In the mid-1960's the popular Batman DC comic strip was turned into a TV series. The series lasted for two years on the ABC network, and had a sort of campy- comedy-action-adventure style. The 60's Batman television show had an unusual but catchy format for it's time. There were two episodes per week, which aired on back to back nights, in prime time, on Wednesday and Thursday. The first episode of the week would usually end in a cliffhanger, which would be resolved on the following night's episode.

Season one of the show, which started on January 12, 1966, was popularly regarded as the best time in the series. Each show usually started with a scene where an evil plot was hatched, or a crime committed by a villain (usually one of many recurring villain characters). The police chief O'Hara and police commissioner Gordon would then contact Bruce Wayne at his mansion, via the "batphone," to warn him of the crime and request his assistance.

Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson would then retire to the Batcave where they would don their superhero outfits. They would then depart from the cave to go investigate the crime, by way of the Batmobile. In seasons two and three the Batcopter and Batboat were added to the heroes' arsenal. The creation of these props was funded as a result of the Batman movie which was made in 1966, after the production of the first season had ended.

Most episodes involved a mid-show confrontation with the villain, in which the villain escapes but leaves behind some clue. Batman and Robin then have a later second encounter with the villain which is usually not concluded until the following episode. Leaving episodes on a cliffhanger ending was likely a successful tactic for the show, because it encouraged viewers to tune in regularly in order to follow each new plot line.

In season two and the short-lived third season the TV series lost popularity. The repeatability of episode formats, and what some saw as diminishing production and writing quality, were attributed as reasons for the shows falling popularity.