Bonanza, who? Michael Landon's kids loved watching Batman

Landon just couldn't beat the Bat!

CBS Television Distribution/Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution

As far as dream careers go, the cowboy is pretty high up on the list. Who wouldn't want to be a gunslinger extraordinaire, keeping the peace and riding a horse through countless towns? We're willing to bet that at some point in your childhood, you wanted to be a cowboy when you grew up.

Michael Landon was given quite a gift when he took on the part of Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza. Audiences looked up to the actor, not just for the character that he played but also for the man that he was. The Cartwrights were balanced and just, and were always able to remedy a situation.

However, according to Michael Landon, there was a fight that Little Joe simply could not win, and that was against the Caped Crusader himself.

During an interview with the Associated Press, Landon said that, instead of Bonanza, his children were far more interested in watching Batman.

"I give the two little ones their bath and we sit in front of the fireplace," he said, explaining his children's nightly routine. "And then, they watch Batman."

To fall in second place is no easy thing to handle, however, when pitted against Batman, Landon was too happy to lose.

While he may not have been his children's favorite character, Landon worked hard to make sure that he was an ideal father. "Everything's going well, but that's not what makes you happy," he said.

"My family. My kids," Landon said when pressed as to what made him happy.

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5 Comments

Jacki 1 month ago
My brother and I used to watch the original Batman series on Reruns on TV when we came home from school. I like the line Adam West spoke when he was a guest star on the Big Bang Theory. The characters on the show were talking about how they would rate all of the actors that played Batman (movies and series), and Adam West said, (now this is not exactly verbatim, but close.) He said "I didn't need any padding under my suit...what you saw was what you got...100% Grade A, Adam West ". Love that line and the way he delivered it; it was understated but hysterical.
Blcakandwhitetvfan 2 months ago
He and his family stayed at Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village the same time my family were there in 1989. I saw his son a couple of times at the pool but did not get to meet Michael. Wish I would have approached him and asked if I could meet him.
Badge714 2 months ago
I loved Batman the first year, sort of loved it the 2nd year, and by the 3rd (with guest villains like Milton Berle) I was out and on to The Monkees. But I'm still a loyal fan of the show overall. False Face was my #1 Fvorite Batman Villian of ALL Time ... (after Cesar Romero's Joker, of course)
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Blcakandwhitetvfan 2 months ago
Adam West was a class act. Michael Keaton's recent disparaging political comments have soured me on him 100%
top_cat_james_1 1 month ago
West had a similar line in the classic "Mr. Plow" episode of "The Simpsons".
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