In September 1992, animated Batman returned to TV on the Fox network during the "home from school" hour. With a score and aesthetic reminiscent of the Tim Burton films, Batman: The Animated Series not only defined Batman for multiple generations, it launched the first-ever DC shared universe on television. The 30th anniversary of the series is upon viewers, and the series is still universally beloved three decades later.
Producer Eric Radomski, animator Bruce Timm and writers Paul Dini and Mitch Brian joined forces like the Super Friends to redefine the world's greatest detective in animation. Batman had previously appeared in the aforementioned DC group series as well as his own shows produced by 1980s animation powerhouse Filmation, but just as Burton's Batman reintroduced larger audiences to the Dark Knight, Batman: The Animated Series did the same in animation. Kevin Conroy, the actor chosen to bring him to life, is the definitive Batman for everyone from 1990s kids to those reared on the Arkham series of games. The DC Animated Universe spawned by this show would run for 20 years over eight TV shows and six animated films. The producers even got Luke Skywalker to provide the voice of the Joker. It's no wonder that viewers are still talking about the series so many years later.
Batman: The Animated Series' episodes were very mature for the time, depicting realistic violence and firearms. The timeless-but-otherworldly aesthetic style matched Burton's Gotham, which prevented the series from feeling dated as the 1990s turned into the early 2000s. Instead, it earned resounding praise, from being EW's pick for the "classiest series" on the Fox network through its induction into the Online Film & Television Association's TV Hall of Fame in 2019. Conroy still tops lists of people's favorite Batman actors, even though seven actors have physically gone under the cowl. Timm's take on Batman is still so beloved that the news that his new Batman show The Caped Creator was canceled for HBO Max caused an online sensation. Batman: The Animated Series has defined who the character is over the past 30 years more than any film or comic book.
Where Batman: The Animated Series excelled was in crafting a dark, "gritty" Batman without making him overly brooding or unheroic. While there were plenty of colorful rogues and superhero quips (always just north of campy), the stories were complex. Characters had pathos, such as how the animated show crafted a tragic backstory for Mr. Freeze. The series not only changed the way DC did animation, but it changed how animators, producers and studios thought of the genre. It wasn't just fluff for kids made to sell toys (though Batman: The Animated Series still sells plenty of toys), but worthwhile drama that even parents could watch and relate to. "If you were 13, that was pretty much the cutoff point for a show like He-Man or G.I. Joe," Timm told Vulture, adding, "We wanted to do a show that would appeal to kids and also to adults, as well. Basically, we were making the show for ourselves."
Of course, no discussion of the impact of this series would be complete without mentioning its most enduring original creation: Harley Quinn. Designed to be a sidekick to the Joker based on Dini's friend and actor Arleen Sorkin, the character now leads numerous comic titles, a hilariously profane animated series on HBO Max and a franchise of films starring Margot Robbie. The character will also appear in Joker: Folie à Deux, played by Lady Gaga. So much of what makes up the foundation of the character was in the show -- from her abusive relationship with Joker to her affection for Poison Ivy. The rogues weren't left out of the good storytelling, helping the series endure in the hearts of old and new fans.
Today, people speak of Batman: The Animated Series as if it arrived on TV fully-formed and already iconic. This isn't the case. Timm and Radomski faced constant struggles with the studio in the years they developed the project. The success of 1989's Batman was good for them, but the backlash to the darkness of Batman Returns made executives skittish again. Luckily, the strange controversy surrounding that film may have helped The Animated Series. It was dark and even scary (for kids), but it wasn't as wild as Batman blowing up circus clown thugs or Danny DeVito's Penguin spewing black bile from his mouth with fish guts on his chin. Kids, families, and even adult Batman fans would get a half-hour of story every episode that made them all feel like they were turning the delightfully musty pages of a forgotten comic book.
Everything about Batman: The Animated Series makes it timeless, both when it debuted or now 30 years later. The visual aesthetic, the storytelling and the orchestral score that evokes the best of the Elfman era all contribute to make this a show that takes root in viewers' imagination. In the wrong hands, Batman: The Animated Series could have been a cheap farce. Instead, Timm, Radomski, Dini and casting director extraordinaire Andrea Romano created a near-perfect work of art.
All seasons of Batman: The Animated Series are available for streaming on HBO Max.