Fox pinning hopes on Batman prequel
LOS ANGELES — Batman saves Gotham.
Will he be able to do the same for Fox in the fall?
Gotham, announced last week during the network’s upfront presentation to advertisers, is one of the most-talked-about network serials in years. The series will explore the origins of Batman’s crime-fighting ally, Commissioner James Gordon, to be played by Ben McKenzie.
Young versions of villains such as Penguin, Riddler, Poison Ivy, Catwoman and — eventually — the Joker will figure prominently on the series. (The Penguin has yet to become a mobster, for instance; he is a gofer for a gangster.)
Underscoring the level of anticipation, a movie-style trailer for Gotham released by Fox and its studio partner, Warner Bros. Television, generated almost 6 million views in its first five days online.
For the season to date, the audience for Fox’s prime-time entertainment lineup — excluding sports — has fallen roughly 17 percent compared with the same period last year, according to Nielsen data.
“Fox has the most to prove,” said David Campanelli, senior vice president and director for national television at Horizon Media.
Predicting what will be a hit show is more difficult than ever, and Gotham isn’t a sure thing. Ripped-from-comic-book programs such as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been considered disappointments, wilting under advance hype and proving inaccessible for many of the network’s older viewers.
But if handled properly, ad buyers and TV producers say, Gotham could be a hit.
“There’s a huge opportunity as long as we keep our eyes on what’s important . . . to create a great television show with captivating characters and tight storytelling,” Kevin Reilly, Fox entertainment chairman, said in an interview. “We can’t . . . assume this show is a gimme.
“Sometimes the fanfare and promise of these big ideas can underwhelm,” Reilly said. “But did you see our trailer? The goods are there.”
Gotham comes on the heels of Christopher Nolan’s successful Dark Knight movie franchise, which should give Gotham at least some early momentum.
The Gotham creative team is led by Bruno Heller, the British creator of The Mentalist, a crime procedural that CBS has renewed for a seventh season.
Warner wasn’t making the rights to Batman available — he is too important as a movie property — but Heller, 54, is allowed to tinker with new back stories for Gordon and the franchise’s villains.
“I have always loved origin stories,” Heller said. “How people became who they are is where the drama is.”
McKenzie is known for The OC and Southland. Jada Pinkett Smith joined the cast as gangster Fish Mooney. Bruce Wayne, who grows up to don Batman’s cape and cowl, is played by a 13-yearold actor, David Mazouz.
Heller said his James Gordon wouldn’t be a straight-up good guy.
“If you’re a cop in Gotham, you can’t be an angel,” he said. “You’re going to see a genuine moral struggle there. He’s going to have to lie and cheat.”