7 Weird Facts You Didn't Know About Comic Books
4. In 1968 Batman Killed The Man From Uncle
Sort of. In 1966 Batman came to television - exactly as the character appeared in comics. But the over-the-top concepts, which worked fine on the comic book page, did not translate to the small screen. Played out in "reel life," the idea of men in tights walking up the sides of buildings suddenly seemed ludicrous. So, while true Bat-fans were cringing, most adults found the prancing escapades of absolute do-gooders Bruce and Dick a laugh-riot.
As a result, Batman (and Robin) created a camp craze that many TV adventure shows tried to capitalize on. The Man from Uncle was one such series. The highly-rated spy show, which costarred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, was always a bit tongue-in-cheek, but for the most part its producers tried to keep the plots serious and believable.
After the Batman series infected TV with camp, the Uncle producers caught the "stupid bug" and changed their own show's format. Uncle fans were outraged and the ratings plummeted. For its 4th and last season, the producers tried to revive the show by restoring it to its original, more serious formula, but... It was too late. Uncle was cancelled mid-season.