Looking forward so much to this. I loved Smallville , and always wanted a young Batman show. While focusing on a young Gordon instead , with Bruce Wayne in the background , this is still going to be great methinks.
Some casting info here:
http://www.followingthenerd.com/ftn_news/donal-logue-cast-as-harvey-bullock-in-foxs-gotham/
After Smallville, Arrow, the Aquaman pilot, Birds of Prey, and the constant network um-ing and ah-ing about what Wonder Woman/Amazon should be about despite Xena, Buffy, Alias, Lost Girl and so on being fantasy shows with female leads that have been on screens over the last two decades and it is the year 2014, I will go ahead and say this will objectively be a load of shite, but if you like Batman and/or comic books you'll probably make allowances - and more power to you if you do, it's not like grumbling on the internet about yanks making lousy genre telly will make them stop.
(http://media.comicbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Gotham.jpg)
Title of series, look closely and you may see something ;)
That just reminds me of this.
(http://hub.tv-ark.org.uk/images/itvlondon/itvlondon-thamesmain/images/thames-ident1978night-al.jpg)
Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 11 March, 2014, 09:13:01 PM
(http://media.comicbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Gotham.jpg)
Title of series, look closely and you may see something ;)
I give in. Is it the spotlight /bat signal?
The Bat logo!
Sorry still don't see it, is it like one of those magic pictures were you stare at it for an eternity just to see the picture :lol:
So it's not the face of Ras al Ghul in the clouds?
I'm seeing no bat signal. And if there was, it would be in the spotlight... again, don't see it.
And... zeppelins...? Gotham isn't exactly located in the past is it?
That one could be artistic - Gothic - licence (kind of) though. Maybe.
Hm. Some buildings do have pointy ears. That's all a bit subliminal.
That's it, although I may watch the Thames version myself ;)
Lots of good looking teenage girls and boys with their teenage problems. Love triangles and all that bullshit. Done before. I'll watch one or two just out of curiosity but I bet it's crap. Unfortunately.
Off the back of this I'm looking forward to other shows such as:
The Adventures of Normal Human Scientist Bruce Banner
Set before he became the Hulk, see Dr. Banner wrestling with the day to day highs and lows of being a research scientist as his OCD manifests itself in the compulsive purchase of hundreds of pairs of purple trousers. Features scenes of test tubes!
Willie Lumpkin - The Old Postman Who Occasionally Interacts (offscreen) With The Fantastic Four
New series following Willie on his daily rounds as he delivers letters to various places (not the Baxter Building) in New York city and strikes up a gentle romance with Daphne, a local florist, during which he refuses to discuss anything pertaining to the Fantastic Four.
The Turtles! The adventures of the lovable reptile siblings before they encountered the mysterious ooze that mutated them into crime fighting ninjas. As the the baby turtles slowly shuffle around in the dark sewer, they attract the attention of a normal, unmutated rat called Splinter who sniffs them for a bit before moving on to eat some human feces.
The Felt and Stuffing Show
The adventures of various miscellaneous fabrics and materials before they were purchased by Jim Henson.
Men
Average guys with average abilities doing day to day stuff.
Heh!
Apt mockery aside, many of the best bits of Year One are young Gordon's struggles to do his job in a corrupt Gotham PD, so it could well work on that level.
lolz. You guys are funny.
I'm torn over this. Agents of Shield didn't work for me. The whole Marvel universe at their disposal and then they go and focus on the crap bit.
This Gotham series has potential but it needs to be dark and dirty, like the Arkham games. If it's just more standard Americrap TV, full of beautiful people, and shit like that, then I'm out. I honestly can't see how having a kid Batman (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1723516/gotham-batman-bruce-wayne-david-mazouz.jhtml) will do anything for the Mythos. Especially if it leads to kid Penguin and kid Joker etc. *shudder*
I know Gotham has always been one of the stars of the Batman franchise, but taking the Bat out of Batman seems a dodgy move.
That said, I know you'd all go mental for this picture, even if it excluded a certain lead character...
(http://www.backfromthedepths.co.uk/dredd/mc1.jpg)
Quote from: TordelBack on 12 March, 2014, 01:40:56 PM
Heh!
Apt mockery aside, many of the best bits of Year One are young Gordon's struggles to do his job in a corrupt Gotham PD, so it could well work on that level.
You're quite right but I think at least part of the pleasure is knowing something Gordon doesn't - that Batman's about to show up and shake things up. The story doesn't make you wait too long for the payoff either.
I'm not sure how well it will work on TV without the payoff of ever having Batman turn up.
Quotetaking the Bat out of Batman seems a dodgy move.
Both "Gotham Central" and "Gotham Nights" did this perfectly well.
My problem is the likely target audience.
I am having difficulty understanding what they are going for here. OK, its Gordon's story before Batman but are we going to get him investigating crimes like in Law and Order? I suppose that could work with 'real' crimes that on occassion can tie in with characters like the Penguin. Behind all this they can also show the city becoming more corrupt and criminal.
But if that's not the angle, then what are we going to see each week?
Well, you'll see the brilliant Sean Pertwee play a Young Arthur.
Thats got to be worth a look....
Quote from: Teivion on 12 March, 2014, 03:24:06 PM
Well, you'll see the brilliant Sean Pertwee play a Young Arthur.
Thats got to be worth a look....
Arthur? Is it a Dark Knights of the Round Table mash-up?
I was hoping for a son of Worzel Gummage joke, but close enough ;-)
Maybe - if it isn't prematurely axed - each season will jump forward a set amount of years , until eventually you'll see the gradual transformation into Batman , and Commissioner respectively.
Quote from: Recrewt on 12 March, 2014, 02:34:52 PM
I am having difficulty understanding what they are going for here. OK, its Gordon's story before Batman but are we going to get him investigating crimes like in Law and Order? I suppose that could work with 'real' crimes that on occassion can tie in with characters like the Penguin. Behind all this they can also show the city becoming more corrupt and criminal.
But if that's not the angle, then what are we going to see each week?
We'll get what they give us - a genre mash-up like
Smallville or
Cop Rock most likely, though I imagine they'll work hard to play it like a police procedural in the early PR days as procedurals are a safe ratings bet, and they won't promote any genre elements too much in case it scares off normal viewers.
Basically, we'll get something like
Bones or
Castle (which has had murders committed with phasers and by time-travelers), only not intentionally amusing or light-hearted.
Quote from: Ghastly McNasty on 12 March, 2014, 02:03:05 PM
That said, I know you'd all go mental for this picture, even if it excluded a certain lead character...
(http://www.backfromthedepths.co.uk/dredd/mc1.jpg)
If you look closely you can see a Judges helmet.
Please God, let Gotham be half as amazing a genre mash-up as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWwNTSj2Cy0
Quote from: dancornwell on 12 March, 2014, 09:19:38 AM
Lots of good looking teenage girls and boys with their teenage problems. Love triangles and all that bullshit.
I can't be the only person who's watched
Hollyoaks or
One Tree Hill and thought everything would be more interesting if the characters could shoot death rays from their vacant eyes. Time/Warner might have missed the boat there, though - the teen TV market is all scripted reality, like
Jersey Shore, these days. What they should do is put the real Batman and Bane in scenarios devised by the production staff, and then let them improvise their own dialogue.
I like
Pro Bear's suggestion that
Gotham might be like
Cop Rock - imagine Gordon's squad of detectives and Tom Wilkinson's mobsters circling each other, clicking their fingers, singing about how great it is to be a cop/hood, and pulling ballet moves instead of actually fighting.
I imagine it will feature the long term (and ultimately unsolvable) murder of Thomas & Martha Lane, with loads of prescient encounters with their grim orphaned son, plus some standard corruption procedural stuff tacked on.
I was thinking about this a bit more last night and I suppose they could also go down the boardwalk empire type route - following the corruption and crime in the city and showing Gordon trying to counter it but ultimately failing. Would be nice to have the Penguin in the Steve Buscemi type role.
Quote from: Dandontdare on 12 March, 2014, 06:45:55 PM
Thomas & Martha Lane,
I did of course mean "Wayne", but I apprecaite nobody pointing it out!
Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth
(http://i.imgur.com/B2DZfHQ.jpg)
Quote from: sauchie on 12 March, 2014, 06:21:24 PM
Quote from: dancornwell on 12 March, 2014, 09:19:38 AM
Lots of good looking teenage girls and boys with their teenage problems. Love triangles and all that bullshit.
I can't be the only person who's watched Hollyoaks or One Tree Hill and thought everything would be more interesting if the characters viewer could shoot death rays from their vacant eyes. Time/Warner might have missed the boat there, though - the teen TV market is all scripted reality, like Jersey Shore, these days. What they should do is put the real Batman and Bane in scenarios devised by the production staff, and then let them improvise their own dialogue.
I like Pro Bear's suggestion that Gotham might be like Cop Rock - imagine Gordon's squad of detectives and Tom Wilkinson's mobsters circling each other, clicking their fingers, singing about how great it is to be a cop/hood, and pulling ballet moves instead of actually fighting.
FTFY
Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle
(http://i.imgur.com/eXsgpmf.jpg?1)
Donal Logue as Detective Harvey Bullock
(http://i.imgur.com/uiBtXrA.jpg?1)
Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot
(http://i.imgur.com/1f1jD64.jpg?1)
No.
If this is set when Bruce Wayne is a lad... shouldn't Selina Kyle be a little girl, if she appears at all? I guess they're mixing things up a bit.
I actually quite like the look of Cobblepot as a younger man. Can imagine age and weight added and his degradation/transformation to the rogue we know...
Quote from: Mardroid on 31 March, 2014, 02:22:08 AM
I actually quite like the look of Cobblepot as a younger man. Can imagine age and weight added and his degradation/transformation to the rogue we know...
I can't wait for the episode where Brucey and Ossie, best friends since Junior High, fall out over Selina, not realising until it's too late that she's responsible for the daring burglary of Wayne Manor.
Oh and Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon. (He was good in Southland)
(http://i.imgur.com/jMwWQYy.jpg?1)
Quote from: TordelBack on 31 March, 2014, 10:13:03 AM
I can't wait for the episode where Brucey and Ossie, best friends since Junior High, fall out over Selina, not realising until it's too late that she's responsible for the daring burglary of Wayne Manor.
Reminds me of
Gotham High: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BjTsjgk3Lg
Quote from: Dash Decent on 31 March, 2014, 12:27:05 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 31 March, 2014, 10:13:03 AM
I can't wait for the episode where Brucey and Ossie, best friends since Junior High, fall out over Selina, not realising until it's too late that she's responsible for the daring burglary of Wayne Manor.
Reminds me of Gotham High: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BjTsjgk3Lg
Or SMALLVILLE.
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 01 April, 2014, 01:09:15 PM
Quote from: Dash Decent on 31 March, 2014, 12:27:05 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 31 March, 2014, 10:13:03 AM
I can't wait for the episode where Brucey and Ossie, best friends since Junior High, fall out over Selina, not realising until it's too late that she's responsible for the daring burglary of Wayne Manor.
Reminds me of Gotham High: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BjTsjgk3Lg
Or SMALLVILLE.
Indeed.
All this meanness aside, I have to report a sneaking affection for Arrow. I don't follow it, but we occasionally dip in for half an episode or so, and it is quite fun (I suspect my wife is mainly hoping to 'accidentally' run into one of the numerous shirtless scenes). Maybe Gotham can find a path somewhere between the day-glo Dawson's Creek shenanigans of Smallville and the murky warehouses of Arrow or (Grud forbid) the Dark Knight flicks.
But give Gordon a 'tache, please.
Meanness is a gift for shows like this, TB, as it keeps them trending.
Quote
But give Gordon a 'tache, please.
He'll put on the 'tache in the final ever episode in season 7. :P
New trailer, now that looks good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d1zpt6k5OI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d1zpt6k5OI)
And in other news, Fox has officially given a series order for its Batman prequel "Gotham".
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/31971/fox-orders-gotham-to-series (http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/31971/fox-orders-gotham-to-series)
Quote from: TordelBack on 01 April, 2014, 01:23:40 PM
All this meanness aside, I have to report a sneaking affection for Arrow. I don't follow it, but we occasionally dip in for half an episode or so, and it is quite fun (I suspect my wife is mainly hoping to 'accidentally' run into one of the numerous shirtless scenes). Maybe Gotham can find a path somewhere between the day-glo Dawson's Creek shenanigans of Smallville and the murky warehouses of Arrow or (Grud forbid) the Dark Knight flicks.
But give Gordon a 'tache, please.
I love Arrow, and am unashamed to say so! I saw bits and pieces of it and dismissed it as cheesy nonsense, then was really bored/hungover one day so just put it on Netflix to save me moving, and within a couple of episodes I was totally hooked. The first season finale was fantastic telly entertainment, haven't seen beyond that yet though.
From that I've learnt I should give these things a chance instead of discounting them, so I'll try this despite the trailer not doing much for me.
It seems to be going down the gritty route but the young Poison Ivy and Catwoman seem to be trying to push it into a younger audience. I feel that's why they did nothing in the trailer, along with Bruce only popping up a couple of times.
As mentioned by others above (unless this post is at the top of the page) I also enjoy Arrow and hope this has that feel about it.
Ugh, Poison Ivy! A dreadful character based on dated gender politics, with no more place in modern Bat-media than Steamboat has in stories about Captain Marvel.
Still, at least casting a young child in the role will get the Daily Mail to continue coverage of the show.
Littered with hidden teasers...
(http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/strontium71/1622790_1554627338096920_6590197864627918621_n.jpg)
I always thought Anarky was a good character. The story would fit well in a series about young Gothamites too.
Channel 5 have bought this, presumably so they can launch it as part of a Danny Cannon season featuring the 1995 Stallone movie, which Channel 5 seem to show almost as often as they used to air C.S.I, Cannon's previous TV show: http://ind.pn/1sdXdjf
Well I quite enjoyed that. It's quite gritty with a few bits of violence splattered throughout. One scene even looked like it was heading down the [spoiler]'Hostel' torture[/spoiler] route!
A few of the major players have been introduced (don't know if it's the same was as they were introduced in the comics) and the story went for it with corruption running through it.
One thing I am pleased about is the younger characters were only on screen a short time, which allowed the story to unfold around everyone else.
Was this on channel Five? They have advertised it, but no time/day mentioned and my searches don't reveal it :(
Starts in October sometime but not confirmed yet according to this website. http://www.geektown.co.uk/tvairdates/gotham/
cheers colin, :wave: didn't want to miss the first episode and have to catch-up
Saw this last night. It's very reminiscent of early-2000s Bat-series Birds of Prey in that it takes some perfectly good elements that look fine on the surface and give the impression of a tv show you might watch, but then keeps adding things jenga-style that undermine the effect they're going for by veering (too) hard into panto territory, like the bizarre choice of multicoloured neon indoor lighting in the police precinct, or working class cop Jim Gordon's vast loft apartment with a giant roaring log fire in the middle of it - though fair play to the producers for picking up on this and note their post-production fix (his apartment is also an art gallery).
I was hoping for something like The Shield, because let's be honest, you could totally see that show being set in a superhero universe with the level of bombast and silliness on display, and by sticking to its guns it carried you along so you didn't spot the glaring holes in it, or how ludicrous things were until you sat down afterwards and had a think about things - but Gotham doesn't have that energy as it's too busy trying to believe its own bullshit without putting in the time to make the audience believe in that bullshit, so it comes off as patchy and unconvincing, but I don't suppose that stopped the abominable Smallville running for ten years, so fair play to Gotham because it's nowhere near as bad as that. Also kudos for doing the logo in the "flying towards you bathed in neon lights" style of the logo from Batman and Robin, the 1970s cars, the stuffy clothes, and the gothic sets. The production design may not be consistent, but some elements of it are impressive and commendable.
Quote from: Bear McBear on 25 September, 2014, 02:09:35 PM
working class cop Jim Gordon's vast loft apartment with a giant roaring log fire in the middle of it - though fair play to the producers for picking up on this and note their post-production fix (his apartment is also an art gallery).
It's not his apartment: it belongs to his (clearly slumming it) wife-to-be, who's the one who runs an art gallery.
I have no idea where they're going with this. If it's going to be a Gotham-set crime drama of sorts, with nods to Batman continuity, then I could get on with that. If they're pitching it more like Smallville... well, Superman was
always Superman and (although I never watched the series) I can see how there could be mileage in exploring how he grows into an understanding of power and responsibility.
Bruce Wayne, though,
isn't Batman here. He's a traumatised kid who basically turns into a borderline psychopath vigilante over a period of many years because of his inability to cope with his grief and because of his lack of any kind of family structure other than a surrogate father-figure whom
he employs.
That doesn't sound like a prime time TV show to me...
Cheers
Jim
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 25 September, 2014, 02:34:55 PMIt's not his apartment: it belongs to his (clearly slumming it) wife-to-be, who's the one who runs an art gallery.
And towards whom I have an instinctive and irrational dislike because of her weird resemblance to professional plank of wood Ali Larter.
Another thing I don't like is that Batman doesn't keep dozens of bats in his house or feed random bats he encounters on the streets, so I'm really tired of seeing Catwoman fetishise moggies every time she appears in a new iteration. I know this might be crazy-man talk, but I think it is entirely possible that she might be called Catwoman after cat
burglars, and not because she can't go three feet without stealing milk to feed to alleycats because she has some kind of compunction towards feline-centric larceny.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 25 September, 2014, 02:34:55 PM
I have no idea where they're going with this.
After watching the pilot I have to agree it was tonally insane and cheesy as a hat made from babybels. Was it just meant to be silly fun? Was it meant to be gritty drama? It didn't really do either very well but it tried it's hand at both.
I think (because I can't be bothered to go and look) I'm paraphrasing Jim or someone here but it felt like a load of cliches held together with easter eggs hoping to pass for something tolerable. Not a very convincing first episode (what was the deal with all that abattoir meat near the end? It was literally just plastic - so cheap!) and insanely ended up making me crave the return of Agents of SHIELD - franchise spin-offery which ACTUALLY has some firm continuity cake to solidify it.
HOWEVER....
SEAN PERTWEE
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 25 September, 2014, 02:34:55 PM
I have no idea where they're going with this. If it's going to be a Gotham-set crime drama of sorts, with nods to Batman continuity, then I could get on with that. If they're pitching it more like Smallville... well, Superman was always Superman and (although I never watched the series) I can see how there could be mileage in exploring how he grows into an understanding of power and responsibility.
Bruce Wayne, though, isn't Batman here. He's a traumatised kid who basically turns into a borderline psychopath vigilante over a period of many years because of his inability to cope with his grief and because of his lack of any kind of family structure other than a surrogate father-figure whom he employs.
I'd agree with this and add a little concerning the villains this show is setting up. If they become full blown supervillains before Young Master Bruce puts on the cape and cowl, then they will have to win every time. Their insane schemes have to come to fruition without the Gotham Fuzz being able to do anything to stop them. If the GCPD are in any way competent in dealing with the supervillains, they why would Gotham need Batman? If Gordon is in any way successful, then he will be the hero Gotham needs/deserves rendering Batman obsolete. So Gordon will have to fail again and again, and the whole run of the show will have to depict a city descending into hell and losing all hope.
As Mister Campbell says, not exactly Prime Time material.
The other option is none of the Super villains emerge before Batman, adding to the argument that Batman inspired them to step up their villainy and thus Batman is the cause of all Gotham's woes. This idea was better explored in the Nolan movies.
When Colin Smith dissed an issue of Spider-Man for having the main character use torture to extract information, Marvel editorial boffin Steve Wacker accused him of being too old to read comics for kids (kind of like pointing behind someone when a conversation goes sideways, shouting "SQUIRREL!" and then running away), which I suspect will be the defence for Gotham when anyone asks sensible questions about story structure or thematic arcs.
There's also a "making of" show on the web where the very first thing the producers say in interview is that they don't want to copy the comics because they wanted to "elevate the material". I imagine this attitude bodes well for the future.
This is going to be complete shit, isn't it?
Cheers
Jim
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 27 September, 2014, 09:38:56 PM
This is going to be complete shit, isn't it?
Cheers
Jim
I think you maybe right from the above descriptions, on the Bright side Falling Skies is back on Cooncil TV this week
I watched the pilot episode last night. It was complete shit!
So...
GOTHAM? More like SHITam!
Quote from: Proudhuff on 29 September, 2014, 09:58:59 AM
on the Bright side on a complete bum note Falling Skies is back
Fixed that for you.
Dunk!
Maybe it'll get good around episode 16 - like agents of SHIELD. But the pilot was awful!! Cat woman, cobblepot, Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Carmine Falcone, and poison ivy all appear in ever more contrived ways. The script writing was shocking too.
Dave
Quote from: Proteus4 on 29 September, 2014, 12:22:55 PM
Maybe it'll get good around episode 16 - like agents of SHIELD. But the pilot was awful!! Cat woman, cobblepot, Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Carmine Falcone, and poison ivy all appear in ever more contrived ways. The script writing was shocking too.
Dave
Brilliant! Sounds just like SMALLVILLE. I'm in!
Sadly it's not as bad as
Smallville yet, Tips. It's only as bad as
Chicago PD.
Quote from: Proudhuff on 29 September, 2014, 09:58:59 AMI think you maybe right from the above descriptions, on the Bright side Falling Skies is back on Cooncil TV this week
You shouldn't say things like this - people can't tell you're joking. You could cause someone to actually tune into an episode of Falling Skies and then they'll be all confused, wondering if they've accidentally turned on a channel that shows reruns of
V: The Series that for some reason has been Star Wars Special Editioned with CGI lizards and dodgy racial politics and edited in such a way that the stories make less sense.
Falling Skies is one of the few shows that has made me genuinely angry at it - in general because someone would turn in scripts so shit in the year 2014, but specifically when it does something like "oh this is the best possible turn out of events" and you
immediately know it's a hallucination a character is having but it continues for a whole episode like you don't. An utter waste of time when there are many other shite tv shows that are at least entertainingly bad, or at the very least don't rub your nose in the fact that the writers think you're a fucking moron - the mad-as-fuck
Dallas, for instance, or
Matador, in which a secret agent goes undercover as an ace soccer player for the LA Riots, a team owned by Alfred Molina with a mullet and uncovers a conspiracy by an immortal British supervillain to use an Incan mummy to unleash the apocalypse and yes
this is a real show. Or even
Forever, which is basically Castle, if the character of Castle was
the Highlander for some reason.
Or even just watch paint dry, just don't watch Falling Skies because it will only encourage them.
but i like it :-[
This is exactly what I mean - on the internet people can't tell you're joking.
I liked Gotham. Not the show but the fact that my wife and kids enjoyed it so thats another 40 minutes I can book on the Playstation for me.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 27 September, 2014, 09:38:56 PM
This is going to be complete shit, isn't it?
Cheers
Jim
Look, at some point they're going to stunt cast Kevin Conroy, it'll be fine...
Quote from: Satanist on 29 September, 2014, 02:27:55 PM
I liked Gotham. Not the show but the fact that my wife and kids enjoyed it so thats another 40 minutes I can book on the Playstation for me.
like the sound of that! :lol:
Episode 2.
[spoiler]So the young Cat Woman went round tearing the eyes out of grown mens heads?[/spoiler]
Why is the DC universe determined to make silly pulp characters so dark and gritty as to become laughable.
Utter shite.
Yep - the "three episode rule" comes into effect now and Geoffery and I are done with this.
The inconsistent tone, the laughably hammy acting (especially from Jada Pinkett Smith) and the irritatingly tedious grinding inevitability of what it's 'building up to' just make it a total non-starter.
"OH GOTHAM NEEDS A HERO.
OH I WONDER WHO THAT WILL BE.
OH I DON'T KNOW.
OH NEITHER DO I BUT IT'LL BE SOMEONE"
EVERY.
SINGLE.
WEEK.
(http://www.shaunareid.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/bannatyne.gif)
Well I watched the first 3 episodes of this last week and I have to say I really enjoyed it.
I'm not saying it's the most original programme out there but it was really good fun. It seems a bit silly complaining about the cheesy acting when the entire production is as camp as a row of tents. I thought the humour was pretty good and I found Bullock's resigned acceptance of corruption and willingness to speak with his fists very entertaining.
And apart from that, one episode had a villian whose modus operandi was handcuffing people to balloons and letting them float away. Bonkers!
I feel sorry for the guy doing the Penguin, as he's throwing himself into it even when his storyline - especially his dialogue - makes no fucking sense at all even by this show's standards.
Well all you've said so far has made me want to tune into Channel 5 tonight for the first broadcast on peasant telly!
I'll give it three episodes as well, but I wasn't a fan of Smallville and Arrow wasn't much better. As it is i'm sick of 'gritty' super hero addaptations.
I blame Frank Miller.
Watch the first episode, I liked it, more like the Shield (that LA bald cop show) than Smallville which is good.
I stumbled across this last night were doing other things (I was very surprised it was on Channel 5 so soon). Now I must admit I was only half watching but damn it all seemed to take itself a little too seriously. It was so determined to be grim and 'mature' and hard-bitten it came across daft to me. It was so so lite as well all so shiny in the darkness. Everything planned, cold and clinical.
Not for me.
Its kinda symptomatic of my feeling towards lots of comic (particularly superhero) films and telly. Flash and Daredevil two of my all time favs are coming to the small screen and a few years ago I probably would have been cock-a-hoop at the thought. Now I can barely be bothered to think about them. Good telly is so much better than nearly all the superhero stuff I've seen. Good superheroes are so much better in comics than live action. So I'm cool that these things are there but they really don't work for me and Gotham seemed to define why that is.
Stop bloody trying so hard to be taken seriously. Either relax with who and what you are or let it go.
That's not to say they can't be serious, mature and good, I'm sure they can, but while they seem so self conscious about it I don't think they will!
Watched it last night and didn't care for it. As far as I could see it didn't have two original ideas to rub together and it just appeared to me to be another gritty detective show but with Batman window dressing. Meh.
People keep describing it as grim and gritty but I don't get that from it at all.
I'd describe it almost as black comedy in lots of instances. The bit where Penguin is beating the guy in the alley and the cop goes out and they say they're just playing and the victim gives a big grin and a thumbs up. I thought that was supposed to be a joke. And in the later episode there's the balloon guy.
It's like there's this cop double act, one of whom (Bullock) is in on the joke and willing to go along with it and the other one (Gordon) is completely bemused by this bonkers city and is trying to keep a level head. Again, it's a fish out of water story which is more comedy than serious drama.
I honestly think the whole thing is supposed to be tongue in cheek and that people are reading it too seriously.
I actually enjoyed last night's opener a lot more than I thought I would - they shovelled in a lot of proto-villains - Penguin, catwoman, Riddler, poison Ivy (and I wonder if we'll see that traumatised stand-up comedian again..), but that was inevitable for the first ep. I know that Montoya, Bullock and Carmine Falcone are all from the comics as well, but I've never come across Fish Mooney before - is she original for the show?
I think it works because of the leads - the Gordon/Bullock partnership was good, I liked the way they interacted, but I can't see this being must-see viewing every week.
Quote from: Dandontdare on 14 October, 2014, 11:37:37 AM
...but I've never come across Fish Mooney before - is she original for the show?
Yup
It seemed overly keen to throw every single batman character into nearly every scene.
Also do not watch The Flash. Seriously. Just. No.
Nah- as i keep telling the kids- watch the first season if you are interested- then the second season if it has promise. after that drop it like a stone.
Remember how long it took Babylon 5 to hit it's stride? And Shield was wobbly for the first half of the season.
Remember that these are 'not' the comics you love- they are IP mines designed to capture advertising revenue. Don't expect to see more than glimpses of the potential.
Watched Gotham and mostly enjoyed it- hope that they don't try to build links to Arrow, Flash etc and I hope they keep the costumes downplayed as well. nice to see Sean Pertwee and directed by Danny Cannon...
I watched up to episode 4 last night.
bulluck is basically gene hunt from life on mars.
sean pertwee as alfred is great. The forgotten sean.
the only interesting character is emopenguin and he's not very interesting
cat girls head is very strange
jim's wife is stupid and ridiculously demanding [spoiler]at one point pretty much threatening to divorce him because he refuses to tell her cop secrets[/spoiler]
edward nigma is annoying
a couple of the endings to episodes were just too DUN DUN DURRRRRR!
some of the exterior shots of gotham look like they are made from cardboard
Don't think I'll bother with this. Does the presence of almost all of the usual villains while Bruce Wayne is still in short trousers mean this show's dropped the Miller/Nolan thesis that Bruce Wayne introducing an animal theme to his psychopathic attacks on purse snatchers causes the criminal classes to become more violent and flamboyant themselves?
Quote from: JamesC on 14 October, 2014, 10:43:49 AMI honestly think the whole thing is supposed to be tongue in cheek and that people are reading it too seriously.
You can look at the list of Gotham's forebears like CSI Miami/New York, NCIS, or Cold Case to see that Gotham isn't a commentary, parody or reaction to anything, it's just another entry in an established sub-genre of the cop procedural where grittiness is ramped up to hide ridiculous plotting and thin characters. Shows like Forever, Bones, Castle, Elementary, The Glades, Psych -
these are the real parodies of the kind of po-faced murder panto that Gotham is just another poor example of.
Sorry that no-one likes it, I will kept watch it, as enjoy first episode.
It can be slow burn at first.
Quote from: Bear McBear on 15 October, 2014, 12:21:57 PM
Quote from: JamesC on 14 October, 2014, 10:43:49 AMI honestly think the whole thing is supposed to be tongue in cheek and that people are reading it too seriously.
You can look at the list of Gotham's forebears like CSI Miami/New York, NCIS, or Cold Case to see that Gotham isn't a commentary, parody or reaction to anything, it's just another entry in an established sub-genre of the cop procedural where grittiness is ramped up to hide ridiculous plotting and thin characters. Shows like Forever, Bones, Castle, Elementary, The Glades, Psych - these are the real parodies of the kind of po-faced murder panto that Gotham is just another poor example of.
Sorry, I just don't see a show featuring a vigilante that disposes of villians by means of balloon as 'po-faced'.
Nor would I - but we would be in the minority because Gotham wants you to take it seriously.
A child rips out a man's eyes causing his friend to shoot him to death, Penguin stabs a jock in the throat with a broken beer bottle and kills a fisherman for his sandwich - these are ludicrous extremes, but they aren't meant to be funny any more than Horatio Caine's one-liners.
Quote from: Bear McBear on 15 October, 2014, 01:05:45 PM
... but they aren't meant to be funny any more than Horatio Caine's one-liners.
Sounds like you can hardly ***dons sunglasses*** BEAR to watch this!
YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!
ooh - shabby behaviour changing your username just so somebody's pun doesn't work! :D
Bit late jumping onto this one, but here's my review for the pilot episode:
Episode 1x01 - "Pilot"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x01-pilot.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x01-pilot.html)
Quote from: Pop Culture Bandit on 20 October, 2014, 02:12:28 PM
Bit late jumping onto this one, but here's my review for the pilot episode:
Episode 1x01 - "Pilot"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x01-pilot.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x01-pilot.html)
Just watched episode 1 and am very impressed. The only (very) minor glitch for me was Harvey's overacting, everything else was done with a great sense of fun, and the repurposing of the (many!) familiar characters was done very confidently. An ongoing hunt for the Wayne murderer could well tie it all together as you say, not something I gave a hoot about as the story bounced along. Great stuff.
Drokk it! Missed the first episode because I was away and it isn't on DEMAND5. Is it available anywhere else?
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 22 October, 2014, 12:42:39 PM
Drokk it! Missed the first episode because I was away and it isn't on DEMAND5. Is it available anywhere else?
http://www.channel5.com/shows/gotham/episodes/pilot-23 (http://www.channel5.com/shows/gotham/episodes/pilot-23)
Doh! Thanks Goaty. Didn't think to check the normal website if it wasn't available on Demand5.
I think this would work if they would only trust the audience. The script seems to be layering it on with a trowel even when info's being spelt out in big neon letters on screen and someone is Semaphoring like mad in the background, trope on top of trope with more easter eggs than caburyland in April.
The mix of past /present grates as well: the bullpen has 80's computer, 50s cops and current phones, the alleyways have monster wheelie bins and cartoon topcat ones (but only for bashing people) and don't get me started on the Juvies... :D
Apart from that I liked it.
Mrs Lincoln
I think I would enjoy this show a lot more if it would stop insisting I take it seriously
We're about three episodes in and I don't think I like it.
There's some solid stuff in there but not enough to really yank my chain (batman easter eggs don't count!)
Jim Gordon is quite dull and I'd almost rather just watch the Penguin's rise to power. (Carol Kane was hilarious as his mum).
What's pissing me off most about it is the totally unbelievable motives of some of the characters. Penguin just seems to have no reason to murder a bunch of people in cold blood, when other moments he is a total wimp. Is that what penguin is supposed to be like? If so, he still annoys me.
Gordon can't also be the only good moralled person on the force.. I get that this is basically the point they are making but again it makes it seem unbelievable that everyone else is a grade A douche.
I'll give it a few more episodes. Hopefully it will stop irritating me because I want to like it so bad.
I'm surprised people are so negative. i actually quite like it. if anything I think it has that silly factor silly. The helium balloons anyone? mr Nigma?
the penguin steals the show though ( and I like the over the top violence). he's a wimp when he needs to be. when he sees the opportunity to kill easily he takes it.
I'm trying my very best to get into this having watched it from the start..but there's just something about it I just can't put my finger on that's stopping me from liking it
Is it the script? The acting? The budget?
I know one thing..I don't like Copperpot..he is more f**king annoying than sinister and the actor is about as convincing as gherkins on a McDonalds
Gordon is as interesting as ronseal and the villains about as scary as Mrs Merton
Gotham is supposedly a seedy lawless place..but the production somehow fails to deliver the City in the light that it was intended
I'll keep watching..in the hope it will improve..but so far it's giving me the same vibe as Agents Of Shield..another programme I wasted my time on
I gave it an episode and a half and thought... nah. I have plenty other shows to waste my time on.
Telly threads are among the most bonkers/interesting ones for me :o
Right now, Gotham is the only show of this type I can bear and I genuinely enjoy it. There are galumphing great liberties taken (Jim & Barbara ??!!!) and realism is NOT promised as far as I can make out. As in the Batman comic (and the vast majority discussed on this board, it's not gritty realism).
Have tried SHIELD about 5 times (very samey and formulaic) and Dr Who perhaps 4 (emphatically a kids' show (not a criticism in itself - see Harry Potter) and self-important). Gotham - for the time being - is a bit of a fun romp.
QuoteHave tried SHIELD about 5 times (very samey and formulaic) and Dr Who perhaps 4 (emphatically a kids' show (not a criticism in itself - see Harry Potter) and self-important). Gotham - for the time being - is a bit of a fun romp.
I agree with this. i feel that it is fresh to have a comic book adaptation that is aimed at adults for once.
For those interested here are our reviews of the episodes so far:
Episode 1 - "Pilot"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x01-pilot.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x01-pilot.html)
Episode 2 - "Selina Kyle"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x02-selina-kyle.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x02-selina-kyle.html)
Episode 3 - "The Balloonman"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x03-balloonman.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/10/review-gotham-1x03-balloonman.html)
Episode 4 - "Arkham"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x04-arkham.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x04-arkham.html)
Quite like the series so far - it's got a 1989 Tim Burton feel to it (or at least, the early episodes did) - I'm hoping the gang war storyline actually delivers some interesting "crime politics" a la The Sopranos and The Wire, but I have a suspicion that this is as in-depth as it gets.
Perhaps they'd have had a better job setting it after the Wayne's death and having Bruce Wayne return to Gotham - in that Year One / Batman Begins era - as a teen or young adult, possibly dabbling in some pre-Batman vigilantism.
That was good episode "Viper" tonight :) better than last few episodes.
And for next week; is that [spoiler]Black Mask[/spoiler]?
Quote from: Goaty on 10 November, 2014, 09:57:54 PM
That was good episode "Viper" tonight :) better than last few episodes.
And for next week; is that [spoiler]Black Mask[/spoiler]?
He called himself 'The Spirit if the Goat' I think. Probably some satanic cult bloke.
I thought Viper was a good episode. The best bit was when the old man got super strong, tore his Zimmer frame apart and throttled the cop with it!
Quote from: Beeks on 09 November, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
I'm trying my very best to get into this having watched it from the start..but there's just something about it I just can't put my finger on that's stopping me from liking it
Now strangely I'm the opposite - 99% of the time I really want to like these american genre shows, but they turn out to be crap. With Gotham, I am enjoying it a lot, but can't put my finger on quite why. I think they've captured that era when organised crime is just beginning to be taken over by the freaks and supers. I like all the lead actors and the way the gang war plot is developing. The only bit I don't like is the improbably beautiful-but-dim wife who used to be lovers with Montoya - hope she gets killed off at some point.
Is it me or is Penguin as camp as Kenneth?
New Review
Episode 5 - "Viper"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x05-viper.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x05-viper.html)
Quite liked this one, especially the links to [spoiler]Venom - the drug that Bane uses.[/spoiler]
Nice to see a bit more of Bruce Wayne too, as he begins to evolve from grieving rich brat into something greater...
Quote from: Beeks on 09 November, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
I know one thing..I don't like Copperpot..he is more f**king annoying than sinister and the actor is about as convincing as gherkins on a McDonalds
While I'm the opposite and find him ( and his ma) the only thing worth watching this for :D
[spoiler]Zsasz[/spoiler]! :o
I'm amazed that I'm liking Bruce and Catgirl in their scenes, especially now that she's staying at the Manor. Also Alfred is well played and has started Master Bruce on his path to becoming the Dark Knight perfectly for me.
New Reviews!
Episode 6 - "Spirit of the Goat"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x06-spirit-of-goat.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x06-spirit-of-goat.html)
Nice mix of flashback and current day scenes, with a fun misdirection over the supernatural elements of the case. However, the episode's cliffhanger really ramps up the tension.
Episode 7 - "Penguin's Umbrella"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x07-penguins-umbrella.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/11/review-gotham-1x07-penguins-umbrella.html)
Easily the best episode so far - felt like a season finale rather than just another episode - as mentioned above, we get another Gotham villain in the from of [spoiler]Zsasz[/spoiler], who is played to perfection here. Wonderful twist at the end that really forces you to re-evaluate [spoiler]the Penguin's effectiveness as a manipulator[/spoiler].
New Review!
Episode 8 - "The Mask"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/12/review-gotham-1x08-mask.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/12/review-gotham-1x08-mask.html)
Heavy vibe of Fight Club, American Psycho and the Saw movies in this episode as it delves into underground fight clubs. It doesn't get quite as gritty as a Fincher movie, but I like the little babysteps into the grimmier element of Gotham. The recurring sub-plots feel a bit slow-paced in this episode, but the impressive "crime of the week" manages to salvage the episode. Nice references to [spoiler]The Black Mask[/spoiler] and [spoiler]Hush [/spoiler]for DC Comics aficionados, even if they're both different from their comic incarnations
I am really enjoying this. I'm not a huge batman fan but love to see the beginnings of characters (riddler, poison ivy, cat woman, penguin). I have been a fan of Donal Logue since his grounded for life days and i like the way he was gung ho then cynical and now Jim has turned him almost back to believing.
Also when Harvey dent lost his cool with that gangster and the gangster crapped his pants i seriously got chills.
I'm just waiting for the inevitable "penguins eat fish" line from Cobblepot - it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop!
New Review!
Episode 9 - "Harvey Dent"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/12/review-gotham-1x09-harvey-dent.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/12/review-gotham-1x09-harvey-dent.html)
Quite refreshing to see a Harvey Dent portrayed as a bit of a dick prior to his facial scarring - I'm not convinced his suspect for the Wayne murders is accurate, and think he might just be using their deaths as a scapegoat to convict someone who'd gotten away before. I have a feeling that his storyline might be [spoiler]fast-tracked and we'll see our first recognisable (and fully-formed) Batman villain in Two-Face[/spoiler]. I'm also surprised at how cute a couple mini-Batman and mini-Catwoman make - bit odd to think that one day they'll be dressed up in spandex and flirting with each other...
New Review!
Episode 10 - "Lovecraft"
http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/12/review-gotham-1x10-lovecraft.html (http://www.popculturebandit.co.uk/2014/12/review-gotham-1x10-lovecraft.html)
This was a fun episode, focusing on Selina and Bruce's relationship, but ultimately lacked any real punch that a mid-season finale should have. Agents of SHIELD managed a much more impactful episode for its mid-season finale. This one felt like any other episode. Even the cliffhanger ending of [spoiler]Gordon being relocated to Arkham Asylum as a guard[/spoiler] was a bit deflating as it is inevitable that [spoiler]he will return once the plot dictates so[/spoiler]. Still, the sequences with Bat-boy and Cat-girl were really good, as was getting to see Alfred outside of his butler role.
That was an excellent ending for season 1, leaving you wanting more.
Lots of threads tied up, characters coming into their own and twisted characters starting to form. Thoroughly enjoyed the way the Riddler started to form!
If I have one thing to pick on, it's how quickly will master Bruce have to become the Dark Knight, or will we see a jump to adulthood inbetween a future series to get the hero onto the screen.
Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 05 May, 2015, 07:19:01 AM
If I have one thing to pick on, it's how quickly will master Bruce have to become the Dark Knight, or will we see a jump to adulthood inbetween a future series to get the hero onto the screen.
I think they'll only plan to show us him actually becoming Batman if this ends up doing a Smallville and stretching to 8+ seasons, by which time the kid will have grown up anyway.
I've really been enjoying this, particularly the development of Oswald Cobblepot. The balance between the basic plot of 'corrupt cops and the clean-up crusader' and the growing weirdness of Gotham's criminals and Bruce's development feels right for the pre-Batman days - I can believe all of these characters (and this city) becoming what we're familiar with. I did think the Fish Mooney and the organleggers subplot a bit of a stretch
Of course Batman will constantly be punching people a good decade older than him.
I did like the bit about him staking out gun ranges because his suspect is likely to be at a "shooting gallery"
I'm really enjoying this too. Though I was initially disappointed to hear it wasn't tying in directly with Nolan's movies, I've loved it so far. I do remember watching the first episode and the acting, for some reason, was woeful for the first half, then it seemed to click and everyone was fantastic in their roles for the last twenty minutes!
I thought it was introducing too many characters in its first few episodes, like it was more important to do so than develop any of them, but it calmed down and I've really grown to love it. Probably my top show at the moment. Ben MacKenzie does a great job as Gordon and the Penguin is just fantastic as a character here, very nicely done!
Seems to have real depth of character and the storylines are intriguing and keep me gripped. Couldn't ask for more. Glad to hear it's been renewed.
Enjoying it too, but I could really do without the Fish Mooney side of things. Introductions for the various villains have been done quite well - favourites have been [spoiler]Joker[/spoiler] & [spoiler]Scarecrow[/spoiler] but most of all the progression of Penguin is excellent.
Caught the episode with the introduction of the serial killer character, and I really hope this doesn't feel rushed as it comes towards the end of the series.
I'm on board with Gotham too; after watching a shedload of them on a long-haul flight recently. Can't really see the problem with Fish, though - I think she's a great character, played masterfully by Miss Pinkett-Smith.
The young Penguin is a revelation - it's the first time I've ever been interested in the character. It's quite an amazing piece of acting; playing a sociopathic megalomaniac playing as a self-effacing sycophant. Acting squared, sort of.
Not quite sure about revealing [spoiler]the Joker's origin[/spoiler] so explicitly, but he seems a far better version of the character than [spoiler]that gobshite with the 'Hahaha' tattoos[/spoiler].
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 07 May, 2015, 09:02:36 AM
The young Penguin is a revelation - it's the first time I've ever been interested in the character. It's quite an amazing piece of acting; playing a sociopathic megalomaniac playing as a self-effacing sycophant. Acting squared, sort of.
He's superb, isn't he? I also was never all that interested in the character, probably tainted by Batman Returns which, as much as I loved Danny DeVito, the character himself felt like a minor 2-dimensional addition to the Batman world after that to me (it was my first encounter with The Penguin). But this Penguin I absolutely love and I think it's a great move to have him as one of the main characters, right up there with Gordon himself. They've really fleshed him out and this is only season one!
I also think that he plays the asexual, or possibly Oedipal, role extremely well. It doesn't seem at all out of character that he has no interest in any women apart from his mother - power seems to be his sole motivation. I don't see him as camp or effeminate at all (as someone suggests elsewhere in this thread).
As I said, an actor who can play a character who is both power-crazed and humble simultaneously is to me very impressive indeed. It also helps that the actor looks a bit like a penguin - sometimes you just get the right man for the job.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 07 May, 2015, 09:02:36 AM
Can't really see the problem with Fish, though - I think she's a great character, played masterfully by Miss Pinkett-Smith.
yup, she's great in Gotham, but I just find this extended subplot with her away from the rest of the cast is both implausible and overlong - get her back tormenting Oswald and pulling Bullock's chain!
Yeah I thought that the organ legging stuff was a bit stretched. Without saying too much, many things come to a conclusion in the final episode and we see [spoiler]Selina[/spoiler] head down the wrong path, fully!
Quote from: Dandontdare on 07 May, 2015, 04:16:26 PM
yup, she's great in Gotham, but I just find this extended subplot with her away from the rest of the cast is both implausible and overlong - get her back tormenting Oswald and pulling Bullock's chain!
That's pretty much what I meant - the character is good, adds an unknown into the story, but stretching it out to this latest part of the story just hasn't worked for me. At least they managed to freak me out with regards to my fear of things eye related.
Quote from: Dandontdare on 07 May, 2015, 04:16:26 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 07 May, 2015, 09:02:36 AM
Can't really see the problem with Fish, though - I think she's a great character, played masterfully by Miss Pinkett-Smith.
yup, she's great in Gotham, but I just find this extended subplot with her away from the rest of the cast is both implausible and overlong - get her back tormenting Oswald and pulling Bullock's chain!
[spoiler]Sorted.[/spoiler] Her new punk look fucking rocks too; like something from an 80s arcade game.
Watched some of this last night and found it very interesting, but would like to see the whole thing in one go from the start.
Chester Copperpot doesn't look anything like the Penguin though.
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 09 May, 2015, 02:10:14 AM
Watched some of this last night and found it very interesting, but would like to see the whole thing in one go from the start.
Chester Copperpot doesn't look anything like the Penguin though.
Does Oswald Cobblepot look like him then?
Quote from: DaveGYNWA on 09 May, 2015, 08:08:04 AM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 09 May, 2015, 02:10:14 AM
Watched some of this last night and found it very interesting, but would like to see the whole thing in one go from the start.
Chester Copperpot doesn't look anything like the Penguin though.
Does Oswald Cobblepot look like him then?
Sorry, I got the name wrong....don't know why.......still doesn't look like the short fat villain who was known to always smoke a cigar and where that top-hat.
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 09 May, 2015, 09:06:31 AM
Sorry, I got the name wrong....don't know why.......still doesn't look like the short fat villain who was known to always smoke a cigar and where that top-hat.
Thank God you're back! We missed you so much during the five hours you were gone!
Cheers
Jim
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 09 May, 2015, 09:07:56 AM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 09 May, 2015, 09:06:31 AM
Sorry, I got the name wrong....don't know why.......still doesn't look like the short fat villain who was known to always smoke a cigar and where that top-hat.
Thank God you're back! We missed you so much during the five hours you were gone!
Cheers
Jim
Neve4r meant o leave just yet..... and I'm still clingy.
What I really mean to do was not be such a huge presence or the presence I was on this forum and that I have ben for the last few year. It's going to be difficult to leave all together, and fill that aperture.....
I'm thinking so hard about a way to leave home with my stuff fully intact.
yeah well I was that skinny 20 years ago too, but give me a top hat and monocle and I could do a passable Penguin now. :'(
Doesn't even have the trade mark nose.....
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTfHvQOBDZVxy6kVBz_kVeNwyBHZbUH0nrx0udMyl9n6FBOJN8a)
Quite yet......
I just the guy from some earlier
American Sitcom is also in
Sons of Anarchy, Vikings as well as one of the main police detective characters.
Never thought it was him in those other gritty looking T.V. shows.
This brilliant little piece of television drama following the same theme I might have liked to have seen a serial about
Slaine fall into. It start at around about the time
Bruce Wayne loses his parents after attending the theatre one night and this isn't only done in one of those black n white or sepia coloured flashbacks that eventually return to him as fully grown man. stay there and plods along from there mainly concentrating on how the villains came to be or just started out.
Why does
Batman get so much covered.
He's been done over and over and over agin since the 60's with that television series.
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 09 May, 2015, 01:52:04 PM
Doesn't even have the trade mark nose.....
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTfHvQOBDZVxy6kVBz_kVeNwyBHZbUH0nrx0udMyl9n6FBOJN8a)
Quite yet......
I haven't watched Gotham yet ( I meant to but more seed the first few episodes and don't lime to start a series partway in. Probably my loss as I don't think I saw many of the classic dramas as a kid from the beginning, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment). But judging from that picture, that nose is certainly beaky enough without being, quite, unrealistic. Devito's version was practically a mutation as evidenced by his silly introductory story in Batman Returns. And I actually quite liked that film.
Last night's was simply superb! Gordon and Penguin were, as always, superb and the ending for the latter was excellent. I love both actors, they're showing a lot of range and as has been mentioned before the Penguin's character is a really complex mix in this show, so kudos to the actor. It was also a fantastic episode for Edward Nigma. I've enjoyed him so far in the show but we haven't seen a lot of depth. I won't ruin it for anyone yet to watch but his final scene was superb and I really believe we're going to see this actor stretch himself now and develop in much the same was as Penguin. Superb stuff and makes me eager for season two!
Well, after 3rd episode last night, the start to Season 2 was brilliant and brutal!
Best about 2nd Episode was [spoiler]GCPD massacre.[/spoiler]
So is it the end of [spoiler]the Joker or was it him? [/spoiler]
Quote from: Goaty on 26 January, 2016, 09:14:53 AM
Well, after 3rd episode last night, the start to Season 2 was brilliant and brutal!
Best about 2nd Episode was [spoiler]GCPD massacre.[/spoiler]
So is it the end of [spoiler]the Joker or was it him? [/spoiler]
I loved the twist - [spoiler]the guy who we assumed was going to become the Joker was only the
inspiration for several potential future jokers.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Dandontdare on 26 January, 2016, 09:21:07 AM
I loved the twist - [spoiler]the guy who we assumed was going to become the Joker was only the inspiration for several potential future jokers.[/spoiler]
Yep, that was done very well.
I didn't even know it was back on!
Channel 5 seem to do this - they make a big deal about season 1 of a new show and then season 2 comes on with stealth (same thing happened with Person of Interest)!
There was a fair bit of promo in London on posters/those LCD screens.
I'm waiting for it to show up on Netflix, without ads and better picture quality.
Don't worry, Channel 5 still got it on demand, here's first episode;
http://www.channel5.com/shows/gotham/episodes/episode-1-882 (http://www.channel5.com/shows/gotham/episodes/episode-1-882)
Just saw it! Great episode. I didn't see that twist coming either. [spoiler]I was so sure he would become the Joker.
I was curious though, were they suggesting he was just an inspiration, or that some strange supernatural infection/possession through the TV sets was occurring? As we haven't actually seen much in the way of the actual supernatural in this show I would think it's the former, but the blind man's prophecy, and the strange way those people started laughing so maniacally on watching Jerome's footage, made me wonder.
Of course, there were only 2-3 people in those scenes from a highly populated city. Chances are they were already that way inclined in the first place and Jerome gave them a nudge on down their dark twisted roads..[/spoiler]
I bungled the first series, which was nice. Now I have to wait as broadcast, but that's no bad thing. Both have their pros and cons.
That was great episode tonight, and finally [spoiler]for the Riddler[/spoiler] :)
Am I missing anything, missing this?
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 February, 2016, 09:33:44 AM
Am I missing anything, missing this?
If you accept the fact it's got absolutely fuck-all to do with Batman, which you pretty much have to, then you suddenly find yourself asking "What's the
point of this?"
I'm going to go with "No".
Cheers
Jim
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 23 February, 2016, 09:40:37 AM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 February, 2016, 09:33:44 AM
Am I missing anything, missing this?
If you accept the fact it's got absolutely fuck-all to do with Batman, which you pretty much have to, then you suddenly find yourself asking "What's the point of this?"
I'm going to go with "No".
Cheers
Jim
That was my gut instict. Smallville without Superman is a soap
Well if if it gets another 15 seasons we will get to see young bruce grow up get angry leave for ten years then come back a genius and an ass kicker and watch him become the Batman.
Okay, it's pretty light on the actual bat-stuff, and young Bruce Wayne is an annoying little git, but everything else is really very good.
As the title suggests it's the story of Gotham, not Batman - Would you object to a series about the rise of Mega City One and how Fargo founded Justice Dept , even though Joe was still in a test tube or the academy?
It shows the endemic corruption and how one honest(ish) cop can survive and rise through the ranks, and it also shows how crime in Gotham began changing from regular gangsters to more colourful and crazy characters. Choosing Penguin as the main villain was a good move as he is always depicted as older than Batman and the other crazies, and is sort of a "missing link" between the mobsters and the costumed villains. Not to mention a fine performance from Robin Taylor. This season also shows one man's deliberate strategy to nurture a bunch of crazies to unleash a new type of crime-hell on Gotham.
Watching Edward Nygma moving from ineffectual but harmless wierdo to fully fledged psychopath is interesting; the whole proto-Joker stuff was very cleverly done and teen-Catwoman isn't too annoying.
Sean Pertwee makes a good Alfred, and whatsisface and his girlfriend are well cast as Jim Gordon and Dr Leslie Thompkins. We've also seen not-yet-poison Ivy, Detective Bullock, Lucius Fox and few other minor characters.
I gave up on Smallville because it was indeed a teen romance soap with hints of Superman, but this is more of a good noir crime thriller, with hints of Batman.
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 February, 2016, 09:33:44 AM
Am I missing anything, missing this?
depends if your a Batfreak or not?
I've always struggled with the: poor little rich boy grows-up and buys all the gadgets and a rubber suit and goes out beating the shit out of anyone
he deems to be a fancydress villain...
So the whole second series 'rise of to villains' is more interesting, colourful and nuanced that the majority of Battyman's back catalogue....for me :D
So what it's like most TV: a soap in disguise, but one with some humour, darkness and outright whacky surroundings. The playing out of the nature/nurture, the insidious moral ambiguity of doing a deal with the devil and all the other subplots adds to the fun, meanwhile Bruce Wayne as laddie character is the weakest link in the series only saved by young Pertwee's Alfred's gruning. But its not really about Batty its about Gotham.
Give it a go, at worst you can play: 'oh look there's em, thingy who was in erm, you you know, the spy/police thing' for most of the episode.
Gotham is excellent, far better than the pretty-boy Borefest that is Agents of Shat. Even Heroes Reborn is better despite the lacklustre final episode.
Cheers
Quote from: Dandontdare on 23 February, 2016, 01:42:33 PM
As the title suggests it's the story of Gotham, not Batman - Would you object to a series about the rise of Mega City One and how Fargo founded Justice Dept , even though Joe was still in a test tube or the academy?
I wonder if the executive producer could be convinced to create a Dredd-based production?
Quote from: sheridan on 12 January, 2017, 01:18:30 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 23 February, 2016, 01:42:33 PM
As the title suggests it's the story of Gotham, not Batman - Would you object to a series about the rise of Mega City One and how Fargo founded Justice Dept , even though Joe was still in a test tube or the academy?
I wonder if the executive producer could be convinced to create a Dredd-based production?
This, this
now!
Quote from: sheridan on 12 January, 2017, 01:18:30 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 23 February, 2016, 01:42:33 PM
As the title suggests it's the story of Gotham, not Batman - Would you object to a series about the rise of Mega City One and how Fargo founded Justice Dept , even though Joe was still in a test tube or the academy?
I wonder if the executive producer could be convinced to create a Dredd-based production?
I can answer this for you with 99.9% certainty.
- No.
Quote from: sheridan on 12 January, 2017, 01:18:30 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 23 February, 2016, 01:42:33 PM
As the title suggests it's the story of Gotham, not Batman - Would you object to a series about the rise of Mega City One and how Fargo founded Justice Dept , even though Joe was still in a test tube or the academy?
I wonder if the executive producer could be convinced to create a Dredd-based production?
You mean Gotham executive producer (and also director of a couple of episodes) Danny Cannon?
Yes, I bet he's just begging to return to the IP that pretty much killed his film career.
Quote from: IAMTHESYSTEM on 12 January, 2017, 09:23:35 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 12 January, 2017, 01:18:30 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 23 February, 2016, 01:42:33 PM
As the title suggests it's the story of Gotham, not Batman - Would you object to a series about the rise of Mega City One and how Fargo founded Justice Dept , even though Joe was still in a test tube or the academy?
I wonder if the executive producer could be convinced to create a Dredd-based production?
This, this now!
(I'm being facetious - as Gordon pointed out - Gotham's executive producer is the same person who directed the Judge Dredd film we try not to talk about too often...
I do think that there could be some mileage in a Sector House series with only minimal appearances by Dredd though. Just not from Dan-E Cannon.
I didn't want to watch this because, well, what's Gotham City without the Batman? But a friend gave me Season One and I'm half-way through it and enjoying virtually every scene. It's kind of like The Sopranos meets Jerry Springer and I'm loving the Penguin - you can't help but admire how the oily little git keeps on getting himself out of trouble. He's like the Mr Bean of organised crime. I like the other characters as well and Sean Pertwee is, as always, well worth watching - he really should have a couple of seasons as Dr Who - in fact, I'd gladly watch a series called Pennyworth if he was the star. (Well, maybe not gladly - at least not until a friend lent me the DVD...)
Season two's pretty good too, but it rapidly descends into "how many future villains can we cram into each episode"
If this was the real backstory then every single Batman comic for decades after would involve the line "oh no, not you again "
Penguin is excellent though, and dr who jr makes a great Alfred
Really enjoying season 3! chaos and lost of riddler/penguin goodness. Ivy and selina are great etc
on the downside...Jim Gordon is starting to grate with his husky tough guy voice.
Bullock is still fun
and Chiklis is hamming it up beautifully
ooops didnt see the new season 3 thread.
Quote from: auxlen on 10 September, 2017, 05:31:25 PM
Jim Gordon is starting to grate with his husky tough guy voice.
It's not just me, then?
I'm enjoying it too, though, although I thought the thing they did with Ivy was a bit dodgy. [spoiler]I know she's a sexy character in the comics, but there's no reason to fast forward and explore that side of her yet. [/spoiler]
Heavens to Betsy! I thought it was 13 episodes... dear god will it never end!
It did feel like this season dragged a bit, but I put that down to a disjoint between the first and second halves. Always nice to see someone's face get punched off their head, though.
Quote from: Mardroid on 11 September, 2017, 03:27:41 PMI'm enjoying it too, though, although I thought the thing they did with Ivy was a bit dodgy. [spoiler]I know she's a sexy character in the comics, but there's no reason to fast forward and explore that side of her yet. [/spoiler]
[spoiler]They actually nicked this from
The Batman cartoon show, where Ivy's background before she gets dunked in ho juice is that she's a 15 year old hacktivist. Gotham at least aged the character upwards.[/spoiler]
[spoiler]In the end my worry concerning the sexualisation of Ivy's character was not realised as much as I initially feared. Aside from her initial foray into sexy low-cut dresses they actually didn't exploit Ivy's appearance in that way that much, and she remained kind of innocent in a crazy kooky kind of way.
That does raise the question though: couldn't they have done that with the original actress? Then again the original character was a frightened mouse, while the new version is much more confident, which is largely due to her change in appearance. I'm sure they could have got around it another way, though: a boost in confidence due to the triggering of her plant control powers, for example which has yet to happen.
I don't mean this to dis the new actress. She was fine in the role.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Mardroid on 21 September, 2017, 12:04:17 PM
[spoiler]That does raise the question though: couldn't they have done that with the original actress?[/spoiler]
[spoiler]She's 12 or something, and portrayals of noncery might have landed Gotham with a higher age rating than its timeslot would allow. Americans are pretty easy-going about violence, but less so about sex.[/spoiler]
For me, the problem with the character is that TAS and The Batman - children's cartoons - had really good takes on the character's backstory before she became a sassy ninja villain type, but Gotham's take is just dull. As with other characters, it feels like there's no plan and they're just putting her in there for the sake of a name-check.
Ivy is one of the absolute worst Batman characters whatever way you look at it. The only reason she gets so much mileage is that certain artists like drawing pictures of nearly-nude women and certain readers like looking at them.
The Batman version of Ivy is actually pretty interesting before she becomes the usual screeching supervillain: an underage hacktivist who catfishes older men into committing acts of terrorism.
Again: this was in a kids' cartoon.
Anyone watching season 4?
I enjoy this a great deal...i really wanted to like the dour/sour/ultra gritty(?) Netflix Luke Cage, JJones, DDevil et al but was just bored and rarely finished a season. this is all good campy fun with a dash of the old ultra-violence...
Necroposting here, I'm afraid, but I've only just got round to watching Season 2. Nearing the end now and struggling a bit; it's got very sci-fi very fast and I think I preferred the cop procedural stuff.
Some amazing actors though. I still think this Penguin is the only interesting screen version, and that Jerome lad [spoiler]is one of the best Jokers there ever wasn't.[/spoiler]
And finally I'm sold on a cockney, tough Alfred - Sean Pertwee plays him to perfection.