In what Deadline are calling “one of the biggest drama deals this season”, Fox has won the bid for Gotham, a series set in the titular city that will explore the early days of Batman’s Jim Gordon. It will be helmed by Warner Bros. TV and The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller, with a series commitment already in place.
Presumably hitting screens next year, the strange deal sees one of Batman’s closest allies appearing on a rival network to Warner’s own CW and their Arrow and developing series, The Flash. While Jim Gordon will be the focus of the series, there are currently no plans to involve the Dark Knight in any way.
The series will explore Gordon’s career while he is still a detective, chasing down the villains who will make Gotham City famous. It may not be too far removed from the Bat-less vibe of the Eisner Award-winning Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker collaboration Gotham Central.
Gordon was introduced in Detective Comics #27 alongside Batman, and has been previously portrayed by Neil Hamilton in the 1960s Batman series, Pat Hingle in the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher film adaptations and most recently by Gary Oldman in the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy.
There’s no word yet on casting or other crew details.
