Gotham(The Series)

[Shogunn2517]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/25/gotham-batmans-commissioner-gordon-getting-fox-tv-series

Not to be outdone by Marvel(which technically they are not only not being done, but well ahead), DC and Fox are getting together to make a new television series based in Gotham City.  However, instead of featuring Batman, the series will focus on a young Jim Gordon before Batman(presumably after Thomas and Martha Wayne's death) and "the villains that made Gotham famous".

I guess this would be imagined as a cop drama that has super villains in it.

Guess it could be good... Something of a GCPD: Central, assuming they handle it well.

[BentonGrey]

Ehh, sounds weak to me.

[Podmark]

Heh they stole my idea! I had this idea a couple of years ago, though mine wasn't a prequel and would have occasional appearances by Batman. Basically Gotham Central the series.

I think this could be a great idea. I hope they can pull it off.

[Starman]

So, this is Gotham Central the series ... pre-Batman? So super crime existed before Batman arrived in Gotham?

This sounds lame.

[detourne_me]

Neither Rucka nor Brubaker have anything to do with it, so I could see it being more like Year One focusing on Gordon, maybe Essen too.
Rise of Harvey Dent as DA?

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

More details have emerged.  If done well it could be good, but has too much possibility to drag on and become to focused on the not yet heroes and villains.  This was one of the issues with Smallville too.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/03/gotham-foxs-pre-batman-drama-gets-a-logo-and-synopsis.html

[vorelliwiseau]

Hmm, logo's not bad, I suppose.

Is this part of the Arrowverse? Because if it is, it'll have a Green Arrow, a Flash, and a Batman on it, which is a good start for a world-building plan of some sort. Next: Wonder Woman?

[bat1987]

Is this part of the Arrowverse? Because if it is, it'll have a Green Arrow, a Flash, and a Batman on it, which is a good start for a world-building plan of some sort. Next: Wonder Woman?

Nah, different TV stations. This will be in FOX, Arrow is on CW. Anyway, good casting for the most part. My main issue is that Selina looks much older than Bruce, other than that it looks promising.

Have to wait and see I guess, lost interest in Smallville in later seasons. Agreed with what cat said, don't like the not yet element of characters (I mean in Smallville, Clark met his entire rouges gallery before even becoming Superman).

[BWPS]

 Yeah I have no idea why they didn't just make it a  Superman  show after a few seasons.  The Blur? wtf?

I  also don't understand why they won't just make this a Batman show. Wouldn't that draw in a bigger crowd? I really don't understand the trend of making shows set in superhero universes about regular people.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I  also don't understand why they won't just make this a Batman show. Wouldn't that draw in a bigger crowd? I really don't understand the trend of making shows set in superhero universes about regular people.

No, they won't do that.  The top class heroes make way too much money in their own films right now for them to put them into TV shows.  Making it a prequel avoid this issue, so a single version of Batman can go on to rake in the dough at the box office.

As for having ordinary people in a superhero universe, that's not such a bad thing as you seem to think it is and has been done well quite a few times.  It just seems to be a struggle to make it happen well in television.  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be slowly finding the right balance, however, and others may soon follow.

[BWPS]

No, they won't do that.  The top class heroes make way too much money in their own films right now for them to put them into TV shows. 

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/538/731/0fc.gif

As for having ordinary people in a superhero universe, that's not such a bad thing as you seem to think it is and has been done well quite a few times.

When?

[lugaru]

Actually this interests me, and might have a modern Dick Tracy vibe.

That was my thought, like it wont be much of what I like about Gotham but could still be a good show.

I think the problem is that all the DC stuff always gets re-invented. All the Cartoons are super loyal to the stories, but the movies and shows are all over the place. That is not necesarily a bad thing (adaptation is a necessity) but often misses the mark by a mile.

[vorelliwiseau]

I also wish'd they'd go for a Gotham Central-style direction for this.

An HBO mini-series, maybe? "From the dusty mesa, her looming shadow grows..."

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

No, they won't do that.  The top class heroes make way too much money in their own films right now for them to put them into TV shows. 

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/538/731/0fc.gif

Perhaps we could, but WB is dead set against it, for some reason.  They even banned all Aquaman and Batman characters other than the title characters from the Justice League series because there were other things being developed from them.  Normally licensing would also be an issue, but never in the case of DC and only rarely in the case of Marvel.

As for having ordinary people in a superhero universe, that's not such a bad thing as you seem to think it is and has been done well quite a few times.

When?

Capes, Gotham Central, Agents of SHIELD is rapidly getting there, Steelheart, although that's a special case (superpowers in that universe turn anyone who has them evil, so the good guys are all ordinary folk)  There are others, I am sure, but I can't think of them right now.  To me, it's an interesting subject.  Obviously not so much to you, since you're often complaining about people doing it.  I'd like to see more, though, if done well.

[bat1987]

Pics of young Bruce, Selina, Gordon and Bullock

[Podmark]

Having Bruce in this show, especially so young really gives me pause. I really wonder what they'll be doing with him.

[Midnite]

Official Gotham Trailer!

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Looks okay so far, so long as they stick to crime drama in a world that might become that of Batman some day.  They have to have an end game in mind from the beginning and stick to it, though.  No Smallville style of dragging things out and making it a Superman show without making it a Superman show and keeping it going long after he should have worn the tights.  This show should be limited to about 5 years and should end no matter what at that point, with Bruce running into the world to begin his training and Gordan either becoming comissioner, or else being put in some position of authority.  They could perhaps stretch it out a bit longer during the time when Bruce is away, but no more than that. 

We'll see, I guess.

[Starman]

I actually suspect this will be a quite a good show ... I like the actors and showrunner involved, and the fact it looks a bit more serious than "Arrow". Plus I'm sure everyone will dig the Easter Eggs. The fact that the show's run will end with Bruce becoming Batman is also a major hook.

HOWEVER, I cannot help but wish they'd done a straight up "Gotham Central" series about cops investigating super crimes ... ala Agents of SHIELD, that tied in with the upcoming Ben Affleck Batman. That would have been amazing and I'm puzzled as to why it wasn't attempted. Greg Rucka's comic series had some fantastic storylines and only featured a smattering of cameos from Batman, and the concept of having the TV series exist in Zack Snyder's DC universe has already been tested by Marvel.

[thalaw2]

I guess there won't be any cross overs with Arrow. LOL!  The trailer looks more interesting than the original Arrow trailer.  I'll give the show a watch. 

[MJB]

Saw the trailer. Looks promising but the fact that this show will air on Fox is a red flag. Fox does not have a great track record for letting shows find their legs before cancellation.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this one slips past their cancel hungry executives.

[Shogunn2517]

Entertainment Weekly released these photos of the cast the other week and I thought they were well done.

















Still not too sold on the show.  I see them rather wanting to move too fast on Batman's timeline, which would, IMO hurt the show or move slowly and have it become a cop dram in a fictional city with some rather intense fictional characters.  It's a pretty large canvass that they can use, there's no need to rush it IMO.  Still a little bothersome that they decided to go so EARLY in the timeline to begin with.

[BentonGrey]

Ivy Pepper?  Is that supposed to be Poison Ivy?

[Talavar]

I really don't understand this show.  Why is Bruce Wayne a cast member?  So we can have 6 seasons of him not being Batman?  With its focus on the cops and most of Batman's Rogues Gallery, it's either going to be a show about a perpetual downward spiral, or make Batman look irrelevant.  I just don't get it I guess....

[trebean]

Anyone else creeped out/amazed on how young Selina looks exactly like Michelle Pieffer?

I think there's a lot of potential for this series.
Like showing the Rise then Fall then Rise again of Penguin
The relationship between young Bruce and Tommy Elliot
THE RED HOOD GANG
The origin of Black Mask
Court of Owls(?) and Talon
Maybe the Court of Shadows?
Young Zsasz and how he became like that

[HarryTrotter]

Wonder when this pilot will leak?Judging by now,we can expect it soon.

[Podmark]

Ivy Pepper?  Is that supposed to be Poison Ivy?

It would seem so. I'm curious about that, but I'm guessing they've decided on a take that is removed from the traditional Pamela Isley and opted to use a separate character. Doesn't preclude Isley showing up either.

I'm looking forward to this show. If I don't worry about the timeline or anything like that I see a lot of potential for a drama. I do wonder how they'll use young Bruce Wayne. How will they find enough material for him as a regular?

[BentonGrey]

Urg...that's just the type of thing that bothers me.

[captainawesome]

I kind of wonder if they're planning a time skip for the second season. Maybe show Gotham grow progressively more corrupt as throughout the first season, then have the second season introduce Batman about ten years after the first season took place.

[detourne_me]

Time skips are quite the thing in TV these days.