Gotham TV Series update - More casting news

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**Flashman**

The Independent wrote:In The OC he played brooding bad boy Ryan Atwood – and now Ben McKenzie has landed a leading role in Fox’s Batman prequel.

The 35-year-old actor is to play Detective James Gordon in the upcoming television series Gotham, which tracks Gordon’s rise through the ranks of the Gotham City Open Police Department.

McKenzie will take on the role, which was made famous by Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, in the series written and executive produced by The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller.

The actor took to Twitter to express his excitement. “All I can promise is I will do my best not to screw this up. Can't wait to get to work,” he tweeted.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said that while the series will focus on Gordon’s struggles, Gotham will be an origin story for Batman.

"We will follow Bruce Wayne right up until the point where he gets interesting,” she said.

Fans can expect many of the franchise’s most iconic characters to feature in the series, including The Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman.

"It's Gotham teetering on the edge," said Reilly. "This is all of the classic Batman characters."

Gotham is currently in production, with a pilot to be followed by a full series.

It is not the first time McKenzie has worked with Heller. In 2013 he appeared on the passed-over CBS pilot Advocates. More recently he has been seen on cop show Southland, but the series was cancelled last year due to poor ratings.

Not sure about the casting, but glad this is being made. I think it's a great concept (largely because I thought of it first). Hope they don't rush the set up in the same way the Hannibal TV series did i.e. Hannibal revealed to be a murdering psychopath in the first episode - I know we all know he is, but it would have been far more interesting to peel back the layers of what appears at first to be an intelligent and reasonable man.

**Flashman**

More casting news - actor pics in spoilers as a frame of reference...

Ben Mckenzie - James Gordon

Spoiler:

Sean Pertwee - Alfred Pennyworth

Spoiler:

Robin Lord Taylor - Oswald Cobblepot

Spoiler:

Erin Richards - Gordon's fiance'

Spoiler:

Zabryna Guevara - Captain Essen (Gordon's boss)

Spoiler:

**Hulksmash**

Meh. It's Fox. I have no faith that it will have the chance to weather what is likely a rough start in 6 different time slots over 15 weeks....

In case you didn't notice, I don't like Fox...

**LordofHats**

That channel that's been riding Family Guy(s) for the last couple years? Yeah, faith is in short supply

**Corpsesarefun**

None of those look like particularly good casting choices, I don't have high hopes here...

**AegisGrimm**

Fox = dead show.

**Compel**

I can't understand why they'd make Essen be his boss. - Surely a new character would be a better move? Save Essen for a co-worker, or someone that comes into the show later on...

**Medium of Death**

Fox does do a lot of cop-like shows though doesn't it?

I'll give it a chance. The casting doesn't look too bad and it might be interesting to see Gotham's finest out and about when Batman isn't saving the day.

**Jimsolo**

I like the idea. Seems like it's be a good show. I'll give it a shot, but prepare for the possibility of it being canceled without reason or warning.

**H.B.M.C.**

I still wish someone had actually proposed (and then made) Law & Order: Gotham City rather than this. That would be a amazing show, especially if Batman was a minor presence that showed up a few times a season. It would start with Harvey Dent as an Assistant DA, right up through his time as a DA and then his transformation into Two-Face. You’d have the cops against the original Mob level villains, with no super-criminals to start with, the obvious corruption within the GCPD. It’d be awesome, and we’d get that “duh-duh” sound between scenes.

As far as this show goes on Fox, well, Fox did let Fringe live for more years than it should have. It got 5 seasons, and was allowed to finish on its own terms. Plus Fox is bringing back 24, so maybe they’re starting to understand what people want and just how much of a bad rep they have for mistreating things like Firefly.

**Kanluwen**

From what I'm able to understand so far, we're not getting "Batman" right off.

We're getting a "young Bruce Wayne", but the focus is on Gordon and GCPD.

**H.B.M.C.**

Yeah. At the recent TCA's they talked about how Bruce Wayne putting on the cowl would be a "final moment of Season 1" sort of thing, so throughout the first season there'd be no such thing as Batman, only Bruce learning how to be Batman whilst the focus stays on Gordon and the GCPD.

I do hope we get Harvey Bullock though. And Rene Montoya (or however you spell her name). It'd be a shame to ignore those two characters.

**Fafnir**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
I still wish someone had actually proposed (and then made) Law & Order: Gotham City rather than this. That would be a amazing show, especially if Batman was a minor presence that showed up a few times a season. It would start with Harvey Dent as an Assistant DA, right up through his time as a DA and then his transformation into Two-Face. You’d have the cops against the original Mob level villains, with no super-criminals to start with, the obvious corruption within the GCPD. It’d be awesome, and we’d get that “duh-duh” sound between scenes.

As far as this show goes on Fox, well, Fox did let Fringe live for more years than it should have. It got 5 seasons, and was allowed to finish on its own terms. Plus Fox is bringing back 24, so maybe they’re starting to understand what people want and just how much of a bad rep they have for mistreating things like Firefly.

It's be a pretty cool twist (even though we'd all see it coming) to follow Harvey Dent as the lead for the first season or two, only to have him suddenly change to a villain at the end of the season.

**H.B.M.C.**

Well they can still do that, only that it'd be a little more natural on a L&O style show as half that show is the courtroom stuff, whereas this show appears to be mainly just the GCPD.

[EDIT]: And another new cast member has been announced, this time for Harvey Bullock!

**AegisGrimm**

Just because of the law and Order reference, and because the pic always makes me laugh.

**LordofHats**

AegisGrimm wrote:
Just because of the law and Order reference, and because the pic always makes me laugh.

Exalt

**H.B.M.C.**

And that's why that show would be amazing.