The 1966 Batman television series came about only after ABC failed to secure rights for its top choices of Superman and Dick Tracy.
ABC producers had polled the public on preferred comic characters for a primetime adaptation. Superman ranked first, followed by Dick Tracy, with Batman in third place. Rights to Superman proved unavailable due to an ongoing Broadway musical titled It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. Dick Tracy rights were also blocked by peripheral negotiations between creator Chester Gould and NBC. Executive producer William Dozier later recalled these details in The Official Batman Batbook by Joel Eisner. The resulting Batman series achieved major success and boosted interest in similar shows, including a Dick Tracy pilot that was never picked up.
