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Batman is greater than the Opening Ceremony

If there was ever any evidence that the Winter Olympics are a television commodity, even more so than their summer counterparts, look no further than channel 7's treatment of the Opening Ceremony. Despite being on during Saturday afternoon in eastern Australia - midday in fact - 7, who have the television rights in Australia to all Olympics until Beijing 2008, are delaying their telecast of the Opening Ceremony until 8.30pm tonight.

And what will we see on our television screens while the opening ceremony is on? Why... Batman! And not the 1989 Michael Keaton version, but the 1966 version with Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as the Boy Wonder, which of course was the spinoff from the controversial TV series.

I loved the 60's Batman... it was a big part of my life when I was eight or nine years old... but hey! Unless Adam and Burt and going to slide down the batpole to light the Olympic flame, I think 7 could have chosen another time for its umpteenth re-run of this screen classic.

Oh, you'll never guess what 7 are showing at 6.30pm to get viewers all hyped up for the winter games.... Cool Runnings, the moving sentimental tale of the Jamaican bobsled team who were cheated out a gold medal at the Calgary Games, despite all the efforts of their great motivational and inspirational coach, John Candy in one of the most true-to-life roles of his tragically short career.