[TheLaughingMann]

**Note: Unless a thread does exist for it and it's well buried, here we go.**

In the Year of Our Lord, 2016, we look back and remember a show that helped to bring an animated renaissance of comic-based adaptations to a level of great storytelling and acting that would be continued on over the years.

Once upon a time, Bruce Timm collaborated with his Tiny Toon Adventures associate Eric Radomski to produce the first of many DC-based animations to come. Having garnered much of his time at Filmation working on the likes of Flash Gordon, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, G.I. Joe, and others, Timm migrated to Warner Bros in 1989. This came after a brief stint on The Real Ghostbusters and work on The Tiny Toon Adventures. From here, the groundwork would be laid for Batman: The Animated Series.

Many writers would have contributed to create singular, episodic tellings (similar to the Simpsons) of Batman's adventures in Gotham and how he coped with all manner of themes. The most significant contributor was Paul Dini. Dini had experience in working with George Lucas during the 80s on his Star Wars: Ewoks series, as well as writing many noteworthy episodes on He-Man. After joining Warner Bros and his work on Tiny Toon Adventures, he joined Timm and Radomski as a significant contributor to the structure of Batman. He would go on to further future DC projects and return to work on Star Wars in writing for Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2007 onward.

Using influence from Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, as well as the classical Superman animations of the 40s, the visual groundwork was laid out to depict a world with a mixture of vintage and noir presences, establishing very unique elements of a world that existed in itself as only a comic could oblige. The music was also influenced by both Burton films (especially the opening title song) and classic film noir. In terms of severity, Batman: The Animated Series had gone to a level of maturity rarely explored before then. It is by the presence of the level of violence in the show that nearly kept it from being aired in proper fashion before "On Leather Wings," the pilot episode, had established the basic groundwork of the show's approach.

The vocal work in the show was also the first of many to oblige utilizing actors of various establishment for various characters. Andrea Romano, who had worked at Hanna-Barbera (most notably on the Smurfs, Jonny Quest, and the Jetsons) and Disney (Ducktales), would continue on at Warner Bros (also a Tiny Toon Adventures alum) in casting and voice directing for Batman and further DC and non-DC projects.

The acting talent was also expansive at the time. Kevin Conroy (having done singular appearances on the likes of Cheers, Matlock, Murphy Brown and Dynasty) would immortalize himself as the absolute animated voice of Batman. Mark Hamill, having established himself in his most major physical acting role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, immortalized himself in voicing Joker. Both men were marked as being so true to form with their characters with great writing and direction that they would go on to voice said characters in further DC projects in animation and video games (most notably Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Unlimited, and the Batman: Arkham series). Another turnout was the creation of Harley "Doctor Harleen Quinzel" Quinn, a supporting antagonist of the Joker who would find her own life and presence unto this day, and the voice work provided by Arleen Sorkin (a regular on Days of Our Lives from 1984 to 2010).

Further contribution would come from various talent, such as Richard Moll, John Vernon, Ron Perlman, David Warner, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Ansara, Treat Williams, Tim Matheson, Helen Slater, John de Lancie, Thomas F Wilson, Tim Curry, Michael York, John Rhys-Davies, and many other alums of science fiction and fantasy then and yet to come. This work would also continue further into other DC projects, including Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited (with many actors reprising their roles in said future installments).

Just as Harley Quinn was a creation within the realm of the show, many others were created and changed for the show. The most notable changes happened to the Penguin (a blend of Burgess Meredith and Danny Devito's takes), Two-Face (who was given his dual persona before his transformation within the show's scope), Clayface and Mr Freeze (two of which were given significant story writings in the scope of the show). The presentations of many of these characters were so well received that the comics succeeding the series made similar changes to follow upon the established writings and visual layout of such characters. Mr Freeze, in particular, had garnered such positive reception with his episode "Heart of Ice" by writing and voicework (gravitated by the last Michael Ansara, aka Kang from Star Trek: The Original Series) that it is among the highest rated episodes in Batman and general animation history.

The show premiered in September, 1992 during the Fox Kids block of broadcasting on Fox Network. The initial run consisted of 65 episodes, followed by a further 20 in the form of The Adventures of Batman & Robin in 1994-1995 and another 24 in the form of The New Batman Adventures in 1997 (alongside the newly formed Superman: The Animated Series) on Kids' WB following the 5 year exclusivity contract for broadcasting Fox had maintained. Three feature length films would also be produced from the series' inception: Mask of the Phantasm (also regarded as one of the greatest stories in the series' inception), Mr Freeze: SubZero, and Mystery of the Batwoman.

The show would later be succeeded by Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, Batman Beyond, and both Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited in the creation of the DCAU (DC Animated Universe), establishing an overall chronology of stories focused around various characters that see return of their actors to reprise voicework. It would also carry over into the Batman: Arkham series of video games, with Asylum followed by City and Origins and Knight.

To this day, Batman: The Animated Series has received many awards and reviews from all over, even to the point of being called one of the greatest animated series of all time.

And after a very long and drawn out summary of the creation of this series, we come to the culmination of this thread. Here, state everything you wish about the show. What you like, what you don't (god forbid if there is anything), all that good stuff.

TL;DR Summary: Batman: The Animated Series is great, if not the greatest. Here's a new thread for it. Discuss. Share. Respect.