The Best Episodes of Batman

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   8.4/10(532 votes)

   #1 - That Darn Catwoman

   S2:E401/19/1967

   The Catwoman manages to drug Robin. The junior member of the Dynamic Duo is now the Catwoman's mindless slave. Batman is on the trail of the sultry villain, but he's hampered by the fact he can't harm his partner. Eventually, Batman is trapped by the Catwoman. He's in a giant trap and Robin is cutting the rope that will cause a giant mouse trap to snap on Batman. The Catwoman offers Batman a choice -- die by Robin's hand or agree to be subjected to the same drug.

   Director:Oscar Rudolph

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:Oscar Rudolph

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
2. 

   8.4/10(493 votes)

   #2 - Scat! Darn Catwoman

   S2:E411/25/1967

   Batman agrees to let the Catwoman drug him. But he appears to have a headache and the Catwoman permits him to take an aspirin. After the drug is administered, Batman appears to assist Catwoman on her crime wave. However, the police receive anonymous telephone calls that enable them to pick up members of Catwoman's gang, including the drugged Robin. Meanwhile, the Gotham City police try to trace the hot line to the Batcave. Batman is there with Catwoman. He uses a device that foils the trace. Eventually, Batman reveals he hadn't taken an aspirin but his universal drug antidote that prevented the drug from working. Catwoman tries to flee on top of a warehouse near the Gotham River. Batman is in pursuit and corners her. But, unwilling to go straight, she falls into the river. Has she lost her life, or just one of her nine lives?

   Director:Oscar Rudolph

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:Oscar Rudolph

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
3. 

   8.2/10(4 votes)

   #3 - Flop Goes the Joker

   S2:E583/23/1967

   The Joker persuades wealthy heiress Baby Jane Towser to join him in his artistic capers. Aided by his new accomplice, the Joker easily clears out a wing of the Gotham City Museum to make room for his latest "masterpiece" - pieces of a broken table. But the laughing criminal has plans for the priceless collection of paintings that once filled the room.

   Director:George Waggner

   Writer:Stanford Sherman

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   Director:George Waggner

   Writer:Stanford Sherman
4. 

   8.1/10(695 votes)

   #4 - The Purr-Fect Crime

   S1:E193/16/1966

   Catwoman initiates a series of thefts that cause Commissioner Gordon to summon Batman and Robin. But the importance of the crimes go beyond the taking of the objects involved. The Dynamic Duo eventually find Catwoman's lair. But Robin is whisked away while Batman is given a choice between two doors. If he picks the right door, he'll find Catwoman. If he picks the wrong one, he'll face certain doom. The hero makes the wrong selection and is about to be attacked by a tiger.

   Director:James Sheldon

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:James Sheldon

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
5. 

   8.1/10(421 votes)

   #5 - Batman Displays His Knowledge

   S2:E502/23/1967

   Catwoman goes ahead with her scheme to steal several Batagonian Cat's Eye opals, but she has trouble finding someone to fence them since such rare stones would be easily spotted. With little recourse left, she decides to turn them in for the reward money. It seems like the perfect job for her acquaintance, Freddy the Fence. But when he notices that the gems are fakes, Catwoman realizes she has been tricked by Batman and vows to get revenge on the Caped Crusader once and for all.

   Director:Robert Sparr

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:Robert Sparr

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
6. 

   8.0/10(656 votes)

   #6 - Better Luck Next Time

   S1:E203/17/1966

   Batman evades the attacking tiger thanks to his utility belt. First, he scales the wall. Then, he uses a sonic device "to split the tiger's skull," as narrator William Dozier informs us. The hero still has to free Robin, who is facing a separate death trap. Once that task is completed, the Dynamic Duo are back on Catwoman's trail. It turns out the feline villain is after the lost treasure of Captain Manx, which is in a remote spot outside of Gotham City.

   Director:James Sheldon

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:James Sheldon

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
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7. 

   8.0/10(479 votes)

   #7 - Hizzonner the Penguin

   S2:E1711/2/1966

   The Penguin appears to have gone straight. (Evidently the citizens of Gotham City have short memories; he tried the same trick in season one.) Not only that, he has emerged as the leading contender for mayor of Gotham City, thanks to a little-known provision of the city charter that permits felons to run for elective office. Mayor Linseed, facing almost certain defeat, convinces Batman to run for mayor. This displeases the Penguin, who doesn't want to leave anything to chance. He lures Batman and Robin into a trap and, by episode's end, things don't look good for the Dynamic Duo.

   Director:Oscar Rudolph

   Writer:Stanford Sherman

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   Director:Oscar Rudolph

   Writer:Stanford Sherman
8. 

   8.0/10(461 votes)

   #8 - The Cat's Meow

   S2:E2912/14/1966

   The Catwoman "steals" the voice of a television talk-show host in the middle of an interview with Bruce Wayne. She plants clues to suggest either the Joker, Riddler or Penguin may have committed the crime. In the meantime, she has fooled Commissioner Gordon into thinking she has gone straight. She makes her first mistake when she masquerades as Miss Klutz, a dance instructor visiting Wayne Manor. Allergic to dogwood, she sneezes and gives herself away. Her next target is to "steal" the voices of British singers Chad and Jeremy. Batman and Robin eventually track her to a dance studio, where a fight erupts. After it appears the Dynamic Duo has triumphed over Catwoman's forces, she drugs them. The heroes are placed inside a chamber where the sounds of water dripping will be magnified many, many times and drive them insane.

   Director:James B. Clark

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:James B. Clark

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
9. 

   8.0/10(458 votes)

   #9 - The Bat's Kow Tow

   S2:E3012/15/1966

   Batman and Robin escape Catwoman's trap by hitting the precise note needed to shatter the glass chamber in which they're prisoners. They quickly get on the trail of Catwoman. The feminine feline criminal eventually "steals" the voices of Chad and Jeremy, Commissioner Gordon and talk-show host Allen Stephens. She blackmails the British government, which faces the lost of revenue from the taxes on Chad and Jeremy's performances. Batman and Robin eventually capture Catwoman and her gang, but not before Batman and Catwoman express obvious affection for each other.

   Director:James B. Clark

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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   Director:James B. Clark

   Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
10. 

    8.0/10(419 votes)

    #10 - The Penguin Declines

    S2:E391/18/1967

    Batman, summoning all the strength he can muster, breaks his chains and frees Robin from the giant clam. The heroes arrange for the Joker's former confederate, Venus, to stay at an apartment while they figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, the Joker has freed the Penguin from Gotham State Prison to continue their crime wave. The Joker tricks Venus into asking Batman to take her to the Batcave. The Dynamic Duo take her to their base of operations (but only after making her fall asleep first). When they arrive, the Joker, Penguin and assorted thugs are revealed to be hiding in the Batmobile's trunk. Batman, however, anticipated this and none of the criminals know where the Batcave is. A figure erupts, with Batman and Robin finally ending the zodiac crimes.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writers:Stanford Sherman, Stephen Kandel

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writers:Stanford Sherman, Stephen Kandel
11. 

    8.0/10(400 votes)

    #11 - The Joker's Last Laugh

    S2:E472/15/1967

    Counterfeit money is being distributed by respectable citizens in Gotham City. Batman and Robin investigate, and find one of the Joker's lifelike robots substituting for a bank teller. They are certain who is behind the crime. But to get actual proof, Batman plans to visit the villain as Bruce Wayne and trick him into disclosing his operation. When his scheme suddenly backfires, it appears he will instead have to appoint the Joker as Vice Chairman of the Gotham National Bank.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.
12. 

    7.9/10(507 votes)

    #12 - The Cat and the Fiddle

    S2:E49/15/1966

    Catwoman disguises herself as a wealthy recluse - Minerva Matthews - to exchange a quarter million dollars for two Stradivarius violins. Once the instruments are safely in her hands, the villain reveals her true identity and demands the cash back. But Catwoman is surprised to learn that her business partner - Zubin Zucchini - is also not who he appears to be.

    Director:Don Weis

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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    Director:Don Weis

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
13. 

    7.9/10(490 votes)

    #13 - An Egg Grows in Gotham

    S2:E1310/19/1966

    Egghead steals the Gotham City charter. He finds a loophole that could give him control of Gotham City if descendants of the original founding families (including Bruce Wayne) do not pay nine raccoon pelts to Chief Screaming Chicken on time. Not only is he interested in stopping the payment, but Egghead believes he also has a lead on Batman's true identity.

    Director:George Waggner

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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    Director:George Waggner

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
14. 

    7.9/10(466 votes)

    #14 - The Yegg Foes in Gotham

    S2:E1410/20/1966

    When the lease payment for Gotham City fails to be made on time, possession of the city falls into the hands of Egghead. Chaos ensues as the villain fires Commissioner Gordon and bans the Dynamic Duo from city limits. While the criminal underworld enjoys free reign, Batman and Robin search the city charter's fine print for a solution.

    Director:George Waggner

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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    Director:George Waggner

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
15. 

    7.9/10(468 votes)

    #15 - Dizzoner the Penguin

    S2:E1811/3/1966

    After escaping the Penguin's death trap, Batman still faces an uphill run to defeat the Penguin in the race for mayor of Gotham City. The Feathered Fiend uses every dirty trick he can think of to ruin Batman's reputation. But the Penguin discovers opinion polls aren't what they are cracked up to be. Still, Batman and Robin will need to subdue the villain before his plot can be put down once and for all.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Stanford Sherman

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Stanford Sherman
16. 

    7.9/10(441 votes)

    #16 - The Zodiac Crimes

    S2:E371/11/1967

    The Joker and the Penguin team up on a crime wave based on signs of the zodiac. The pair, aided and abetted by a woman known as Venus, keep Batman and Robin on the run. The Dynamic Duo manage to capture the Penguin but the Joker remains on the loose. Batman and Robin figure the Joker's next caper will take place at a museum and lay a trap. But the heroes are captured instead. Now, Batman and Robin face almost certain death; the heroes are to be crushed beneath a giant asteroid on display at the museum.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writers:Stanford Sherman, Stephen Kandel

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writers:Stanford Sherman, Stephen Kandel
17. 

    7.9/10(425 votes)

    #17 - The Joker's Hard Times

    S2:E381/12/1967

    Batman and Robin narrowly escape the Joker's death trap and quickly get back on the villain's trail. The villain runs the Gothham City Police Department ragged with his crimes based on the zodiac. Meanwhile, Venus, the Joker's accomplice, warms to Batman. Eventually, the Dynamic Duo again corner the Joker. But, once more, the heroes are captured. Now, Batman, Robin and Venus are chained in a shallow pool with a giant clam. The clam swallows Robin and Batman and Venus will be next on its menu.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writers:Stanford Sherman, Stephen Kandel

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writers:Stanford Sherman, Stephen Kandel
18. 

    7.9/10(420 votes)

    #18 - Catwoman Goes to College

    S2:E492/22/1967

    Catwoman is released from prison, and claiming she wants to enrich her education, enrolls at Gotham City University. She dresses one of her own henchmen as the Caped Crusader in order to frame him for a robbery. With Batman in jail, she goes ahead with her plan for a mass sit-in at Chimes Square. Catwoman is more than surprised when Batman himself shows up at the event. However, his efforts to expose the villainess are futile, and she prepares to terminate him and Robin in front of the whole crowd.

    Director:Robert Sparr

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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    Director:Robert Sparr

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
19. 

    7.9/10(481 votes)

    #19 - Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin

    S3:E19/14/1967

    "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin", is the first episode of Season 3 of the Batman television series', first aired on ABC September 14, 1967 as its ninety-fifth episode. It guest starred Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, and also was the first appearance of Yvonne Craig as Police Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Stanford Sherman

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Stanford Sherman
20. 

    7.8/10(1216 votes)

    #20 - Hi Diddle Riddle

    S1:E11/12/1966

    While the Riddler maneuvers Batman into being sued, the Dynamic Duo investigate the supervillain's concurrent scheme.

    Director:Robert Butler

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.

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    Director:Robert Butler

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.
21. 

    7.8/10(579 votes)

    #21 - The Bookworm Turns

    S1:E294/20/1966

    Commissioner Gordon appears to have been assassinated during the opening of a new bridge. A copy of Hemingway's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' nearly blows up the Batmobile. Both incidents are clues to the Bookworm's latest scheme. Batman and Robin interrogate The Bookworm's henchwoman Miss Limpet but deduce she is leading them into a trap. And while Batman intends to walk right into it, it is Robin who falls first.

    Director:Larry Peerce

    Writer:Rik Vollaerts

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    Director:Larry Peerce

    Writer:Rik Vollaerts
22. 

    7.8/10(508 votes)

    #22 - Hot Off the Griddle

    S2:E39/14/1966

    Catwoman makes her return known with a string of robberies. Hoping to lure her into a trap, Batman plants a news blurb giving the whereabouts of a rare canary, but Catwoman is tipped off and arrives prepared. Batman and Robin follow a lead to Catwoman's hideout, the Pink Sandbox, but soon discover that this villain has been waiting for them.

    Director:Don Weis

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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    Director:Don Weis

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
23. 

    7.8/10(381 votes)

    #23 - The Joker's Epitaph

    S2:E482/16/1967

    The Joker is now Vice Chairman of the Gotham National Bank, due to an unsuccessful plan of Batman's. He installs his robots as tellers, and despite his criminal past, seems to be running things in perfect order. The Dynamic Duo realize they will have to trick him into making a mistake in order to remove him. They go to work on a plan to gain control of his robots. But that plan is jeopardized when, due to an odd turn of events, Batman's true identity Bruce Wayne is declared mentally ill and hauled off in a straight-jacket.

    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.

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    Director:Oscar Rudolph

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.
24. 

    7.8/10(376 votes)

    #24 - I'll Be a Mummy's Uncle

    S3:E232/22/1968

    With plans to build an indestructible empire, King Tut goes in search of Nilanium, the world's strongest metal. But with the only known deposit lying directly beneath Wayne Manor, Tut's tunneling soon leads him to the discovery of a lifetime - the Batcave itself. With their secret identities in jeopardy, Batman and Robin race to stop him before his find is leaked to the world.

    Director:Sam Strangis

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross

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    Director:Sam Strangis

    Writer:Stanley Ralph Ross
25. 

    7.7/10(663 votes)

    #25 - The Joker Goes to School

    S1:E153/2/1966

    At Woodrow Roosevelt High School, a vending machine gives out money. Dick Grayson is there to witness it. Batman learns the vending machines are operated by a company bought by the Joker after being released from prison. The Joker and his gang are aided by Susie, a cheerleader at the school. In the course of their investigation, Batman and Robin are captured and placed in electric chairs. If a "one armed bandit" comes up the wrong way, they'll be electrocuted.

    Director:Murray Golden

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.

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    Director:Murray Golden

    Writer:Lorenzo Semple Jr.