Batman has inspired generations of filmmakers, actors and artists with its unique blend of deadpan humour, meta-narratives and camped-up action scenes. The comic book hero was picked up by ABC as a brand new series to inject its slumping ratings with a new boost. Its first episode premiered on this day in 1966, starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin and Cesar Romero as The Joker, and it quickly became a hit, as iconic then as it remains today.
