In fall of 1965, superheroes would return to forefront of pop culture. This return would start from an unlikely place, Chicago. In 1964, Chicago was home to the Playboy Mansion. That summer, Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner was holding Saturday film parties. At one such party, the Captain America serial was the film of choice. In attendance was ABC executive Harve Bennett and writers Buck Henry and Mel Brooks. Henry and Brooks had previously pitched "A Man Called Smart" to ABC. The series was intended to be a satire of the spy genre. Bennett agreed to green-light the series, but only if the lead character was Captain America. While Henry and Brooks were initially reluctant, they eventually acquiesced. "Captain America" premiered on September 18, 1965. It became an instant hit for ABC. The series would run five years. The original lead character, Maxwell Smart, would get a three-year spin-off in 1967. In the fall of 1966, NBC and CBS responded with superhero shows of their own. The "Fighting American" would appear on NBC. David Victor helmed NBC's entry, "The Fighting American”. Victor would produce an overly campy series that would only last one year.[7] Meanwhile, CBS had show runner Edgar Scherick go the more serious route with "Batman". It would last for two years.
Title card for the Captain America series (1965)
