"Birds of Prey" (2002) TV series 2002-2003

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Writers:

Bob Kane (Batman, Alfred, Joker, Catwoman characters)
Hans Tobeason (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Batman's Little Girl Is All Grown Up.

Plot:

In the future, long after the Batman has driven himself into exile, his legacy lives on in the form of the Birds of Prey--Black Canary, Oracle, and the Huntress.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Female Psychiatrist | Female Lead | Female Crime Boss | Manipulation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ashley Scott	...	Helena Kyle / ... (14 episodes, 2002-2003)
Dina Meyer	...	Barbara Gordon / ... (14 episodes, 2002-2003)
Rachel Skarsten	...	Dinah Lance (14 episodes, 2002-2003)
Shemar Moore	...	Jesse Reese (14 episodes, 2002-2003)
Ian Abercrombie	...	Alfred Pennyworth (10 episodes, 2002-2003)
Shawn Christian	...	Wade Brixton (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Mia Sara	...	Dr. Harleen Quinzel / ... (7 episodes, 2002-2003)

Also Known As:

BOP (USA) (promotional abbreviation)

Runtime:

60 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

The pilot features a reference to fellow WB series "Smallville" (2001): Helena Kyle mentions to Barbara Gordon and Dinah that meteors sometimes cause mutations. Inside reference: "Birds of Prey" and "Smallville" are both produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The clock face on the tower (where the secret lair is) is way to high up for any person to see, so it would be pointless to have a clock there

Quotes:

Barbara Gordon: Hey, time out, there will be absolutely no use of superpowers to settle domestic disagreements!

Movie Connections:

Spin off from Batman Returns (1992)

Soundtrack:

Revolution

A comic book fan....

The show had a good start. Some comic book fans are groaning because they strayed from the comic book storyline. Most are glad to see that the series exists.

Dina Meyer gave a strong performance as Barbara Gordon. She was a believable leader of the crime fighting trio. The other characters still need to settle in their new roles a bit. Ashley Scott has a good start with her Huntress metahuman abilities. She had decent fight scenes. Dinah (Rachel Skarsten) will probably draw in younger viewers to the show.

Harley Quinn is a character that should be used like in the Batman cartoon, otherwise this is a waste of a character. Mia Sara's portrayal is too sinister so far. It left me asking when the Harley Quinn we know and love will pop up. Possibly, this might happen when she sees the Joker? (I wonder what Kevin Smith thinks....)

Kudos for using Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker.

I like that Batman is hidden in the shadows, because it builds up mystery for the dark knight. This is not the "Batman" show. Its about characters that have a connection to Batman and Gotham City.

I'm hoping Birds of Prey gets a chance this season to build up its storyline. This WB show probably has the ability to knock UPN's Buffy out in the same timeslot. Its is fresh and probably has a following started already. (Its also filling the void leftover from the cancellation of Witchblade).

I will be tuning in next week....

For those who don't follow the comic books:

1. Barbara's reason for being in a wheelchair was shown almost like it was in the tradepaper back "The Killing Joke". The Joker was trying to drive her father, Commissioner Gordon, mad not Batman.

2. In the Birds of Prey comic, Huntress is Helena Bertinelli. Her family was gunned down by a rival mob organization. The Batman/Catwoman story was used to pull in viewers who were not familiar with the charaters. (Its possible that this was mentioned in an alternate comic book timeline). They've tamed down her outfit (like the Xmen movie) to make it less "comical" and more "real world".

3. Dinah Lance was the Black Canary, who is the third member. The Dinah Lance in the tv series is a bit young. This will probably be explained in a future episode.....

4. Don't expect to see much of Batman, he's not a main player in the comic book series. He's more of a guest star.

If you want to know the real deal, get "Black Canary/Oracle/Huntress: Birds of Prey" Book 1 if you still can.....