While on the screen Batman has successfully been dark and brooding and realistic the last 20 years or so (excluding the Batman & Robin days, of course), his television counterparts have always been animated or, um, Adam West. As lovable and memorable as the live-action Batman TV series from the 60s may be, its legacy has successfully kept anyone else from trying it, even as Christopher Nolan's two Batman films have made the character more popular than ever.
But with The Dark Knight Rises gearing up for production as definitely the last Caped Crusader film Nolan will make, Warner Bros. is obviously looking for a way to keep the character alive-- and TV may once again be the place to do it. Comic Book Movie is hearing a rumor that a WB executive has been put in charge of assembling a live-action Batman TV show, that would be similar to Nolan's movies by keeping it "in-line with the real world and with young adult audiences in mind." Given that Nolan's films have pushed the boundary of the PG-13 rating practically to the breaking point, I have a hard time imagining how Nolan's world will fit in with a focus on young adults, but then again, kids these days can handle pretty much anything.
For now this is very much just a rumor, but one that I don't have a hard time believing. Either way you'd better believe Batman will last in pop culture well after Christian Bale stops playing him-- and after all these years, a live-action TV series might be safe territory again.
