Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne were born in the 1930s through the combined efforts of Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Since then, the Dark Knight has been prowling the nights and rooftops of Gotham City, taking on the most colorful rogue's gallery in the superhero genre, still haunted by the traumatic childhood murder of his parents. Although he has no superheroes, Batman does have a lot of cool Bat-themed gadgets and vehicles, sharp detective skills, a badass look and attitude, and a whole Bat Family of supporting characters.
Today, Batman is one of the most popular superheroes ever, and it shows. Since his debut in a 1939 issue of Detective Comics, the Dark Knight has appeared in countless films and TV shows, both animated and live-action. Interestingly, many of the Batman-related live-action shows feature the Dark Knight in the shadows, as a supporting character, and focus more on the Bat Family. With that in mind, here is the ranking of every Batman-related live-action TV series.
6 Gotham Knights (2023)
Oh, Gotham Knights, we barely knew you. The first season of Gotham Knights premiered in 2023, and it's already been canceled. Regardless of the show's reception and ratings, it does have an interesting premise. Bruce Wayne/Batman (David Miller) only appears in the first episode of the series, where he's found mysteriously murdered. Bruce's adopted son, Turner Hayes (Oscar Morgan), and a few other characters are framed for and accused of his murder by the Gotham City Police Department and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Misha Collins).
The four youths become the "Gotham Knights" as they play detective, investigating Bruce's murder while trying to clear their names. While Turner is a made-up character for the show (Bruce's son is Damian in the comics), well-known Batman characters do make an appearance, such as The Dark Knight Returns' Robin Carrie Kelley (Navia Robinson), the Court of Owls, and Two-Face. Some fans were bummed about the show's cancelation after the brief but awesome appearance of Two-Face at the end of the season. It was definitely a unique look for the character. But unfortunately, not even Two-Face can bring this mediocre show back from the dead.
5 Birds of Prey (2002 - 2003)
Birds of Prey provides more content about the Bat-Family. And no, we're not talking about the 2020 movie, whose title was oddly changed to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey after its theatrical release -- though Harley Quinn does make an appearance in this show.
Similar to Gotham Knights, Birds of Prey imagines a world without Batman. Except here, the Dark Knight is still alive; he's just abandoned his post as Gotham City's protector. In an intriguing move, Birds of Prey is set in the same world as Tim Burton's filmsand shows footage of Michael Keaton's Batman and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in the opening credits. And here, the two of them have a kid: Helena Kyle, also known as the Huntress. In Batman's absence, she and Jim Gordon's daughter, known as Oracle, take over his war on crime.
Other Batman characters make an appearance, such as Bruce's loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth and Harley Quinn, who's the main antagonist of the series. Like Gotham Knights, Birds of Prey was shot down shortly after taking flight; it lasted only thirteen episodes. It's a fun show that gives unique members of the Bat-Family some time in the sun, away from the shadow of Batman. But in the end, the show's narratives and performances weren't enough to allow Birds of Prey to soar.
4 Bat Woman (2019 - 2022)
For whatever reason, DC was really determined to make a successful show without Batman. And like the earlier entries on this list, Batwoman was another miss. Once again, Batman has gone missing and has abandoned Gotham City (they really need to start thinking of more original premises). His role is instead filled by Batwoman, played by Bruce's cousin Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) in season one and then by former convict Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) in season two. Both characters also lent some help by Luke Fox, the son of Batman's late ally Lucius Fox, who becomes Batwing during the show. Batwoman was part of the Arrowverse television franchise, which saw more success than this show.
Although Bruce never appears in this series, we are treated to an alternate universe version of Batman, portrayed by the iconic Kevin Conroy in the TV special Crisis on Infinite Earths. Critics gave Batwoman favorable reviews for its diverse representation and fun narrative. But the love wasn't shared by audiences and ratings dropped when the show changed up their leading actress. The show was canceled after just three seasons. But hey, that's still better than Gotham Knights or Birds of Prey. It seems like these female Bat characters just can't catch a break. DC's latest film, Batgirl, was scrapped completely after James Gunn took over the DC universe, even though the movie had completed shooting.
3 Titans (2018 - 2023)
Titans follows a group of young heroes from across the DC Universe, who are trying to establish their own superhero identities. And at the helm of this group is Batman's original sidekick Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), who's trying to veer away from his Robin persona and become Nightwing.Titans is another show that tries to succeed without Batman. In fact, Dick even says at one point, "F*ck Batman." And for once, this approach actually works. This series is a dark and gritty take on the Teen Titans franchise that doesn't depend on, or even really need, Batman. We do see a decent amount of Bruce Wayne in the show, played by Iain Glen from Game of Thrones. His alter ego also makes several appearances, though we never get a good look at him.
This version of the Dark Knight is very different from other iterations. This Batman kills people left and right, including SWAT team members. He even murders various members of his rogue's gallery, such as the Joker, the Riddler, and Two-Face, in a dream sequence, though we never get a good look at them either. And this, too, works. This show is about Dick and the other Titans, not Batman, and committed itself to that -- until Titans was axed after its fourth season, due to James Gunn's involvement in DC and the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger. This show may not be the most faithful adaptation of Batman. But with its bold storytelling and gritty nature, Titans is a strong and unique offering among Batman live-action TV shows.
2 Batman (1966 - 1968)
This 1966 classic is legendary in Batman lore. Sure, Batman is campy, and comedic, and ridiculous, flashing comic book action words like "POW!" across your screen. Sure, it has some of the corniest lines ever, like Robin's famous catchphrase "Holy (insert word here), Batman!" And sure, it doesn't feature any of the darkness and grit that makes Batman, well, Batman. But bear in mind: this was the 1960s. TV was different back then. And at the end of the day, this is the series that put the Dark Knight on the map and introduced him to the general public.
After the show's premiere, DC Comics saw a huge spike in sales and began implementing the show's campy nature into its Batman comic books. Adam West might not be the first actor to play the Caped Crusader on screen. But for many fans, he's the first Batman we ever had. For others, he's the definitive live-action version. Batman also introduced the best of the Dark Knight's rogue's gallery and made them all household names, such as the Joker, Catwoman, the Riddler, and Penguin. Batman is a load of fun and played a pivotal role in the Dark Knight's enduring popularity. But its absurdist, campy nature keep it from claiming the top spot on this list.
1 Gotham (2014 - 2019)
In 2014, we got Gotham, a prequel series that follows a young Jim Gordon pre-mustache (Ben McKenzie) and a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) after his parents' murders. It describes the events that lead up to and inspire the creation of Batman. Unlike its 1966 predecessor, Gotham gets dark and violent while keeping things light and fluffy. But make no mistake: Gotham has its flaws. Like many network TV shows, it occasionally suffers from corny acting, cringe-worthy writing, and poor visual effects. Its first season is weak and includes too much Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), one of the worst Batman characters ever. Season two is where Gotham begins to show promise. It's interesting to follow a young Bruce Wayne after his parents' murders, and Mazouz does well in the role. Donal Logue is a treat as Harvey Bullock, and his relationship with Gordon is a highlight of the show. Another bright spot is Bruce's butler Alfred (Sean Pertwee), whose portrayal is a lot more badass than the buttoned-up gentleman that we're used to seeing.
Gotham also showcases nearly all of Batman's rogue's gallery, giving many of them origin stories and narratives. This move is a bit risky; many comics argue that Batman's appearance is what inspired and attracted these villains to Gotham in the first place. And here, you have them popping up years before Batman ever dons his cape and cowl. Even still, Gotham does a great job at portraying these villains, many of whom have never been adapted into live-action before. Robin Lord Taylor is great as Penguin, Cory Michael Smith may just be the best Riddler we've ever had, and Cameron Monaghan deserves to be in the conversation as the best Joker. Many of its storylines also pay homage to iconic comic books, such as The Long Halloween and The Killing Joke. As this list has proven, we have yet to see a high-quality, live-action Batman TV series that's on par with a superhero show like Daredevil. At the end of the day, Batman: The Animated Series is a better and more faithful adaptation than any show on this list. But Gotham still proved to bea stellar show that wasn't afraid to lean into its comic book origins and get a little fantastical. It's a fun ride, from its tragic beginnings all the way to its long-awaited and final shot of Batman
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August 21, 2023 at 08:31AM
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Every Live Action Batman TV Show Ever Made, Ranked - MovieWeb
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