Batman: The Animated Series debuted 30 years ago, in 1992, and it's still one of the more popular adaptations of the Caped Crusader's mission to rid Gotham City of evil. Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski's animated drama was full of gothic undertones and morally gray plots. This critically acclaimed series won four Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program.
BTAS introduced new characters and backstories to the Batman universe and produced iconic voice acting paired with stunning animation. Its influence is still felt in Batman storylines today.
10 The Pilot Became The Show's Intro
Unlike most shows then and now, which feature an earworm intro song and a flashy title screen, Batman: The Animated Series decided to forgo that formula and went with a more subtle and powerful choice. However, the show's intro is a reworking of the backdoor pilot creators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski presented to Warner Bros.
Batman: The Animated Series' original pilot was very similar to the show's intro fans know. Some key differences included Timm and Radomski providing voice work, and Batman swinging from building to building rather than using the Batmobile. The Warner Bros. execs were impressed with the animation style and gave Timm and Radomski the green light. To create the show's iconic intro, they shortened the 2-minute pilot, removed the dialogue and reworked a few scenes, converting it into an iconic intro sequence.
9 Tim Burton's Influence
The release of Batman (1989), directed by Tim Burton, and its sequel, Batman Returns, ushered in a new fan base for Gotham's Dark Knight. Unlike the brightly colored live-action Batman series from the '60s, Burton's films had a dark aesthetic that resonated with audiences.
The popularity of Burton's Batman is part of what helped Batman: The Animated Series get on the air and gain viewers' attention. This darker look and feel greatly influenced the animation style Bruce Timm Eric Radomski used for Batman: The Animated Series. The influence of Burton's film can also be heard in the show's music, composed to sound similar to Danny Elfman's original score.
8 The Voice Of A US Senator
Batman: The Animated Series had a few famous voice cameos, such as Ron Perlman, Heather Locklear, and Jon Rhys-Davies, but the list also includes United States Senator Patrick Leahy. The former U.S Senator for Vermont, Patrick Leahy, is a huge comic book fan, especially Batman.
Not only did Senator Leahy lend his voice to Batman: The Animated Series (season 4, episode 2, Showdown) he has also had cameos in 5 live-action Batman films: Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
7 Inspired By Space Ghost
In recent years, when Space Ghost is mentioned, it is easy to think of the Cartoon Network show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. However, the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 60s provided inspiration for Batman: The Animated Series' co-creator and producer, Bruce Timm.
Looking at how Timm drew Batman compared to Alex Toth's Space Ghost, it is easy to pick out the similarities. Batman's cowl looks a lot like Space Ghost's mask and Space Ghost's cape flowed almost exactly like the animated Dark Knight's
6 Ensemble Recording Sessions
Batman: The Animated Series was unique on many levels, and the way recording sessions were handled was no exception. Unlike other productions where the voice actors recorded their lines alone when it came time to record the dialogue for Batman TAS, the cast would record their parts together in one room.
This setup is part of what made Batman: The Animated Series' voice acting so powerful and engaging. Having the actors react to each other in real-time produced consistent and authentic dialogue among the characters. Mark Hamill was typically the only one standing during these sessions, so he could fully capture the Joker's manic energy.
5 Batman: The Animated Series' Dark Atmosphere
One of the things Batman: TAS was praised for was its shadowy Art Deco art style. Animators used a clever trick to give the show its trademark aesthetic that created the dark atmosphere that loomed over Gotham, even during the daytime.
The artists who worked on Batman: The Animated Series were the first major production to draw the backgrounds on black paper rather than the industry standard white paper. The dark paper helped create the gloomy and unsettling feeling that seemed to haunt the crime-ridden Gotham City.
4 Kevin Conroy's Creative Gamble Paid Off
It's not uncommon for actors who portray Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego to change their voices when switching between the two. The most extreme example is when Christen Bale starred in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. However, Kevin Conroy is credited with creating this dichotomy between the billionaire playboy and his crime-fighting alter ego.
While Conroy wasn't the first actor to use distinct voices for the different sides of Wayne onscreen – that credit goes to Michael Keaton – Conroy took it a step further and made the voices sound like different people. This is even more impressive, considering Keven Conroy was a rookie voice actor at the time.
3 Tim Curry Was The Original Voice Of The Joker
It is hard to think of the animated version of the Joker being voiced by anyone other than Mark Hamill. The distinct laugh and frantic energy Hamill brought to the role is a fan favorite, but the voice of Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime originally belonged to Tim Curry.
Curry had already recorded some dialogue for the show. However, some members of the production team felt Curry's performance was too scary, and they began looking for a replacement. As a Batman fan, Hamill wanted to be part of the show and asked to be cast in the series. The producers had him voice Ferris Boyle in the Mister Freeze episode Heart of Ice. When the part of the Joker became available, Hamill auditioned for the role and has been the signature voice of the animated Joker ever since.
2 The Robin Requirement
The success of Batman: The Animated Series had the executives wanting more episodes high ratings. The studio felt that they would need to keep marketing toward kids to achieve this. That is when audiences began to notice a change in the show's look, storylines, and title.
To attract younger audiences, the studio required Robin to appear in every episode, with no exceptions. The show's title was then changed to The Adventures of Batman and Robin and eventually to The New Batman Adventures. Potential stories were affected by this, including a storyline where Catwoman and Black Canary team up for an episode. However, because Robin wouldn't be featured this idea was scrapped.
1 Stories Retold And New Characters Introduced
Characters and backstories associated with Batman's world today have their origins in Batman: The Animated Series, and one prime example is the fan-favorite Harley Quinn. This famous bombshell was created for the show and had never been featured in any other Batman tale. Today, Harley Quinn can be seen in comics, movies, video games, and her animated series, Harley Quinn, on HBO Max.
Mr. Freeze's backstory and motivations saw one of the largest changes. The Mr. Freeze of the comics was just a man in a helmet with a freezing ray. However, Batman TAS gave Freeze a tragic backstory where an experiment he created to save his dying wife went wrong and left him unable to survive in temperatures above freezing.