Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Fox has jumped onto the superhero trend with "Gotham," which is more about the early days of the city before Batman and his Batmobile roamed the streets. (The closest comparison is the CW's 'Smallville.")
The show debuts Monday night Sept. 22 ahead of "Sleepy Hollow" and after watching the pilot, I have to say it shows plenty of promise and could very well become a big hit for the network. The lead characters have flavor and tension. The writing is crisp. The look is appropriately dark. (The Television Critics Association named it the most promising show of the fall.)
Bruce Wayne is still a pre-teen whose voice has yet to change, the Penguin is a conniving young man and Catwoman is a pickpocketing street urchin with impressive gymnastic skills. Plus, James Gordon just joined the police force and wants to clean up the city's corrupt elements.
The 15-year-old San Diego native who plays Catwoman, Camren Bicondova came to Atlanta to promote the show last week. The Fox publicist thought it would be fun to do the interview at Oxford Comics & Books in Buckhead. Unfortunately, her arrival was so last second, Oxford wasn't able to promote her arrival ahead of time.
But she had fun. She signed lanyards and posters promoting the show. Her mom Jessi said her daughter was trying out for shows when they came across one where a character named Lucy needed to do "cat-like moves."
Camren, a dancer with some modest acting background, used her Tonkinese cat Mr. G for inspiration, choreographed some moves and she soon found out she was trying out for the future Catwoman, who goes by Selina Kyle.
Her resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer ("Batman Returns," 1992) is unlikely to be coincidental. She is flattered by the comparison when I bring it up, but I'm certain I wasn't the first.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Bicondova's character opens the pilot on top of a building and is seen stealing stuff in Chinatown before bearing witness to a murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. She doesn't utter a word in the first episode but she said she'll have plenty of dialogue in the second episode.
The show itself has plenty of stars. Ben McKenzie ("The O.C.," "Southland,") plays James Gordon, the war hero/detective who helps solve the Bruce Wayne parental murder case. Donal Logue, last seen on "Law & Order: SVU," is Gordon's potentially corrupt partner. Jada Pinckett Smith ("The Matrix" sequels, TNT's "Hawthorne") plays evil Fish Mooney, who has an intriguing relationship with Logue's cop character.
The original tales of several future Gotham villains will be featured. In the first episode, we learn about the Penguin, who originally hates being called working under Mooney but is already plotting bigger and better things for himself. The future Riddler makes a brief appearance as well asking, well, questions.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
TV preview
"Gotham," debuts Monday , Sept. 22, 8 p.m. Fox
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