Batwheels
Batwheels is an American computer-animated superhero children's television series that premiered on September 17, 2022, on HBO Max, and on October 17, 2022, on Cartoon Network's preschool block, Cartoonito.[1]
Batwheels | |
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![]() Promotional poster | |
Genre | |
Based on | |
Developed by | Michael G. Stern |
Voices of |
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Theme music composer | Andy Sturmer |
Composer | Alex Geringas |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 22 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Sam Register |
Producers |
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Running time | 10–33 minutes |
Production companies |
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Release | |
Original network | |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
Audio format | Dolby Surround |
Original release | September 17, 2022 – present |
Plot
The Bat-Family's vehicles are brought to life by the Batcomputer to form the "Batwheels", a team led by the Batmobile or "Bam", to fight crime in Gotham City.
Characters
The Batwheels
- The Batmobile / Bam (voiced by Jacob Bertrand), the insecure leader of the Batwheels.[2]
- Redbird / Red (voiced by Jordan Reed), Robin's car and the youngest of the Batwheels.[2]
- Batgirl cycle / Bibi (voiced by Madigan Kacmar), Batgirl's small but impulsive motorcycle.[2]
- Bat Truck / Buff (voiced by Noah Bentley), a good-hearted monster truck who serves as the Batwheels' muscle.[2]
- The Batwing / Wing (voiced by Lilimar), Batman's sophisticated and confident supersonic jet.[2]
- The Batcomputer / BC (voiced by Kimberly D. Brooks), the team's trainer, supervisor, dispatcher, and mother figure.[2]
- M.O.E. (Mobile Operation Expert) (voiced by Mick Wingert), Batman's sarcastic robot mechanic.[2]
The Bat-Family
- Bruce Wayne / Batman (voiced by Ethan Hawke), a vigilante from Gotham City and father figure to the Batwheels.[2] Hawke previously turned down the role for Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever.[3]
- Duke Thomas / Robin (voiced by A.J. Hudson), a mystery-loving member of the Bat-Family who wants to prove himself in the eyes of Batman.[2]
- Cassandra Cain / Batgirl (voiced by Leah Lewis), a daredevil tech-savvy member of the Bat-Family, who serves as a "big sister" figure in the group.[2]
- Oliver Queen / Green Arrow (voiced by MacLeod Andrews), a vigilante archer from Star City and a friend of Batman's.[4]
The Rogues' Gallery
- The Joker (voiced by Mick Wingert), Batman's archenemy and the self-proclaimed "Clown Prince of Crime".[5]
- Harley Quinn (voiced by Chandni Parekh), The Joker's partner-in-crime and girlfriend.[5]
- Selina Kyle / Catwoman (voiced by Gina Rodriguez), a cat-themed burglar.[5]
- Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin (voiced by Jess Harnell), an elegant penguin-like criminal.[5]
- Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze (voiced by Regi Davis), an ice-themed supervillain with a mechanical suit.[5]
- Edward Nigma / The Riddler (voiced by SungWon Cho), a riddle-obsessed criminal.[5]
- Toyman (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), a toy-themed villain who is Superman’s enemy.[5]
- Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy (voiced by Kailey Snider), a plant-themed villain.[4]
The Legion of Zoom
- Prank (voiced by Griffin Burns), Joker's funny and pranking van.[5]
- Jestah (voiced by Alexandra Novelle), Harley's fun-loving ATV.[5]
- Quizz (voiced by Josey Montana McCoy), Riddler's quiz loving helicopter.[5]
- Ducky (voiced by Ariyan Kassam), Penguin's mischief-causing duck on a boat with wheels vehicle.[5]
- Snowy (voiced by Xolo Maridueña), Mr. Freeze's bad but gentle snow crawler.[5]
- Badcomputer (voiced by SungWon Cho), A.I. computer software inside a scoreboard who wants to replace the Bat Computer as the most powerful computer on Earth.[5]
- Crash (voiced by Tom Kenny), Badcomputer's crash-dummy like robot minion.[5]
Episodes
No. | Title [6][7] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [6][7] | Cartoon Network air date [6] | Prod. code [6] | U.S. linear viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Secret Origin of the Batwheels" | Antoine Charreyron | Michael G. Stern | September 17, 2022 | October 15, 2022 | 101 | 0.10[8] |
2 | "Stop That Ducky" | Antoine Charreyron | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 102 | N/A |
3 | "Buff's BFF" | Antoine Charreyron | Craig Fernandez | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 103 | N/A |
4 | "Up in the Air" | Antoine Charreyron | Patrick Rieger | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 104 | N/A |
5 | "Bibi's Do-Over" | Antoine Charreyron | Sarah Eisenberg and Becky Wangberg | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 105 | N/A |
6 | "Sidekicked to the Curb" | Antoine Charreyron | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 106 | N/A |
7 | "Keep Calm and Roll On" | Antoine Charreyron | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 107 | N/A |
8 | "Bam's Upgrade" | Antoine Charreyron | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | 108 | N/A |
9 | "Redbird's Bogus Beach Day" | Antoine Charreyron | Sarah Eisenberg and Becky Wangberg | November 8, 2022 | November 7, 2022 | 109 | N/A |
10 | "Cave Sweet Cave" | Antoine Charreyron | Craig Fernandez | November 8, 2022 | November 7, 2022 | 110 | N/A |
11 | "Scaredy-Bat" | Antoine Charreyron | Andrew Guastaferro | November 8, 2022 | November 14, 2022 | 111 | N/A |
12 | "Riddle Me This" | Antoine Charreyron | Ryan Toyama | November 8, 2022 | November 14, 2022 | 112 | N/A |
13 | "Zoomsday" | Antoine Charreyron | Ryan Toyama | November 22, 2022[lower-alpha 1] | November 21, 2022 | 113 | N/A |
14 | "Rev and Let Rev" | Antoine Charreyron | Janae Hall | November 22, 2022[lower-alpha 1] | November 21, 2022 | 114 | N/A |
15 | "Batcomputer for a Day" | Antoine Charreyron | Patrick Rieger | November 29, 2022[lower-alpha 1] | November 28, 2022 | 115 | N/A |
16 | "Grass is Greener" | Antoine Charreyron | Patrick Rieger | November 29, 2022[lower-alpha 1] | November 28, 2022 | 116 | N/A |
17 | "Holidays on Ice" | Antoine Charreyron | Scott Gray | December 6, 2022 | December 5, 2022 | 117 | N/A |
18 | "Bam's Clawful Mistake" | Antoine Charreyron | TBA | May 1, 2023 | May 2, 2023 | 118 | 0.06[9] |
19 | "Harley Did It" | Antoine Charreyron | TBA | May 1, 2023 | May 2, 2023 | 119 | 0.07[9] |
20 | "Buff in a China Shop" | Antoine Charreyron | TBA | May 1, 2023 | May 2, 2023 | 120 | 0.07[9] |
21 | "A Tale of Two Bibis" | Antoine Charreyron | TBA | May 1, 2023 | May 2, 2023 | 121 | TBD |
22 | "Batty Race" | Antoine Charreyron | TBA | May 1, 2023 | May 2, 2023 | 122 | 0.07[9] |
Shorts
No. | Title [6][10][7] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [6][10][7] | Cartoon Network air date [6] | Prod. code [6] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Meet the Batwheels" | Michael Berardini and Antoine Charreyron | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | September 5, 2022 | MTB101 |
2 | "Calling All Batwheels" | Michael Berardini | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | September 12, 2022 | MTB102 |
3 | "Bam!" | Michael Berardini | Andrew Guastaferro | October 18, 2022 | September 19, 2022 | MTB103 |
4 | "Buff Tuff" | Michael Berardini | Andrew Guastaferro | October 18, 2022 | September 26, 2022 | MTB104 |
5 | "Faster" | Michael Berardini | Andrew Guastaferro | October 18, 2022 | October 3, 2022 | MTB105 |
6 | "Fly" | Michael Berardini | Andrew Guastaferro | October 18, 2022 | October 10, 2022 | MTB106 |
7 | "Spooky Batcave" | Michael Berardini | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | MTB108 |
8 | "Robin's Ride" | Michael Berardini | Andrew Guastaferro | October 18, 2022 | October 24, 2022 | MTB107 |
9 | "Bam's Bubble Trouble" | Michael Berardini | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | October 31, 2022 | MTB109 |
10 | "Wheelin' and Dealin'" | Michael Berardini | Andrew Guastaferro | October 18, 2022 | November 21, 2022 | MTB110 |
11 | "Interview with a Crime Fighter" | Michael Berardini | Michael G. Stern | October 18, 2022 | December 5, 2022 | MTB111 |
12 | "The Best Present in the World" | Michael Berardini and Antoine Charreyron | Andy Sturmer | December 13, 2022 | December 12, 2022 | 112 |
13 | "Silly Stowaway" | Michael Beradini | Michael G. Stern | June 16, 2023 | January 9, 2023 | TBA |
14 | "The Knight Shift" | Michael Beradini | Andrew Guastaferro | June 16, 2023 | February 13, 2023 | TBA |
15 | "Rockin' Robin" | Michael Beradini | Michael G. Stern | June 16, 2023 | March 6, 2023 | TBA |
16 | "Batwingin' It" | TBA | TBA | June 16, 2023 | May 15, 2023 | TBA |
Production
Development
In October 2020, it was announced that an animated preschool series centered around the Batmobile was in development at Warner Bros. Animation, set to premiere on Cartoon Network's then-upcoming preschool block Cartoonito and HBO Max.[1] According to Tom Ascheim, president of the now-defunct Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, the series was greenlit due to its concept being fit for the studio's focus on preschool projects.[1] Michael G. Stern serves as developer and co-executive producer, with Simon J. Smith as supervising producer, and Steven Fink and Caroline Karmel producing.[11][12] Stern was brought into the project early in development, as WB explored ideas for preschool-oriented DC shows, while Smith was brought after Stern wrote the first scripts for the series.[13] In December 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, with Stern and Smith being promoted to executive producers.[14]
Writing
While writing the series, Stern wanted to avoid "kiddifying" the characters, as he felt children should be introduced to the characters through faithful portrayals and was also requested to respect the characters.[13] For Batman, he wrote the character to stay faithful to most interpretations, with only his violence being toned down.[13] He also wrote the villains with "a lane" that stayed faithful to their classical portrayals while still fitting the target audience, such as portraying Harley Quinn as a fun-loving prankster.[13]
When creating the Batwheels, the writers wanted them to be perceived as "lovable" and "fun" characters for the audience, in order to avoid the children only watching the show for Batman. In order to accomplish this, they tested the personalities for each character with a test group, who received the characters positively.[13] The writers also wanted to avoid portraying the Legion of Zoom as mere copies of their owners, to which they gave each vehicle their own characteristics, such as portraying Prank, the Joker's van, as "a surfer dude".[13]
Music
The series' score was composed by Alex Geringas, while the theme song was performed and produced by Andy Sturmer,[12] who previously composed the themes for the series The Batman and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Sturmer also co-wrote the theme alongside Stern.[12]
Notes
- This episode was originally released on November 8, 2022, but was removed shortly thereafter.
References
- Zalben, Alex (October 6, 2020). "The Batmobile Is Getting Its Own TV Series". Decider. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- "WarnerMedia Announces 'Batwheels' Cast". Animation World Network. September 12, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- Weiner, Jonah (October 2011). "Q&A;: Ethan Hawke". Details. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- Milligan, Mercedes (October 10, 2022). "NYCC Catch-Up: 'Dragon Prince' S4 Date, Jellico Returns in 'Prodigy,' 'Batwheels' New Characters & More Crunchyroll". Animation Magazine. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- Schreur, Brandon (May 19, 2022). "Batman's Villains Get a Radical Makeover for Batmobile-Starring Batwheels". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- "Batwheels Episode Listings". The Futon Critic.
- "Batwheels Episode Guide". Zap2it.
- Mitch Salem (October 18, 2022). "Saturday 10.15.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- Mitch Salem (May 2, 2023). "Monday 5.1.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- "Meet the Batwheels Episode Guide". Zap2it.
- Pedersen, Erik (October 6, 2020). "'Batwheels': Warner Bros Animation Revs Up Preschool Series About DC Cars For Cartoon Network & HBO Max". Decider. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
- DC Kids (July 23, 2022). Meet The Batwheels | @Cartoonito | @DC Kids. Retrieved September 17, 2022 – via YouTube.
- Hermanns, Grant (October 19, 2022). "Michael G. Stern & Simon J. Smith Interview: Batwheels". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- "Cartoonito Hits the Gas on Season Two Renewal of Preschool Series "Batwheels" for Cartoon Network and HBO Max" (Press release). Cartoon Network. December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.