It's Batman's Fault An Iconic CBS Series Got Canceled After Just 2 Seasons

Published Oct 5, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year. With a passion for all things books, Liz frequently attends Toronto literary events and conferences, and loves interacting with her book lover community. In addition to being an avid reader of the romance and thriller genres, Liz is a writer of several short stories, and is currently at work on a young adult witch novel. When she's not working, reading, or writing, Liz can be found seeing movies at her local cinema, attending live jazz events, or curling up on the couch to binge her favorite TV shows. You can reach her at liz.h@screenrant.com. Batman is best known for keeping Gotham safe from the Joker, the Penguin, and the rest of his rogues' gallery, but the Dark Knight may also have inadvertently taken out a CBS sitcom in the 1960s. The DC Comics superhero is one of the most iconic figures in pop culture, with Matt Reeves' current The Batman franchise, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, and myriad animated series being just some examples of Batman movies and TV shows. While a 1943 serial was the Caped Crusader's official screen debut, the live-action Batman TV series is what first made the character famous outside the pages of a comic book. Premiering on ABC in 1966, Batman stars Adam West as Bruce Wayne, the multi-millionaire turned masked crime fighter. The show's campy, self-aware tone is a huge contrast to the gritty, brooding Batman stories made today, and Batman was an instant ratings smash when it first aired, leading to the pop culture craze known as "Batmania". Unfortunately, Batman's success may have been the kiss of death for CBS's The Munsters. From the creators of Leave It to Beaver, The Munsters is a suburban satire of an everyday American family who happen to be literal monsters. Much of the show's humor is derived from the Munsters believing they're the epitome of normal, while their neighbors and those they interact with are terrified of them. Despite high viewership in its first season, The Munsters was canceled after a sharp rating decline in its second — and the finger has been pointed at Mr. Wayne himself. Batman's Success Got Blamed For Getting The Munsters Canceled The Munsters premiered on CBS in 1964, and its first season performed quite well, landing the respectable #18 spot on the Nielsen ratings list, tied with Gilligan's Island. However, its second season plummeted to #61. The difference? The Munsters aired at 7:30 P.M. on Thursday nights, which was precisely Batman's timeslot when it debuted on ABC in 1966. Actor Butch Patrick, who played the young werewolf and only child of Herman and Lily Munster, Eddie Munster, didn't mince words when he told Fox News, "I think Batman was to blame. Batman just came along and took our ratings away." It's hard to argue with Patrick. Not only was Batman based on popular comic book IP, but it was shot in color, which was still a television novelty at the time, giving life and vibrancy to its pop-art aesthetic. In comparison, The Munsters, which was made in black-and-white to look like classic Universal monster movies, looked old-fashioned and passe, and was ultimately no match for Batmania. How The Munsters Became An Iconic Series, Despite Just A 2-Year Run The Munsters may have been prematurely canceled, but it hardly disappeared from pop culture consciousness. In fact, the sitcom is still considered a major cult classic today, over 60 years since its final episode aired. For that, the show can thank syndication. Following its cancelation, Universal Studios immediately began airing The Munsters in syndicated reruns, where it performed incredibly well in after-school and late-night viewings. It also helps that, because seasons were longer in The Munsters' era, the series spanned a whopping 70 episodes. Even airing the show five days a week meant it took 14 weeks for a syndication cycle to complete, helping ensure viewers had enough to watch and didn't get bored. Furthermore, with The Munsters being a Universal property, it was able to parody the studio's classic monsters, making the show and its characters perfect for merchandising. Myriad toys and products were produced, with Aurora's model kits of the Munster Koach and DRAG-U-LA cars being particularly trendy. It's a strategy that works to this day, as dedicated fans still seek out vintage Munsters ​​​​​​merch. The Munsters may not be as famous as Batman, but the Dark Knight certainly didn't send the monster family sitcom into oblivion. Batman Release Date 1966 - 1968-00-00 Network ABC Starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin, ABC's 1960s Batman series sees DC's Dynamic Duo confront many of their famous villains across three seasons and 120 episodes, released from 1966 to 1968. With now iconic portrayals of comic book villains like Cesar Romero's Joker, Burgess Meredith's Penguin, Julie Newmar's Catwoman, and Frank Gorshin's Riddler, the series helped cement the Dark Knight in pop culture two decades before Tim Burton reimagined the character for the big screen.