HBO’s The Penguin may be at the moment, but the sixties Batman series now seems to be speaking to more relevant matters of the day.

The two-part episode Hizzoner the Penguin/Dizzoner the Penguin was first broadcast in the United States on November 2nd and 3rd 1966.

Gotham’s law enforcement – including Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) themselves, find one of Gotham City’s most notorious criminals, The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), running for Mayor.

Penguin’s campaign is short on policy, but high on catchphrases and populist, jingoistic rhetoric. While it seems unlikely the voters of Gotham be won over by empty talk from a convicted criminal, they respond to Penguin’s “plain, honest talk” and polls show him with a big advantage over the incumbent Mayor Linseed.

In fact Penguin’s popularity is such that Linseed, Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) and police Chief O’Hara (Stafford Repp) all agree that there is only one hope to prevent Penguin’s ascension to office – if Batman runs against him. For the good of Gotham City not falling into the wrong hands, Batman throws his cowl into the ring.

Initially having Batman on the ballot splits the polls, but Penguin

using every opportunity to smear and slander his opponent, at one point accusing him of being “un-American” when he won’t kiss a voter’s baby. Batman is determined not to stoop to his opponent’s level and run a clean campaign, focused on the issues, but doing so fails to strike a core with the voters, who favour Penguin’s more boisterous

Even Penguin when has his goons (aka The Grand Order of Occidental Nighthawks) attempt to remove Batman from the race by dropping him and Robin in a vat of acid, which they escape from, Batman will not attack the character of his rival. He is determined to stick to the issues at hand, even though it sees his campaign lag.

At a pivotal moment in the story, Batman and the Penguin face off in a TV debate, where Penguin distorts the truth to make himself look more favourable and upstanding. He accuses Batman of in fact being a criminal himself, while Penguin is always in the company of law enforcement – leaving out the fact that he is in their company through incarceration.

The debate puts Penguin with a runaway lead in the polls

Members of the Batman campaign remain mystified at Penguin’s popularity, especially in light of all Batman has done for Gotham. It leaves his supporters feeling hopeless, though Batman reminds them: “Elections aren’t won by polls. They’re won by votes.”

The first returns signal that Penguin will be the next mayor of Gotham, however there is a sudden swing back towards Batman.

When there is now a looming chance of loss for Penguin, he resorts to kidnapping the electoral commission and threatening them with death unless they name him Mayor.

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