the ones that you say are out of print are still advertised on amazon.
March 20, 2017
I totally agree with you about 77 Flimation Batman, it was the first DC show that I was never a fan of, and did not watch more than one or two episodes. Batmite just did nothing for me, he made the show not seem like a superhero show.
April 26, 2018
From Australia here also and loved these Filmation super heroes cartoons. The Superboy rights transferted ownership along the way somewhere in the early 2000s from memory hence why they are not included in the Amazon DVDs