“The good. The evil. The beginning.”
This is the official tagline behind an exciting new series that’s set to debut on FOX. On September 22, 2014, fans of Batman and his famous dark and troubled city Gotham will want to watch this new drama. There’s a lot of meaty details about this show that you’ll need to become familiar with before you watch the series premiere. The city of Gotham is full of interesting characters, which is why this drama will focus on them and their upbringing before they morphed into the Batman icons they soon became.
Here’s everything you need to know about FOX’s next big weekly drama, DC Comics’ Gotham.
1. Gotham Will Take Place During the Period Where Bruce Wayne’s Parents are Killed
Gotham will play out as a origin story of the most important individuals to emanate from the Batman universe. Gotham City Police Department Captain Sarah Essen Gordon employs the aid of a new recruit – Detective James Gordon. Gordon ends up partnering with fellow Officer Harvey Bullock as they try to solve the mystery behind who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents.
James Gordon will come into contact with a Gotham city gang boss known as Fish Mooney and several other notable future villains. Eventually, Gordon will come into contact with Bruce Wayne. Their friendship will be followed through the series and will eventually culminate in the young Wayne transforming into the Batman superhero we all know.
2. Several Members of the Gotham City Police Department Will Make Up the Show’s Roster
Along with Sarah Essen Gordon (Zabryna Guevara), a slew of other Gotham City Police Department officers will be present during the show. Ben McKenzie will play James Gordon, Donal Logue will play the role of Harvey Bullock, Victoria Cartagena will star as Renee Montoya and Andrew Stewart Jones will play Crispus Allen.
3. Fish Mooney Will Be Introduced as a New Character in The Gotham Universe
Jada Pinkett Smith will take on the role of an original character named Fish Mooney. Mooney operates in Gotham as a major crime boss who runs her own gang. Butch Gilzean (played by Drew Powell) will play Mooney’s 2nd-in-command. Check out character profile video above to see Miss Mooney in action.
4. A Young Penguin and Catwoman Will Be Seen Throughout the Show
A couple of other well-known Batman villains will also be playing huge roles in the show. Robin Lord Taylor will star as a young Oswald Cobblepot aka “The Penguin.” Camren Bicondova is Selina Kyle, who later on becomes Catwoman.
5. Several Other Infamous Batman Villains Will Also Star in the Show
John Doman will take on the role of infamous crime boss Carmine Falcone and Claire Foley has been cast as Ivy Pepper aka “Poison Ivy.” As the show moves into its upcoming season, new villains will be brought on board and have their origin stories told – The Joker, Scarecrow, Hugo Strange, Harvey Dent/Two-Face and Mr. Freeze.
6. A Young Bruce Wayne Will Be Featured Prominently
Of course, Gotham will also put the spotlight on a young Bruce Wayne. Young Bruce’s parents get murdered in cold blood one evening and he is left to continue the Wayne legacy. His butler Alfred Pennyworth (played by Sean Pertwee) and James Gordon will help nurture Bruce and mold him into the hero he will eventually become.
7. Early Reviews of the 1st Episode Have Been Largely Positive
The 1st episode of Gotham will debut on FOX on September 22 at 8 p.m. EST. This debut episode (“Pilot”) has already been shown to several website reviewers and any lucky recipients who went to see it San Diego Comic-Con 2014. a lot of the feedback from viewers of this episode have largely been positive.
IGN awarded the “Pilot” episode with a 7 out of 10, noting that:
Gotham, from Rome and The Mentalist’s Bruno Heller, kicked things off with a basic, somewhat bland, crime story filled with a few too many dog ears. Though I also understand the show’s need to sell as many Batman-y elements as it can right out of the gate, considering that it’ll never have the big, main ingredient people want. The story-telling almost gets hampered by the brand itself. And the sheer amount of “they all knew each other at one point” coincidences might turn some folks off.
Still, Gotham does work when it spins in the opposite direction and strays from what we’ve become too familiar with. Cobblepot is a delicious wild card, Fish Mooney is a fun addition, and Alfred is joyfully uncouth. David Mazouz’s young Bruce is appropriately mature while Camren Bicondova’s Selina Kyle hops around rooftops, spying on his trauma. On the flip side, I felt like an “everyman” approach to Gordon would have served that character better than the intensity seen here.
The biggest challenge for Gotham just might be whether or not all these relationships, told in long form, will wind up being more effective — or at least as effective — as what other filmmakers were able to achieve with just a few flashbacks.
8. The Show is Being Promoted Via a Fictional News Website Based in Gotham
One of the cooler ways that Gotham is being promoted is through a fictional news website called the Gotham Chronicle. This website lists several news clips that allude to the growing crime wave taking place in early Gotham. Hardcore Batman fans will spot pics that show clues pertaining to some of the show’s villains in the making (check out the site and see if you can spot the Poison Ivy clue).
9. Gotham Will Also Air in Australia, Canada and the UK
Gotham will not only air in the United States; it will also make its debut in Australia, Canada and the UK. The Nine Network will air the show in Australia, CTV will air the show in Canada and Channel 5 will run the show in the UK. The 1st season of Gotham will come in at 16 full episodes.
10. Netflix Has Already Signed on to Stream Episodes of the Show
Netflix was quick to jump on the hype train that’s heading into Gotham’s 1st airing by immediately nabbing the rights to stream the show. As of now, Netflix is the sole video-on demand service that has the rights to air the show’s episodes. Warner Bros. Television Distribution sold those rights to Netflix in September 2014.