How the ’60s TV Show Actually Saved BATMAN

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The original 1966 Batman TV show, with Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, is a surprisingly divisive topic among dedicated fans. Some believe it nearly ruined the character, turning him into a figure of ridicule. Many credit comic book writer Denny O’Neil with saving Batman by bringing him back to his darker, street-level roots after the show ended in 1968 – and suggest that without O’Neil’s work, Batman might not exist as we know it today.

The story is actually more nuanced. While Neil’s work brought Batman back to the vision of its original creator and helped it become much more popular than the ’60s craze indicated, the Batman ’66 TV show initially rescued Batman from being forgotten. In fact, it was this series that first transformed Batman into a worldwide phenomenon.

It’s surprising to many today, but for the first thirty years of their existence, Superman was much more famous than Batman. Superman had a radio show, comic strip, movie serials, and a very popular TV show in the 1950s – in 1965, almost everyone knew who he was! While Batman was definitely DC’s second most popular hero, he was mainly known to comic book readers. That all changed with the Batman TV series. The show was a huge hit and made Batman a household name. However, the TV show treated Superman and Batman very differently. Superman’s show appealed to adults without being silly, while the Batman series leaned heavily into campiness. This raises the question: why the different approaches?

How Batman Comics Became Something to Be Mocked

William Dozier, the executive producer of the 1966 Batman TV show, didn’t grow up reading comics. He was too old when comic books first became popular. When ABC suggested he create a Batman series, he initially thought it couldn’t be done seriously. After looking at some recent Batman comics, he considered the whole idea ridiculous – and with good reason. For over ten years, the comics had been very silly and aimed at young children. He likely never read the earlier, more serious stories from the late 1930s or early 1940s.

How did Batman transform from a dark, serious hero into something more lighthearted? A single book is largely to blame: Seduction of the Innocent. Written by psychiatrist Frederic Wertham, the book argued that comic books were negatively influencing young Americans. Wertham specifically criticized Batman and Robin, suggesting their relationship implied a hidden homosexual desire, which he believed could corrupt young readers. This book caused a public uproar, and comic book sales dropped dramatically as a result.

The comic book industry almost collapsed, but it saved itself by creating the Comics Code Authority, a group designed to ensure comics were suitable for children. This led to significant changes: Batman became much more lighthearted and focused on science fiction adventures instead of fighting unusual criminals in Gotham City. The classic villains from the Golden Age largely disappeared, replaced by aliens and mad scientists. While the Joker was allowed to stay, he was toned down to be a mischievous prankster rather than a dangerous killer. Even he ended up sharing the spotlight with otherworldly creatures and dangerous technology from outer space.

The Return of the Classic Rogues’ Gallery

By the 1960s, the outlandish criminals Batman battled in the comics of the 1940s and early 50s had largely faded away. However, the producers of the new TV series brought most of them back. The first season heavily featured the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and Catwoman as the main villains. (Two-Face was an exception, as he was deemed too frightening for television.) The show’s popularity actually led to these characters regaining importance in the comics, and they remained prominent ever since. Furthermore, the TV series led to lasting changes for many of these classic foes.

For twelve years, the character Catwoman was removed from DC Comics because of the strict rules of the Comics Code Authority. The code demanded that female characters be portrayed as purely wholesome, like typical television mothers, and Catwoman didn’t fit that mold, with her last comic appearance being in 1954. However, after Julie Newmar (and later Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt) famously played her on television, Catwoman became too popular to keep away. She returned to the comics, and the TV show’s updated look—a skintight catsuit replacing her original purple dress and cape—eventually influenced her comic book costumes for years to come. While Selina Kyle’s outfits changed over time, the impact of the TV series’ design remained.

The Riddler is a classic Batman villain who became much more popular thanks to the TV show. He only appeared in comics twice during the 1940s and then disappeared for 16 years. However, when Batman comics shifted away from science fiction in the 1950s, the Riddler was brought back. His appearance in Batman #171 served as the basis for the very first episode of the TV series, establishing him as a top-tier Batman villain. While actor Frank Gorshin initially wore the Riddler’s traditional costume, he disliked it and asked to wear a green suit and tie instead. This new look was later adopted in the comics and has been the Riddler’s standard outfit ever since.

Mr. Freeze is another classic Batman villain who’s remained popular thanks to the various TV series. Originally debuting in 1959 as ‘Mr. Zero,’ he was initially a minor, one-time character. However, the 1960s Batman show revitalized him with the more memorable name ‘Mr. Freeze,’ and his appearances there boosted his profile in the comics. Later, Batman: The Animated Series further developed his character, giving him more complexity and depth. Without the early success of Mr. Freeze in Batman ’66, he might have been forgotten as just a minor villain.

Batgirl Begins

No character added to the Batman TV series has been more significant than Batgirl, also known as Barbara Gordon. While Batgirl first appeared in the comic books, DC Comics created the character of Barbara Gordon – a young librarian and the daughter of Commissioner Gordon – specifically for the show’s producers, who were looking for a new female character to feature.

Batgirl first appeared in comics before the TV show, but she was intentionally designed with television in mind. Julius Schwartz, an editor for Batman comics, planned for her to be introduced to the existing TV series. When producer William Dozier saw initial sketches at DC Comics, he quickly secured the rights to the character, hoping to boost ratings for a third season. Batgirl was a key part of season three, and she proved so popular that she continued as a major character in DC Comics long after the original, playful version played by Yvonne Craig ended.

When DC Comics made Batman silly and less serious in the 1950s and early 60s, it almost invited parody. The Batman ’66 TV show successfully poked fun at the character because the comics themselves were already quite comical at that time. Getting upset that Batman ’66 spoofed Batman is similar to being annoyed that Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein makes fun of the original Mary Shelley novel – good parody shouldn’t diminish the original work.

Everything worked out for Batman in a surprising way, with each event relying on the one before it. The campy 1960s TV show actually helped make Batman the massive cultural icon he is today. And the show’s quick decline forced DC Comics to reinvent Batman, ultimately leading to his current status as their most popular character. Even fans of the darker, more serious Batman owe a debt to Adam West’s playful portrayal and the initial craze it sparked.

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2026-01-13 01:34