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Live, from Gotham City, the show that no one wants to see, but everyone will watch! Yes, it's Christmas With the Joker!

— The Joker

"Christmas With the Joker" is the Christmas episode of Batman: The Animated Series, and the first Christmas television episode set in the DC Animated Universe. Originally broadcast on Fox Kids on November 13, 1992, it is the series' second episode in production. It was also notably the only episode that was directed by Kent Butterworth, who quit to work for Universal Studios in the middle of production; Eric Radomski took up direction of the episode afterward, but was uncredited in the finished product.

Synopsis

JokerDressedUpForXmas

The Joker gloating as he hosts his special.

It is Christmas Eve, and even the inmates of Arkham Asylum are celebrating, singing "Jingle Bells" and setting up decorations. The Joker is given the golden ornament to put on top of the Christmas Tree, singing a common parody of the song mocking Batman. However, as soon as he places it on top of the tree, a hidden rocket activates and Joker rides out to freedom.

Meanwhile, back at the Batcave, Robin tries to convince Batman to kick back and relax, as there's no need for them to go out on Christmas. Batman believes otherwise, since Joker has escaped. Robin makes a deal with Batman: if they go out on patrol and find no sign of the Joker, then they'll return home and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Batman agrees, and the duo heads out. All seems quiet in Gotham for a change and Robin is convinced they aren't needed, but Batman is his usual self: seeing a man running after a rich woman and believing that she's going to be robbed, he heads out after them. However, the man calls to the woman and tells her that she dropped a package a couple of blocks back and returns it to her. Robin asks to go home and Batman silently swings off.

Now back at Wayne Manor, Dick (Robin) and Bruce (Batman) wait for dinner and turn on the TV. However, they discover that It's a Wonderful Life isn't on. Instead, they find that Joker has hijacked the television waves and has a "Special" for Batman. He shows a tank with a giant Santa Claus on top crashing through the city as he announces his program - Christmas with the Joker. Batman and Robin instantly work to find the Joker's location by checking power surges and head out to find him.

Joker continues his show and shows everyone his stolen family (since he doesn't have one of his own), "the Awful Lawful Family" - Commissioner Gordon, Summer Gleeson, and Harvey Bullock. Joker tells Batman that he can have them if he can find them by midnight, or else they will die. However, before Batman and Robin can reach him, Joker reveals "Laughy", his own Christmas Elf (basically his hand with a face drawn on it and a puppet costume attached). "Laughy" and Joker explain that they will blow up a rail bridge just in time for the 11:30 train to arrive. (Summer becomes agitated and explains that her mother is on that train.)

Batman and Robin go to the train and while Batman goes after the engineer, Robin uncouples the passenger cars. The tasks are simple enough and they save the passengers. Afterwards, they pinpoint the source of Joker's signal: the observatory at Mount Gotham. However, when they reach it, they find that Joker simply left a transmitter there and replaced the observatory telescope with a cannon. Batman draws the fire of the cannon while Robin runs in to disable it. Unfortunately, the outer controls are ruined and the cannon starts firing erratically at parts of Gotham.

Inside, Robin finds that there are several Joker statues with guns for hands. These statues give Robin trouble but he's finally able to disable the cannon with an explosive. Unfortunately, they are no closer to finding Joker's hideout and saving the hostages. Joker sends a broadcast of Summer opening a present: a Betty Blooper Doll. Batman realizes that the doll could only have come from the Laffco Toy Factory, which has been closed down for 14 years, so it has to be Joker's hideout.

Batman and Robin make their way to the hideout, and the Joker is more than ready. Joker plays the song, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky and several giant toy nutcracker soldiers attack. In spite of their size, the soldiers are easy enough to defeat. Just then, the song switches to "the Russian Dance" and toy planes fly after the duo. Batman grabs up a baseball bat and smashes most of them while Robin catches the rest in an oil barrel. Just as the planes are finished off, machine gun toting snipers shoot at the duo. Batman races up towards a set of giant teddy bears and hides. The snipers are confused by his disappearance until they see his cape and start firing. Much to their surprise, they find that it was only a giant teddy bear they shot at. The bear falls over and pins them down.

With Joker's men and traps down, the duo sets out to find him but he reveals himself. His hostages are dangling over a vat of molten plastic and Joker threatens to drop them in if Batman doesn't come and get his Christmas present. Batman takes the present and opens it to discover a spring-loaded pie inside. Joker has a laugh and cuts the rope holding his hostages. Fortunately, Batman saves them and goes after Joker. Joker manages to evade him for a while, but eventually trips on a roller-skate and almost falls into the vat. Batman saves him and bids him a Merry Christmas, to which Joker simply replies, "Bah humbug!"

Later, Bruce and Dick finish watching a recording of It's a Wonderful Life and Bruce has to admit that it "has its moments." Meanwhile, Joker, in a straitjacket, spends his Christmas alone in his cell, singing some verses of "Deck the Halls" as his insanity claims him.

Trivia

  • As this was the second episode of Batman: The Animated Series in production order, it is the first appearance of Robin and the Joker in the DC Animated Universe. As such, this episode also marked the first production in which the Joker was voiced by Mark Hamill, who would provide the character's voice in numerous productions over the next twenty years. It is worth nothing that the original voice producers for Batman: The Animated Series had wanted Tim Curry (who has voiced and played Ebenezer Scrooge at least once) as the voice of the Joker.
  • The giant tin soldier and Joker statues are featured as enemies in the Super Nintendo game The Adventures of Batman and Robin, appearing in the game's first stage "Amused to Death."
  • The Christmas tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas can be seen in the background when Joker rides up on the sleigh.
  • The background music score for this episode was made available on the 2-disc album Batman: The Animated Series, Volume 1, released by La-La Land Records on December 16, 2008. It makes up tracks 29-36 on the first disc of the set.

Availability

"Christmas With the Joker" was made available on home video for the first time in 1995, when it was featured on the VHS tape The Adventures of Batman and Robin: The Joker, which also included the episode "The Laughing Fish". It was later featured as the second episode on the Batman: The Legend Begins VHS and DVD, which also included the episodes "On Leather Wings", "Nothing to Fear", "The Last Laugh", and "Pretty Poison". It was later included on the Batman: The Animated Series, Volume 1 DVD set in 2004, and again on the Batman - Super Villains: The Joker's Last Laugh 2-disc set, released on October 16, 2012.

Cast

Voice actor Character
Kevin Conroy Batman / Bruce Wayne
Robert Costanzo Detective Bullock
Bob Hastings Commissioner Gordon
Clive Revill Alfred Pennyworth
Mark Hamill The Joker
Mari Devon Summer Gleeson
Loren Lester Dick Grayson / Robin

External links

Warner Bros.
Movies
Warner Bros. Pictures Christmas in ConnecticutGremlinsLethal WeaponNational Lampoon's Christmas VacationBatman ReturnsJack FrostThe Polar ExpressKiss Kiss Bang BangFred Claus
New Line Cinema The Long Kiss GoodnightElfThe Nativity StoryFour ChristmasesA Very Harold & Kumar 3D ChristmasThe Conjuring 2Collateral BeautyShazam!8-Bit Christmas
Blue Ribbon Content A Christmas Story 2A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish
Warner Bros. Television National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island AdventureThe Year Without a Santa ClausChristmas on the Square
Live-action television episodes
Friends and Joey "The One With the Monkey" • "The One With Phoebe's Dad" • "The One Where Rachel Quits" • "The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie" • "The One With the Inappropriate Sister" • "The One With the Routine" • "The One With All the Candy" • "The One With the Holiday Armadillo" • "The One With Monica's Boots" • "The One with Ross's Step Forward" • "The One With the Creepy Holiday Card" • "The One With Christmas in Tulsa" • "Joey and the Plot Twist" • "Joey and the Christmas Party"
DC Comics "Season's Greedings" • "Home is Where the Hurt Is" • "Twas the Night Before Mxymas" • "Lexmas" • "Gemini" • "Year's End" • "Three Ghosts"
Other shows "A Semi-Merry Christmas" • "Mel, the Magi" • "Mel's Christmas Carol" • "'Tis the Season to Be Jealous" • "A Christmas Story" (Growing Pains) • "The Kid" • "It's Not Easy Being Green" • "A Christmas Story" (Just the Ten of Us) • "Santa Goes Downtown" • "Let It Snow" • "The Night Court Before Christmas" • "Santa on the Lam" • "Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas" • "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel" • "Christmas is Where the Heart is" • "Miracle on Elm Street" • "Fa La La La Laagghh!" • "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" • "Deck the Malls" • "The Christmas Show" • "The Man Who Canceled Christmas" • "Christmas Day-Ja Vu" • "A Country Christmas" • "The Gift" • "A Miracle Happens Here" • "Homeless for the Holidays" • "Do You See What I See" • "The Miracle Worker" • "How the Finch Stole Christmas" • "The Greatest of Gifts" • "I'll Be Home For Christmas" • "Hindsight" • "Twas the Night" • "All About Christmas Eve" • "City of Mercy" • "Meet the Cuban Parents" • "Christmas Punch" • "A Clear and Presentless Danger" • "George is Being Elfish and Christ-Misses His Family" • "Santa's Secret Stuff" • "A Very Supernatural Christmas" • "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" • "The Maternal Congruence" • "The Santa Simulation" • "The Cooper Extraction" • "The Clean Room Infiltration" • "Christmas" (The Middle) • "A Simple Christmas" • "A Christmas Gift" • "Christmas Help" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Christmas Wall" • "Not So Silent Night" • "A Very Marry Christmas" • "The Christmas Miracle" • "It's Beginning to Stink a Lot Like Christmas" • "Jolly Red Elf" • "The World Ain't Over 'Till It's Over" • "Santa's Village of the Damned" • "Walnuts and Demerol" • "Warning, It's Dirty" • "One False Move, Zimbabwe!" • "Give Santa a Tail-Hole" • "On Vodka, On Soda, On Blender, On Mixer" • "Family, Bublé, Deep-Fried Turkey" • "Home for Christmas" • "Jingle Bell Glock" • "The Walk-Out" • "Yule Never Know" • "Merry Ex-Mas" • "A Very Carrie Christmas" • "Veronica's Christmas Song" • "Veronica's Secret Santa" • "An Echolls Family Christmas" • "One Angry Veronica"
Animated productions
Looney Tunes and related shows The Shanty Where Santy Claus LivesBedtime for SnifflesGift WrappedBugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales • "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special" • "'Twas the Day Before Christmas" • "Jingle Boo" • "The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert" • "A Christmas Plotz" • "Little Drummer Warners" • "No Time for Christmas" • "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" • "It Happened One Night Before Christmas" • "In Arms Way" • "The Twelve Days of Christmas" • Christmas Eve with Yakko, Wakko & Dot • "Noel" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Banks of the Delaware River" • "Feather Christmas" • "Yule Be Sorry" • "Christmas in July" • Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas • "A Christmas Carol" • "Tis the Seasoning" • "Winter Blunderland" • "The Legend of Burrito Monday" • Bugs Bunny's 24-Carrot Holiday Special • "Looneyburg Lights" • "How the Brain Thieved Christmas" • "Santamaniacs"
DC Comics "Christmas With the Joker" • "Holiday Knights" • "Frozen Out" • "Comfort and Joy" • "Storybook Holiday" • "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" • "Second Christmas" • "The True Meaning of Christmas" • "Halloween v Christmas" • "Teen Titans Save Christmas" • "Party Animal" • "Beast Boy on a Shelf" / "Christmas Crusaders" • "A Holiday Story"
Hanna-Barbera co-productions "A Dickens of a Christmas" • A Scooby-Doo! Christmas • "Ho Ho Horrors" • Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker TaleScooby-Doo! Haunted HolidaysTom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers • "The Plight Before Christmas" • "Scary Christmas" • "Scroogey Doo" • "It's a Wacky Life" • "Dashing Thru the Snow" • "Signed, Sealed and Wacky" • "The Spirit of Frostnos" • Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land
Other cartoons "Yuletide and Redtide" • A Cool Like That Christmas • "Santa Mask" • The Polar Express • "The Match Before Xmas" • A Miser Brothers' Christmas • "Da Grinchy Code / Duck" • "FROST / Undercover Claus" • "Fantastic Four Christmases / Red and White Collar" • Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas • "Christmas in Oz" • "Top of the Naughty List" • "Mandora Saves Christmas" • Beebo Saves Christmas
Albums
Have Yourself a Looney Tunes ChristmasA Hip-Hopera ChristmasMerry Christmas: Animaniacs & Looney TunesThe Looney Tunes Kwazy ChristmasA Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas
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