In an upcoming episode, ABC’s ’80s sitcom “The Goldbergs” will tackle one of the decade’s last major pop culture events: the release of Tim Burton’s “Batman.” Bringing the episode to life is one of Batman’s biggest fans — filmmaker Kevin Smith.
The episode will revolve around the release of the 1989 superhero film starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The episode, titled “The Dynamic Duo,” starts filming next week.
Smith spoke with IGN about his excitement for this Batman episode, saying: “I grew up watching the Adam West ‘Batman’ and I was in a sold out movie theater for Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ on opening day, June 23rd, 1989, so I can’t wait to recreate those early eras of Bat-amania in the Goldbergs Universe. Luckily, the funny folks in front of and behind the cameras who make this hysterical show every week will be doing all the heavy lifting in our time travel experiment.”
“Goldbergs” EP and creator Adam F. Goldberg is as big a fan of Smith as Smith is of Batman. “I’ve waited in long lines to have him sign my ‘Bluntman’ comics, I’ve collected his ‘Clerks’ action figures, I’ve forced my writers to watch clips of his speaking engagements and I shoe-horned in a part for him in my screenplay for ‘Fanboys’ just so I could meet the guy,” said Goldberg. The show creator added that he bonded with his brother over Smith’s films. “There is no better person out there to help bring our Burton’s Batman episode to life. Truly.”
The “Batman” episode of “The Goldbergs” will air later this spring. The episode comes after Smith’s recent turns directing episodes of the CW’s “Flash” and “Supergirl.” The director, known for feature films like “Mallrats” and “Clerks,” is becoming TV’s go-to guy for bringing the DC Universe to the small screen. Smith’s “Supergirl” episode, titled “Supergirl Lives,” will air on the CW on January 23, 2017.
“The Goldbergs” stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, Hayley Orrantia, AJ Michalka, George Segal and Jeff Garlin and airs on ABC on Wednesday nights.