I just finished reading a piece about how this one of a kind show met it’s demise on ABC and was almost picked up by NBC, except for one problem. ABC, upon cancelling the show, tore up, smashed and destroyed all the sets leaving NBC with nothing. So rather than build new sets NBC decided not to pick up the series. But, this classic show had a hell of a run and a varied cast of character from film, TV, Broadway playing the villains. Now almost 60 years later it is still one of TV’s best shows.
Played 90% for laughs it aired from 1966 through 1968 giving viewers three seasons of pure fun. Adam West played Batman over the top, Burt Ward was Robin and Shakespearean trained actor Alan Napier was Alfred. But it was the villains who made this show a total hoot episode after episode. These villainous characters ranged from convincing to absurd. Who can ever forget Cesar Romero as The Joker, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin and Frank Gorshin as The Riddler, all three in almost every single episode for three seasons. On the female side there was the great combo of Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. Here we give you a look at some of the other villains you may have forgotten about who tried their best to outwit Batman and Robin.
Egghead – Played by actor Vincent Price and appearing in SEASON 2 (EPISODES 13, 14), SEASON 3 (EPISODES 8, 9, 15) .
Mr. Freeze – This role was played by actors George Sanders, Eli Wallach and in this photo, Director Otto Preminger appearing in various episodes in all 3 seasons.
Zelda the Great – Played by actress Anne Baxter and she appeared in SEASON 1 (EPISODES 9, 10)
The Archer – Played by comedian/actor Art Carney and he appeared in SEASON 2 (EPISODES 1, 2).
Chandell – Played by entertainer Liberace appearing in SEASON 2 (EPISODES 15, 16)
The Black Widow – Played by actress Talullah Bankhead and she appeared in SEASON 2 (EPISODES 55, 56)
Louie the Lilac – Played by comedian/actor Milton Berle and he would appear in SEASON 3 (EPISODES 7, 18)
Lord Marmaduke Fogg – Played by singer Rudy Vallee who appeared in SEASON 3 (EPISODES 11, 12, 13)
Lola Lasagne – Played by Broadway star Ethel Merman and she appeared in SEASON 3 (EPISODES 4, 5)
King Tut – Played by Actor Victor Buono and he appeared in SEASON 1 (EPISODES 27, 28), SEASON 2 (7, 8, 53, 54), SEASON 3 (6, 23)
Over the three season there were 37 villains that appeared on the Batman episodes. Here is the link where you can find the entire list and what their characters were known for. It is quite a collection of names. Go to: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60213/visual-guide-all-37-villains-batman-tv-series?a_aid=46813&fbclid=IwAR080u4L-_9zDgXkUVeM5cY9AJDwn_UWmW2h10YJNIqyB72WxYq2tym7aCo