What always told you there would be trouble when Scooby Doo and pals entered a creepy mansion? Well, the creepy part should have tipped you off, but the paintings' moving eyes always confirmed it.

Funny or Die has taken this concept and run with it. Security is such an issue with everyone, why not use eyehole painting as a way to ensure the safely of your home? They've enlisted the help of TV's 'Batman' Adam West to be the pitchman of Eyehole Paintings security systems.

Before I get to the Fan Expo Day 2 festivities, let me just say the crowd on Friday was only a sign of things to come. Today, police had to shut down half the street for the line-up because 3,000 people showed up before the doors were scheduled to open. Later, the convention center doors were barred because the place reached capacity, and would violate the fire code if any more people were let in.

The only thing that slightly softened the blow was an extension of the convention by an hour, but an informal poll I conducted found that most people had never seen the convention this packed in all the years they've ever attended. As I made my way through the horde, the chaos seemed to be attributed to the popularity of one person, and some variation on the following could be overheard in the line: "I want to punch Stan Lee in the face for this!"

Adam West might just be the most mischievous man in Hollywood. Talking with the 82-year-old icon as he's about to make his way to Toronto's Fan Expo, he is sneaky and sly -- it's tough to tell when he's being serious or when he's pulling your leg. He is constantly chuckling.

West's career has been all about Batman (he played the superhero on the original TV series from 1966-68), but unlike other typecast stars, West took the caricature of his campy character and ran with it.

Now he has a recurring role as the lunatic Mayor West on 'Family Guy,' where he pokes fun at himself, and his image, on a regular basis. As a result, he has garnered a whole new generation of fans – one that might not even be aware of his Bat past. TV Squad sat down to talk with the legend about the 'Batman' legacy, 'Family Guy,' and why he turned down the role of James Bond.

It's funny how Adam West has had a post-Batman career making fun of himself and creating some memorable characters in the world of animation, especially his work as, well, Adam West on Family Guy. There's no mistaking that voice. In this clip below the flesh-and-blood West urges us to watch the FOX Sunday night animation lineup.

I'm sure some of you would like to forget about the campy '60s Batman TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward as corny comic book crime fighters. Me? I love it.

I grew up watching reruns of the show, and its goofy blend of cartoon-y action, aw-shucks charm and over-the-top acting still makes me smile. Cartoon Network's great Batman: The Brave and the Bold is heavily influenced by the '60s series, and some episodes even feature unabashed references to the old show.

Since Ed McMahon passed away earlier this week, I figured I'd post this bizarre lost TV special he hosted in 1979. It was called Legends of the Superheroes, and it ran on NBC in 1978. It was basically a live-action version of The SuperFriends cartoon (with a laugh-track but without Superman and Wonder Woman). But this second episode was a roast. That's right, imagine The Dean Martin Roast only with superheroes like Batman and Green Lantern. The cast included Adam West, Burt Ward, Frank Gorshin, Howard Morris, Ruth Buzzi, Charlie Callas, and William Schallert.

(Here's video of the "Challenge" episodes.)

[Thanks to Shaun]

Looks like the bad economy is affecting everyone, even crusaders who wear a cape, or at least used to. In this Funny or Die clip, the original Batman, Adam West (what, you thought it was going to be Christian Bale?) holds a yard sale outside of the Batcave and tries to sell people old socks and Baterangs.

Batman wore those socks!

Care more about tribbles than touchdowns? Don't sweat it. From sci-fi favorites to Batman biographies, there's tons of geeky stuff to watch on TV before and after you've had your turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Check out these suggestions (SciFi Channel's James Bond marathon was excluded due to its unhealthy amount of Pierce Brosnan).
Update: Check out Bob's list for more Thanksgiving Day viewing options.

6:15 a.m. (Eastern), Solaris (IFC) – I only recommend watching Andrei Tarkovsky's meditative sci-fi classic this early if you've stayed up all night basting a bird. It's sure to put you right to sleep and give you some crazy dreams.

6:30 a.m., Planet of the Apes (FMC) – Prepare for Turkey Day by watching Charlton Heston give evolution (that cruel joker) a one-two punch in the face. Followed by a documentary about the POTA movies and several episodes of the 1974 TV series.

7 a.m., Angel "Offspring" (TNT) – Darla shows up preggers on Angel's doorstep in this tense season three ep, written by co-creator David Greenwalt.

8 a.m., Biography: Batman (Biography Channel) – Adam West and Burt Ward guide you through a look back at the 60s Batman TV show. Followed by Adam West: Behind the Cowl and bios of Catwoman and Wonder Woman Lynda Carter. Holy awesomeness, Batman!

Lorenzo Semple Jr., the pilot writer of the Batman television show of the 1960's (and writer of such movies as Three Days of the Condor), has written an article for Variety sharing his opinion of the Batman movie franchise. In it, he discusses the origins of the Batman TV show.

Semple has a very enjoyable, erudite writing style. Here's an example: "...I am often asked what I think of the string of Batman features which has followed. My answer disappoints. Truth is, I think only rarely about Warner's big-screen charades, for they are related to our antique effort in little beyond the eponymous title."

As one can guess, he doesn't really dig the new franchise. But Bob Kane, Batman's creator, didn't really understand Frank Miller's famous Batman comic book The Dark Knight Returns, so I guess it's a generational thing.

The article is also a good history lesson regarding how the business of television worked at the time. Recommended reading.

ComicBookMovie.com has an interview up with Adam West, who played the lead character in the Batman television series of the 1960s. He is asked his opinion of the current Batman movie franchise. Not surprisingly, West finds it too grim and gritty for his taste.

"It was silly and funny. With the villains, especially, it was almost Shakespearian because of the bizarre costuming and makeup," West recalls. "In those days we didn't rely on special effects as much so everyone was challenged to use their imaginations," he goes on to reflect.

NBC is going classic, with a twist. The network has ordered 13 episodes of a new drama series based on the Daniel Defoe classic Robinson Crusoe. This is far from the first time Defoe's 1719 novel has been filmed. The most recent incarnation was a 1997 Pierce Brosnan feature. In 1964, it was the basis for a French TV series.

This version is going to be a new take on the old story of a man who sets sail from England, his ship is wrecked in a storm and he's thrown overboard winding up alone on a deserted island where he has to fen for himself. In time, he is joined by an escaped slave whom he names Friday. Ben Silverman, NBC's head honcho, described the proposed series in this way: "It's part MacGyver, part contemporary morality tale about race and personal discovery, part comedy and part Castaway meets Survivor." As envisioned, this Robinson Crusoe will need to be clever indeed. It's going to keep the time period 1650's, but when Crusoe finds Friday, he'll presumably be treating him as if it were today with regard to race relations.

(S05E17) As I got into this episode, two things occurred to me. First, since next week is the season finale, when did they decide to cut this season to 18 episodes? More importantly for our purposes here though, this episode felt very familiar. It took a minute, but when Lois and Mayor West got to the debate, I remembered what it was. The main story was very similar to the season two episode, "Running Mates."

Welcome to TV Squad Lists, a feature where each blogger has a chance to list his or her own rundown of things in television that stand out from the rest, both good and bad.

Everywhere I go, young people ask me the same question, "How did you finish that whole sandwich in one sitting?" Then, when we're all done laughing, they ask me how they can become a TV expert like myself. So, as a favor to you aspiring Dukes and Duchesses, here are ten things you need to be a TV Geek.

1. At least one TV over 40 inches
Not all homes are built to accommodate a flat screen or a rear projection TV, if this is the situation in your house ... move.

Have you ever come across a show you used to watch as a kid and realized there was a lot of stuff that went over your head? I'm talking about those shows you enjoyed as a kid, but also enjoyed as an adult because they seemed to work on two different levels. Well, maybe it would help my explanation if I just dove right in and listed five shows I loved as a kid, and then rediscovered as an adult. If this triggers any memories, let it all out in the comments. Onward:

Batman: The old Adam West series was reran when I was younger, and I love it for its comic book / pop art aesthetic, kooky villains, and nutty fight scenes. What I didn't realize until I was older was how clever the show really was, and that it was actually very self-aware and downright hysterical at times. I don't know if I could imagine West playing a "serious" Batman, but I can't imagine anyone else in this role.

Despite the fact it went off the air a full eight years before I was born, I count the original Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward as one of my favorites. When I was in junior high there was a cable channel called The Family Channel which would air back-to-back episodes of Batman late at night. My dad would let me stay up on school nights and watch them, and since the episodes were shown together there was no waiting till next week to see how the cliffhanger played out. The show is fun to watch as a kid, but as an adult it's easier to catch all the subtle jokes and innuendo. Those who have watched the series after reaching adulthood realize it was actually much smarter and funnier than it seemed on the surface.

That becomes more evident when you check out this awesome collection of sound effects from the series. Well, not sound effects exactly, but the cards that would flash on the screen during fights with words like "POW!," "KER-PLOP!" and one of my favorites, "FLRBBBBB!" Not only is every effect listed, but they're also indexed according to which episode they appeared in. More people with a lot of time on their hands need to do things like this in order to provide me with weekend Web entertainment.

 [via Cartoon Brew]