Batman Blamed for The Munsters' Cancelation

Here's a cancellation story with a clear villain: Batman.

Screen Rant reports that Butch Patrick, who played young werewolf Eddie Munster on the CBS sitcom, told Fox News he thinks Batman was the reason the show ended after two seasons. "I think Batman was to blame," Patrick said. "Batman just came along and took our ratings away."

The numbers back him up. The Munsters premiered in 1964 and finished its first season at No. 18 on the Nielsen ratings, tied with "Gilligan's Island." Its second season plummeted to No. 61. What changed? Batman debuted on ABC in January 1966, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. The Munsters aired right in that same slot.

Batman also had the advantage of color, while The Munsters was shot in black and white to evoke classic monster movies. It looked old-fashioned next to Batman's pop-art aesthetic, and Batmania swept the nation.

The Munsters may have lost the ratings war, but it didn't disappear. The series ran 70 episodes, enough for solid syndication. Universal put it into reruns immediately after cancellation, and it became a cult classic. Merchandise like model kits of the Munster Koach kept the family in the public eye.

So yes, Batman may have won the battle, but The Munsters won the long game.

• 1960s TV
• ABC
• Batman
• Butch Patrick
• CBS
• The Munsters