Batman: All 12 Alfred Pennyworth actors ranked from worst to best

10. Ian Abercrombie

The first live-action Alfred to grace TV screens since Alan Napier’s legendary turn in the 1966 Batman TV series, Ian Abercrombie put on the waistcoat and spectacles in 2002’s incredibly short-lived WB series Birds of Prey.

The show centred on the disappearance of Batman (who vanished after The Joker’s last stand during a battle in New Gotham) and the subsequent rise of three badass female superheroes:  Huntress, Black Canary and Oracle (formerly Batgirl) a.k.a. the Birds of Prey.

In spite of The Dark Knight’s absence, Alfred stuck around and, instead, offered his services to the new team of superheroes. Much like he was with Batman, he was both efficient and effective in helping the ladies dominate the streets of Gotham and ultimately cleanse it of crime.

Abercrombie certainly looked the part and he was indeed the perfect Alfred that this slightly eccentric glossy and Gothic version of Gotham needed. However, his real strength came in the emotional scenes, as he played the butler’s relationship with Barbara Gordon much like the character’s relationship with Bruce – and that produced some genuinely heart-warming stuff.

The show itself had its drawbacks but Abercrombie’s performance certainly wasn’t one of them. In a mere 9 episodes, he brought Mr. Pennyworth to life and, if anything, it was worth it just to see this engaging interpretation. If only he had longer to do so.