“We even thanked them at the ceremony”: Alan Burnett Revealed The Batman: The Animated Series Episode That Won a Primetime Emmy after The Simpsons Bowed Out

Batman: The Animated Series is known as one of the best adaptations of the DC superhero. Running successfully from 1992 to 1995 and laying the foundation for the well-acclaimed DC Animated Universe, the series has been in the spotlight of award ceremonies as well, winning four Emmy awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.

The producer of the show Alan Burnett reflected on its win in an interview, as he revealed the pivotal episode that propelled its Outstanding Animated Program Emmy award.

Alan Burnett Reflected on the Emmy-Winning Episode of Batman: The Animated Series

In a conversation with Comic Lounge, the producer of the beloved DC show, Batman: The Animated Series reflected on its Outstanding Animated Program Emmy win while discussing his favorite episode of the show.

After discussing episodes like Almost Got ‘im, Perchance to Dream, and Speak No Evil, he named Robin’s Reckoning, the two-part episode that follows Batman and Robin as they confront a group of gangsters to find out that their leader is Tony Zucco, the man who killed Robin’s parents.

“I have to also add ‘Robin’s Reckoning,’ which got us an Emmy for a primetime animated show,” Burnett said. He shared that they were facing stiff competition from 60 Minutes in the primetime slot. And there could have been another potential competition, The Simpsons.

However, they withdrew from the running as an animation show as they wanted to be nominated as a sitcom. With The Simpsons bowing out of the run, Batman: The Animated Series eventually won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for Robin’s Reckoning: Part 1.

“Lucky us,” he said before humorously noting, “I think we even thanked them at the ceremony.” The producer also shared that the show never secured an Emmy for best daytime show during its runtime, attributing to the Academy’s reluctance to recognize superhero content.

Alan Burnett Discussed the Origin of Batman: The Animated Series

During his conversation with Comic Lounge, Burnett also discussed the origin of Batman: The Animated Series, which has since become one of the best-animated shows of all time. He explained that in the early 1990s, Warner Bros. and Fox were in negotiations to bring Tiny Toons to Fox.

As part of the deal, Warner Bros. proposed additional series, including Batman. After this, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski independently developed artwork for the show, which caught the eye of Jean MacCurdy, the president of Warner Bros. Animation at the time.

Impressed by their work, she brought them on as co-producers of the show, marking the beginning of their collaboration on the series. Burnett shared that he joined the animated series after the production faced some issues with the story.

“The great attraction for me was that it was Batman, maybe my favorite hero as a kid,” he said. He also shared the excitement about the prospect of broadcasting the show in the afternoon, as it allowed them to take a more mature approach, enabling the inclusion of some impactful fight scenes.

Batman: The Animated Series is available to stream on Max.