Can you pick a top 10?

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English Invader
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Can you pick a top 10?

Post by English Invader »

How many people here can pick a top 10 of Batman episodes?

This is my shot:

1) Joker Goes to School/Grisly Ghoul (my #1 favourite episode, love Donna Loren as the nefarious high school princess)
2) False Face (I love the fast-pace of this episode, Blaze is a brilliant moll)
3) Joker's Last Laugh (Joker becomes Vice Chairman of the Gotham National Bank, anyone need a small batcave improvement loan?)
4) That Darn Catwoman (brilliant guest appearance from Lesley Gore)
5) Batman's Anniversary (I really like the story in this one, lots of great changes of scene)
6) Instant Freeze (George Sanders is the original and best)
7) Marsha Queen of Diamonds
8) Black Widow
9) Death in Slow Motion (tribute to the silent film era with brilliant Charlie Chaplin impression from Frank Gorshin)
10) Hizzoner the Penguin (brilliant satirical commentary of modern politics that's still relevant today)
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AndyFish
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by AndyFish »

Although I'm only starting Season 1 on the blu rays as I watched Season 3 first -- it's great to see some of these again in such great quality. Top 10? Sure thing:

1- First Catwoman
2- Hi Diddle Riddle
3- First Joker
4- False Face
5- Contaminated Cowl
6- Bookworm Turns
7- First Tut
8- First Penguin
9- Londinium Larcenies
10- First Egghead

Runners up-- any Shame, Tut, Mad Hatter or Joker episode.
Austinunc
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Austinunc »

1. The thirteenth hat ( liked the plot and adams suit looked great plus the mad hatter was an amazing villan)
2. Hi diddle riddle ( liked adams belt and burts gloves, the riddler is my favorite villan)
3. The Penguins a jinx ( one of the best part 2's in my opinion)
4. The joker is wild ( loved the hall of fame scene)
5. Instant freeze ( the orginal mr freeze was great)
6. Better luck next time ( the cave scene and buried treasure element was really cool)
7. Not yet he ain't ( a evil batman and robin on the run from the police, need I say more)
8. The ring of wax ( best riddler episode)
9. Givem the axe ( loved it my favorite part of the two parter)
10. Fine finny finks ( the color of the suit was perfect and the plot was outstanding)

As you can tell season 1 was my favorite
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Joe Kerr
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Joe Kerr »

Very hard to choose, but here's my list.
1. The Joker is Wild/Batman is Riled
2. Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack in the Middle
3. The Pur-Fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time
4. The Ring of Wax/Give 'Em The Ax
5. The Joker Goes to School/He Meets his Match The Grisly Ghoul
6. The Thirteenth Hat/Batman Stands Pat
7. Instant Freeze/Rats Like Cheese
8. Fine Feathered Finks/The Penguin's a Jinks
9. Surfs up! Joker's Under!
10. I'll be a Mummy's Uncle
".... I'll have it, the last laugh will still be mine!" -The Joker, "The Joker's Last Laugh"
Edward Nigma
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Edward Nigma »

All time favorite:

01 The Ring of Wax/Give 'Em the Axe (Best Gorshin performance)

The rest (in air date order):

02 The Joker is Wild/Batman Is Riled (Best Joker episodes)
03 True of False-Face/Holy Rat Race (Unusual pair of episodes w/ a very disturbing villain)
04 The Bookworm Turns/While Gotham City Burns (Great Roddy McDowall performance)
05 Hizzoner the Penguin/Dizzoner the Penguin (Funny political satire)
06 The Sandman Cometh/The Catwoman Goeth (Mostly for the two death traps)
07 Batman's Anniversary/A Riddling Controversy (Great story w/ unusual twists and turns)
08 The Sport of Penguins/A Horse of Another Color (For the banter between Meredith and Merman)
09 The Great Escape/The Great Train Robbery (F.R.E.D.!!!!!)
10 The Joker's Flying Saucer (Great parody of the show itself)
robinboyblunderer
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by robinboyblunderer »

How i'm feelin' today:

01. Londinium Trilogy
02. The Sandman Cometh/Catwoman Goeth
03. Death in Slow Motion
04. Bookworm Turns
05. King Tut's Coup
06. Spell of Tut
07. HIzzoner the Penguin
08. True or False Face
09. Ring of Wax
10. Purrfect Crime


Honorable Mentions: Cat and Fiddle, Surfs up Joker, Hi Diddle Riddle.
English Invader
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by English Invader »

I thought about including the Londinium Larcenies, but the non-cliffhanger endings were a deal breaker. LL and Funny Feline Felonies are the only episodes from Season 3 worthy of consideration IMO.

For every episode from Season 3 I watch, I feel like I need to watch five real Batman episodes to get over it.
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Pengy
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Pengy »

1. Fine feathered finks/The Penguin's a jinx
2. Instant Freeze/Rats like cheese
3. The Penguin's Nest/The Bird's last jest
4. Hizzoner The Penguin/Dizzoner The Penguin
5. The Joker is Wild/Batman is Riled
6. The Purr-fect Crime/Better luck next time
7. True or False Face/Holy Rat Race
8. Hot off the griddle/The cat and the fiddle
9. Fine Finny Fiends/Batman makes the scenes
10. The Penguin goes straight/Not yet he ain't
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Bat Username
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Bat Username »

Edward Nigma wrote:10 The Joker's Flying Saucer (Great parody of the show itself)
I also think it works great as a parody of 50's B movies in general. (Even down to the way the characters stand around talking for most of the episode- as opposed to actually letting us see the ufo action that had been featured in the teaser! LOL)
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TP-6597
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by TP-6597 »

Tough call, with my top three almost being interchangeable depending on mood.

1. Catwoman Goes to College/Batman Displays His Knowledge
2. The Joker is Wild/Batman is Riled
3. Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack in the Middle
4. The Pur-Fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time
5. The Ring of Wax/Give 'Em The Ax
6. The Joker Goes to School/He Meets His Match The Grisly Ghoul
7. Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin
8. Ring Around the Riddler
9. Zelda the Great/A Death Worse Than Fate
10.Surf's Up! Joker's Under!

Julie Newmar playing Catwoman as a regular person as opposed to a goof character (Mr Freeze, King Tut, etc) is why Catwoman Goes to College gets the nod as my favorite. Her delivery of this line is a perfect example of why she's so believable in the role.

"I'm a Batagonian cat's eye opal fancier and I think your prices are outrageous."

She’s matter-of-fact with the victims, to the point of deadpan, stays completely calm in the situation, and even shows a hint of smugness. Her conversations with Freddy are more of the same. She’s a criminal, not a comic book character. She’s trying to sell stolen jewels for a lot of money – not silliness like freeze all of Gotham City. She and the story are grounded in reality. That portrayal is throughout all her episodes. Always my favorite villain. Her breathtaking physical beauty doesn’t hurt either. *swoon*.

Later on when she realizes Batman has bested her, she angrily yells “that dirty rotten guy!”. It’s a great moment where Catwoman momentarily loses her composure. A fantastic portrayal where she gives Catwoman depth far beyond the other characters. Anne Hathaway had a similar moment in Dark Knight Rises when she lets her anger get the best of her and also shows that Catwoman is just a criminal’s persona, not a comic book villain. In both instances, Catwoman immediately becomes a much deeper character. Both women portray Catwoman as someone who loses control of the situation and the plan, and they’re very upset by it. Part anger, part fear.

Cesar Romero and Frank Gorshin both did the same thing. They bring depth to a role that could otherwise just be silly. Cesar Romero in his prison clothes and painted face, not laughing (The Joker Is Wild) is bone chilling in his seriousness. Like Catwoman, he’s adopted a persona and when he shows a glimpse of who he really is, it’s more of the same depth that Newmar brought to her role.
“What's important is that the world know that all visitors to these teeming shores are safe, be they peasant or king.”
Dusty_Lane
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Dusty_Lane »

1. Green Ice/Deep Freeze
2. The Joker Is Wild/Batman Is Riled
3. The Purrr-fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time
4. Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack In The Middle
5. Hizzoner The Penguin/Dizzoner The Penguin
6. Instant Freeze/Rats Like Cheese
7. Pop Goes The Joker/Flop Goes The Joker
8. The Devil's Fingers/The Dead Ringers
9. Fine Finny Fiends/Batman Make the Scene
10. That Darn Catwoman/Scat! Darn Catwoman
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Progress Pigment
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Progress Pigment »

Incredibly tough. I've always had a hard time with this one. To me, the first season was so beautifully done and surreal, it's a dead heat, with 'Hi Diddle Riddle' and 'False Face' slightly in the lead. For me they all tie for #1!

2.) The Clock King's Crazy Crimes.
The pop art aspect, and the oddly interesting (for season 2) camera angles, along with a superb death-trap made this episode a winner. The giant clock finale was equally funny and creepy. Also, Adam & Burt really seemed on their game here.

3.) Green Ice/Deep Freeze
Another beautifully done episode. Almost an homage to the first Joker episode, with Gotham turning against Batman. Vild! Vild!

4.) The Contaminated Cowl
This was a rare "lifted straight from the comics" episode. The fact that Batman can justify wearing a pink radioactive cowl, and the fact that we buy it and the fact that the episode is fun and exciting without being stupid throws it in the face of 90% of the painfully stupid season 2 episodes.

5.) The Minstrel
The only time we see Batman going head to head with an intellectual equal. And he isn't even (completely) nuts! Episodes like this might've given the series a slightly more serious edge, and saved us from having to endure "Hizzoner the Penguin", The Siamese Human Knot, Adam singing "Poor Little Buttercup", and the inclusion of "fear gas" or "onion eggs".

6.) The Devil's Fingers/The Dead Ringers
Aside from the horrible death trap, a very rewarding episode.

7.) The Sandman Cometh
This could have been one of the series best. But as it stands, still very enjoyable.

8.) Pop Goes the Joker
About the only episode starring one of the big four that really worked in season 2. Many of the others had good things, but all & all, too much bad to put at the top.

9.)The Siren
The only near-perfect 3rd season episode. Really a triumph -- or an anomaly. Whichever.

10.)A tie (!) between "Batman's Anniversary" (love John Astin), all the King Tuts (season 2 & 3), Ice Spy, Come Back, Shame, an Egg Grows in Gotham, The Londinium Larcenies, and a slight nod to 'The Joker Hangs 10', ' Dr. Cassandra, and both the Louie the Lilac episodes, in no particular order.
Next week, the Dynamic Duo meets the Clock King!
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Ricky
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Ricky »

1) The Purrr-fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time
2) BlackWidow
3) Penguin/Marsha 2 parter
4) Catwomans Dressed to Kill
5) The Ring of Wax/Give 'Em The Ax
6) Ma Parker
7) Green Ice/Deep Freeze
8) The Wail of the Siren
9) Zodiac Crimes 3 parter
10) Cats Meow
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The Joker
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by The Joker »

1.) The Joker Is Wild / Batman Is Riled
2.) The Joker Goes To School / He Meets His Match, The Grisly Ghoul
3.) Hi Diddle Riddle / Smack In The Middle
4.) Fine Feathered Finks / The Penguin's A Jinx
5.) The Purr-Fect Crime / Better Luck Next Time
6.) Instant Freeze / Rats Like Cheese
7.) True Or False Face / Holy Rat Race
8.) The Ring Of Wax / Give 'Em The Axe
9.) The Penguin Goes Straight / Not Yet, He Ain't
10.) Ties:
The Thirteenth Hat / Batman Stands Pat
The Curse Of Tut / The Pharaoh's In A Rut
Zelda The Great / A Death Worse Than Fate
The Bookworm Turns / While Gotham City Burns
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Bat-Tiger
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Re: Can you pick a top 10?

Post by Bat-Tiger »

 True or False Face/Holy Rat Race

 The Purr-fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time

 Ring of Wax/Give 'Em The Axe

 Catwoman Goes To College/Batman Displays...

 Hizzonner The Penguin/Dizzonner The Penguin

 The Zodiac Crimes trilogy

 A Piece Of The Action/Batman's Satisfaction

 Pop Goes The Joker/Flop Goes The Joker

 Surfs Up! Joker's Under!

 Joker Goes To School/He Meets His Match...
/|\=^..^=/|\
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