Series synopsis
Birds of Prey is an American drama action & adventure sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on The WB on October 9, 2002. It ended on February 19, 2003. It was created by Laeta Kalogridis. It stars Ashley Scott, Dina Meyer, Rachel Skarsten and Shemar Moore.
The series is set in New Gotham City, several years after it has been apparently abandoned by Batman. In his absence, Huntress, Oracle and Dinah are now the protectors of New Gotham: the Birds of Prey, and had taken over his war on crime. They are joined by Alfred Pennyworth, who serves Helena as she is heir to the Wayne estate; and Detective Jesse Reese, a police officer confronted with crimes and abilities he cannot explain.
A central feature of the series is the concept of metahumans: indiv ...
Premise
The series is set in New Gotham City, several years after it has been apparently abandoned by Batman. In his absence, Huntress, Oracle and Dinah are now the protectors of New Gotham: the Birds of Prey, and had taken over his war on crime. They are joined by Alfred Pennyworth, who serves Helena as she is heir to the Wayne estate; and Detective Jesse Reese, a police officer confronted with crimes and abilities he cannot explain.
A central feature of the series is the concept of metahumans: individuals born with powers that cannot be explained. No two metahumans have the same abilities (unless hereditary), and there exists a whole subculture of metahuman society that the outside world knows nothing about.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Ashley Scott as Helena Kyle / Huntress
- Dina Meyer as Barbara Gordon / Batgirl / Oracle
- Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Lance / Black Canary
- Shemar Moore as Jesse Reese
- Ian Abercrombie as Alfred Pennyworth
- Mia Sara as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
Guest cast
- Lise Simms as Det. Grace Tanner
- Shane Johnson as Colin
- Lori Loughlin as Caroline Lance / Black Canary
- Neil Hopkins as Specialist
- Patrick Fischler as Dr. Will Kroner
- Sung-Hi Lee as Sandy Woosan / Lady Shiva
- Kristoffer Polaha as Darkstrike
- Chris Ellis as Larry Ketterly
- Nelson Ascencio as Craig Finn
- Brody Hutzler as Mercenary
- Donovan Leitch as Malcolm
- Joe Flanigan as Det. Claude Morton
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 14 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | October 2, 2002 | October 2, 2002 |
| Season 1 | 13 | October 9, 2002 | February 19, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Unaired Pilot It begins with New Gotham in chaos. In one night, Catwoman is murdered and Batgirl falls in a rain of gunfire, victims of The Joker's wrath. With his true love dead, The Caped Crusader flees the city and Batgirl, now confined to a wheelchair, redefines herself as "Oracle", a master of cybernetics and weapons design. She takes under her wing the secret daughter of Batman and Catwoman, "Huntress", who is as fierce as she is beautiful. Powerful, haunting visions lead a third young woman, Dinah, to their secret Clocktower lair. The trio is complete. They are now the Birds of Prey, determined to battle crime in a New Gotham laced with bold new villains. |
October 2, 2002 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot The Batman legend takes an unexpected turn when the Caped Crusader vanishes from the crime-ridden city of New Gotham and his legacy is taken over by a trio of beautiful and relentless heroines - the Birds of Prey. Barbara Gordon started out as Batman's protege, Batgirl, but an attack by The Joker left her confined to a wheelchair. Reinventing herself as Oracle, she takes under her wing Helena Kyle, the secret daughter of Batman and Catwoman, who quickly grows into the fierce and beautiful "Huntress", and Dinah, a teenage runaway who is drawn to the city by meta-human visions. With the help of the only honest cop in New Gotham, Detective Jesse Reese, the Birds of Prey fight their first battle against a mysterious madwoman who is bent on their destruction. |
October 9, 2002 |
| 2 |
Slick Slick, an evil meta-human who can turn from solid to liquid, is hired by Dr. Quinzel to kill the honest cops who stand in her way. When Reese is the next intended victim, Helena comes to his aid and their mutual attraction continues to grow. Meanwhile, Barbara believes Dinah's story that she's just a runaway, but Helena remains suspicious. |
October 16, 2002 |
| 3 |
Prey for the Hunter Helena and Detective Reese clash again when they both try to track down a serial killer who destroys metahumans by taking on their powers. Meanwhile, Dinah ditches school when she learns from Helena there is a metahuman-only bar, and Barbara meets Wade's parents who think she is not normal enough for their son. |
October 23, 2002 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | The WB |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 9, 2002 |
| Last aired | February 19, 2003 |
| Runtime | 42 minutes |
| Status | Canceled |
| Schedule | Wednesday at 21:00:00 |