8 Ways Test Audiences Changed TV Shows

Around the time Adam West donned the iconic cape and cowl for the very first time in the Batman TV show, it was fairly commonplace to see a show accompanied by a laugh track; recorded laughter that accompanies the action going down on the small screen.

However, Batman was one of the few shows deprived of this staple at the time, largely due to how the version of the programme with one included went down with test crowds. Along with a version of the show with additional narration, the alternate laughing track-included showing of West's bat didn't exactly click with audiences. But saying that, even without both of these alterations, Batman received the very worst audience scores in the history of ABC at that point.

Yet, largely due to the fact so much money had been spent on bringing this comic book character to TVs everywhere, ABC ploughed on and hoped general audiences would appreciate West, Burt Ward, and the gang a little more than their chosen test subjects. Luckily, their hope was eventually rewarded with the show going on to be immortalised and cherished as the years rolled by.