Bat-Fam: What classic shows were inspiration for the new animated Batman series, details revealed

The latest addition to Amazon Prime Video, Bat-Fam is a wild new take on the Gotham anti-hero and a sequel of sorts to Merry Little Batman.

However, even though the animated series has a plethora of classics to draw inspiration from when it comes to the Dark Knight, the inspirations behind the latest animated show stand apart from these pre-existing live-action or animated shows.

Keep reading to find out the real inspirations behind this version of Gotham City's anti-hero and how these inspirations have affected the tone and pacing in Bat-Fam.

Bat-Fam showrunner reveals the inspirations behind the animated show

When it comes to Batman's adventures, he is most often considered a solitary vigilante. However, when he does have allies he chooses to work with, they're Robin, Nightwing, or Batgirl. Bat-Fam has thrown this set formula to the wind, as this animated series finds a wild new set of characters accompanying Batman.

As seen on Merry Little Batman, where Bruce Wayne's Batman was accompanied by Lucius Wayne's Little Batman, the family is growing even more this time around.

Batman and Little Batman will be joined by the butler Alfred, his grandniece Alicia Pennyworth, and Volcana, aka Claire Sefton. The Bat-Fam will also be joined by Ra's al Ghul's frenemy ghost, who also lives in Wayne Manor. Finally, Kirk Langston, aka the Man-Bat, will also be joining the family, described as the weird uncle of the family.

Nevertheless, the family dynamics coming together for Bat-Fam, apart from Merry Little Batman, are due to its eccentric list of influences as revealed by showrunner Mike Roth. Talking about the shows that have influenced his brand-new animated series, Roth revealed that the classic family sitcoms over the years were one of the biggest inspirations for the show.

The first family sitcom that Mike Roth revealed Bat-Fam to be inspired by was The Addams Family.

The Addams Family is one of the greatest classic family sitcoms and has managed to create an ever-growing franchise of shows, which continues to find eccentric stories in the characters from the original show. Much of what contributes to this popularity is the family's interest in the macabre and their nonchalance in how it is considered strange by most people.

"Addams Family came up. Munsters came up a little bit. At one point, there was an idea early on of Man-Bat being the dragon [from the Munsters] that lived under the stairs and pops out occasionally making crazy noises. That iteration of him was a much more feral bat."

Munster was also referred to as one of the inspirations behind the show, with ongoing discussions to have Man-Bat be a feral dragon who'd occasionally make its presence known by making crazy noises. The final classic family sitcom that was involved as an inspiration for Bat-Fam was Full House, which contributed to a lot of the enjoyment in the animated series.

"We found inspiration from all types of family sitcoms. Addams Family is definitely one of them. I think there’s a hint of Full House in there. [Laughs]. That’s part of what makes it fun."

It will definitely be interesting to find out how the family dynamics play out for good old Batman and the City of Gotham.

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