Batman: The Animated Series is regarded as one of the best superhero shows out there, but the series would have never come to fruition if Fox had not complied with a boundary that was set by Warner Brothers when it came to developing the show.
Speaking with The Comic Lounge, animation extraordinaire Alan Burnett talked about the behind-the-scenes of the project, and the clauses that Warner Bros. put in that allowed Batman’s development and production to begin.
It all started with Tiny Toons being imported to Fox
Alan Burnett talked about the various things that went into the production of the show, one that is collectively considered to be one of the best versions of Batman out there. When talking about the origin of the show, Burnett said, to The Comic Lounge:
“Around 1990 Warner Bros. and Fox Kids were in negotiations to bring “Tiny Toons” to Fox. Warner Bros. told the network it would have to buy additional series if they wanted “Toons,” and Batman was among them.”
Tiny Toons Adventure was an offshoot of the Looney Toons brand that dealt with kid-friendly adventures. Batman was lumped into this deal, which eventually culminated in Batman: The Animated Series, which is considered one of Bruce Timm’s crowning achievements. Timm was assigned to work on the project with Eric Radomski.
Alan Burnett was brought on the show to solve some story problems with Batman: The Animated Series
Alan Burnett only became part of the production when story issues began to rise. He joined the production team, which had Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. Burnett regaled:
“Two artists, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, independently developed art for the show. Bruce did a page of models and Eric came up with background designs. Jean MacCurdy, the president of Warner Bros. Animation, liked what she saw and slapped both guys together as a producing team.
But as production began, there were story problems, and that’s when I was brought over. The great attraction for me was that it was Batman, maybe my favorite hero as a kid, and that the show would be broadcast in the afternoon, which meant I could get more adult with it than on Saturday morning.”
Burnett would be responsible for ironing out the plots, and Timm and Radomski would focus on the visual side of things.
Batman: The Animated Series still remains the definitive version of the character for quite some viewers, and it makes sense given the talent that was behind the show, It would never have seen the light of day if Fox had not made the bid for the Looney Toons show, which got them the rights for a Batman series in the first place.
