Butlers, Batwomen, and Gothamites: The History of Batman-Adjacent TV Shows

While DC Comics doesn’t have a problem charting a universe’s worth of adventures without Batman making an appearance in every story, film and television adaptations of DC’s superhero world seem to find it tougher to keep the caped crusader out of the limelight (thank god for the Arrowverse). An inherent problem with making DC TV is that Batman is one of the only characters that audiences will drop everything to tune into, but Batman-focused series are expensive and threaten to dilute the brand. Thankfully, Batman has one of the most colorful supporting casts of any superhero, with an enviable gallery of rogues and a rich dramatic setting in Gotham.

This leaves us with an array of “Batman-adjacent” series that hint that Bruce Wayne is somewhere on the sidelines, but primarily focus on his sidekicks, peers, or villains. The Penguin, a continuation of Matt Reeves’ pulpy, self-serious The Batman, is the latest in a long line of Bat-branded spinoffs that keep the Dark Knight at arm’s length. Some of these were failed experiments, while others got viewers to care about random villains more than Batman himself. To celebrate Colin Farrell’s extensive prosthetics hitting the miniseries format, we’ve gathered together 10 shows set in Batman’s shadow—although only a few of them ever truly escaped it. (As a rule, Batman cannot be a regular character on the show, but cameos, guest appearances, or young Bruce Waynes are fine.)

Birds of Prey (2002-2003)

This all-female drama for The WB attracted strong viewership for its premiere but flopped hard in subsequent weeks. It feels like the premise would attract a more dedicated fan base if it were made today (even though the Margot Robbie film version also struggled to get enough eyes on it initially). Birds of Prey focuses on Batman and Catwoman’s daughter Helena Kyle (Ashley Scott), Police Commissioner’s daughter Barbara Gordon (Dina Meyer), and Dinah Redmond (Rachel Skarsten), a touch-telepath who learns she is Black Canary’s daughter. Batman has abandoned Gotham after Catwoman’s death and the Joker’s brief onscreen appearance left a lot to be desired, but probably the most disappointing thing about Birds of Prey is that Twin Peaks icon Sherilyn Fenn played Harley Quinn in an unaired pilot but was replaced by Mia Sara for the series.

Teen Titans (2003-2006)

The first of four animated series on this list, the Teen Titans’ on-screen debut went down as one of Cartoon Network’s best shows. It follows a young band of heroes led by Robin (Scott Menville), who keeps his exact identity secret (but it’s almost definitely Dick Grayson, the first Robin) and featuring Raven (Tara Strong), Beast Boy (Greg Cipes), Cyborg (Khary Payton), and Starfire (Hynden Walch) as adolescent guardians against forces of evil who were often more sci-fi and paranormal in nature than Batman’s own foes. Like many of the comic book storylines the show adapts, the series frequently structured its seasons around villains who had relationships with the central cast—like Cyborg versus H.I.V.E. in Season 3, or Raven facing off against her demon father in Season 4. If you take a random survey of DC fans, they’d likely say this Robin-led animated show is the most enduring TV effort from the comic label.

Young Justice (2010-2022)

Graduating from the adventures of Teen Titans to the Halls of Justice, the young proteges of the big hitters in the Justice League got their own animated adventures. Young Justice prided itself on complex stories that reframed how we look at characters who were quickly approaching household-name status. Here, the charged relationships between sidekicks and mentors are brought to the fore as Batman forms the titular superhero team (Minor League Justice, if you will). But Young Justice had an extended hiatus: the show was canceled in 2013 after failing to sell enough toys for Mattel in its first two seasons until Netflix licensing gave the series a surge of popularity that led to two additional seasons in 2019 and 2021. This later run tapped into darker, mature conflicts like trafficking and racial tension, validating the fans who initially bought into this story’s lack of toy-friendly sheen when it first aired.

Teen Titans Go! (2013-)

Fans of the original Teen Titans (not to mention the show’s voice actors) expressed skepticism over Cartoon Network and DC Nation’s pivot to an overtly comedic sitcom—in their defense, bringing back the voice cast of Teen Titans main roster might have suggested that the old show was irrelevant and needed to be left behind. That said, it’s impossible to deny the winning alchemy here. While Teen Titans Go! appeals to a younger demographic, is more cartoonish in style and tone, and is made cheaper than its predecessor, it’s so creatively irreverent and self-aware that it’s secured itself as one of the most successful runs in DC television. Certain outlandish choices, like a fan-favorite plotline based on the obscure rock song “The Night Begins to Shine,” outweigh less appealing ones, like casting Jimmy Kimmel as Batman in Teen Titans Go! to the Movies.

Gotham (2014-2019)

FOX’s Gotham made it to the dream syndication target of 100 episodes before calling it quits, but the storied adventures of Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) facing off against Gotham’s sprawling crime empire made sure to pack in nearly every recognizable Batman touchstone before it left the airwaves. This ambitious series ably dealt with the TV prequel problem where audiences know where the plot is going to go by broadening its horizons with each successive serialized arc, all while telling a Batman origin story on its own terms. Several villain performances, like Robin Lord Taylor as The Penguin or Corey Michael Smith as The Riddler, are considered by some fans to be the best onscreen versions of the characters.

Titans (2018-2023)

If we can’t have Riverdale for the DC crowd, then what the hell is the point of the television industry? Those who were around when the initial trailer for this DC Universe streaming show dropped at Comic Con 2018 remember just how much vitriol was hurled at the first live-action appearance of the Titans—considering how dedicated this fanbase is, this seeming bastardization was not taken lightly. But against all odds, Titans found its audience thanks to its dark, soapy tone and compelling screen versions of a whole range of adolescent superheroes. Melodramatic and faux-edgy it may be, but you can’t fault Titans for trying to live up to the bitter and angsty themes implied by the instant cringe classic line “Fuck Batman.” 

Pennyworth (2019-2022)

In case it wasn’t clear just how much streaming disruption and IP fixation have invaded every tier of television production, Epix produced three seasons telling the origin story of Batman’s butler. Even if you had no idea about the legacy of Alfred (Jack Bannon) and were happily enjoying a no-frills period spy drama (set decades before Bruce Wayne’s tragic and triumphant turn into vigilantism), the show was marketed as The Origin of Batman’s Butler for its final season on Max. It may seem far-fetched to imagine someone who would be uninterested in watching Pennyworth until it’s pointed out that this guy grows up to be Sean Pertwee (or Michael Caine, Michael Gough, Jeremy Irons, etc.), but the point is, this Gotham prequel seemed like the surest bet for instant cancellation and defied all odds to warrant a robust 30-episode run. It also didn’t need to go out with a prequel to Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, but some shows are willing to go the extra (ridiculous) mile.

Batwoman (2019-2022)

When compared to the A-listers of The CW’s Arrowverse, Batwoman’s three-season lifespan seems paltry, and when considering what the cast and crew had to put up with while it was on the air, it’s a miracle they got past one. Ruby Rose joined the series as Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne’s lesbian cousin, but left after a single season surrounded by a flock of rumors. Rose later alleged that set conditions were intolerable, cast members were unprofessional, and producers were psychotic, all of which was strongly denied by WBTV, who stressed that Rose’s set behavior was the reason for her dismissal. Batwoman replaced Kate with the original character Ryan Wilder, a Black, bisexual ex-con who picks up the Batwoman mantle, but the online abuse actress Javicia Leslie received after her casting confirmed this show was a textbook example of networks failing their basic duty of care.

Harley Quinn (2019-)

This adult-oriented animated show looked like it was coasting off Harlene Quinzel’s newly revived megastar status courtesy of the Margot Robbie version, but quickly carved out its own identity as a darkly funny, sweet, incredibly energetic, and unmistakably queer evolution for the harlequin character. Seeing as Harley debuted not in a comic book, but in the animation cells of the most revered Batman series, it’s fitting that the most beloved expansion of the character is also animated. While Kaley Cuoco’s performance and Harley Quinn’s busy and irreverent style makes it stand out from live-action versions of the character, it’s nice that Cuoco and Robbie’s takes feel in conversation with each other—both are about her discovery of self and community outside of the Joker’s influence.

Gotham Knights (2023)

Goodbye Gotham Knights, you were gone too soon. Or maybe not? It’s hard to tell because nobody watched this post-Batman Gotham crime saga on The CW, and it was canceled three months after it premiered. We’re bookending this list with two single-season CW series set after Batman’s run as Gotham’s dark knight, but unlike Birds of Prey, this time it’s Batman who’s been murdered rather than Catwoman. Gotham Knights centers on a premise that’s suitably gimmicky for a comic book adaptation—who killed Batman?—but failed to excite a new audience, maybe because CW-level production value really didn’t cut it in a post-The Batman world. Gotham Knights’ finale was watched by an embarrassing 330,000 people when it aired, and capped off an uneven run of producers trying to work around Batman’s uniquely long shadow.

Rory Doherty is a screenwriter, playwright and culture writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. You can follow his thoughts about all things stories @roryhasopinions.

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