Pennyworth changes name to helpfully clarify it's "The Origin Of Batman's Butler"
The show—about the origin of Batman's butler—is moving from Epix to HBO Max for its third season this October
Look: We like to make a joke or two around the ol’ A.V. Club Newswire desk, maybe invent a silly fake subtitle for a movie, or write several spec ideas for sci-fi Frasier episodes and include them in a piece, or whatever. But we had to genuinely check today, and reassure ourselves that we did not invent the new, legitimate, and actual subtitle for the third season of HBO Max transplant Pennyworth: The Origin Of Batman’s Butler.
In fact, we’re actually extremely grateful to HBO Max’s PR department for sending over the press release with the new name on it, saving us a full hour of scrubbing the internet to try to figure out which cunning prankster had invented this as a joke. Because, seriously: If you were trying to come up with a 30 Rock-esque subtitle for Pennyworth—the show that’s about the origins of Batman’s butler—we don’t think you could actually do much better than The Origin Of Batman’s Butler.
Pennyworth—which is The Origin Of Batman’s Butler—got its start on Epix, starring Jack Bannon as the titular bat butler before he had his big fancy origin. The show is mostly a ’60s-set spy and crime show, although the second season did begin steadily adding in more fantastical elements, since this is, ostensibly, the same universe that will eventually have Batman—whomst Pennyworth is the butler of—running around beating up murder clowns and guys made out of ice.
According to the press release, the show’s third season “begins after a five-year time jump: the civil war is over, and a cultural revolution has changed the world for better or worse—ushering in a new age of Super Heroes and Supervillains.” But who will press the linens of these new gods, striding mightily across the landscape? Who will put coasters under their drinks? Who will buttle for the Batman?
No, wait, sorry, we just read the name of the show again: It’s Pennyworth. He’s Batman’s butler. This is his origin.
The third season of P:TOB’sB comes to HBO Max in October.