For most of its brief run, Zorro's episodes were part of continuing
story arcs, each about thirteen episodes long, which made it almost
like a serial. The first of these chronicles the arrival of Zorro /
Diego and his battle of wits with the greedy and cruel local
Commandante, Captain Enrique Sánchez Monastario. After Monastario's
final defeat, in the second storyline, Zorro must uncover and counter
the machinations of the evil Magistrado Carlos Galindo, who is part of a
plot to rule California. The third story arc concerns the leader of
that conspiracy, the shadowy figure of "The Eagle", revealed as vain and
insecure José Sebastián Vargas. It's revealed that the plot to gain
control of California is so that he can turn it over to another country,
implied to be Germany, for a huge profit. Season one concludes with
Varga's death.
Season two opens with Diego in Monterey, the colonial capital,
where privately collected money to bring a supply ship to California is
consistently diverted to a gang of bandits. Diego stays to investigate,
both as himself and as Zorro, and becomes interested in Ana Maria
Verdugo, the daughter of the man organizing the effort. Once Zorro
defeats the thieves, he enters into a rivalry with his old friend
Ricardo del Amo, a practical joker who is also interested in Ana Maria.
Ana Maria in turn is in love with Zorro. While in Monterey, Zorro and
Sergeant Demetrio López García also get involved in a dispute between
the peons and a repressive Lieutenant Governor. Diego is on the verge of
giving up his mask to marry Ana Maria, but Don Alejandro talks him out
of it. Zorro (and Diego) says goodbye to Ana Maria and returns to Los
Angeles, where he gets involved in a series of shorter adventures. In
one three episode story arc, guest starring Annette Funicello, Zorro
must solve the mystery of Anita Cabrillo's father, a man who does not
seem to exist. Other storylines late in the series involve Diego's
never-do-well uncle (Cesar Romero), a plot against the governor of
California, an encounter with an American "mountain man" (Jeff York,
reprising a role from The Saga of Andy Burnett), and outwitting a greedy
emissary from Spain.
Season 3 consists of the four hour-long episodes produced in 1960/61:
- Zorro: El Bandido
- Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo
- Zorro: The Postponed Wedding
- Zorro: Auld Acquaintance
Seasons 1 & 2 are the colorized versions produced by Disney in 1992.
Season 3 is in Black & White
Special Features
Featurettes: "Life and Legend of Zorro", "The Zorro Archive", "Behind the Mask"
2 Booklets: The Story of a Legend. A background report on the legendary Zorro TV series by Walt Disney (both in German)
36-page comic book: Zorros first appearance (1958), The secret passage (1958) (in German)
Language:
Seasons 1 & 2 : English, French
Season 3: English
Subtitles:
Seasons 1 & 2 : English, French
Season 3: French
Packaging: French