Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) find themselves going up against a villainous criminal mastermind in the form of Shelley Winters’ Ma Parker. Henry Slesar penned this two-part story, whose first instalment, The Greatest Mother of Them All, aired on 5 October, 1966.

Ma Parker has stayed out of Gotham City, the threat of the Dynamic Duo staying her criminal activity. But now she’s arrived with her villainous entourage, Pretty Boy (Robert Biheller), Mad Dog (Micheal Vandever), Machine Gun (Peter Brooks) and the requisite moll, Legs (Tisha Sterling) – who is treated like crap by Ma Parker because she’s a woman.

They have a number of plans and are putting them into motion, but with each encounter, the Caped Crusaders are able to capture one more member of the gang, locking them away in the Gotham Penitentiary.

Even as the Dynamic Duo begin to suspect that it was all too easy, they round up the group, and hey, maybe everything will be taken care of in just one episode.

Nope. It seems over the past few years Ma has been filling the pen with her own people, putting them in positions around the prison as guards and more. They are going to take over the prison and operate their criminal enterprises from there because no one would ever believe it!

And to make sure Batman and Robin are taken care of, one of the prison trustees plants an explosive in the batmobile which will trigger when the vehicle hits 60mph!

Oh! Oh! What happens next? Well, Batman is a safe driver and always follows the posted speed limit, so they’ll be ok. Right?

Ma Parker is the conclusion to the story which aired on 6 October, 1966. Ma is working from prison, and hey, did you notice that Legs’ prison number reads 35-23-34 – a commentary on her measurements?

Also, there’s a fun moment in the previous episode where Robin comments on Legs’ legs, and Batman realizes his young ward is growing up.

As Ma organizes bank heists and more from the safety of prison. Julie Newmar’s Catwoman shows up amongst the prisoners, and both Penguin and Joker are namechecked as not wanting to be involved in Parker’s efforts.

Following a truck heist, a recovered clue leads Batman and Robin to come to the conclusion that something very wrong is going on at the prison. So off they go, to break in!

Upon scaling the prison wall they are confronted with a guard (Milton Berle!) who is on Ma’s payroll, but only has 48 more years until his parole, so he decides to be a good citizen and let our heroes go.

But the next pair of baddies they encounter aren’t so forgiving and capture them, leading them right to Ma who secures them in a pair of electric chairs after giving them a satisfying final meal.

Despite being strapped down, Batman isn’t worried, he knows they have until midnight, and he has one final play to make! And Ma Parker and her fellows will not be ready for the final confrontation with the Dynamic Duo.

Our heroes are able to escape their death trap and stop Ma Parker once and for all, and this time they didn’t even have to take her very far, as they are already at the prison, which is happily, properly staffed again.

This one was a lot of fun, the little social things like following the posted speed limit and Robin starting to really notice girls make this one wonderfully entertaining, and delightfully camp.

I am so digging this series, and can’t wait to see who shows up next time!