Dr. Shivel aka Mr. Freeze has returned and is seeking revenge on Batman, who accidentally spilled a freeze solution on him, forcing him to live in a climate 50 degrees below zero. He commits crimes involving diamonds, or "ice", in different forms.
The Dynamic Duo arranges a trap for an elusive annual bank robber, but the female magician they are hunting is on to them with a new scheme of her own.
Jervis Tetch, aka the Mad Hatter, is abducting all the jurors who convicted him of a previous crime wave. He is also taking their hats. His final target is none other than Batman, who provided the key testimony in the Mad Hatter's trial.
The Joker strikes at the high school level when his rigged vending machines give out stocks, bonds, and silver dollars. It's all part of his sinister scheme to blackmail the school’s basketball team.
A master of disguise, False Face, is on the loose in Gotham City and launches a barrage of tricky true-or-false crimes including replacing a bank's real money with counterfeits.
The Penguin apparently goes straight, thwarting crimes across Gotham City and offering his services as a security expert. Batman doesn't believe it and sets out to prove the Penguin guilty of a crime, but the Dynamic Duo end up framed for jewel theft.
The Riddler's latest scheme involves stealing a wax figure to melt down for its wax that is powerfully corrosive when exposed to direct flame. He wants to open a vault of rare books to find the key to an ancient treasure.
When Commissioner Gordon's death is faked by the Bookworm, the Dynamic Duo must track down the literate criminal to find out what he is up to. Cameo by Jerry Lewis as himself during a wall climb by Batman & Robin.
The Riddler is back, and is pursuing a silent movie theme with his latest scheme. As the Dynamic Duo pursue the Riddler, they discover the true purpose behind his cinematic caper and his ultimate target. Along the way Riddler abducts Robin and places him in a series of classic death-perils. Silent film star Francis X. Bushman appears as Mr. Van Jones in his final acting appearance before his death in August 1966.
The Penguin has returned and has a dastardly plan involving Alfred, whom the Penguin captures and brainwashes to be his unwitting pawn for his scheme against a wealthy social event.
Film (1966)
A couple of months after the first season finished airing, a cinematic feature film of Batman premiered in theaters on July 30, 1966, featuring four of the most prominent villains, and new Bat Gadgets that were enabled by the bigger budget of the film. Julie Newmar, who had played The Catwoman in Season 1, was unavailable to act in the film due to a back injury, and was replaced in the role by Lee Meriwether.
As with the first season, Season 2 aired two episodes per week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. The two episodes in a given week were a single storyline in 26 of the 30 weeks that made up season 2. The four weeks that were the exception to this were during weeks 19–22 of the season, with three storylines that each crossed over into the following week; a three-parter, followed by a two-parter, followed by another three-parter.
Despite being the most prominent villain during the first season, Frank Gorshin was completely absent as The Riddler during season 2, as Gorshin was holding out for a salary increase for continuing on in the role, which the studio refused to comply with. As a result, a storyline in season 2 that was originally intended for the Riddler was instead given to a character called The Puzzler, while another storyline later on in season 2 saw John Astin replace Gorshin in the role of the Riddler.
After her absence in the 1966 film, Julie Newmar returned to the role of The Catwoman in season 2, becoming the most prominent villain during the season. Although Barbara Gordon / Batgirl would not be depicted until Season 3, Barbara is discussed in the late season 2 episodes "Batman's Waterloo" and "The Duo Defy", foreshadowing her debut months later.
Mr. Freeze was portrayed by George Sanders in season 1, but Sanders was unavailable to reprise the role. As a result, Otto Preminger was cast to portray Mr. Freeze in season 2, where Mr. Freeze was going to appear in 4 episodes. Due to tensions and difficulties on set in Preminger's two-part storyline, Eli Wallach replaced Preminger in the role of Mr. Freeze for the final two-part storyline of season 2.
Episode 39 sees the first use of the "Batdrone", used to fly over Gotham City looking for an unauthorized TV broadcast location. This was at a time, during the Vietnam War, when such unmanned drone technology only existed in highly classified form.[1]
While the Dynamic Duo are temporarily away, the musician Chandell plans to marry Aunt Harriet as part of his scheme to steal the Wayne fortune to pay off a debt, owed to his criminal twin brother, Harry.
Penguin and Batman square off in the Gotham City mayoral election. Batman dryly discusses the issues, while Penguin runs a campaign based on hoopla and thuggery.
Catwoman gets her claws on a device capable of stealing people's voices and uses this to steal the voices of English singing duo Chad & Jeremy to hold their country for ransom.
The Green Hornet & Kato arrive in Gotham City to stop Colonel Gumm and his counterfeit stamp operation, with Batman & Robin also appearing on the scene.
87
53
"King Tut's Coup"
James B. Clark
T : Stanley Ralph Ross S : Leo Townsend & Pauline Townsend
March 8, 1967 (1967-03-08)
King Tut (Victor Buono)
88
54
"Batman's Waterloo"
March 9, 1967 (1967-03-09)
King Tut kidnaps a socialite, believing her to be the reincarnation of Cleopatra, tries to drown Batman, who is locked in a sarcophagus, and makes plans to boil Robin in oil.
Mr. Freeze abducts a scientist to extort the formula for a freezing solution.
Season 3 (1967–68)
In Season 3, the format of the storylines were somewhat at variance with previous seasons. Season 3 aired just one episode per week, on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, and true multi-part stories were the exception rather than the norm. At the conclusion of each story, the guest villains of the next story would usually make an uncredited appearance in the final scene. For example, Egghead is seen riding into town, literally, at the end of "Louie the Lilac". A notable "spin" on this idea were the "linked" episodes "Ring Around the Riddler" and "The Wail of the Siren". In "Ring Around the Riddler", The Siren has an "introductory" scene assisting The Riddler in his criminal caper and briefly mentioning having her own plans for Commissioner Gordon. Batman subsequently defeats the Riddler, and the Siren returns in the tag to start her own caper, which is the basis of "The Wail of the Siren", really a separate story altogether.
Major cast changes during Season 3 included Yvonne Craig joining as Batgirl, Frank Gorshin returning as The Riddler as a one-episode storyline meant that Gorshin's salary demands could now be met, and Eartha Kitt replacing Julie Newmar as The Catwoman, as Newmar was working on the film Mackenna's Gold. Curiously, a body double (Marilyn Watson) in the penultimate episode "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra" returned the Catwoman to being a white woman. Meanwhile, ill-health reduced Madge Blake's role as Aunt Harriet Cooper to just two cameo appearances during Season 3; her appearances are indicated in the episode grid below.
The Terrific Trio head out to Londinium to battle a gang of criminal aristocrats. Note: Madge Blake made her final series appearance in "The Bloody Tower".
Catwoman plans to conquer Gotham's fashion market.
109
15
"The Ogg Couple"
Oscar Rudolph
Stanford Sherman
December 21, 1967 (1967-12-21)
Egghead (Vincent Price) Olga, Queen of the Cossacks (Anne Baxter)
Egghead and Olga return to cause more mayhem.
110
16
"The Funny Feline Felonies"
Oscar Rudolph
Stanley Ralph Ross
December 28, 1967 (1967-12-28)
The Joker (Cesar Romero) Catwoman (Eartha Kitt)
111
17
"The Joke's on Catwoman"
January 4, 1968 (1968-01-04)
After being released for good behaviour, Joker is apparently abducted by Catwoman, but this is only a ruse as part of the felonious pair's plan to locate a hidden supply of gunpowder.
112
18
"Louie's Lethal Lilac Time"
Sam Strangis
Charles Hoffman
January 11, 1968 (1968-01-11)
Louie the Lilac (Milton Berle)
Louie the Lilac abducts Bruce and Dick as part of a new scheme against Gotham.
Nora Clavicle has Commissioner Gordon and Mayor Linseed fired, then takes over Gotham City, and employs a female-centric government.
114
20
"Penguin's Clean Sweep"
Oscar Rudolph
Stanford Sherman
January 25, 1968 (1968-01-25)
The Penguin (Burgess Meredith)
Penguin tricks the people of Gotham City into discarding their currency.
115
21
"The Great Escape"
Oscar Rudolph
Stanley Ralph Ross
February 1, 1968 (1968-02-01)
Shame (Cliff Robertson) Calamity Jan (Dina Merrill)
116
22
"The Great Train Robbery"
February 8, 1968 (1968-02-08)
Shame escapes from jail and starts a new campaign of wily hijinks.
117
23
"I'll Be a Mummy's Uncle"
Sam Strangis
Stanley Ralph Ross
February 22, 1968 (1968-02-22)
King Tut (Victor Buono)
King Tut plans to hunt for a mine and accidentally uncovers the Batcave under Wayne Manor.
118
24
"The Joker's Flying Saucer"
Sam Strangis
Charles Hoffman
February 29, 1968 (1968-02-29)
The Joker (Cesar Romero) Verdigris (Richard Bakalyan; not billed as Extra Special Guest Villain)
Joker tricks the people of Gotham into thinking they're being invaded by aliens.
119
25
"The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra"
Sam Strangis
Stanley Ralph Ross
March 7, 1968 (1968-03-07)
Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft (Ida Lupino) Cabala (Howard Duff)
With cameos by Catwoman Egghead King Tut The Joker The Penguin and The Riddler (all uncredited stand-ins)
Dr. Cassandra discovers a way of becoming invisible and helps free Gotham's criminals to rally against the Terrific Trio.
120
26
"Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires"
Oscar Rudolph
Charles Hoffman
March 14, 1968 (1968-03-14)
Minerva (Zsa Zsa Gabor) Freddy the Fence (Jacques Bergerac; not billed as Extra Special Guest Villain)
Minerva opens a spa for Gotham's millionaires and tricks them into parting with their cash.
^The billed special guest star of this story is not Roger C. Carmel (Colonel Gumm) as "Special Guest Villain", but rather Van Williams (The Green Hornet) as "Visiting Hero" and Bruce Lee (Kato) as Assistant Visiting Hero, in a crossover from their own series. The Green Hornet and Kato are suspected by the Dynamic Duo and Gotham police as being criminals, rather than crime fighters.
References
^Wagner, William (1982), Lightning Bugs and Other Reconnaissance Drones: The Can-Do Story of Ryan's Unmanned Spy Planes, Washington, DC: Armed Forces Journal International; Aero Publishers, p. xii, ISBN978-0-8168-6654-0