After two long seasons and a movie in the span of a little over a year, everyone involved in the Batman production must have been exhausted. With the bloom off the rose ratings/popularity wise, network executives were also starting to lose interest, and the show went to a once-a-week format with the budget slashed to bits. Remarkably, however, the introduction of Batgirl (Yvonne Craig) into the mix enlivened the proceedings for some time--before it all came crashing down in the "stretch run".
There are truly some great moments towards the beginning of this third season:
-The introduction of Batgirl, who quickly becomes as iconic in the show as Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) themselves.
-The half-hour format isn't as big of a failure as often perceived. The cliff-hanger death traps had largely gone stale anyway, so a tight 25-minutes (when constructed correctly) could be just as effective.
-Over-the-top episodes featuring a boxing Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and a surfing Joker (Caesar Romero) are goofy, sure, but a nice throwback to the camp/satire of the show's beginnings.
-Louie The Lilac (Milton Berle) is a solid villain--at least in his first appearance--and that episode features a "flower power" theme in keeping with 1960s culture at the time. Maybe the best single episode of the S3 lot.
-A three-parter where the Terrific Trio head overseas to "Londinium" to tangle with Lord Ffogg (Rudy Vallee) & Lady Penelope Peasoup (Glynis Johns).
Sadly, those London-satire episodes represent the last gasp of creativity this series has to offer. After that, viewers get...
-Nora Clavicle (Barbara Rush) in the "women's rights" episode. Truly an embarrassment and perhaps the worst episode the show ever constructed.
-Olga (Anne Baxter), her Cossacks, & Egghead (Vincent Price) used FAR too often. Not only are those three episodes boring, but also aired confusingly out-of-order to boot!
-Shame (Cliff Robertson) coming back for two episodes of schlock, slapstick filler.
-The final episode (featuring Zsa Zsa Gabor), which is a real travesty. It's too bad the show wasn't at least given enough respect to leave with a big finale or even an exciting episode. Instead, it limps to the finish with one of the worst half hours in show history.
Overall, I mostly remember this final effort for the introduction of Batgirl-- which really did energize the show for a time--but then the hemorrhaging budget that necessitated sparse sets, rushed storylines, and even a Bat-fight in the dark at one point. . It isn't as "rock bottom" as many believe--the writers never gave up--but the lack of network support simply cut it down to nothing by the bitter end.