Ultraman is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is a follow-up to Ultra Q, though not technically a sequel or spin-off. Tsuburaya Productions produced 39 episodes (40, counting the pre-premiere special) that aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from July 17, 1966 to April 9, 1967. Its premiere topped the average rating set by Ultra Q and kept climbing each week, marking the show as a success.[1]
Ultraman 1966
Although Ultraman is the first series to feature an Ultraman character, it is the second installment in the Ultra Series, following Ultra Q. This is signified in the Japanese show opening by the Ultra Q logo exploding into the Ultraman logo. Ultraman and its titular hero became a major pop culture phenomena in Japan, spawning dozens of sequels, spin-offs, rip-offs, imitators, parodies and tributes.[2][3] Ultraman went on to generate $7.4 billion in merchandising revenue from 1966 to 1987[4] (equivalent to more than $17 billion adjusted for inflation) and become the world’s third top-selling licensed character by the 1980s (largely due to his popularity in Asia)
Ultraman 1966
When the Earth is threatened by alien invaders and giant monsters, the world relies on the Science Patrol, a special anti-monster defense agency armed with high-tech weaponry and vehicles to combat these threats from the unknown. When the Science Patrol’s weaponry is ineffective and all hope is lost, one of their members, Hayata, transforms into a giant alien called Ultraman to defeat the monstrous menace threatening the Earth, unbeknownst to the other Science Patrol members, who are unaware of his secret identity
Ultraman 1966