Why do they constantly relaunch Batman instead of having one Batman cartoon go on a long time?

[CyberCubed]

So I understand the WB/DC wants a Batman cartoon pretty much always on the air. What I don't understand however is why they keep canceling Batman cartoons only to relaunch a new one a few months later. Why not just keep one Batman cartoon for like 7-8 seasons, and then end it and start a new one?

One reason the DCAU Batman was so great is he lasted for such a long time. From 1992-2006 through multiple shows. People got attached to him because he stayed with us for nearly two decades.

The Batman only had a 5 year run, Brave and the Bold a little over 3 years, and Beware the Batman may not last longer than 3 years either. Why do they cut them short just to start over?

 

[reflection01]

Short? Each of those lasted a long time. 7-8 seasons is absurdly long and unrealistic.

 

[CyclonatorZ]

I think the most obvious answer to this question also applies to the seemingly premature cancellation of any show after reaching 65 episodes: syndication. Its why Batman: TBATB's third season was half as long as the first two and had at least one plot thread that was never resolved, and its why The Batman ended even though the show runners were already talking about their ideas for season 6.

 

[CyberCubed]

Short? Each of those lasted a long time. 7-8 seasons is absurdly long and unrealistic.

It's Batman, its never going to lose popularity. That's why they keep making new Batman cartoons constantly while other DC superheroes don't get them.

They always want Batman on the air. So why not just make one Batman cartoon last a long time instead of just scraping the universe to go back to square one again? Why can't a Batman cartoon hit 100 episodes anymore?

 

[Hordesman]

It's Batman, its never going to lose popularity. That's why they keep making new Batman cartoons constantly while other DC superheroes don't get them. They always want Batman on the air. So why not just make one Batman cartoon last a long time instead of just scraping the universe to go back to square one again? Why can't a Batman cartoon hit 100 episodes anymore?

Because the industry likes to refresh things. Even BTAS had three distinct rebrandings,

 

[BigFatHairyDeal]

I'm just going to assume, until someone proves (and I mean shows us the numbers) otherwise, that it's more cost effective to do it this way.

 

[trance2009]

Its money, dear boy. Short term contracts for everybody.

 

[Hordesman]

Its money, dear boy. Short term contracts for everybody.

I've heard claims that if they don't rebrand things every couple of years, the mass audience loses interest, so BTAS becomes adventures of batman and robin then tnba... Justice Lague becomes JLU... Ben 10 becomes alien force becomes omniiverse etc.

 

[TheSkeletonMan93]

They need silly new gimmicks to get kids interested in the show again. So they relaunch it, rename it, whatever they think keeps audiences interested.

 

[Hordesman]

They need silly new gimmicks to get kids interested in the show again. So they relaunch it, rename it, whatever they think keeps audiences interested.

These things are the result of focus testing, of actual sales data, etc.

 

[CyberCubed]

So apparently the people in charge don't realize what worked in the 90's would work again?

Greg Weisman should have made his own Batman show. Heck, it could have been the same Batman as the one from Young Justice in his own show. With Greg Weisman at the helm it could have surpass B:TAS.

 

[BigFatHairyDeal]

These things are the result of focus testing, of actual sales data, etc.

So apparently the people in charge don't realize what worked in the 90's would work again?

It's possible that 90's DCAU is the exception, not the rule.

 

[Goldstar!]

It's better that the shows end after 52-65 episodes, take a break and then offer a fresh new take on the franchise after a few years. I'd much rather get a new take on Batman every few years than have Batman: TAS stay on for 100+ episodes, gradually becoming a zombie that refuses to stay dead like The Simpsons and Family Guy. It's better to see new and different takes on the DC Universe. The DCAU couldn't go on forever, nor should it be the only animated take on the DC universe. Variety is good.

So apparently the people in charge don't realize what worked in the 90's would work again?

The 1990s was 20 years ago. The entertainment industry was different then than it is now. New artists, writers, directors and producers deserve the chance to show their creativity rather then letting 1 singular take on the franchise dominate the scene for years and years. Even Batman: TAS didn't stay exactly the same from beginning to end.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

While it would be nice to see a Batman series stick around long enough to provide some measure of storytelling, world building, and character development I don't think there is much of a chance of that happening, given the short order in which the last handful of DC television animated series have been swept under the proverbial rug. From executive conception, even down to production crew realization, all of these shows are designed and ultimately produced to have no long term value or worth.

Greg Weisman should have made his own Batman show. Heck, it could have been the same Batman as the one from Young Justice in his own show. With Greg Weisman at the helm it could have surpass B:TAS.

If Greg Weisman has proven anything its that he can't win a loyal, paying customer base, so I don't think there's much reason to hedge bets on him creating a Batman series of any comparable quality.

 

[Light Lucario]

I think that it's better for them in the long run to constantly make new series so that they can try out new concepts and characterizations. It gives something different for the audience and allows for more people to try out their own ideas. Keeping Batman: TAS going on for a hundred episodes may sound like a good idea, or at least appealing to fans, but it could have gotten stale pretty quickly. The fact that they didn't keep Batman: TAS in the same format for its entire incarnation also makes me wonder how successful keeping it going for a hundred episodes could have been.

 

[CyberCubed]

I just can't understand why people are against this.

B:TAS made over 100 episodes with the final season, as well as had 3 movies. This is not even counting that the same Batman continued into Superman: TAS, Batman Beyond and Justice League essentially giving him more episodes in different shows.

It worked. Now look at The Batman which has mostly been forgotten about by the general population, or how Brave and the Bold and Beware the Batman will suffer a similar fate as the years progress.

 

[Goldstar!]

I just can't understand why people are against this.

B:TAS made over 100 episodes with the final season, as well as had 3 movies. This is not even counting that the same Batman continued into Superman: TAS, Batman Beyond and Justice League essentially giving him more episodes in different shows.

It worked. Now look at The Batman which has mostly been forgotten about by the general population, or how Brave and the Bold and Beware the Batman will suffer a similar fate as the years progress.

A lot of people like(d) The Brave and the Bold and still remember the series fondly. Just because you personally didn't care for it doesn't mean that it was bad or unsuccessful. And Beware the Batman hasn't been on for a full season yet. It's too early to consider the series to be a success or a failure.

Unless you can see the future, you don't know how those shows will be remembered over time. You're entitled to your opinion, but making assumptions based on your own personal opinions doesn't prove your point.

 

[Jave]

I think one of the biggest reasons as to why this happens is that after a few seasons, most of the creative forces behind certain shows want to move on to new projects, and the departure of people who are very influential to a series can affect it very badly. When you reboot a franchise, you allow either the old crew to work on something fresh, or you can bring in a new crew to work on it (or of course, have a combination of both).

BTAS was a great show, but you can only do so much with it before getting stale.

 

[Hordesman]

I think one of the biggest reasons as to why this happens is that after a few seasons, most of the creative forces behind certain shows want to move on to new projects, and the departure of people who are very influential to a series can affect it very badly. When you reboot a franchise, you allow either the old crew to work on something fresh, or you can bring in a new crew to work on it (or of course, have a combination of both). BTAS was a great show, but you can only do so much with it before getting stale.

What most ppl call BTAS had 3 bra dings, plus several spinoffs that comprised 20 years of toy production.

 

[Red Arrow]

That would be awful. I really liked B:TAS, but I would hate it if they exploited it like they're doing with The Simpsons and Spongebob Squarepants.

Moreover, I liked The Batman almost as much as the DCAU shows. (And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one)