Some things can never age well. Ultraman, a 1966 TV series from the special effects master behind the Godzilla series, Eiji Tsuburaya, sadly falls into that category. It’s not simply age either. This wasn’t a particularly decent show at the time either.
The concept uses the peak of the Japanese giant monster craze to its fullest. Each half hour episode features the Science Patrol learning of a giant monster, battling it, generally losing, and then Ultraman comes in to make the save. Ultraman is actually a member of the Science Patrol, able to transform due to an accident that occurs in the first episode in which he was saved from by an alien.
All live action, there are a number of problems starting with the special effects. For the most part, the monster suits are abysmal, to the point where even a small child will have a hard time believing in any of this. Some of the suits were modified versions of those used in the Toho feature films of the era, and it’s hard to hide that (particularly the Godzilla suit in episode 10). Miniature work varies, though this is more acceptable given the time and budget constraints of TV.
Ultraman himself is the second problem. He may be able to transform into a giant, yet he can barely finish the fight before his energy indicator begins flashing (as the narrator lets you know in nearly every episode), yet the audience never feels as if he’s in danger. Ultraman can also shoot a ray from his hands to wipe out any threat, and you have to wonder why he doesn’t shoot this the moment he appears on the scene.
The plots range from typical Japanese sci-fi to some of the most bizarre concepts ever. Episode 17, Passport to Infinity, has a monster creating a fourth dimension, confusing humans as it rampages through time in the form of a rock. The Science Patrol never seems to have a handle on the situation, unable to defeat any of the monsters by themselves. Also, even after countless episodes, they still occasionally laugh at reports of bizarre occurrences from citizens.
Of the 20 episodes in this first part of the original Ultraman series, few are of interest even to the most die-hard giant monster fanatic even with the appearance of Toho veteran actors. Very young children may find some enjoyable material, while their parents struggle to see the appeal. Unless there’s some deep-rooted nostalgia for you personally from this series airing on US television, this is a show to skip. 
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
I'm guessing you watched it alone. While I don't totally disagree with your assessments, you are missing out on the MST3K potential to be had watching with friends and cocktails.
2 - Matt Paprocki
Oh, I agree ripping it would be fun, but forcing any of my friends down to watch this would lead to them no longer being a friend. I'm a huge giant monster/Japanese kaiju nut so it really has to be bad for me to rip it, and this was. I waited years to see this show and I gotta say it's been a long time since I was this disappointed.
The worst part? I've got 19 more episodes to get through on volume 2. Ugh.