Edited by Robert Beach
In 1999, DC and WB were staring down what could’ve been the end of their television dominance. Throughout the ‘90s, they had dominated awards shows and ratings with hits like Batman the animated series and the Superman show; a powerhouse combination that was easily able to compete with Marvel’s plethora of animated offerings at the time. As the ‘90s dwindled and both Batman and Superman capped off their individual runs, DC needed a new way to stay in the television game and maintain their grip on the cultural landscape.
It’s worth remembering this comes 2 years after Batman & Robin basically torpedo
DC’s movie holdings and only 1 year after Blade
burst onto the scene to prove Marvel had movie capital to expend as well. DC set out on a number of attempts
to reassert themselves. They
produced the Gotham Girls web series
I touched on a couple days ago and eventually settled into their epic Justice League series while on the live-action side they produced Smallville
in 2001; however, the first of
these attempts came in 1999 with Batman
Beyond.
