BATMAN's third season introduced Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, actually Barbara Gordon, daughter of Neil Hamilton's Commissioner Gordon, recently graduated from college, returning to Gotham City with her eye on millionaire Bruce Wayne as potential husband material. Imagine her surprise when The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) pops up out of the blue, with his own ideas about marriage, which don't exactly sit well with his blushing bride, his intent to become the son-in-law of the police commissioner, therefore exempt from prosecution. The presence of Batgirl made for fine eye candy but she wasn't allowed to do much more than high kick her way out of trouble, but Yvonne Craig's ballet training served her well, and her infectious joy in fighting crime proved to be a boost for the show. We get more scenes set at the library to accommodate Barbara's occupation as head librarian, which was actually the only set used for the single reel Batgirl pilot (Elizabeth Harrower's Drusilla appearing just this one time, after playing another librarian in "The Ring of Wax"). Alan Napier as Alfred, like Neil Hamilton, gets increased screen time this season as well, the only other person who knows Batgirl's secret identity, due to his impersonation of a minister to protect the actual man of the cloth from Penguin's henchmen. Burgess Meredith was the right choice to kick things off, spiriting his unconscious mate to another location with the priceless ad lib: "here comes the bride, all bagged and tied!" This third season was essentially scripted by Stanley Ralph Ross, Stanford Sherman, and Charles Hoffman, with minor contributions from Elkan Allan and Dwight Taylor, so obviously producer William Dozier wasn't taking chances on anyone unfamiliar with the series format, now reduced to a single weekly half hour. And, replacing Aunt Harriet with Batgirl was such a no brainer, a long time coming...
Review of Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin
