Warner Bros. have cleared the rights over Fox to merchandise the 1966 Batman TV show series, including the use of Adam West and Burt Ward's likenesses. As reported by Variety, the company will be revealing their plans at next week's Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, and afterwards it will be moving ahead to recruit partners that will actually manufacture and sell the dolls, pillowcases, etc.

It doesn't sound, from Variety's report, that these deals have cleared the way for the show to come to DVD or, dare I dream, Blu-ray, but it is, at the very least, a step in the right direction. The deal was motivated by a desire to get something that's "an easier sell for retailers than the darker, more serious and gritty tone of Christopher Nolan's film trilogy."

Here's Warner Bros. president of Consumer Products, Brad Globe, on the potential of this deal:

For the first time in over 40 years we will be able to offer fans a full merchandise program that captures the classic, kitschy look and feel of the original Batman TV show. This new licensing program allows our partners to take advantage of the characters, gadgets and humor that made the show a smash hit in its day and a perennial favorite decades later.