What was the first superhero TV series you ever saw? Mine, was the George Reeves, black and white series “Adventures of Superman” that they would play every afternoon in reruns when I was a kid. I remember being thrilled watching him leap out of the window of the Daily Planet and fight crooks and bad guys on every episode. It was SO exciting for me to watch and I’ve never forgotten it! Which is probably why I was beyond excited to see the Christopher Reeves film when it came out in 1978! And why Superman is my favorite superhero of all time!
There were a lot more superhero shows that i would watch as a kid. I’m sure one of them was your favorite.
OG SUPERHEROES
Adventures of Superman - The show was the first television series to feature Superman and aired from 1952 to 1958. George Reeves played Clark Kent / Superman, with Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, John Hamilton as Perry White, and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson. Phyllis Coates played Lois Lane in the first season, with Noel Neill, who had previously played Lois Lane in the film serials Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), stepping into the role in the later seasons. In the series, Superman battles crooks, gangsters, and other villains in the city of Metropolis while masquerading "off duty" as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. The show's first two seasons were filmed in black-and-white; seasons three through six were filmed in color.
Batman - The campy live-action television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name starred Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin—two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City from a variety of archvillains. The 120 episodes aired on the ABC network for three seasons from 1966 to 1968, twice weekly during the first two seasons, and weekly for the third. In 2016, television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked Batman as the 82nd greatest American television series of all time. A companion feature film called “Batman The Movie” was released in 1966 between the first and second seasons of the TV show.
SUPERHERO ADJACENT
The Green Hornet - The action television series aired on ABC during the 1966–1967 television season, starring Van Williams as the Green Hornet/Britt Reid and Bruce Lee as Kato. Unlike the campy and humorous Batman series, The Green Hornet played it straight. Though it was canceled after one season, Lee became a major star of martial arts movies, with helped the series become a cult favorite. The Green Hornet & Kato also appear in three episodes of Batman; "The Spell of Tut" (as a brief cameo) and "A Piece of the Action"/"Batman's Satisfaction", with Reid mentioning that he and Bruce Wayne had been acquaintances and rivals since childhood. On the episode the audience are led to believe (wrongly) that the Green Hornet & Kato are villains and Batman and Robin fight them on the show. Fun fact - Bruce Lee’s very first on screen fight is with Burt Ward (Robin The Boy Wonder) on “Batman”.
The Lone Ranger - I know he’s not an official superhero but he does wear a mask and he - along with his companion Tonto - would fight bad guys every episode. The series originally aired on ABC Television network from 1949 to 1957, with Clayton Moore in the starring role and Jay Silverheels, a member of the Mohawk Aboriginal people in Canada, played the Lone Ranger's Indian companion Tonto.
Tarzan - The live-action adventure series aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968. It portrayed Tarzan (played by Ron Ely) as a well-educated character who had grown tired of civilization, and returned to the jungle where he had been raised. The series was set in a fictional newly independent African nation. The series retained many of the trappings of the film series, including the "Tarzan yell" and Cheeta, but there was no Jane to be found in this version of the fabled superhero-like apeman.
Kung Fu - An action-adventure martial arts Western drama television series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1975 starring David Carradine. The series followed the adventures of Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who travels through the American Old West, armed only with his spiritual training and his skill in martial arts, as he seeks Danny Caine, his half-brother. The series became one of the most popular television programs of the early 1970s, receiving widespread critical acclaim and commercial success upon its release.
SATURDAY MORNING SUPERHEROES
Shazam! - This fun superhero television series was produced for Saturday Mornings by Filmation (the studio's first non-animated series), based on the superhero Captain Marvel, now known as Shazam! The program starred Michael Gray (podcast interview coming soon) as Billy Batson, a teenage boy who can transform into the superhero Captain Marvel, originally played by Jackson Bostwick and later by John Davey, by speaking the magic word "Shazam!" With his guardian "Mentor" (Les Tremayne), Billy travels the country in a 1973 Dodge Open Road motorhome, looking for injustices to resolve.
The Secrets of Isis (originally broadcast as Isis) was a live-action superhero television series produced by Filmation from 1975 to 1976 for CBS's Saturday morning lineup. The program was the first weekly American live-action television series with a female superhero lead character, debuting on September 6, 1975, predating the weekly debuts of both The Bionic Woman (January 14, 1976) and Wonder Woman(April 21, 1976). In the series, Isis (Joanna Cameron) is the alter ego of Andrea Thomas, a seemingly normal schoolteacher, who transforms into the Egyptian goddess when presented with crises a mere mortal cannot resolve.
Isis and its companion series Shazam! had crossover episodes where Captain Marvel and Isis would appear in each other's shows. Since then DC Comics has adopted the character of Isis into their mainstream continuity for modern comics.
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl - This live action superhero children's television series from 1976 created by Sid and Marty Krofft. The series aired 16 episodes in a single season as part of the umbrella series The Krofft Supershow. The program followed the crime-fighting exploits of caped superhero Electra Woman (played by Deidre Hall) and her teen sidekick Dyna Girl (Judy Strangis), who worked in their normal lives as reporters for Newsmaker Magazine. In each episode, the duo dons brightly-colored spandex costumes, in a bright flash of light called an "Electra-Change"; get into the "ElectraCar"; and use an array of technically-advanced gadgets to thwart an eclectic collection of supervillains.
Other Saturday morning superhero TV shows included Mighty Mouse (1979 to 1980), Super Friends (1973), Plastic Man (1979), Hong Kong Phooey (1974), Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels (1977), Wonderbug (1976), and The Monster Squad (1976).
THE BIONIC DYNAMIC DUO
The Six Million Dollar Man - This classic science fiction/action television series, that ran from 1973 to 1978, was about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is rebuilt with bionic implants that give him superhuman strength, speed and vision. Austin is then employed as a secret agent by a fictional U.S. government office titled OSI.
The Bionic Woman - A spin-off series from the Six Million Dollar Man series. Created by Kenneth Johnson (podcast interview coming soon), the action TV show starred Lindsay Wagner and aired from 1976 to 1978. The show featured Jaime Sommers, who takes on special high-risk government missions using her superhuman bionic powers. Aside from the frequent crossover episodes the close connection between the two series was highlighted by the fact that Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks played their same characters on both television shows (eventually) running concurrently on two networks.
PRIMETIME SUPERHEROES
Wonder Woman (known for seasons 2 and 3 as The New Adventures of Wonder Woman) - This beloved TV series starred Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman / Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor Sr. and Jr., and aired for three seasons, from 1975 to 1979. The show's first season aired on ABC and was set in the 1940s, during World War II. The second and third seasons aired on CBS and were set in the then-current day late 1970s, with the title changed to The New Adventures of Wonder Woman.
The Amazing Spiderman - In 1977, a short-lived live action television series based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man was produced called The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond, in the title role. In it, Peter Parker (as an intrepid university student) gains super powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. It is the first live-action television series featuring Spider-Man and was shown on CBS from 1977 to 1979.
The Incredible Hulk - Based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk, the series aired on the CBS television network and starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner, Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, and Jack Colvin as Jack McGee. In the series, Dr. David Banner, a widowed physician and scientist who is presumed dead, travels across the United States under assumed names and finds himself in positions where he helps others in need despite his terrible secret. The series 80 episodes were originally broadcast by CBS over five seasons from 1978 to 1982.
The Flash - Based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. The Flash aired on CBS from 1990 to 1991 and starred John Wesley Shipp as Allen, along with Amanda Pays, and Alex Désert. Multiple references to the series have been made on the 2014 Flash television series, including Shipp portraying multiple characters.
The Greatest American Hero - this unique comedy-drama superhero television series aired on ABC from 1981 to 1983. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, the series chronicled high school teacher Ralph Hinkley’s adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red and black suit that grants him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately for Ralph, who hates wearing the suit, he immediately loses its instruction booklet, and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error, often with comical results. The show starred William Katt Ralph, Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson.
In short, no matter which TV superhero was your favorite there’s no doubt that all them thrilled us week after week. And even though some of the spandex costumes, gadgets, and special effects aren’t as high tech as we see in current superhero movies & TV shows they are still as fun as hell because they remind us how excited we were when we first saw them as kids.
Facts and series descriptions taken from Wikipedia
To listen to my BAT-TASTIC conversation with actor Burt Ward (Episodes 75 & 76), star of the classic TV series “Batman”, on my podcast - click on the links below. Enjoy!
Episode 75 - HERE
Episode 76 - HERE
