If your first reaction to the idea of an entire TV series devoted to Batman’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, is that of utter confusion, then you wouldn’t be crazy. For years, Alfred has been portrayed as an older gentleman that takes care of Bruce Wayne, who is often out galavanting as an oversized bat. However, in the new EPIX series, “Pennyworth,” we go decades into the past to find out that Alfred isn’t just a butler, he’s a bit of a badass, as well.
In the new teaser for “Pennyworth,” we don’t learn a whole hell of a lot about the plot of the series. Instead, we get smacked over the head with plenty of British imagery and music, to ensure that audiences know that this isn’t just your typical run-of-the-mill Batman spin-off series. No, this story takes place in 1960s London and features a new version of the famous butler. But just in case you don’t know this is a spin-off of the popular Batman mythology, they threw in Thomas Wayne (Bruce’s father) for good measure.
“Pennyworth” comes from the mind of Bruno Heller, who is the man behind the recent series “Gotham,” which also is a prequel to the common Batman lore. But in that series, the focus is on a young Bruce Wayne and the crime-ridden city he grows up in. And for Heller’s new series, starring Jack Bannon as the titular character, he’s going even further back to continue to build out the mythology, using the freedom of premium cable to its fullest.
“Pennyworth” will premiere on EPIX on July 28.
Here’s the synopsis:
From Warner Horizon Scripted Television, DC origin story Pennyworth is a ten-episode, one-hour drama series based on DC characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. It follows Bruce Wayne’s legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), a former British SAS soldier who forms a security company and goes to work with Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge), Bruce’s billionaire father, in 1960’s London.