The original Route 66 television series broadcast 116 episodes from 1960 to 1964.
The CBS adventure drama premiered on October 7, 1960, and ended on March 20, 1964. It followed Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock, later joined by Lincoln Case, as they traveled across the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible.
Although the series used the highway’s name, it was not a literal travel documentary about the historic road. Episodes were filmed on location in many parts of the United States, and the characters often traveled far beyond the actual Route 66 corridor.
The program’s location shooting gave it a distinctive road-story format. Its changing settings, guest characters, and social dramas made the title synonymous with mobile American adventure, even though the real highway appeared only occasionally.