In 1966, comic book show, Batman, burst onto television screens. The series – which starred Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Robin/Dick Grayson – was a huge hit with audiences, and featured a wealth of classic villains.
Due to the popularity of the show, Batman ran from 1966 until 1968. During this time the series saw the Dynamic Duo solve multiple crimes in Gotham City, clocking up 120 episodes in the process, as well as a feature-length movie.
If you missed the series the first time around, or you haven’t checked it out in a while, then you are missing out on a real pop culture treat. You also may not be aware of all the episodes that were produced, so could probably do with a handy episode list.
Well, worry not, fair citizen, because in this post you’ll find a complete episode list; some details about the oft-forgotten Batgirl pilot (yes, there was a Batgirl pilot); information about the show’s villains; a few bits and pieces about a ’70s revival (of sorts), and much, much more! So, buckle up for a nostalgic dive into Batman ’66!
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A complete list of every Batman 1966 episode
First up, is a list of all 120 episodes of Batman ‘66. This list covers every episode in the show: 34 episodes in Season One, 60 in Season Two, and 26 in Season Three. The list also includes the feature-length movie (Batman: The Movie) which slots into the series after Season One.
Season One
- 01) Hi Diddle Riddle
- 02) Smack in the Middle
- 03) Fine Feathered Finks
- 04) The Penguin’s a Jinx
- 05) The Joker is Wild
- 06) Batman is Riled
- 07) Instant Freeze
- 08) Rats Like Cheese
- 09) Zelda the Great
- 10) A Death Worse Than Fate
- 11) A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away
- 12) When the Rat’s Away the Mice Will Play
- 13) The Thirteenth Hat
- 14) Batman Stands Pat
- 15) The Joker Goes to School
- 16) He Meets His Match, The Grisly Ghoul
- 17) True or False-Face
- 18) Holy Rat Race
- 19) The Purr-fect Crime
- 20) Better Luck Next Time
- 21) The Penguin Goes Straight
- 22) Not Yet, He Ain’t
- 23) The Ring of Wax
- 24) Give ‘Em the Axe
- 25) The Joker Trumps an Ace
- 26) Batman Sets the Pace
- 27) The Curse of Tut
- 28) The Pharaoh’s in a Rut
- 29) The Bookworm Turns
- 30) While Gotham City Burns
- 31) Death in Slow Motion
- 32) The Riddler’s False Notion
- 33) Fine Finny Fiends
- 34) Batman Makes the Scenes
Movie
- Batman: The Movie (1966)
Season Two
- 35) Shoot a Crooked Arrow
- 36) Walk the Straight and Narrow
- 37) Hot Off the Griddle
- 38) The Cat and the Fiddle
- 39) The Minstrel’s Shakedown
- 40) Barbecued Batman?
- 41) The Spell of Tut
- 42) Tut’s Case is Shut
- 43) The Greatest Mother of Them All
- 44) Ma Parker
- 45) The Clock King’s Crazy Crimes
- 46) The Clock King Gets Crowned
- 47) An Egg Grows in Gotham
- 48) The Yegg Foes in Gotham
- 49) The Devil’s Fingers
- 50) The Dead Ringers
- 51) Hizzonner the Penguin
- 52) Dizzoner the Penguin
- 53) Green Ice
- 54) Deep Freeze
- 55) The Impractical Joker
- 56) The Joker’s Provokers
- 57) Marsha, Queen of Diamonds
- 58) Marsha’s Scheme of Diamonds
- 59) Come Back, Shame
- 60) It’s How You Play the Game
- 61) The Penguin’s Nest
- 62) The Bird’s Last Jest
- 63) The Cat’s Meow
- 64) The Bat’s Kow Tow
- 65) The Puzzles are Coming
- 66) The Duo is Slumming
- 67) The Sandman Cometh
- 68) The Catwoman Goeth
- 69) The Contaminated Cowl
- 70) The Mad Hatter Runs Afoul
- 71) The Zodiac Crimes
- 72) The Joker’s Hard Times
- 73) The Penguin Declines
- 74) That Darn Catwoman
- 75) Scat! Darn Catwoman
- 76) Penguin is a Girl’s Best Friend
- 77) Penguin Sets a Trend
- 78) Penguin’s Disastrous End
- 79) Batman’s Anniversary
- 80) A Riddling Controversy
- 81) The Joker’s Last Laugh
- 82) The Joker’s Epitaph
- 83) Catwoman Goes to College
- 84) Batman Displays His Knowledge
- 85) A Piece of the Action
- 86) Batman’s Satisfaction
- 87) King Tut’s Coup
- 88) Batman’s Waterloo
- 89) Black Widow Strikes Again
- 90) Caught in the Spider’s Den
- 91) Pop Goes the Joker
- 92) Flop Goes the Joker
- 93) Ice Spy
- 94) The Duo Defy
Season Three
- 95) Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin
- 96) Ring Around the Riddler
- 97) The Wail of the Siren
- 98) The Sport of Penguins
- 99) A Horse of Another Color
- 100) The Unkindest Tut of All
- 101) Louie, the Lilac
- 102) The Ogg and I
- 103) How to Hatch a Dinosaur
- 104) Surf’s Up! Joker’s Under!
- 105) The Londinium Larcenies
- 106) The Foggiest Notion
- 107) The Bloody Tower
- 108) Catwoman’s Dressed to Kill
- 109) The Ogg Couple
- 110) The Funny Feline Felonies
- 111) The Joke’s on Catwoman
- 112) Louie’s Lethal Lilac Time
- 113) Nora Clavicle and the Ladies’ Crime Club
- 114) Penguin’s Clean Sweep
- 115) The Great Escape
- 116) The Great Train Robbery
- 117) I’ll Be a Mummy’s Uncle
- 118) The Joker’s Flying Saucer
- 119) The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra
- 120) Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires
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The forgotten Batgirl pilot
In addition to the 120 episodes and the movie, a short pilot was produced for a potential Batgirl TV series. The pilot was put together after the show’s second season.
So, why was a Batgirl pilot shot in the first place? Well, it was largely due to the initial sheen starting to fade off Batman.
When Batman hit TV screens it was an instant hit with viewers. But Batman wasn’t just a regular hit, it was a phenomenon. The show was hugely successful for ABC, was watched by millions of viewers, and transformed the Dynamic Duo from comic book characters into household names.
However, despite its initial success, fast-forward a couple of seasons and ratings of Batman were beginning to fall. What was once must-see television during its opening season, had started to lose its appeal, with audiences drifting away in significant numbers.
Keen to breathe new life into the series, producer William Dozier came up with the idea of introducing a spin-off show focused on Batgirl. The character had recently appeared in the comics, and Dozier figured she might work well on television.
In order to convince ABC executives that introducing Batgirl was the answer to reviving the popularity in Batman, Dozier pushed forward with a promotional short. This ‘pilot’ episode would run eight-minutes in length, and would act as a showcase for the super heroine.
Yvonne Craig was cast in the role of Batgirl, whose alter-ego was that of Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City’s very own Commissioner Gordon, aka actor Neil Hamilton. Hamilton was drafted in for a quick appearance in the short, alongside Adam West and Burt Ward, who would reprise their roles as Batman and Robin respectively.
Joining the cast for this mini-episode was Tim Herbert, who would take on the role of the villainous Killer Moth. A villain who never featured in the Batman show!
The Batgirl pilot was a lot of fun, but it never became a series. Instead, the character and some of the key ideas from the pilot were incorporated into the final season of Batman, which saw the Dynamic Duo joined by Batgirl to become the Terrific Trio!
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A list of villains from Batman 1966
Onto the villains of Batman now, and if you’ve ever wondered who the main foes of the show were, then wonder no longer. Below is a list of all the major villains who appeared in Batman ’66 and Batman: The Movie.
The Batman ’66 villains are as follows:
- The Riddler – Frank Gorshin and John Astin
- The Penguin – Burgess Meredith
- The Joker – Cesar Romero
- Mr. Freeze – George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach
- Zelda The Great – Anne Baxter
- The Mad Hatter – David Wayne
- False Face – Malachi Throne
- Catwoman – Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Eartha Kitt
- King Tut – Victor Buono
- The Bookworm – Roddy McDowall
- The Archer – Art Carney
- The Minstrel – Van Johnson
- Ma Parker – Shelley Winters
- The Clock King – Walter Slezak
- Egghead – Vincent Price
- Chandell – Liberace
- Marsha Queen of Diamonds – Carolyn Jones
- Shame – Cliff Robertson
- The Puzzler – Maurice Evans
- The Sandman – Michael Rennie
- Pussycat – Lesley Gore
- Colonel Gumm – Roger C. Carmel
- The Black Widow – Tallulah Bankhead
- The Siren – Joan Collins
- Lola Lasagne – Ethel Merman
- Louie the Lilac – Milton Berle
- Olga, Queen of the Cossacks – Anne Baxter
- Lord Marmaduke Ffogg – Rudy Vallée
- Lady Penelope Peasoup – Glynis Johns
- Nora Clavicle – Barbara Rush
- Calamity Jan – Dina Merrill
- Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft – Ida Lupino
- Cabala – Howard Duff
- Minerva – Zsa Zsa Gabor
The first villain to appear on the show was The Riddler, as played by Frank Gorshin. The Riddler appeared in the two-part story, Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack in the Middle, which aired on January 12th & 13th 1966.
The final villain to appear on the show was Minerva, as played by Zsa Zsa Gabor. Minerva appeared in the stand-alone episode, Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires, which aired on March 14th 1968.
As for the best villain? That’s up for debate, and many fans will have their favourite, but King Tut certainly stood out from the crowd. The character was created especially for Batman ’66 and was arguably the best-remembered out of the non-comic book foes.
Most villains were played by the same actors, with three exceptions: The Riddler, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze. In the series The Riddler was played by Frank Gorshin and John Astin, while Mr. Freeze was played by George Sanders, Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach. Catwoman was played by Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt in the series, and Lee Meriwether in the movie.
Malachi Throne played the role of False Face in the two-part story, True or False-Face/Holy Rat Race. In the first episode, True or False-Face, Throne was credited as ‘?’ to maintain the villain’s mysterious identity.
Between the series and the movie, as well as uncredited roles, the Joker and Penguin were the most commonly featured villains, but Riddler and Catwoman also appeared a lot.
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The major villains who did not appear on Batman ’66
While many classic villains appeared on Batman ’66, there were a few notable exceptions. Neither Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Two-Face, or Clayface made an appearance in the series or movie.
All of these characters were a part of the Batman comic book mythology when the series aired, they just didn’t make the leap from the comics to television. Scarecrow appeared in 1941, Two-Face appeared in 1942, Clayface appeared in 1940 and Ivy made her comic book debut the same year as the television show, 1966.
Although, it’s worth noting that TV villains Marsha Queen of Diamonds and Louie the Lilac do share similarities with Poison Ivy. In fact, if characteristics from both of those characters were combined, they would essentially become Batman ’66‘s Poison Ivy.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why the likes of Harley Quinn, Bane, Ra’s al Ghul, Man-Bat or Scarface were also absent from Batman ’66, it is because these classic villains were not created until long after the show had concluded.
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Did Wonder Woman ever appear on Batman ’66?
When the live-action Batman series arrived on television screens in 1966 it was a huge hit. And as more and more episodes aired, Batman caught the attention of many star names, with some of the most famous faces of the era all wanting to appear on the show.
Keen to oblige (and raise the profile of the show even further) the producers lined up a collection of headline acts to play villains. But with all those villains heading to Gotham to tackle the Caped Crusader, his trusty side-kick, Robin, and their favourite gal-pal, Batgirl, did the heroes ever get any help from Wonder Woman?
Wonder Woman was an incredibly popular character, and she even had her own television series with Lynda Carter in the role – so was there ever a cross-over episode between the Wonder Woman TV show and the Batman series?
Well, if this question has been burning a hole into your brain and you are desperate for the answer, I can tell you that Wonder Woman did not appear on the 1966 Batman television show. Not only did Wonder Woman not appear, she was never even mentioned at any point during the show’s three seasons.
The 1960’s Batman television series aired from 1966 until 1968. Wonder Woman (re-titled The New Adventures of Wonder Woman for Season Two and Three) aired from 1975 until 1979.
In terms of their broadcast dates, the two shows aired a decade apart. In fact, Lynda Carter wasn’t even cast in the role of Wonder Woman when Batman stopped airing, so there was zero chance of a crossover.
Adam West did reprise the role of Batman for two live-action television specials (more about those in a moment), which aired in the late ‘70s when Wonder Woman was on air, but neither of these specials featured Wonder Woman.
The closest Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman came to meeting Adam West’ Batman came in 2017, via the comic book Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77. This six-issue series, later released as a trade paperback, was a spin-off from the Batman ’66 comic – a comic book continuation of the classic TV show.
Beyond this there were some internet rumblings about West and Carter voicing their respective characters for a potential animated movie, but this was nothing more than internet chatter. And once West passed away in 2017, this put paid to any further rumours relating to this idea.
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Reviving an icon: Legends of the Superheroes
In 1979, NBC aired two live-action television specials under the banner heading, Legends of the Superheroes. The specials, each filling a 60-minute slot, were produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featured a collection of DC Comics characters, including Batman and Robin.
The specials are not well remembered today, but have become a footnote in history for one very significant reason – the specials saw Adam West and Burt Ward return to the roles of Batman and Robin. Both actors donned their costumes for more adventures as the Dynamic Duo, albeit in a very different format.
Each episode of Legends of the Superheroes was shot on videotape and played for laughs, very much like a 1970s variety show (complete with a laughter track). The episodes included a number of iconic DC heroes, with many making their live-action debut.
The first special – The Challenge – aired on January 18th 1979. This episode saw the Justice League of America de-powered and locked in battle with the Legion of Doom.
Justice League members featured in this episode included Batman, Robin, Green Lantern (Howard Murphy), Hawkman (Bill Nuckols), The Flash (Bill Nuckols), Captain Marvel (Garrett Craig), Huntress (Barbara Joyce), Black Canary (Danuta) and the Scarlet Cyclone (William Schallert). The members of the Legion of Doom included Riddler, Doctor Sivana (Howard Morris), Weather Wizard (Jeff Altman), Sinestro (Charlie Callas), Mordru (Gabriel Dell), Solomon Grundy (Mickey Morton) and Giganta (Aleshia Brevard).
As previously noted, Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their iconic roles from Batman ’66. The actors were joined by former Batman cast mate, Frank Gorshin, who returned to the role of the Riddler.
The second special – The Roast – aired on January 25th 1979. This episode focused on a ‘roast’ of the heroes from host Ed McMahon, and featured most of the characters from The Challenge, along with additional characters including the Atom (Alfie Wise), Aunt Minerva (Ruth Buzzi), Ghetto Man (Brad Sanders), and Hawkman’s mother (Pat Carroll).
Adam West and Burt Ward continued in the roles of Batman and Robin for The Roast, however, Frank Gorshin’s Riddler did not return for this special.
Over the years, Legends of the Superheroes has largely been forgotten. Occasionally it crops up in discussions about Adam West and Burt Ward, but for the most part it is something which aired at the back-end of the ‘70s and gets overlooked.
In terms of the quality of the show, despite the involvement of West, Ward, and Gorshin, and the sheer amount of heroes featured in the specials, this is not a strong example of the genre. The writing is weak, the costumes are poor, and the tone is completely off.
If you have never watched Legends of the Superheroes, but you are curious about it, both specials have been released on DVD through Warner Archive – the manufacture-on-demand service. The DVD is Region 1 (NTSC), and includes some outtakes as extras.
But before you hunt down that old DVD, be aware this is a comic book property which is perhaps for the die-hard enthusiasts only. Legends of the Superheroes can be commended for putting so many heroes and villains on the screen, but it really is an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone.
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Back to the Batcave: Adam and Burt return
In 2003, Adam West and Burt Ward returned to the subject of Batman once again via the television movie, Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt. Produced as a biographical action-comedy, the movie saw West and Ward caught up in a madcap adventure, while flashbacks detailed their early years on the hit television show.
Former Batman stars, Julie Newmar (Catwoman), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman) and Frank Gorshin (Riddler) appeared in the movie, alongside a cast which included Betty White, Amy Acker, and Lyle Waggoner.
And speaking of Waggoner, here’s a little fact for you. When casting for the ‘60s show was first taking place, Adam West wasn’t the only actor up for the part.
At one point, Lyle Waggoner came very close to being one half of the Dynamic Duo. Commenting in the book, Age of TV Heroes, by Jason Hofius and George Khoury, Waggoner said: “I was number two. It was between me and Adam (West) and I gotta hand it to Adam. I thought he played that part so well. He was really good and they made a good choice, though it didn’t go in my favour! Adam did a great job.”
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Going beyond Batman ’66
And finally, in 2016 Warner Bros. Animation decided to revive the show by producing an animated Batman movie titled, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. The film – a spiritual continuation of Batman ’66 – featured the voice talents of Adam West and Burt Ward.
Villains featured in the animated film included The Joker, Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Archer, Black Widow, Bookworm, Clock King, Egg Head, False Face, King Tut, Louie the Lilac, Mad Hatter, Minstrel, Mr. Freeze, Sandman, Shame, and Siren.
Due to the popularity of the animated movie, a sequel titled Batman vs. Two-Face followed in 2017. This movie introduced Two-Face into the world of Batman ’66, finally bringing the classic character into ’66 continuity (with William Shatner providing the voice).
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