Season Two One-Shot Most Worthy of Another Episode

[LittleLouisGroovy]

Here is the poll for the second season. I enjoyed reading your comments in the previous thread and am really looking forward to seeing what you have to say about this group of one-shots.

[Riddler Fan]

I voted for Minstrel, but I almost voted for Clock King. Both were very crafty villians worthy of return appearances. The rest on the list were just plain lamebrained or ridiculous. I hold a special dislike for Puzzler, because he was a quickly rewritten Riddler ripoff.

[Riddlersgurl]

I voted for Minstrel, even though I HATE Van Johnson!

I voted because he was the only other villain in Season Two with a brain in his head, along with Joker, Penguin and Catwoman.

The Puzzler is a very poorly re-written Riddler knockoff, and the others were just dreck.

[elmrgraham]

I would give The Black Widow another chance.I would make an episode of Batman and Robin battling a younger Black Widow with Ann Margret getting the role.

[Mr. Deathtrap]

Citizens,

Using time for crime is a fantastic gimmick and Clock King's story was written by Bill Finger. More stories with him would have been fascinating. How many big clock crimes can you imagine?

Mr. Deathtrap

[Riddler Fan]

Citizens,

Using time for crime is a fantastic gimmick and Clock King's story was written by Bill Finger. More stories with him would have been fascinating. How many big clock crimes can you imagine?

Mr. Deathtrap

How about B&R tied to huge clockwork gears?

[High C]

I would vote for Minstrel, with Clock King second.

Both had intelligent, involved plots with many moving parts, forcing Batman [and kudos to the writers for this] to actually put on his detective hat for a change instead of just being a slave to the Bat-computer. I give Minstrel a slight advantage because Van Johnson's performance actually, IMO, has a bit of Frank Gorshin in it, the criminal genius who also is a little mentally unbalanced. I love the 'Wait 'til the jailbreak, Batman' tag scene.

I would give The Black Widow another chance.I would make an episode of Batman and Robin battling a younger Black Widow with Ann Margret getting the role.

Two points: 1. Ann-Margret didn't do TV until the 1980s and 2. How can a 26-year-old be a Black Widow?

[Riddler Fan]

I'll give Black Widow a positive nod for being a big part of the campiness, but overall she was a weak character and Tallulah Bankhead's appearance was a bit disturbing. Even though she was only 67 at the time, she looked like she crawled out of her coffin to play the part. She died in December 1968.

[Mr. Deathtrap]

Previously, I asked,

How many big clock crimes can you imagine?

Riddler fan answered,

How about B&R tied to huge clockwork gears?

I like it. If such a fiendish death plot were to succeed, it might be the biggest clock crime of them all.

Mr. Deathtrap

PS: High C makes a good case for the Minstrel, citing Van Johnson's performance.

[elmrgraham]

I would still go with Ann Margret for The Black Widow.As for a younger Black Widow,she could inject herself with "Spider Venom" to be younger.

[elmrgraham]

If not Ann Margret for The Black Widow,then how about Joan Collins for a second Batman Villainess part?

[zapFREAK]

OK, this was tough. I was a fan of the clock king and the archer. Have to give it to Ed Norton!! Loved him on the Honeymooners.

[Edward Nigma]

Like the Season 1 poll, I had a clear # 1 and a close second. My # 1 was The Minstrel. As others have noted, there was something about Van Johnson's portrayal that was quite arresting (no pun intended). He brought a certain amount of rage (toward Batman) to the part that was unusual. I don't know if it was just acting or Johnson was drawing on frustrations from his personal life (read his stepson's book if you want to find out) but, in his hands, The Minstrel was a unique and fascinating villain.

Clock King was my close second episode as this villain was the most reminiscent of the Season 1 villains. And, like Season 1, the show hired a talented character actor to play him.

As for the other choices:

The Archer -- Maybe. Wouldn't have minded a return so long as they recast the part with someone closer to Adam West's age and who would be credible in a Bat Fight. Also would have liked to have seen a Will Scarlett character as a criminal opposite to Robin.

Black Widow -- No. The character as devised was just too weak and would have required a recast as Tallulah Bankhead would have been in no shape to do this kind of production given her health. (She would die the following year.)

Chandell -- No. This was a novelty character and nothing more.

Colonel Gumm -- No. He was not of arch-criminal status and set the standard for Season 3 non-arch criminals like Lola Lasagne, Nora Clavicle and Minerva.

Ma Parker -- No. Shelly Winters was entertaining as Ma but there was no further story for Ma and her family.

The Puzzler -- No. I don't even think of The Puzzler as an actual character. He was just a stand-in for The Riddler (and a weak one at that).

The Sandman -- No. Again, another weak character made bearable by the actor playing him

[NJ_Batfan]

Art Carney is a favorite and I've watched him in many roles that spanned his career, but the Archer somehow missed the mark (no pun intended). He gets my vote because another shot may have redeemed him (again no pun intended).

[High C]

If not Ann Margret for The Black Widow,then how about Joan Collins for a second Batman Villainess part?

Thanks for suggesting it, but I'm positive Joan got the right Batman part. Maybe in those days I could have pictured her as the Queen of Diamonds, but that's about it in terms of Bat-villainesses other than The Siren. She'd be perfect nowadays for Black Widow, at least the way I envision such a character.