Many well versed Batman fans claim that the TV show (which showed for just over two years, from 1966-68) is the reincarnation of Batman which most accurately captures the original concept of the character from the comic book series. The original Batman character appeared in comic books in the 1940's, and since the 50's the character has had his own series of comics. The shows creators took the basic premise and characters from the DC comics series and turned it into a bi-weekly action adventure TV series.
Batman is the alter identity of Bruce Banner, a billionaire from Gotham City. Bruce witnessed the murder of his parents at a young age. This is his motivation for fighting criminals in Gotham City. He operates out of his mansion in the city where his bat cave is located. His butler Alfred is the only citizen of Gotham that knows his true identity. Batman also had a sidekick, Robin, in the comics and 60's TV show. Robin wears the colors yellow, red, and green and became Batman's crime fighting partner after being a circus acrobat.
In addition to the three main characters of Batman, Robin, and Alfred there are many other characters that come directly from the comic books. In the series Batman is an ally with the law enforcement of Gotham city including police commissioner James Gordon, and police chief Miles O'Hara. The series also included the character Batgirl, who's alter identity is Barbara Gordon, the police commissioners daughter. During the third season of the show it was proposed by the ABC network that the characters of Robin and Police chief O'Hara be removed from the show and replaced by Batgirl, as Batman's main ally.
Many of the villains featured during episodes of the show also came directly from the comic book series. These villains include The Joker, The Mad Hatter, and Mr. Freeze. The TV series also introduced other villains including The Penguin, The Riddler, Catwoman, and others. Some of these villains have remained popular into the later life of the character, being featured in Batman movies from the 80's and 90's.
