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Series star Van Williams didn't want The Green Hornet to be a ''carbon copy'' of Batman
"I didn’t want to be another Batman," said the actor.
Though Batman was a relatively short series, having only lasted for about three seasons, its impact loomed large on the television industry. Several superhero shows that followed had to live up to the precedent set by the popular series. However, there was one actor who didn’t want to follow in Batman’s footsteps, and instead willed to forge a path all on his own.
Van Williams, who starred in the popular action series, The Green Hornet, maintained that though the series shared a few similarities with Batman, including producer William Dozier, he had little interest in making his series a copy of the Caped Crusader.
“I didn’t want to be another Batman,” said Williams during an interview with The Reporter Dispatch. “You can’t get anywhere playing a carbon copy.”
That being said, The Green Hornet didn’t simply appear out of thin air. The series was adapted from a radio serial, a quality that Williams felt benefited the show. “I’m also proud of the fact our series was a popular radio show. I don’t think this borrowing from the past is going to hurt us a bit…I was only 10 years old when The Hornet went off the air. It was my Dad’s favorite show.”
Though The Green Hornet didn’t last very long, it certainly made an impression on television audiences everywhere. “We battle classy hoods - big people with a lot of wealth,” said Williams. “We’re not after the small-time criminal who lives off the neighborhood trade.”
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