As broadcast, The Ogg and I is the episode that introduced us to Olga, Queen of the Bessarovian Cossacks. As I explained in a previous omake, The Ogg and I was intended to be and should have been part two of the Egghead and Olga trilogy.

I have in hand the script for The Ogg and I. This week I will refer to the script and compare it to what was broadcast. I will also point out the superiority of the episode as part two of a trilogy as compared to Bat-fans’ introduction to Olga.

In the teaser of the original script, we once again find the same Boy Scout and little old lady from The Ogg Couple. By this time, they have reached the middle of the street, but suddenly they stop in their tracks as WE HEAR the faint THUNDER OF APPROACHING COSSACKS in the distance. For a moment they are paralyzed.

The Cossacks and then, much later, Egghead on his burro go past.

The Old Lady is still holding the Boy Scout in her arms.

Late in the next scene, in Commissioner Gordon’s office, Neil Hamilton acted as if he already knew who Olga was. Again, this made sense if The Ogg and I was part two of a trilogy, but was out of place as broadcast in the story introducing the Queen of the Cossacks.

By the way, in the script, the Commissioner, Egghead and Olga leave the office by means of a basket outside the window attached to a pulley. Apparently, someone decided a hot air balloon made more sense as a means of a getaway and we are treated to footage from the Puzzler story.

After the main title, the commercial and the credits, the revised dialogue strained to explain why Batgirl suddenly showed up in her father’s office.

The original script, however, reveals a short scene at the restaurant that must have been filmed, but virtually edited out.

INT. GILLIGAN’S CAFÉ - DAY
Near the entrance, Chief O’Hara is briefing several OFFICERS on their egg counting and tax collecting duties. Each Officer wears a conspicuous COIN CHANGER strapped to his middle.

If you watch the episode as broadcast carefully, you can see the officers walk out of Gilligan’s as Chief O’Hara moves toward the lunch counter.

Vincent Price also lost some lines at the end of this scene:

The televised episode shifts to Batgirl and Alfred in Barbara’s apartment, then to Batman and Robin with Orloff at the Bessarovian Embassy. In both the script and as broadcast, Robin asks, “And you think Olga will try to steal it (the Samovar of Genghis Khan), Batman?”

In both, Batman answers, “It may be part of her overall plan, Robin.” Then, as televised, there is a cutaway to a reaction shot of Orloff. That was inserted to cover up the cutting of Batman’s following lines:

Batman goes on to mention, “(First) . . . the abduction of Commissioner Gordon and the Egg Tax. Now, this Samovar. A priceless target . . .

The scale and impressiveness of Egghead’s crimes has been drastically reduced. In the original script, Orloff responds:

In many of the 120 episodes of Batman, especially in the third season, Alfred was portrayed as competent or more competent than Batman and Robin. In the original version of The Ogg and I, however, there is an interesting scene that shows that even Alfred can make a mistake. In the script, this scene comes right after Egghead quotes his mother:

EXT. SIDEWALK – DAY
Alfred is walking down the sidewalk, keeping his nose alert for the tell-tale aroma of Wellington Number Four.

CLOSE ON ALFRED
Sniff, sniff, sniff. He produces a small WALKIE-TALKIE.

For some reason, the original script had the Cossacks raid on the embassy take place during the day, while in the televised version, the narrator specifically references the raid being night.

The original script gives Commissioner Gordon and Robin some additional dialogue while in Orloff's cauldron.

Batman and Olga lost lines, too. Note what Olga calls Batman, rather than, “Batushka.”

Sometimes in the Batman TV show it’s hard to tell whether something was really overlooked or if the blooper was intentional as part of the camp. In this episode, when Commissioner Gordon and Robin are forced to climb into the cauldron and when Orloff drops in vegetables, there is a distinct “splashing” sound. When Robin, and later the Commissioner, get out, though, they are bone dry!

Holy No Drip, Batman!

Finally, the final narration which asks, “WILL IT END???” makes more sense if Egghead, Olga and the Cossacks have been on the loose for two episodes, rather than just the one.

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