I read someone considering all the famous stars who could have been great villains on the classic Adam West Batman series, and they had wondered why Paul Lynde never got cast. It does seem strange, considering he was one of those actors who appeared on nearly every major show back then.
I think the writers would have wound up creating an original character for him, but outside of Batman, does anyone besides me think he would have been awesome as the Superman villain the Prankster? Check out some of the Prankster stories, read them, and tell me if they would have benefitted from not only his line deliveries, but also THAT LAUGH! Lynde’s Prankster laugh could have been just as iconic as Burgess Meredith’s Penguin laugh, if only it had happened.
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I think Paul Lynde would have been perfect as The Prankster.
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He was great as the Scoutmaster.
Oh, and this Bat-rogue isn’t authentic Lynde, but it’s clearly an impersonation:
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Yes! The Paul Lynde Batman villain there should have been but never was! And on another fantasy casting note, couldn’t one see the late Jack Cassidy in the role of Zatara?
(1) Best of Jack Cassidy | Columbo - YouTube
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Someone long ago wrote up outlines of possible Bat 66 episodes and he included an original Howard Cosell villain. I’m not sure if Cosell’s fame aligned exactly with the years the series aired, but he would have been great as a pompous, verbose foe for the Caped Crusaders.
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The Sportscaster would have been a great name for such a villain.
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