Stephen Kandel and Stanford Sherman deliver the teleplay from a story by Kandel for the series’ first three parter. Star Adam West says the three partners that were made were intended to be released theatrically overseas though this never happened. The first episode, The Zodiac Crimes, first aired on 11 January, 1967.

The Joker (Cesar Romero) is back in Gotham City and this time he’s planning on wreaking havoc by using the zodiac to inspire his crimes. To help he has recruited The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and a new moll, Venus (Terry Moore).

Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) attempt to hunt down the baddies as they pull off one heist after another. After Venus has an encounter with the Dynamic Duo she begins to feel her affinity for crime vanishing and Batman advises that there is no honour amongst thieves, something that Joker proves when he betrays Penguin and makes an escape leaving the feathered villain to make his own escape and consequently flee the city.

But that doesn’t mean that the Caped Crusaders aren’t going to tumble into some trouble. This time after a round of fisticuffs they find themselves strapped down and left to be crushed by a meteorite that will fall on them when a fuse burns through!

The Joker’s Hard Times aired the following night on 12 January, 1967.

The Joker is still on the run, executing his crimes with Batman and Robin close on his trail. And now the Clown Prince of Crime doesn’t have the Penguin to use as interference. There are a lot more chases and fisticuffs going on throughout the episode and Venus finds herself allying herself with the Caped Crusaders. She has grown quite infatuated with Batman.

The Joker continues to roll out one zodiac-themed crime after another, but it’s getting more difficult as Batman and Robin draw closer to capturing the villain. I love Romero’s performance, he is just so wonderfully manic, and West makes his Batman such a stand-up moralizer, despite the fact that he is, by definition, a vigilante.

Unfortunately, once again the pair find themselves captured by the Joker, and Venus is put into the same deathtrap that Batman and Robin are put in. The trio finds themselves chained to the wall in a water-filled cell that has a giant menacing mollusk that attacks and swallows Robin, plunging the audience into another cliffhanger that they would have to wait a week to see a conclusion for!

The Penguin Declines aired one week later, on 18 January, 1967. Batman finds reserves of strength to break the chains that are trapping him and is able to pull Robin from the mollusk. From there the trio escape and regroup, trying to figure out how to stop the Joker once and for all.

But guess who is back in town? The Penguin is back, and despite some minor upset between him and the Clown Prince, the pair concoct a plan. The ultimate plan, is to get into the bat-cave and destroy all of Batman’s gadgets so he can no longer interfere with their criminal activities.

And how will they do it? The Penguin is going to attempt to woo Venus and convince her that he’s trying to go on the straight and narrow, and while the world as a whole may believe him, Batman never will, unless his criminal files are deleted from the bat-computer.

So Batman and Robin eventually acquiesce to showing Venus the bat-cave, transporting her there in the batmobile, though she doesn’t get to see where it is. But guess who’s in the trunk of the batmobile? Penguin, Joker, and almost his entire gang! Talk about trunk space!

An all-out rumble explodes in the bat-cave, as Batman and Robin go to town on the baddies, capturing them, stopping them, and delivering a happy ending for the story. Though Dick may not want to have any clam chowder for a while.

This was a great ride, sure some of it was more goofy than the rest – that being said I loved the mollusk bit. And speaking of bits, watch for Rob Reiner in a small part! And there’s the bat-copter again!

I can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode!