The New Batman Adventures episode
"Holiday Knights"
Airdate:	September 13th, 1997 (USA)
Production Number:	01
Airdate Order:	01
Animation Services by:	Koko/Dong Yang
Written by:	Paul Dini
Directed by:	Dan Riba
Episode images (16)

"Holiday Knights" is the premiere episode of The New Batman Adventures. Despite being originally aired in September, this episode contains three Christmas themed vignettes, all completely unrelated to one another. The first story stars Batman in pursuit of Gotham's dames, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn; the following tale is about Batgirl's confrontation with Clayface; finally we have the Clown Prince of Crime on the loose with Batman and Robin trying to stop him.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 December 22 1.2 December 24 1.3 December 31 2 Continuity 3 Background information 3.1 Home video releases 3.2 Production notes 3.3 Production inconsistencies 3.4 Trivia 4 Cast 4.1 Uncredited appearances 5 Quotes 5.1 Part I 5.2 Part II 5.3 Part III

Plot Edit

December 22 Edit

Harley Quinn bemoans her fate to her friend, Poison Ivy, as they stay holed up in the skuzzy Gotham Hotel. With a raised eyebrow of devious foreboding, Ivy assures the rambunctious "Harl" that she has a plan that will make it "the happiest holiday ever".

Later on, at the Vreeland estate, we catch up with Bruce having a pleasant conversation with heartthrob Veronica about forthcoming vacation plans. Much to "Brucey's" chagrin, his quiet moment is interrupted by a gaggle of suitors all intent on snagging a moment with Gotham's most eligible bachelor under the mistletoe. Backing away in order to make an escape, he finds himself in the arms of a shadowy female figure who – seizing him by his necktie – plants a big one right on his kisser. Finding himself completely discombobulated as to what exactly just transpired, he makes his way outside with the intent to head home.

On his way to his car, however, he's intercepted by Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, with a look on his face like he cannot resist their every command no matter how hard he tries. While in the car, Harley kindly reveals exactly what happened: Poison Ivy used a special lipstick laced with a chemical in order to infect Bruce, via the aforementioned kiss. They also boldly pronounce that they intend to have a night on the town at Mr. Wayne's expense. The girls shop endlessly buying clothes and jewels, all the while Bruce begrudgingly (yet uncontrollably) puts it all on his credit cards. Finally, Bruce begins building up a will as the chemical's potency begins to wane. Vocalizing his discontent, the girls decide it's time for another dose; backing away from Harley's approach, however, Bruce falls down a conveniently placed 'out of order' open elevator shaft. Believing the slip to be his last, Harley and Ivy leave Bruce for dead, yet as they turn their backs and walk away, a portentous hand reaches out of the abyss and grips the edge of the floor.

As the duo burn rubber away from Bergduffs Department Store, the silhouette of the Batman can be seen swooping after them. When Harley spots him through the back window, Ivy wastes no time in making an escape: she grabs the wheel of the car and ram raids the Wacko Toys shop. Probing through the pitch black with his flashlight, Batman soon needn't wonder where they've gone to as a huge toy soldier comes crashing down nearly upon him. Looking up, he can see them taunting him atop a citadel of toys. Not one to decline a challenge, Batman eagerly ascends the tower only to find a boxing glove by Poison Ivy and a wooden sledge hammer from Harley Quinn. Plummeting to the bottom, the girls cannot resist a gloat as they make – what they believe will be – their exit. But the quick minded Batman has other plans: he uses his grappling hook to snag the base of a massive Christmas tree, which he then yanks hard, causing it to topple over directly on the would-be escapees.

December 24 Edit

In Mayfields Department Store, Barbara is just purchasing a new tie for her father when all of a sudden an ear-piercing wail cuts through the air. The shop attendant comments on how they've been crying all day, at which point we see why: Harvey Bullock is playing Santa. With his partner, Montoya, he's on a stakeout. Bullock, showing rare sensitivity, comforts a young girl who's father he put in prison, and winds up giving her cash to soothe her Christmastime woes.

Barbara, walking through the store, happens to spot a child shoplifting, but when she tries to apprehend him, his clothes and hand seem to dissolve into nothing. Then, Montoya gets a call through her earpiece that detectives are in pursuit of four child bandits in the store. Just when the children seem to be trapped, they meld! Moments later the truth is revealed: Clayface! He begins tearing up the place and no one can stop him, that is, until Barbara gets changed into her Batgirl outfit and delivers a blow to the head the sends him crashing out the window and into the skating rink below. Montoya and Bullock arrive on the scene and with a little guidance from Barbara, succeed in halting the giant shapeshifter by way of electrocution.

December 31 Edit

In Commissioner Gordon's office, Batman and Robin have just reviewed a taped broadcast by the Joker, who reveals some good news and bad news: the good news is that for the next year, he will not kill anyone; the bad news is that he intends to make up for the loss in activity that very night. Gordon tells Batman the only murder that day was a GothCorp scientist who specialized in sonics. This Dr. Erikson had been working on a sonic based weapon powerful enough to kill anyone in 'earshot'. Using some rudimentary deductive skills, Batman concludes that the New Year's Day countdown at Gotham Square is assuredly the place where the Joker will set off the bomb.

Indeed, the Joker is setting up, and Batman is close at hand, but – always with a trick up his sleeve – the Joker has prepared a mass of plastic joker masks in order to help him blend in with the crowd. Batman is not amused. Using his 'Batnoculars', he easily spies the real Joker (with a huge clown wearing ear muffs on either side of him) playing the piano on stage. So just before swooping in, he makes his presence known with a well-timed Batarang to the head, removing the Joker's ear muffs. Then, instead of going after the Joker directly, Batman and Robin take out the muscle on either side of him. This seemingly simple task, however, proves to be too much for the caped crusaders and they find themselves in the clutches of the Clown Prince of Crime.

As the bell is rising to ring in the New Year, the Joker is having himself one final gloat by standing next to Batman with a bottle of champagne. The ever-alert Dark Knight snatches the bottle and sprays it all over the controls, shorting the wires and eventually exploding the bell's pulley, resulting in a falling, massively heavy bell. As luck would have it, the giant object lands right on the Joker (who comically follows it up with a small "ouch").

A few hours after midnight (January 1), Police Commissioner Gordon enters a small tavern and has a seat, while the barkeep ushers out the remnants of the punters. He speculates that "he" might not show due to the hectic day "he's" had, but the Commissioner is sure he will show so not to break tradition. Naturally, it's Batman who they're talking about and who makes an entrance from the kitchen. He sits; they chat for about ten seconds; he slips away like a shadow, leaving money for the bill behind. Gordon, surprised, swears that one day he'll beat him to the check, then heads home with a swinging Bat close behind him.

Continuity Edit

• Clayface's return in this episode is not explained until the subsequent epiosde "Growing Pains", in which Batman and Robin express shock to see him alive and well after Batman watched him dissolve in the ocean at the end of Batman: The Animated Series, "Mudslide". As Batgirl does not seem surprised to see him, it is possible that she is unaware of the events of that earlier episode, or that this episode takes place after "Growing Pains".

Background information Edit

Home video releases Edit

• Batman: The Animated Series, Volume Four (DVD)
• Batman: The Complete Animated Series (DVD)

Production notes Edit

• This episode was adapted from the Batman Adventures Holiday Special, cover date January 1995. Notable differences include:
  • The comic is still in the style of Batman: The Animated Series;
  • The comic includes a story that was not adapted to the episode, "White Christmas", featuring Mr. Freeze. After the death of his wife, Freeze breaks out of Arkham. When Batman finally captures him at the cemetery, he tells him he only wanted to make a white Christmas, because she loved snow.
  • In the comic, there is a clear reference that Harley is Jewish.
  • In the comic, the story featuring Batgirl and Clayface (entitled "Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas") precedes the story featuring Harley and Ivy ("The Harley and the Ivy").
  • In the comic story "Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas", Barbara enters an empty dressing room to change into her Batgirl costume; in the episode, she ducks behind an abandoned counter. Interestingly, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's original script for the comic had Barbara changing her clothes in the middle of the panicking crowd, trusting that no one would notice her. The publisher firmly vetoed this idea as too indecent, so instead she used an empty dressing room. The animated version seems to represent a compromise, with Barbara changing in the crowd, but not in plain view.
  • The animated adaptation of the Joker story ("...What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?!") replaces three nameless goons with Mo, Lar and Cur.
  • Robin was originally not part of the Joker story.

Production inconsistencies Edit

• The sign at the tie stall at Mayfields reads "Mayfieds"; the "l" is missing.

Trivia Edit

• While the girls are shopping, the music being played is based on "The Twelve Days of Christmas".
• The three late-night revelers singing "Auld Lang Syne" in the tavern are caricatures of Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, and Shane Glines.
• The Joker's lines in the videotape message were re-animated and re-voiced for an appearance in Bruce's records in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
• The football game that Joker's message interrupts features a commentator naming one of the players as "Altieri", a reference to Kevin Altieri. In the comic, the player was called Starkings, after penciller Richard Starkings.
• The episode begins and ends in the same place, Joe's Tavern, which is opposite the Gotham Hotel where Harley and Ivy are staying.
• This marks the first appearance of Mo, Lar and Cur.
• Some of the women seen attempting the kiss Bruce under the mistletoe were previously seen in "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", most notably "Ms. Bambi".
• The crack in the bell after it lands on Joker is likely a reference to the Liberty Bell.

Cast Edit

Actor	Role
Kevin Conroy	Batman/Bruce Wayne
Tara Charendoff	Batgirl/Barbara Gordon
Mathew Valencia	Robin
Mark Hamill	The Joker
Ron Perlman	Clayface Mo, Lar and Cur (uncredited) Carol singer (uncredited)
Arleen Sorkin	Harley Quinn
Diane Pershing	Poison Ivy
Bob Hastings	Commissioner Gordon
Marilu Henner	Veronica Vreeland
Robert Costanzo	Detective Bullock Carol singer (uncredited)
Liane Schirmer	Detective Renee Montoya
Rachel Davey	Mary McSweeney
Tress MacNeille	Little Boy Dispatch (uncredited)
Corey Burton	Uniformed Cop Sports commentator (uncredited) Joe (uncredited)

Uncredited appearances Edit

• John Erickson

Quotes Edit

Part I Edit

Harley Quinn: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! We-we killed him... Oh, well. Poison Ivy: We were going to do it anyway. Harley Quinn: We got his credit cards; what's to worry?

Poison Ivy: I'll bet you've been a good little Batboy this year. Unfortunately, Harley and I are still on the naughty list. Harley Quinn: Come on up and get your presents.

Part II Edit

Child: You're not the real Santy Claus. Bullock: Sure I am. Wanna see my gun? (Montoya slaps Bullock) Ow!

Mary McSweeney: My name is Mary McSweeney, Santa. Can you bring my dad home for Christmas? Bullock: Gee, I don't know. Where is your dad? Mary: In prison. Bullock: Whoa! Your dad is Mad Dog... uh, Mike McSweeney? (she nods; aside to Montoya) I sent her old man up the river three months ago. (to Mary) Uh, look, kid, I'd like to help you, but, it's like this... (sighs) What I'm trying to say is, some wishes even Santa can't make come true. (gives her some money) Ah, here, get yourself something nice for the holidays. Mary: (hugs him) Thank you, Santa! Would it be okay if I bought something for my dad, too? Bullock: As long as it ain't a hacksaw, why not?

Part III Edit

Joker: Hi-ho couch potatoes. I'm interrupting the Toilet Bowl to bring you my very special New Year's resolution: ahem, starting tonight at midnight, I – your loving uncle Joker – do solemnly vow not to kill anyone for a whole year. Which means I'm going to have to work extra fast to bump off a few more of you today. (Laughs madly)

Previously produced episode: "Batgirl Returns"	Episodes of The New Batman Adventures	Next produced episode: "Sins of the Father"
Previously aired episode: "The Lion and the Unicorn"		Next aired episode: "Sins of the Father"