The first episode of DC Universe’s animated TV series, Harley Quinn will make its televised debut on TBS on Sunday, December 8. This comes on the heels of the show’s streaming premiere on Friday, where it was met with a warm reception from critics and fans alike for its high energy and campy, raunchy tone, both of which set it apart from far grimmer offerings from the long-standing superhero brand in recent years.
Harley Quinn deals with the iconic anti-heroine (voiced by The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco) finally ending her long and troubled relationship with the Joker (Alan Tudyk), and breaking out to start her own criminal enterprise with her sometimes best friend, sometimes love interest Poison Ivy (Lake Bell). Much in the way of fourth-wall-breaking hijinks, swearing, and brutal cartoonish violence ensues as Harley and Ivy set out to leave their own mark on the supervillain-heavy Gotham City, building a group of underappreciated evildoers (like King Shark and Kite Man) and even occasionally running afoul of famed heroes like the Batman himself (Diedrich Bader).
According to TV Line, the first episode will air at 11 pm as a part of TBS’s “DCember” event, where the channel is set to air DC-adapted movies in the evening hours all month long. Not much else is known at the time, including whether future Harley Quinn episodes will also air on the network, or what, if any, censorship measures will be taken on the often bloody, foul-mouthed comedy.
This will mark the first instance of a DC Universe exclusive airing outside the streaming service, with the upcoming Stargirl to follow on The CW in the coming year. In the meantime, these shows join Titans and Doom Patrol among the service’s original titles, as DC looks to compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ in the ever-brewing streaming wars. This move to air the show on TBS seems like a means of promoting the service on an affiliated channel, as both it and DC are owned by Warner Media ( as is The CW).
It’s an interesting tactic by Warner, and a risky one given the general decrease of traditional TV watching in favor of online streaming in recent years. DC and WB are likely hoping for viewers to catch the first episode as it airs, get hooked, and subscribe to DC Universe for further episodes. Only time will tell if this strategy pans out, especially with the increasingly fierce competition from Disney+ and their upcoming Marvel programming. In the meantime, it looks like even more viewers are going to be able to witness the madcap misadventures of Harley Quinn come Sunday night.
Source: TV Line