The Graysons are Coming to The CW (http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=7696)
This is going to fail big time. . . :thumbdown:
Maybe it'll be a show about a family of Acrobats who don't fight crime. Sounds completely uninteresting.
Or maybe it'll take place after his family is killed and he'll be fighting crime before he meets Batman. Sounds unlikely given the plural of the name.
Or maybe it will be completely about an acrobat kid who fights crime for some reason and his family and have little to do with the source material.
It'll probably suck and the CW is all fuzzy on my TV now anyway.
Quote from: Midnite on October 01, 2008, 10:10:24 AM
The Graysons are Coming to The CW (http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=7696)
This is going to fail big time. . . :thumbdown:
I don't think you're giving it enough credit...
...throw out a bunch of teen heart-throbs with cheesy 90210/Soap Opera plot twists and you'll have a long-running hit.
B92
or was that Dawson's Creek?
so what, its a circus show cause correct me if i'm wrong but that's all there was pre-robin, dear god this sounds bad
Awful. Just awful.
*Announcer Voice*
"Coming in 2010 from the CW:
You know him as the cocky red- headed Green Lantern from Earth. Now watch as he battles his fiercest adversary yet- PUBERTY. That's right, folks... it's-
Guy Gardner- The Early Years.
Only on The CW: Where Good Comic Book Characters Come To Die."
DJ Grayson? :huh:
But I`m still interested in seeing it.
This should be Aquaman or nothing. What is wrong with these people?
Quote from: BentonGrey on October 01, 2008, 03:49:56 PM
This should be Aquaman or nothing. What is wrong with these people?
Yes cause nothing says sales like a character who can't maintain a solo series. :rolleyes: Robin has lasted longer than all the Aquaman comics, combined. Plus the character is more well known among the general non-comic book reading audience which this is marketed toward. Remember nothing on TV or movies is marketed toward the comic book fan. We are a small demographic that barely keeps our own industry afloat, there is no way they are going to bank on us for ticket sales, ratings, and etc.
It's hard to see how this can work without totally gorking the character. Dick was what, 12, when he hooked up with Batman? Are they suggesting that Dick had completed significant amounts of training before his parents got killed? That he was 18-20 when he became Robin? None of which even remotely resembles his story as it exists today.
Smallville works because the period before Clark becomes Superman has never been defined (if we accept the various "no Superboy" retcons). No such period exists for Dick Grayson except childhood and maybe very early adolescence.
Actually Ajax, you may or may not know this, but the unaired Aquaman pilot showed every signs of being the first step to a very successful series. People were interested, the show itself was a good starting point, with an inventive re-imagining that stayed true to the heart of the character, and competent, if not stellar, actors. It was the most highly downloaded TV show on itunes for a month or two when it was finally released. It showed every evidence of the ability to succeed in the same way Smallville did, but unfortunately for us......never got the chance. As far as his profile in the general public, I would argue (and I feel fairly confident in doing so) that he is actually fairly well known. This is a two-edged sword, however, as his fame springs largely from Superfriends, although he has a resurgence of public awareness thanks to Smallville.
Benton is pretty accurate with all things related to that lame fish guy. I mean, Aquaman. He's probably off complaining to a whale about such a let down since his show, which starred the fairly talented Justin H, wasn't picked up for some reason.
You guys are all so critical! This show will rock the socks off America for a whole season...and then season 2 will come and it'll be canceled. I mean, we'll get such great stories like Dick walking a tightrope and almost falling to his doom! We'll find out that the Graysons aren't just what meets the eye, but something so much more! Um...we'll get cameos by Bruce who we'll find out was scouting Dick for awhile before randomly grabbing the orphan kid off the street! And the season 1 finale will be Dick's parents dying!!!!! OMGAH! OMGAH, guys! OMGAH!
*falls asleep*
Dick "DJ" Grayson???
"In the one-hour "Graysons," which will be set in modern times, young DJ will face challenges involving first loves, young rivals and his family as he grows up. Souders and Peterson have come up with an original take on the character."
Wow ... who came up with this idea? Let's do a show as loosely associated with Batman as possible, and mix in some Beveryly Hills 90210 angst ... genius! Maybe we can do a series about one of Selena Kyle's cats ... only we never refer to her as Catwoman ... hmmm.
After Smallville and Birds of Prey, you'd think they'd have an understanding of what works and what doesn't.
This sounds terrible, but then, I keep hearing people say Smallville works, and wonder 'since when?' so I guess I'm not the target audience.
*Kills Prev........again*
I can't believe I'm going to defend this...
I think this has potential. Considering how Smallville leaned heavy on the kryptonite freak of the week... I see the Graysons having some of that as well and certainly no worse.
A circus would be a very interesting backdrop... I used it in one of my short stories here. There is a lot you could do with a circus backdrop --- instead of the kryptonite freaks... circus freaks. Not only that, but a different location every week. The circus almost has a romantic side to it --- the spectacle and skills of the people on stage... then the dark and mysterious side behind the scenes.
I actually see this series having a lot of potential and being very interesting week to week with a lot of possible story ideas.
The idea makes me cringe at first, but the more and more I think about it... I'd actually give it a shot.
RTT
Quote from: RTTingle on October 01, 2008, 08:06:46 PM
I can't believe I'm going to defend this...
I think this has potential. Considering how Smallville leaned heavy on the kryptonite freak of the week... I see the Graysons having some of that as well and certainly no worse.
A circus would be a very interesting backdrop... I used it in one of my short stories here. There is a lot you could do with a circus backdrop --- instead of the kryptonite freaks... circus freaks. Not only that, but a different location every week. The circus almost has a romantic side to it --- the spectacle and skills of the people on stage... then the dark and mysterious side behind the scenes.
I actually see this series having a lot of potential and being very interesting week to week with a lot of possible story ideas.
The idea makes me cringe at first, but the more and more I think about it... I'd actually give it a shot.
RTT
Yes, but where, in all of that, would it have to be about Dick Grayson? Couldn't you do all of that just as effectively, maybe better, and make it about entirely new characters? Especially if the only thing from the established version of the character they end up using is the circus background.
Although... Maybe it's a sign that these characters are begining to be interesting to people outside of their superheroic sides. Imagine a series about Peter Parker where he isn't Spider-Man, but is otherwise based closely on the "classic" comic-book version of the character, or a series about a young Steve Rogers growing up, or young genius Bruce Banner growing up, with a father who hates him... There could be an audience for all of these things, I suppose, even without the super hero angle. These are, after all, well-created characters, with detailed backgrounds... Still, this "Graysons" thing seems a little strange to me...
But there will be a superhero angle. There'll be acrobatics and flip kicks and daring do and the show will end up maintaining the 95% of the skills Dick needed to become Robin he learned at the circus.
I wonder what villains they can use ....?
Quote from: Jakew on October 02, 2008, 03:55:06 AM
I wonder what villains they can use ....?
Evil clowns infected with some kind of toxin/serum/virus.
And why are they calling him DJ? Did he ever use that nickname in the comics. I mean, what's with Hollywood changing... Oh yeah, his name is Dick. Never mind, good call.
Quote from: BWPS on October 02, 2008, 06:38:24 AM
Quote from: Jakew on October 02, 2008, 03:55:06 AM
I wonder what villains they can use ....?
Evil clowns infected with some kind of toxin/serum/virus.
And why are they calling him DJ? Did he ever use that nickname in the comics. I mean, what's with Hollywood changing... Oh yeah, his name is Dick. Never mind, good call.
His name is Rich. Rich John Grayson. I'll call him "RJ". ^^
Quote from: Previsionary on October 01, 2008, 06:47:55 PM
Benton is pretty accurate with all things related to that lame fish guy. I mean, Aquaman. He's probably off complaining to a whale about such a let down since his show, which starred the fairly talented Justin H, wasn't picked up for some reason.
You guys are all so critical! This show will rock the socks off America for a whole season...and then season 2 will come and it'll be canceled. I mean, we'll get such great stories like Dick walking a tightrope and almost falling to his doom! We'll find out that the Graysons aren't just what meets the eye, but something so much more! Um...we'll get cameos by Bruce who we'll find out was scouting Dick for awhile before randomly grabbing the orphan kid off the street! And the season 1 finale will be Dick's parents dying!!!!! OMGAH! OMGAH, guys! OMGAH!
*falls asleep*
seriously dude lay off the sugar
Since Supergirl is no longer on smallville, they should take that actress (can't remember her name) dye her hair black and make a show for Wonder Woman: the early years. I rather see WW than "DJ"
I don't know about her as WW, but a show featuring a young WW would be cool. Also, since the Legion of Superheroes will be appearing on Smallville anyway, a spin off of them starting off (as I recall they were all rather young anyway) could be cool.
Dick Grayson, not so much.
You know Cat, that is actually an excellent idea. If they want to do a youth-based show, that would be perfect, and, believe it or not, canonical!
Yeah...A LSH teen series makes far more sense than "The Graysons"...Bleh...Who cares.
Dana :rolleyes:
This whole thing with CW creating shows about teenaged superheroes reminds me a lot of this parody
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6OCbAnI51g
Quote from: Kholdstare89 on October 09, 2008, 05:44:38 AM
This whole thing with CW creating shows about teenaged superheroes reminds me a lot of this parody
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6OCbAnI51g
Haha.
Quote from: Kholdstare89 on October 09, 2008, 05:44:38 AM
This whole thing with CW creating shows about teenaged superheroes reminds me a lot of this parody
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6OCbAnI51g
:lol:
Quote from: Talavar on October 01, 2008, 07:26:49 PM
This sounds terrible, but then, I keep hearing people say Smallville works, and wonder 'since when?' so I guess I'm not the target audience.
You want to know why Smallville is the only super hero secret identity/early years show that works?
Because HE HAS SUPER POWERS!!! think about it, young clark kent learns how to develope his abilities. If "DJ", that bugs me, tried to develope his abilities he will be cancled in 1 and 1/2 seasons. A more real reason smallville works is because Superman has an alternate identity that is frequently covered. However, his past has rarely come up in popular media.
How can you give a side kick of the age 15 a past? he is in his past! I mean if the pilot is 2 year old DJ Grayson learning how to walk, then i hope it gets cancled. Oh, yeah. Did i mention since his parents are circies they would be teaching him how to walk, but on a tight rope.
"Oh, he's been crawling the tight rope for weeks! We're so proud of him."
I am, however, willing to watch it when it comes on. And if I am desperately wrong i will publicly post my appology here.
Quote from: docdelorean88 on October 15, 2008, 11:12:36 AM
Quote from: Talavar on October 01, 2008, 07:26:49 PM
This sounds terrible, but then, I keep hearing people say Smallville works, and wonder 'since when?' so I guess I'm not the target audience.
You want to know why Smallville is the only super hero secret identity/early years show that works?
Because HE HAS SUPER POWERS!!! think about it, young clark kent learns how to develope his abilities. If "DJ", that bugs me, tried to develope his abilities he will be cancled in 1 and 1/2 seasons. A more real reason smallville works is because Superman has an alternate identity that is frequently covered. However, his past has rarely come up in popular media.
How can you give a side kick of the age 15 a past? he is in his past! I mean if the pilot is 2 year old DJ Grayson learning how to walk, then i hope it gets cancled. Oh, yeah. Did i mention since his parents are circies they would be teaching him how to walk, but on a tight rope.
"Oh, he's been crawling the tight rope for weeks! We're so proud of him."
I am, however, willing to watch it when it comes on. And if I am desperately wrong i will publicly post my appology here.
No, I don't wonder why Smallville works, I think it
doesn't work. I think it was a poor show that's gotten worse with every successive season. I acknowledge that it is successful, but I do not think it works.
I understand that you don't think smallville works(though i thoroughly disagree), many people i know (Both superhero fans and non) think it is a waste of time.Your post was simply the thing that set off the chain reaction of my thoughts. So, i quoted you. ^_^
I think Smallville is a terrible show...that I still find enjoyable. I often attribute this to the strong acting and chemistry of Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Welling, Allison Mack and John Glover. Yes two of them are gone but they offset that with removing Lana, the single worst thing about the show.
As for the Graysons...well whats the hook? Whats interesting about pre-robin? Young Bruce would probably work better.
Quote from: Podmark on October 15, 2008, 08:45:43 PM
they offset that with removing Lana, the single worst thing about the show.
Well, she was nice to look at . . .
QuoteAs for the Graysons...well whats the hook? Whats interesting about pre-robin? Young Bruce would probably work better.
Actually, that would be really cool. Do some away at boarding school things, some home with Alfred things, some traveling and learning things . . .
Wasn't Young Bruce Wayne the original pitch that turned into Smallville? I thought I had read that somewhere, and that Warner Bros. nixed it because of other interests in the Batman property.
Good news one and all
"The Graysons" have been canned before the show even made it into production. From what I gather, it may have not even got into the casting phase.
The following is an excerpt from
Variety.
Variety is an industry trade publication, by the way.
QuoteAccording to studio insiders, Robinov has decreed that Warner Bros. "rethink its DC Comics strategy" and as a result didn't want to do anything big with a DC franchise at the moment -- at least when it came to "Graysons."
"The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of 'The Graysons' at this time as the concept doesn't fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise," the studio said in a statement. "Warner Bros. Television is currently working on several replacement options for the CW."
It's understood that "The Dark Knight" helmer Christopher Nolan never signed off on the TV show; one insider said the helmer was uncomfortable with having a TV show related to the Batman franchise on the air. But according to the studio, the decision to scrap the show rested solely on Robinov and not Nolan.
I suppose Graysons didn't fit their "turn everything dark" plan for their properties.
I think the Graysons is one of those rare ideas that don't fit into anyone's plans. I mean, what vision of Batman could this ever possibly fit into?
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on November 07, 2008, 07:55:11 AM
I mean, what vision of Batman could this ever possibly fit into?
Joel Schummaker?
Apparently this was watched over by the same benevolent diety as the Nick Cage Superman project. Too bad we didn't get that kind of oversight on Catwoman. Maybe it's on a limited number of bad idea kills, and it wasn't deemed important enough to use them all up.
The CW & Warner Bros. TV Scrap Graysons (http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=7787)
:thumbup:
Quote from: SuperherohypeThe one-hour "Graysons" was to be set in modern times and focus on young DJ as he faced challenges involving first loves, young rivals and his family -- a famous juggling act -- as he grew up.
<_<
Please tell me that was a screw-up on behalf of the person making the report, not anything potentially official. Because being a juggler *definitely* prepares you to be a Batman-like crime fighter. <_<
Juggling act? Well, just another reason to be glad this thing died a quick death.
Quote from: Midnite on November 07, 2008, 11:56:11 AM
The CW & Warner Bros. TV Scrap Graysons (http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=7787)
:thumbup:
Thank Dog!
If they need a soap-ish series that will be aimed at teens...
I still think a LSH teen show would be more interesting (teens are teens, no matter what century they live in...And there's a whole mob of characters there), than a Pre-Robin Dick Grayson series (Just...UGH!)...Not that I'd watch either.
A Marvel live-action teen-aged Spider-Man series might be really fun.
How about the
original New Warriors (Night Trasher, Firestar, Marvel Boy/Justice, Nova, Speedball, Namorita, Rage, Silhouette), live-action Teen Titans (with Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy, Aqualad and Wonder Girl) or maybe the
original teen-aged X-Men (without Wolverine, please)?
Dana
*examines thread*
I don't think that I've expressed my feelings toward this subject so here it goes.
My knee jerk reaction was that this show would be horrible. That being said, I thought the same thing when I heard the pitch for "Smallville". Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed the first couple seasons of Smallville. Later seasons were horrible.
Was I looking forward to this series? No. Would I have tuned in regularly? No.
Bottom line on my front, no harm, no foul. :P
-MJB
Quote
It's understood that "The Dark Knight" helmer Christopher Nolan never signed off on the TV show; one insider said the helmer was uncomfortable with having a TV show related to the Batman franchise on the air. But according to the studio, the decision to scrap the show rested solely on Robinov and not Nolan.
Yeah, I have no idea why Nolan would be even involved in this... it would be set well before anything to do with Batman and he's always said there will be no Robin in his Universe. So I don't buy Nolan being an excuse either.
Hmmmmm. CW is looking for another idea, eh? I kinda' fancy a LSH spinoff, that would be something else? Hmmmmm. Of course, I'd love to pitch Sandman Mystery Theater to them.
RTT.
QuoteYeah, I have no idea why Nolan would be even involved in this
Warner Bros. tends to agressively protect the movie versions of their comic properties, to the point that all other versions of related characters are subservient to them. If Nolan thought The Grayson's would reflect poorly on any future Batman movies, that would carry a lot of weight.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on November 08, 2008, 06:12:56 AM
QuoteYeah, I have no idea why Nolan would be even involved in this
Warner Bros. tends to agressively protect the movie versions of their comic properties, to the point that all other versions of related characters are subservient to them. If Nolan thought The Grayson's would reflect poorly on any future Batman movies, that would carry a lot of weight.
I don't buy it. I don't think Nolan wouldn't care about other things Batman related --- as long as there wasn't another direct theatrical Batman movie. Example, of all the troubles of the purported JLA movie, Nolan wasn't one of them. I think Nolan is intelligent and secure enough to know that a Graysons TV series would have no affect whatsoever on his Batmanverse. If that was true... why have a silver age tip of the hat cartoon of Batman on tv??? I think Nolan has a keen grasp on how, for this character especially, there are so many variations --- that several of the could co-exist just fine without having a negative effect on the other.
I think it's interesting when new ideas are proposed and most everybody shoots them down and at the same time complain about the lack of unique shows. I would at least have given Graysons a shot.
I think sometimes they have it backward. The 80's Superboy, the JLA pilot, Lois & Clark, The Flash, SwampThing, The Human Target, Birds of Prey, Smallville, the Aquaman Pilot... no matter how bad --- can never detract the popularity of the characters or preventing other incarnations. I don't think it can ever be shown that those tv shows ever had a negative impact upon the characters themselves.
I think the real culprit is the negative response to this. No more, no less.
Even bad publicity is good publicity. :P
Well, I think to a point that is true, but not necessarily. Take Aquaman, for example. He is a character who is pretty widely known thanks to Superfriends, but at the same time, he has a huge image problem to overcome because of that show. Anyway, I'd hardly call The Graysons a 'new' idea RTT. It was very derivative, just taking a formula they knew worked and attaching it to another property that was popular, albeit in an incredibly shortsighted way. People in this thread have proposed many ideas with much more imagination than that bit of corporate dross.
Quote from: BentonGrey on November 08, 2008, 04:10:02 PMAnyway, I'd hardly call The Graysons a 'new' idea RTT. It was very derivative, just taking a formula they knew worked and attaching it to another property that was popular, albeit in an incredibly shortsighted way.
Actually, I think the idea behind Graysons is much better than what Smallville is and became. My opinion, it better suits the Graysons idea. How often did Smallville use the freak of the week and kryptonite as a crutch? All these strange things happening in a small farm town week after week? Yet its managed to pull out for how many seasons? It just seemed more like a Sci-Fi Channel tv series to me than it did Superboy.
Now, take that same formula and apply it to a young man in a traveling circus. I can find it much easier to stomach and believe. First, it's not tied down to just one town. So I can believe the strangeness happening all over, wherever they may be --- plus circuses and carnivals just seem to ATTRACT weirdness. They can travel the country, quite possibly the world and come across the strangeness. The freak of the weeks won't always be Kryptonite induced or aliens... and could have many various backgrounds. In Graysons it would seem a lot more natural and believable for all these far fetched characters.
While I dont think Graysons would have been unique... I think everything they do on Smallville for the most part --- would be a much better fit for Graysons.
Is the idea totally unique? Of course not --- no idea really is. But it not being a major character I think was different and was interesting. Honestly, the pitched idea was supposed to be Bruce Wayne as a young man anyways --- so really... the idea kind of comes full circle. While the idea is similiar, I'm pretty sure Graysons would have built up in its own way and grown differently... much like Aquaman may have if that was given the chance.
Anyways --- its all just speculation and opinions anyway. :) Someone get me the Women's Entertainment Channel on the line, I think I can sell them on the idea of Sandman Mystery Theater as a series. ;)
RTT