GOTHAM.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

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.

[Professor Bear]

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.

[strontium71]

Littered with hidden teasers...

[JamesC]

I always thought Anarky was a good character. The story would fit well in a series about young Gothamites too.

[Frank]

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 

[COMMANDO FORCES]

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.

[Proudhuff]

Was this on channel Five? They have advertised it, but no time/day mentioned and my searches don't reveal it 

[Colin Zeal]

Starts in October sometime but not confirmed yet according to this website. http://www.geektown.co.uk/tvairdates/gotham/

[Proudhuff]

cheers colin,    didn't want to miss the first episode and have to catch-up

[Professor Bear]

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.

[Jim_Campbell]

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

[Professor Bear]

It'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.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

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

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

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.

[Professor Bear]

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.