GOTHAM

[TheButcher]

Fox Nabs Gotham City Origin Drama About Commissioner Gordon From Bruno Heller & Warner Bros. TV With Series Commitment

EXCLUSIVE:

In one of the biggest drama deals this season, after a bidding war, Fox has landed Gotham, from Warner Bros. TV and The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller, with a series commitment. For Gotham, Warner Bros TV is mining one of DC Comics‘ most popular character universes, Batman. It explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon and the villains who made Gotham City famous. In Gotham, Gordon is still a detective with the Gotham City Police Department and has yet to meet Batman, who will not be part of the series. The Gordon character was introduced in 1939 in the very first Batman comic. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Commissioner Gordon has appeared in comic books as well as Batman films and series, including in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, where he was played by Gary Oldman. Along with the Superman franchise, the Batman universe is probably the most prized DC property.

While Superman spawned the long-running series Smallville, this is the first series featuring a character from the world of Batman in a very long time as WBTV had been exploring a Gotham City-set show for more than a year. It is the second high-profile WBTV/DC drama in the works for next season, along with Flash at the CW. In addition to Gotham, WME-repped Heller has the Mars drama Red at the CW. Gotham joins CBS’ sci-fi drama Extant as the two hottest drama projects this season, both sparking bidding wars and landing a series commitment and series order, respectively.

[TheButcher]

Batman Prequel Series Coming to Fox
UPDATED: The network has given a series commitment to a drama about Batman's police liaison from "Mentalist" showrunner Bruno Heller.

Fox has given a straight-to-series order for comic book drama Gotham, based on Batman character Commissioner James Gordon.

The origins tale centering on the DC Comics fixture comes to the network from Warner Bros. Television. The series will be executive produced and written by The Mentalist showrunner Bruno Heller. News regarding Gotham City's most notable police officer comes on the same day that ABC launched its own comic franchise, Agents of SHIELD -- from corporate sister Marvel -- based on the long-running intelligence group featured in the comics.

WBTV and DC are already in the TV business with The CW's Arrow and potential spinoff Flash in the works, but Gotham takes them into more familiar territory. A description for the series says that in addition to showing the history behind Gordon, it will focus on the villains that made the fictional city famous.

Since it chronicles events before Gordon meets Batman, the superhero will not be part of the series -- but Gordon's roots in the Batman universe go quite deep. He first appeared in Detective Comics #27, the same issue that introduced the Dark Knight. He was famously portrayed by Gary Oldman in the Christopher Nolan trilogy and the late Pat Hingle in the 1989-97 Batman features.

The series also isn't Fox's first flirtation with Batman this development season. The network recently gave a pilot order to The Middle Man from director/exec producer Ben Affleck, who is set to play Batman opposite Henry Cavill's Superman in the upcoming Zack Snyder feature.

Gotham joins Fox's Tina Fey-Matt Hubbard-Robert Carlock comedy as the only projects that have landed the rare straight-to-series orders for the 2014-15 broadcast season. (CBS' Steven Spielberg-produced Extant also was picked up straight to series for summer 2014.)

Gotham marks the latest comic book adaptation in the works at Fox. The network is also adapting Alan Moore's Vertigo comic League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which received a put-pilot commitment in July. And Homeland's Howard Gordon is prepping Boom Studios' Unthinkable, which also received a hefty commitment from Fox earlier this month.

The Gotham series also comes as The CW is still mulling Amazon, a potential Wonder Woman prequel series recounting the early days of the Justice League heroine. NBC tried to bring Wonder Woman to the screen two years ago with prolific producer David E. Kelley attached, but the much-maligned pilot failed to move forward. If The CW's Wonder Woman and Flash projects were to move forward and Batman were to appear on Gotham, DC could see the bulk of the Justice League either on TV or on the big screen.

[RogueScribner]

Either the pilot or the season finale will end with Bruce Wayne's parents being murdered with Gordon on the case.

[TheButcher]

Danny Cannon To Direct & Executive Produce Fox’s ‘Gotham’ Pilot

[TheButcher]

Either the pilot or the season finale will end with Bruce Wayne's parents being murdered with Gordon on the case.

SPOILERS!!!

[TheButcher]

What's wrong with Gotham city anyway?
Gotham city is an odd place: nightfall seems to operate independently of the circadian clock and criminal alter-egos are so common that the guy dressed up like a bat to fight crime barely even registers as unusual. But why is Gotham the way that it is?

What We Learned from the Script for Gotham's First Episode

Fox's 'Gotham' scoop: The Riddler cast

[TheButcher]

Bruno Heller: "'Gotham' Will Surpass the Batman Movies" Visually

[Peven]

love this show so far, stacked with good actors, I like the writing and the production quality is excellent. my only issue is how much they seem to be sexualizing young Catwoman, who is presented as a kid, like 14ish, a street kid, but they have her face made-up like a model ready for a GQ photo shoot and wearing tight black leather. aside from that, the show has set a very high bar for any comic-type tv shows

[TheButcher]

GOTHAM Is The Worst Thing To Happen To Batman Since Joel Schumacher
The new Batman-without-Batman show is silly, broad and too full of shitty winks to ever be enjoyed.

[Ribbons]

Devin is like a caricature of asshole critics

[Peven]

that is unfair to caricatures of asshole critics

[Fievel]

I actually agree with a lot that he brings up in his article. If it were written by someone else without the condescending tone, I'd fully endorse it.
But, it's Devin Being Devin, so my eyes hurt from rolling them so much by the time I was finished reading.

[Fried Gold]

I've given Gotham a try. I award it the rating of "Not really that good".

They've really over-thought something that should have been quite simple and effective.

[Peven]

I am still really enjoying this, I like the energy spent on creating an immersive storyline and setting. I guess it is a matter of different strokes for different folks for those who don't care for it

[Fried Gold]

This type stuff:

- "Hey look she likes cats, do you see?"
- "Hey look how much like the Riddler he is? Do you get it?"
- "Hey look how she keeps feeding her plants, look at that huh?"

...annoys me.

Which, to me, suggests someone along the chain of command didn't have much faith in the basic "Jim Gordon: Gotham PD" premise, got worried and then tacked on all that stuff. It's too much in one go.

(Incidentally, I think all they really needed was Cobblepot. He's quite effective.)

And I could deal with it, in terms of the show finding its feet and working itself out, if the actual "Jim Gordon: Gotham PD" part was that riveting. Police prodedural shows can be done really well and this could have been the same, with that added edge of being in a Batless Gotham.

[Peven]

This type stuff:

- "Hey look she likes cats, do you see?"
- "Hey look how much like the Riddler he is? Do you get it?"
- "Hey look how she keeps feeding her plants, look at that huh?"

...annoys me.

Which, to me, suggests someone along the chain of command didn't have much faith in the basic "Jim Gordon: Gotham PD" premise, got worried and then tacked on all that stuff. It's too much in one go.

(Incidentally, I think all they really needed was Cobblepot. He's quite effective.)

And I could deal with it, in terms of the show finding its feet and working itself out, if the actual "Jim Gordon: Gotham PD" part was that riveting. Police prodedural shows can be done really well and this could have been the same, with that added edge of being in a Batless Gotham.

aahh, I see, you watched the first episode, where they did go a little overboard with the "easter eggs" scattered everywhere. I think you are correct in that they probably worried that just Gordon alone wouldn't garner the numbers they need to justify the budget for the show, so in the pilot they tried too hard to show that this all takes place in the reality of Batman. plus, this is tv, they have to try to accommodate an audience that isn't as fluent in the Batman canon and need things spelled out a little more clearly than those who do. fortunately, the easter-egg overstuffing doesn't continue like that after the first episode and Cobblepot does get his due screen time and continuous plot thread. which I am enjoying

the kid playing young Bruce Wayne is doing a pretty good job, too.

[RogueScribner]

The worst parts of any episode are when they cut to Bruce Wayne. Who gives a flying flip? The scenes with him and Alfred stop the show cold. It's boring.

The second worst parts of any episode are when they cut to the former lesbian stuff. It's boring and has no place on a show like this. This isn't Melrose Place.

The third worst parts of any episode are when they cut to Jada Pinkett. I think she thinks she's in Adam West's Batman and she just does not fit with the tone of the rest of the show.

The actual process of solving a case is also boring. Which it probably is in real life too, but I don't watch TV to see real life.

I like the actor for Gordon and his partner, but I still feel they're trying to find their way in this mess. Selena is okay, if a bit sexualized (she's only 14, right?). The only real bright spot in this show is the Penguin and I never thought I'd say that.

This show has many problems, the biggest of which is trying to balance Nolan grittiness with Burton flair. It's not really working. Maybe this is a case of unmet expectations, but I thought the series would be about Gotham City as a character, and we would watch things slowly crumble around Gordon inspiring Bruce to become Batman. Instead, Gotham is already shit, we don't really get why the Waynes were important other than being rich motherfuckers, and Gordon seems to be doing his best to create villains rather than stop them.

I'm still watching hoping it will turn around, but if doesn't happen by winter break, I'm moving on.

[Fievel]

I gave up after two weeks ago for all of the negative reasons listed above. The show just doesn't know what it wants to be. Substance? Style? Homage? It tries all three and doesn't make it work for me. A shame, too, because some of the actors good with their characters (Gordon, Penguin, Selina). Others just seem to ham it up every time they're on screen.
Cheers to those enjoying it.

[papalazeru]

My big problem with the show:

Why in a world with mobile phones and technology do they all still use type writers?

[Spandau Belly]

They should make the mobile phones rotary dial for consistency.

[so sorry]

They should make the mobile phones rotary dial for consistency.

There's an app for that

[Al Shut]

My big problem with the show:

Why in a world with mobile phones and technology do they all still use type writers?

That way they are safe from the NSA

[TheBaxter]

i watched one episode of this show. it was enough.

[TheButcher]

Fox Updating King Arthur as Police Procedural Drama 'Camelot' (Exclusive)

Fox is looking to put a new spin on King Arthur.

The network is teaming with The Jackal Group's Gail Berman and Joe Earley to develop Camelot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The drama, which landed at Fox in a competitive situation with a script plus penalty commitment, reimagines the legendary stories of King Arthur in a police procedural. When an ancient magic reawakens in modern-day Manhattan, a graffiti artist named Art must team with his best friend Lance and his ex, Gwen — an idealistic cop — in order to realize his destiny and fight back against the evil forces that threaten the city.

Dan Frey and Ru Sommer (Black List feature script Bleeding Kansas, Fox's Saint Patrick) created the project and will pen the script as well as exec produce alongside Berman and former Fox COO Earley.

The project marks the return for Earley to the network after the executive's October 2015 departure following a 21-year run. Three months later, he reunited with former Fox entertainment president Berman — with whom he worked from 2000 to 2005 — as president of Berman's The Jackal Group.

Camelot marks The Jackal Group's third project in the works at Fox, joining the upcoming Rocky Horror Picture Show reboot, and comedy Mattress World from Jay Lacopo, which is in development.

Frey and Sommer are repped by Verve, Madhouse Entertainment and Myman Greenspan.

Familiar IP continues to be in high demand as broadcast networks, cable and streaming services look to cut through a cluttered landscape featuring more than 400 original scripted series. For its part, Fox has found success with its twist on Sleepy Hollow, among other IP.

[TheButcher]

Variety:
NBC Developing a ‘Sexy, Contemporary’ Female-Led Adaptation of ‘Oliver Twist

[so sorry]

The Gotham TV show revealed its version of Bane, and its pretty fucking awesome.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/81171

[Fievel]

DJ Qualls is perfect in the role and I'm glad Roger Corman is producing.

[TheBaxter]

he looks like a post-apocalyptic Jack Bauer to me

[Wolfpack]

Bane looks like he's been waiting for Obi-Wan.