TVSquad

Much like the Disney acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, television is only a part of what this change represents. However, it does affect the television industry and should be mentioned on this blog. DC Comics has changed its name to DC Entertainment to encompass more forms of media, such as television and movies. Also the president of DC, Paul Levitz, has been replaced by a Time Warner officer named Diane Nelson.

While there are those that might disagree with me, this move looks like it's a response to Marvel's success with its movie franchises. Even though DC has done better on television (Smallville, plus various cartoons like The Brave and the Bold), movies are where the big bucks are. Granted, DC and Warner Brothers have had major success with its Batman movies, but it hasn't built any other franchises.

And as with the Marvel acquisition, we'll have to wait and see what the long-term effects of this corporate change will be. DC also loses the rights to Superman in 2013, so exciting things are afoot.

Batman's been around in one iteration or another on our television screens for almost as long as there has been television. Since the debut of Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, we've had some form of Batman on our screens almost non-stop. The latest incarnation of the caped crusader comes just in time to enjoy the success of The Dark Knight in theaters, but unlike its animated predecessor, doesn't carry nearly the dark tone of the film.

In fact, Batman: The Brave and the Bold almost takes a page from the beloved 1960's Batman television series with Adam West and Burt Ward. It's not nearly as corny as that in delivery, but it does have a wackiness to some of the villains and gadgets presented. Ultimately, though, it's a team-up show and a way for DC to showcase virtually its entire universe in a Batman show.

Two items of interest this week...

Warner Brothers Animation is confirming that this will be the last season for the Legion of Super Heroes, as production has halted for the Kids WB! series. There will be three more episodes of the series, with two of them being part of the series finale that will air sometime later this year. Replacing this series, on someplace other than Kids WB!, which ends its run this season, will be a new program entitled Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Whether this show will replace the current The Batman series, or where this show will air, has yet to be determined.