Ultraman (Japanese: Urutoraman) is a Japanese science fiction television series from 1966. 39 episodes of the series were filmed under the direction of Hajime Tsuburaya and Akio Jissoji. The story, created by Eiji Tsuburaya, is a spin-off of the Ultra Q television series. The first episode of Ultraman premiered on Japanese television on July 17, 1966.