Batman: The Animated Series facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Batman: The Animated Series |
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Eric Radomski Bruce W. Timm |
| Developed by |
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| Written by |
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| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Danny Elfman |
| Composer(s) |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 85 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jean MacCurdy Tom Ruegger |
| Producer(s) |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Warner Bros. Animation |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox Kids |
| Original release | September 5, 1992 – September 15, 1995 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | |
Batman: The Animated Series (often called Batman TAS or BTAS) is an American animated superhero TV show. It is based on the famous DC Comics superhero, Batman. Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski created the series. Warner Bros. Animation produced it. The show first aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995. It had a total of 85 episodes. Partway through the series, its name changed to The Adventures of Batman & Robin.
Batman: The Animated Series became very popular. People praised its stories, art style, voice acting, and music. It also updated the Batman character for a new generation. The show won many awards, including Daytime Emmy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for best animated program.
After the show ended, a new series called The New Batman Adventures continued the story in 1997. This new show had a different animation style. It is often seen as part of the same series. Batman: The Animated Series also started the DC Animated Universe. This is a shared world that includes other animated TV shows, movies, comics, and video games. One famous movie from this world is Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993).
Contents
Creating the Series
Hundreds of actors tried out to be the voice of Batman. In the end, Kevin Conroy got the role. He became very famous for it.
The show also had many well-known actors voicing other characters. Mark Hamill, famous as Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, voiced the Joker. His performance was so good that it made him a top voice actor. The voice actors recorded their lines together in one studio. This helped them act off each other, making the scenes feel more real. This method was used for all future shows in the DC Animated Universe. Other famous voices included Richard Moll as Two-Face and Ron Perlman as Clayface.
One of the show's most famous new characters is Harley Quinn. She was the Joker's assistant. Fans loved her so much that DC Comics added her to the main Batman comic books. The show also updated other villains. For example, Mr. Freeze changed from a simple bad guy to a sad character. His story became about trying to save his sick wife.
To make the first 65 episodes, Warner Bros. Animation worked with many animation studios around the world. These included studios in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Spain, and Canada.
Art Style and Music
The show's look was inspired by Tim Burton's live-action Batman movies. It also took ideas from the old Superman cartoons from the 1940s. Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski wanted the show to feel timeless. They used old-fashioned elements like black-and-white title cards and airships.
The show's unique visual style came from Eric Radomski's designs. He wanted all backgrounds painted with light colors on black paper. This was different from how most cartoons were made. This special look, combining film noir and Art Deco styles, was called "Dark Deco." The show's main theme music was first composed by Danny Elfman. Later, Shirley Walker created a new theme for the second season. The music often felt like old detective movies.
Main Characters
Heroes and Allies
- Bruce Wayne / Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy): The Dark Knight who protects Gotham City. He is secretly the rich Bruce Wayne.
- Dick Grayson / Robin (voiced by Loren Lester): Batman's young partner. He used to be a circus performer.
- Alfred Pennyworth (voiced by Efrem Zimbalist Jr.): Batman's loyal butler and trusted friend.
- James Gordon (voiced by Bob Hastings): The police commissioner of Gotham City and Batman's ally.
- Harvey Bullock (voiced by Robert Costanzo): A tough detective in the Gotham City Police Department.
Other Important Friends
- Renee Montoya (voiced by Ingrid Oliu and Liane Schirmer): A dedicated police officer.
- Lucius Fox (voiced by Brock Peters): A high-ranking person at Wayne Enterprises who helps Batman.
- Summer Gleeson (voiced by Mari Devon): A TV reporter in Gotham City.
- Barbara Gordon / Batgirl (voiced by Melissa Gilbert): Commissioner Gordon's daughter, who also fights crime.
- Dr. Leslie Thompkins (voiced by Diana Muldaur): A kind doctor who often helps Batman.
- Simon Trent / Gray Ghost (voiced by Adam West): A retired actor who played a hero on TV. He later helps Batman.
Famous Villains
- The Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill): Batman's biggest enemy, known for being wild and unpredictable.
- Harley Quinn (voiced by Arleen Sorkin): The Joker's partner. She used to be a doctor.
- Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin (voiced by Paul Williams): A crime boss who loves birds and uses umbrellas.
- Harvey Dent / Two-Face (voiced by Richard Moll): A former lawyer whose face was disfigured, turning him into a criminal.
- Selina Kyle / Catwoman (voiced by Adrienne Barbeau): A skilled cat burglar with a complicated relationship with Batman.
- Pamela Lillian Isley / Poison Ivy (voiced by Diane Pershing): A scientist who controls plants and poisons.
- Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow (voiced by Henry Polic II): A psychologist who uses fear against his victims.
- Edward Nygma / Riddler (voiced by John Glover): A villain who loves riddles and puzzles.
- Ra's al Ghul (voiced by David Warner): A master fighter who wants to "cleanse" the world.
- Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze (voiced by Michael Ansara): A scientist who uses ice technology to try and save his wife.
- Matthew "Matt" Hagen / Clayface (voiced by Ron Perlman): A shapeshifting criminal made of clay.
- Jervis Tetch / Mad Hatter (voiced by Roddy McDowall): A villain obsessed with mind control and Alice in Wonderland.
- Arnold Wesker / The Ventriloquist and Scarface (voiced by George Dzundza): A quiet man who commits crimes with his dummy, Scarface.
- Bane (voiced by Henry Silva): A very strong villain who challenges Batman physically and mentally.
Episodes and Stories
The series brought many classic Batman comic book stories to life. For example, "The Laughing Fish" showed the Joker trying to copyright fish that looked like him. "The Demon's Quest" introduced the powerful villain Ra's Al Ghul. The episode "Two-Face" told the sad story of Harvey Dent becoming a villain.
Video Game Appearances
Some animated parts in the video game The Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Sega CD are sometimes called a "lost episode." These parts were meant to be played between game levels. Many of the show's voice actors also voiced their characters in this game. Similar animated scenes appeared in the video games Batman: Vengeance and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu.
How the Show Was Broadcast
TV Airings
Batman: The Animated Series episodes usually lasted 22 minutes. This allowed them to fit into half-hour TV slots. The first season had 65 episodes. It first aired in prime time on the Fox network. The show started with a special episode, "On Leather Wings," on September 6, 1992. The regular prime time schedule began on December 13, 1992.
Because the first season was so popular, the creators made more episodes. To attract younger viewers, Robin had to appear in every episode. This led to changes in the show's look and stories. The series was renamed The Adventures of Batman and Robin. Later, it became The New Batman Adventures.
The show also aired on other channels like Toon Disney's Jetix and Teletoon Retro. The Hub Network also aired the series from 2011 to 2013.
Watching at Home
You could first buy the show on VHS tapes in the mid-1990s. These tapes often grouped episodes about specific villains. Later, DVDs were released, starting in the early 2000s. A full series box set with all 109 episodes came out in 2008. This set included extra features like commentaries.
In 2018, a remastered Blu-ray edition was released to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary. This set had all episodes in high-definition. It also included the animated movies Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998).
The series was added to the DC Universe streaming service in 2018. Later, it moved to HBO Max in 2021.
Music of the Series
| Batman: The Animated Series | |
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| Soundtrack album by
Shirley Walker, Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion, and Danny Elfman
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| Released | December 16, 2008 |
| Length | 137 minutes |
| Label | La La Land Records |
Batman: The Animated Series had amazing music. Many composers worked on the show's score. The main theme, heard at the start and end of each episode, was by Danny Elfman. He created a version of his music from the 1989 Batman movie for the show.
Soundtracks Released
In 2008, a two-disc CD soundtrack was released. It featured music from 11 episodes, including "On Leather Wings" and the "Two-Face" story. This first release sold out quickly. Later, more soundtrack sets were released. These included music from many other episodes like "Heart of Ice" and "The Laughing Fish."
In 2014, WaterTower Music also released six digital albums of the show's music. This was to celebrate Batman's 75th anniversary.
Show's Impact
Batman: The Animated Series is often called one of the greatest animated TV shows ever. Many lists rank it very high. For example, IGN.com called it the best Batman adaptation outside of comics. They also said it was the second-best animated series of all time, after The Simpsons.
The show created new characters and changed the backstories of existing ones. The most famous new character is Harley Quinn. She first appeared in the episode "Joker's Favor." She became so popular that she was added to the main Batman comics. The show also famously changed Mr. Freeze from a silly villain to a tragic one in the episode "Heart of Ice."
The dark mood and mature themes of the show influenced the Batman: Arkham video game series. Many of the original voice actors, like Kevin Conroy (Batman) and Mark Hamill (Joker), returned for these games. Batman's costume from the animated series is even an alternate skin in Batman: Arkham City.
The actor Robert Pattinson, who plays Batman in the 2022 movie The Batman, said Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was a big inspiration for him. The series also inspired the 2024 animated show Batman: Caped Crusader.
Other Batman Stories
Movies
- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) – This movie was based on the animated series. It was first planned for video but was released in theaters. It became very popular later on.
- Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998) – This movie was released directly to video. It was connected to the 1997 movie Batman & Robin.
Comic Books
Batman: The Animated Series had its own tie-in comic book series called The Batman Adventures. These comics followed the show's art style and stories. The comic series lasted almost a decade longer than the show. It was in The Batman Adventures #12 that Harley Quinn first officially appeared in a comic book. This issue is now very valuable to collectors. In 2020, a new comic series called Batman: The Adventures Continue began. It picks up right after the animated series ended.
Novels
There was also a short series of novels based on the show's episodes. These books combined several related episodes into one story. Some titles included:
- Shadows of the Past (1993)
- Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
- Dual to the Death (1994)
- The Dragon and the Bat (1994)
Video Games
Several video games were made based on the animated series during the 1990s. They used the The Adventures of Batman & Robin name. Konami made a game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Sega released versions for the Genesis, Mega-CD, and Game Gear. These games often had art that looked just like the show. The Mega-CD version even had over 20 minutes of new animated scenes with the show's voice actors.
A game for the Game Boy was also made. It kept the original Batman: The Animated Series name.
In the game Lego DC Super-Villains, you can play a special level based on the Batman: Mask of the Phantasm movie. It includes characters from the animated series, like Batman, The Joker, and Harley Quinn.
What Came Next
Because Batman: The Animated Series was so successful, many of its creators went on to make Superman: The Animated Series. They also created The New Batman Adventures, which was a direct sequel to the original Batman show. This new series had an updated animation style. In 1999, a futuristic spin-off series called Batman Beyond premiered. It showed a new Batman, Terry McGinnis, being guided by an older Bruce Wayne.
Images for kids
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Batman as seen in the original opening theme sequence of the series.
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Voice director Andrea Romano (right) with the voice cast at a table reading.
See also
In Spanish: Batman: la serie animada para niños
