10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Batman: The Animated Series

Al Pacino as Two-Face? It could've happened.

By Ewan Paterson /

Warner Bros.

Batman: The Animated Series was the definitive adaptation of the Dark Knight, and is today revered as one of the greatest animated shows ever produced. BTAS was so successful that it ended up spawning over a decade's worth of animated spin-offs and follow-ups, which is today recognised as the DC Animated Universe. It's basically peerless.

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Starring the talents of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Arleen Sorkin and many more, BTAS glided onto screens in 1992 and made Saturday morning its own. Blending light with dark and past with present, the show set out to prove that children's TV could be genuinely smart and engaging, stunning viewers with dark imagery and even darker themes. It was a master-stroke, pioneered by the likes of Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, Eric Radomski, Andrea Romano and the late, great Shirley Walker, who composed most of the series' music with a full orchestra behind her.

The entire project was a massive undertaking, and it's no surprise that a whole host of fascinating 'what if?' moments and stories emerged from behind-the-scenes during and post-production.

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There are of course the facts every Bat-fan knows, such as Tim Curry originally being cast as the Joker before Hamill took the part, but there are plenty more that they may not be aware of, involving plans for a Sandman crossover, a Catwoman sequel series, and more network battles than Batman has batarangs...