There have been numerous Batman TV shows over the years, both animated and live-action. But Fox’s Gotham Possibly one of the more famous series: The prequel focused on Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) investigating the Waynes murders, while Bruce himself (David Mazouz) was just a kid? Will his future Rogues Gallery be either his age or younger?
Despite this strange premise, things pay off. Gotham It aired for five consecutive years and has a total of 100 episodes. It is a prequel series. Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butlerand a passionate fan base that still loves it today. Ahead of the show’s 10th anniversary on September 22, IGN has released a feature-length look back at the series, which includes a look at the core cast, creator Bruno Heller and executive producer (and standing director/writer) Dan Interview by Danny Cannon. Heller explained that the show was produced after Warner Bros. and CBS picked up his legal drama. advocate (which also stars Mackenzie), he’s thinking about what to market next. He chose the Batman series because the character was ready for television, but said his son Felix, an avid comic book reader, helped him realize the show should focus on Gordon rather than Batman himself .
“From that point on, a young detective investigating the Wayne murders naturally focused his mind,” Heller said. “Once the idea came up that he was the cop investigating the Waynes’ death… the whole series was there. It’s the story of Batman as a kid, it’s the origin story of the Joker and the Riddler and Penguin and all the characters, but young People’s stories.
Cannon said Heller had two firm ideas for the first season: a story about Gordon trying to fulfill his promise to Bruce and investigating the Wayne murders, and the rise of The Penguin (Robin Taylor-Lord). “One child lost his parents on the trip, and the other child lost everything,” he told IGN. “A man will build his life with his butler and Jim Gordon, and investigate the death of his parents and become curious. […] And the other one, the only way for him to become a man and be who he wants to be is to step on the skulls of the dead and make it happen to himself in an evil way.
Making anything Batman-related comes with a lot of baggage, and understandably there was secrecy surrounding the show in the first place. Most of the cast admitted they didn’t initially realize they were even trying out for a Batman show in the first place. Although Heller told Mackenzie that “Gordon” was written for him, Sean Pertwee (Alfred) learned in a pre-audition conversation with Heller and Cannon; The moment Len Bicondova (Selina Kyle) found out she got the role, she was completely content. “I think they said, ‘You’re Catwoman,’ but the first thing they said was ‘Meow.’ I was like, ‘What?’ I didn’t understand,” she recalled.
Like Mackenzie, Mazouz knew he was auditioning for Bruce, although he admits to not remembering how he learned that information. Heller claims he was at the top of their list “very early on,” and Cannon thinks Mazouz is lucky to be the lead in Fox’s two-season series touch, His creator recommended him to Cannon and Heller. Mazouz, who landed the role in early 2014, recalled attending bar mitzvahs and seeing his friends dressed as Batman. That moment, he says, marked the first time he truly realized he was going to be batman, No matter if he would wear the suit or not.
looking back on the past Gotham, The cast and crew have fond memories of filming the show. Pertwee said he tried his best to stay in touch with his former costars, and many felt it was a show that couldn’t be made now. Taylor noted that a 22-episode, big-budget superhero show “doesn’t sound like something that’s going to be returning to network television anytime soon,” let alone the freedom it would have to air the Batman mythology on a weekly basis. “We proved that we could play with classics and play with these classic storylines in a way that was brave in many ways and that a lot of fans weren’t expecting. Ultimately, [it’ll] It turns out it’s just an ever-refreshing take on these stories that have been around for 80 years.
Bicondova said the show “brought an edge to comic book storytelling” that you couldn’t find in other shows at the time or even now. Pertwee expressed the same sentiment, and believes people will find the “right” elements in the show and humanize the “madness” of Batman in the DC Universe. While speaking with the characters, he added that the show’s backstory about Batman and his rogues will reverberate through other incarnations in the media.
In the years since, McKenzie has paid homage to other DC series, but believes Gotham “Very different from many others who existed then and now. No Gotham, I didn’t know they were going to do a show about penguins,” McKenzie said. “[It’s] This is a testament both to Robin’s image and to the fact that you can keep the plot complex and the characters three-dimensional by not vulgarizing it for the audience. I think we pushed the ball there.
“The legacy of the show is, did people enjoy doing it, did they leave feeling like they were treated well, had a good time and made friends with people and were proud of it?” Heller said. “[Gotham] Just a small part of the vast Batman mythos. Likening Batman to a pop culture saint, he said he “hopes we can get justice” [and] Take it seriously enough to honor that, and lighthearted enough to be a TV show.
You can read the full description Gotham Here’s coverage of the show’s production design, embracing Batman’s more superheroic side, and more. While you’re here, look back Gotham and all of it Gotham– in the comments below.
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