It’s always raining and it’s always dark. Gotham city has always been a city filled with the most notorious criminals and irreversible urban decay.
But it’s also the city where Bruce Wayne was born, before he turned into a silent guardian and watchful protector of the city – Batman.
But before there was Batman, there was Gotham city.
With their own police department, Gotham city’s authorities has been tackling crimes in the city with the help of young detective James Gordon. The city of Gotham is exactly what the Batman prequel takes place as the series focuses on the story of detective James Gordon and the rise of Batman’s villains.
The most anticipated TV series “Gotham” took a questionable premise as it only shows the young Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. Some of the villains have been revealed in the promo posters as well but none of them are going up against Batman yet. However, it is still exciting to discover how detective James Gordon will be facing these villains before Batman emerges as the new hero in the city.
The series has been honoured as one of the “Most Exciting New Series” in the Critics’ Choice TV Awards 2014 and it will premiere on television network FOX this 22nd September. While we patiently wait for the debut of the series, here are some things we know about the “Gotham” TV series so far:
1. Robin Lord Taylor’s Hair
Actors are willing to go through dramatic transformations for movie roles so that they can accurately portray their characters. The blonde-haired actor Robin Lord Taylor went through a dramatic transformation as well for his role as Oswald Cobblepot “The Penguin” in Gotham TV series.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor mentioned that his friends have gone through some post-traumatic stress after they saw him with his newly dyed hair. The actor will also wear a prosthetic nose to portray Cobblepot, who has been bullied for his beaky nose.
2. The Rise of the Penguin
Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing our favourite masked hero in Gotham TV series because, well, the show is supposed to be about Gotham city! However, the series’ creator Bruno Heller has confirmed that Batman will not appear in the series until the plot has reached the right timing.
The creator did mention that the first part of the series is more likely to focus on the rise of Batman’s oldest arch-enemy, The Penguin. Cobblepot’s power struggle with his boss Fish Mooney will also be the primary focus of the series and it might the reason why Cobblepot will eventually turn into one of the greatest Batman’s villains.
3. Joker Inspired by Heath Ledger
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heller mentioned that The Joker in the series will be inspired by Heath Ledger’s brilliant performance in Christopher Nolan’s film “The Dark Knight”. However, Joker is unlikely to appear in the series until Batman is born and it was rumoured that the villain will be teased on a weekly basis through various unknown characters.
The creator also said that Joker will be brought into the series with great care so that the series can stay true to its origins.
4. Introducing Gotham’s New Villian, Fish Mooney
Perhaps the most refreshing part of FOX’s Gotham TV series is the introduction of a brand new character , Fish Mooney (played by Jada Pinkett Smith). The original character is created for the series as she has not appeared in any DC Universe cinematic and even the comic itself.
According to Zap2it, the producer of Warner Bros TV explained that Fish Mooney’s character is a sadistic and quick-tempered crime boss who tries to take full control of Gotham city. She was also described as being incredibly resourceful and has the ability to read people like an open book. Fish Mooney plays an important role in The Penguin’s life as well as she is the boss to Oswald Cobblepot before he turns into Batman’s arch-enemy.
5. The Origin of Poison Ivy
FOX’s Gotham TV series has taken a unique approach in creating the series as they introduce the origin story of the iconic villain Poison Ivy. The villain first appeared in Batman’s comic as a young promising botanist Dr Pamela Isley with an extreme obsession with plants, botany, and environmentalism.
However, the TV series will attempt to tell Dr Pamela Isley’s childhood instead and has renamed the character as Ivy Pepper (played by Clare Foley). According to IGN, the creator explained that the character’s original name has been changed to ensure that people will know more about Ivy Pepper before she becomes the villain that people are familiar with.
6. The Riddler Goes Back to TV Roots
Surprisingly, The Riddler (played by Cory Michael Smith) is one of the chosen villains to appear in FOX’s Gotham TV series. The last we’ve seen The Riddler being brought to life on the big screen was 9 years ago with Jim Carrey’s incarnation of the character in Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever”. The more popularised version of The Riddler was portrayed by Frank Gorshin in the 1960s Batman TV series for being “a calmer, intellectual egotist who is more obsessed with proving his own cleverness than in creating puzzles.”
Based on the promo video of the series, it seems like Smith’s version of The Riddler will be a more accurate portrayal of The Riddler, with Frank Gorshin as an inspiration.
7. Harvey Bullock’s First TV Appearance
It’ll be the first time that Harvey Bullock, the iconic character in Batman’s comic book, will be brought to life after he was featured in the animated version of the Batman series. In the Gotham TV series, Bullock (played by Donal Logue) will play an important role in detective James Gordon’s career as well as the corrupted city of Gotham.
In comic versions of Batman, detective Harvey Bullock is described as a crooked cop who mostly appeared in a clumsy state but spoiled Gordon’s attempts to tackle crimes. But it seems like the TV series will turn the character into a much serious yet cynical character who still does heroic things but tries to interrupt Gordon in solving cases.
8. Camren Bicondova’s Striking Resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer
The casting of young Selina Kyle in Gotham TV series bears a striking resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer who has previously played the role of Catwoman in 1992 film, “Batman Returns” (starring Michael Keaton). Warner Bros cast the 15-year-old dancer Camren Bicondova as the young Selina Kyle who’s a playful yet skillful burglar in the Gotham TV series. It is safe to say that the young actress could play the role pretty well as she has been described as a talented dancer with flexible dance moves.
She has previously appeared in Krewella’s music video “Enjoy the Ride” as a child who was being held captive in a creepy carnival.
