Producers Design "Gotham" to Please Hardcore Bat-Fans and Casual Viewers Alike

[CBR News]

Executive Producers Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon reveal their vision for Fox's "Gotham," and exploring Batman's origins from a fresh perspective.


Full article here.

[Ebon]

Please. The way you please a hardcore Batman fan is to have a show that's actually about Batman instead of the villains and walk-ons.

[joeshan]

Saw the pilot. Didn't love it, and I wasn't exactly going in with high expectations. It was basically a parade of villains, pre-villainy. Here's young Riddler! Here's young Ivy! Here's young Joker! etc etc. I like the actors, so I'll definitely give it a season, but what I saw did not relieve the original wariness I had about the series.

[Drew Melbourne]

Please. The way you please a hardcore Batman fan is to have a show that's actually about Batman instead of the villains and walk-ons.

That's not a show that they were ever going to do. Within the context of the show they ARE going to do, it sounds like they're approaching it the right way.

[Drew Melbourne]

Saw the pilot. Didn't love it, and I wasn't exactly going in with high expectations. It was basically a parade of villains, pre-villainy. Here's young Riddler! Here's young Ivy! Here's young Joker! etc etc. I like the actors, so I'll definitely give it a season, but what I saw did not relieve the original wariness I had about the series.

That's interesting. Last I heard, they were holding back the Joker for much later in the series...

[joeshan]

He wasn't formally introduced or named, but there was a scene with a character that was fairly obviously meant to be him. Of course none of the "villains", with the exception of Penguin, are actually villains yet. But in the course of 40 minutes of screen time Bullock and Gordon ran into and/or interacted with at least four future Bat-villains. It makes Gothan seem more like a small country town then a NY-sized city, and if the producers/writers are going to try to make sure every single Bat character is connected in some way I think it will get tiresome. So I'm skeptical, and I still think a Gotham Central adaptation is a much better concept for a TV series. I'm willing to give the show some time but it's going to have to work hard to convince me to keep watching past the midway point.

[Surtur]

Saw the pilot. Didn't love it, and I wasn't exactly going in with high expectations. It was basically a parade of villains, pre-villainy. Here's young Riddler! Here's young Ivy! Here's young Joker! etc etc. I like the actors, so I'll definitely give it a season, but what I saw did not relieve the original wariness I had about the series.

I'm confused, how have you seen the pilot?

[Angilasman]

I've been calling this show 'Little Sad Bruce Wayne' for a while now. I've got other people saying it, and it makes me laugh.

Please, everyone refer this show as 'Little Sad Bruce Wayne.'

[Surtur]

That is too much of a mouthful. Try just going with "Sad Bruce" or something.

Anyways, apparently the pilot was screened for various press people over the weekend, they couldn't give spoilers, but a majority of them had positive reviews of the series. Singled out was the performance of the guy who plays "The Penguin" as being one of the best on the show. So make of that what you will. It's nice people liked it I guess, but I was always pretty "meh" about Penguin.

[PretenderNX01]

You can't please hardcore Bat-fans. Even with Batman you'll have people complaining it should be Bale-like or Adam West style or Burton or...

[Angilasman]

That is too much of a mouthful. Try just going with "Sad Bruce" or something.

Being a mouthful is what makes it funny. It sounds like the title of the most depressing children's book ever.

[SmokeMonster]

I can't believe people are complaining that we're getting a show about Jim Gordon, set in the Batman universe.

A Batman show is not an option. What would you rather have....? Nothing?

[Angilasman]

^I think it's a bad idea for a television show.

I prefer the approach of this new Flash show on the CW. I like how it actually has The Flash in it.

[SmokeMonster]

A cop show is a bad idea for a tv show?

[Crimson Knight]

A cop show is a bad idea for a tv show?

I think it's more the idea that there's so much more to do with Gotham City, the villains, heroes, etc, that to dedicate the city, and the mythos to crime, procedurals, rather than other stuff, and that it feels like a lot of potential wasted.

Me, I'd say rather than looking on it as a Batman show without the man himself, look on it as a Jim Gordon show, about the various villains, the cops, the city itself, week to week, rather than especially about Bruce Wayne himself, or even the Batman.

I'm just worried about what tactics or acts Gordon might resort to, either in the premiere, or first Season. Same with Bullock, to some extent, but I'll see how it goes.