DC Television Birds of Prey (2002)

[Primal Slayer]

With Helena set to appear in COIE, figured i'd do a rewatch since it's only 13 episodes.

The series had plenty of issues...but it did give us a great version of Barbara Gordon as not only Batgirl but also Oracle. We got our first brief adaption of The Killing Joke in the pilot (with Mark Hamill voicing the character). Brief glimpse of Batman and Catwoman.

For whatever reason they decided to make Catwoman into a metahuman and thus Helena into a metahuman.

Dinah Redman unbeknownst to us starts the trend of Dinah Laurel Lance being changed and last to the game when it comes to superheroing with her peers. This version is given up for adoption by Carolyn Lance who is the original Black Canary in this universe. While Carolyn has the Canary Cry, Dinah for whatever reason gains psychic abilities.

We also get Alfred! And HARLEY QUINN as the big bad! The biggest supporting cast of Batfam we'll have gotten since Batman & Robin in 1997.

The series seems to have had a fairly low budget? They don't seem to be able to shoot on location so everything is on set and if it isnt then it's very heavily CGI'd...with a lot of CGI which luckily...if the series ever got a HD makeover they could easily redo all of that to polish this series up.

The show had potential and plenty of history as it's revealed that Dick/Jason/Tim all exist and have been Robins, though their whereabouts from New Gotham are never explained.

For whatever reason the writers seem to ignore Helena being a Wayne and all the story that comes with it. Though who knows, maybe they would've explored it had the series gone on for more than 13 episodes.

 

[Slick]

I ain’t gonna lie but I kinda liked this show when it was on.

 

[super85]

It felt cheap even when it was new. Like sometimes the music was edited over the dialogue in a amateurish way. And I remember them admitting that they spent most of their fx budget with the second episode villain.

Its funny how they called Helena "half metahuman". Just silly.

Oracle/Batgirl was good. Ill give them that.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I would watch it faithfully back on the WB. They did do a lot of weird rewrites and had some missteps but it had potential. And I agree, Dina Meyer was a great Oracle.

I always wondered how did Barbara know about Helena but Bruce didn’t? That always bugged me.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I'm on the Canary episode which introduces us to Carolyn Lance, I do appreciate the legacy they gave her. She's known as a basass, a legend, brought down crime lords....but it seems like the Bat fam are the only ones who had a secret identity lol.

That Canary Cry though...lol

I guess in this version she takes in sound before unleashing it lethally?

I always wondered how did Barbara know about Helena but Bruce didn’t? That always bugged me.

I'm going to assume that he did know about her but chose to stay away do to his line of work.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

LOL @ Lori Loughlin being a crimefighter back in 2002.

Now look at her, she was better off playing Catwoman.

 

[Prison Mike]

I wonder if the Kevin Conroy version of Bruce Wayne in COIE is the same Bruce from the Birds of Prey universe? I think it would fit...age wise.

 

[famicommander]

The whole series is streaming free at cwseed.com if anyone wants to watch it. They also have the Constantine series.

 

[WhoMani]

I had no clue that Helena would appear in the Crisis so this is a massive surprise for me. I have never seen Birds of Prey due the bad reviews that people have said about the show (but I heard good things about Oracle). I will finally give this show a chance by watching it some time next week and I'm guessing the Bruce Wayne that Conroy is portraying is most likely from the Birds of Prey universe.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I had no clue that Helena would appear in the Crisis so this is a massive surprise for me. I have never seen Birds of Prey due the bad reviews that people have said about the show (but I heard good things about Oracle). I will finally give this show a chance by watching it some time next week and I'm guessing the Bruce Wayne that Conroy is portraying is most likely from the Birds of Prey universe.

The episodes go by fairly quick so I'd definitely give it a watch. They definitely tried to be very cinematic and Burton-esque but on a WB budget which was a downfall for them but at least they allowed us into a full fledged superhero universe instead of taking years like Smallville.

Rewatching the series definitely makes me yearn for a more traditional BoP series since it could be done SO FORKING WELL. WB/DC definitely needs to let Oracle out to play in live action again.

The budding romance between Helena/Reese (Shemar Moore) was also played out really well. They didn't play to the whole cop is after vigilante aspect that most superhero shows do.

Not to mention that they had Harley be independent of Joker and her own woman before it became popular to do. She has her past, they play up her psychiatrist role more than we've ever seen. She, like Barbara is a highlight of the series.

 

[Primal Slayer]

This is such a great scene

And while their rendition of Lady Shiva wasn't the best....at least they cast her very appropriately. The costume was very Black Orchid.

 

[cheungcheung]

They should get Oracle in the crisis ep too

 

[famicommander]

Isn't the Black Canary from this show on Batwoman as some side character?

 

[Primal Slayer]

They sure do love having Helena run the rooftops and landing on her feet....for no reason what so ever lol.

And both Carolyn/Black Canary, Lady Shiva die in explosions with bodies never to be found.

Took majority of the season but nice that they at least address the lack of secret identity for Helena even though she likes code names.

Isn't the Black Canary from this show on Batwoman as some side character?

She is but she isn't a side character. She's the main villain who happens to be related to Batwoman herself.

 

[danlav05]

i liked this show as an extension of the Batman mythos on screen.

Oracle for the first time on TV, Huntress, a Batgirl suit on TV way better than Alicia's, and Harley Quinn in live action for the first time. And we even got Alfred!

I love how Mark Hamill voiced the Joker in the 'Killing Joke' scene and Batman (NOT Bruce Thomas from the OnStar commercials!) cameoed.

There was a fan film in development called "Birds of Prey: Return of the Joker" which would have wrapped the story, but I have no idea how legit they were.

 

[famicommander]

I'm about halfway through this and it's significantly better than I recalled. It's certainly got its rough edges and it's nothing special, but I don't hate it.

 

[SupermanFan]

I only ever saw some of the Batman & Joker stuff previously, I seem to think what I saw were deleted scenes though not the scenes that were actually in the episodes. I certainly will catch up on this show soon though.

 

[WhoMani]

I only ever saw some of the Batman & Joker stuff previously, I seem to think what I saw were deleted scenes though not the scenes that were actually in the episodes. I certainly will catch up on this show soon though.

I just watched the Pilot and the Batman/Joker stuff does appear at the beginning of The Pilot.

 

[SupermanFan]

I just watched the Pilot and the Batman/Joker stuff does appear at the beginning of The Pilot.

Oh maybe I was wrong then. Unless what I saw was more extensive or something.

 

[WhoMani]

Oh maybe I was wrong then. Unless what I saw was more extensive or something.

Also in the flashback sequences you see Barbara wearing her Batgirl suit and teaming up with Batman. The Batgirl suit actually looks great.

 

[antsman41]

Yeah, her suit and being Oracle was wonderful... Helena was a weird curse of some bad-Smallville type stuff. It at least tried.. oddly has more of what Arrow-verse has become than Smallville.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Finished it the other day and it kind of grows on you by the end. They totally messed up by removing that TaTu song since they didnt remove it completely lol. You hear the beginning of the song but then the cheap song starts playing in its place seconds later out of nowhere.

Also in the flashback sequences you see Barbara wearing her Batgirl suit and teaming up with Batman. The Batgirl suit actually looks great.

 

[famicommander]

Just finished the series.

I'm wondering if Batman's absence will be explained by the Monitor. Like, he took Batman away from this universe much as he is doing with Ollie on Earth-1.

I know Bruce and Alfred talk on the phone in the last episode but it could still work.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Just finished the series.

I'm wondering if Batman's absence will be explained by the Monitor. Like, he took Batman away from this universe much as he is doing with Ollie on Earth-1.

I know Bruce and Alfred talk on the phone in the last episode but it could still work.

I doubt they are looking at resolving that cliff hanger.

 

[famicommander]

I doubt they are looking at resolving that cliff hanger.

Well, it could fit with the idea that Kevin Conroy is playing BOP Bruce.