The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 19, 2014 2 By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media C omic book adaptations have taken off on both the big screen and the small. Ever since "Superman and the Mole-Men" graced the sil- ver screen in 1951, DC Comics has raked in more than its fair share of theater revenue. From "Swamp Thing" (1982), "Cat- woman" (2004) and "Green Lantern" (2011) to more Bat- mans and Supermans than you can count on one hand, it's clear that the franchise isn't ex- actly wanting for popularity. It's no stranger to television, either, and a few new DC proj- ects are on the horizon for the near future. The first of these to make its way to prime time is the highly anticipated "Gotham," which gets under- way Monday, Sept. 22, on Fox. What makes the series a particular standout is that is doesn't cover the Batman time frame we know from the com- ics and previous screen incar- nations. "Gotham" is, in fact, an origin story, and it aims to provide the background on how Gotham City and its resi- dents — heroes and villains alike — came to be. The idea is a dynamo for sure. While there's no question that Batman's a beloved char- acter, his story has been done before, over and over. By con- trast, there's not a whole lot known about The Penguin, Catwoman and the rest before they went bad — if they ever weren't bad — and now we'll get some insight as to what happened to put them on their dastardly paths. With "Gotham" comes a taste of something brand new, but still connected to the story and hero that we love. "We don't want to just re- gurgitate a comic book," says DC Entertainment's chief cre- ative officer Geoff Johns in a preview clip. "We need to ele- vate it, we need to make it something it's never been be- fore, while still staying true to the DNA." You don't have to worry about a total lack of Batman, either — he's still around, he's just not Batman yet, and there- fore doesn't demand the same focus. Thirteen-year-old David Mazouz ("Touch") plays the billionaire-playboy-to-be, Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know it yet, but the murder of his parents sets young Bruce on the path to keeping Gotham safe from people like the man who made him an orphan. It's also how he meets Det. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, "The O.C.," "Southland"), the city's future White Knight and "Gotham's" leading man. Millennials will best know McKenzie from his role as "The O.C.'s" brooding bad boy with a heart of gold, Ryan Atwood. Now in a far more age-appro- priate role, the handsome Tex- an is the perfect choice for the future Commissioner Gordon. "He has a kind of natural in- tegrity and strength," writer and executive producer Bruno Heller says of the actor in a pre- view for the series, "an old- fashioned set of values that re- ally shines through his perfor- mance." The rookie detective and his brazen and hard-nosed part- ner, Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, "Sons of Anarchy"), take on the high-profile case of the billionaire Waynes' mur- ders. When he meets their 12-year-old son who survived the encounter, Gordon vows to catch the killer. From there, the series will follow his rise through Gotham's police de- partment and his relationship with Bruce and the lad's imper- turbable guardian Alfred (Sean Pertwee, "Camelot") as the two help mold the boy into the Caped Crusader. As for the baddies, expect to see younger and less outland- ishly dressed versions of Cat- woman (Camren Bicondova, "Battlefield America," 2012), The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith, "Camp X-Ray," 2014) and more, but the first season focuses most heavily on The Penguin, or Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor, "Accepted," 2006), as he's still known. A preview clip shows a geeky (and let's face it, kind of creepy) Cobblepot being ridi- culed for his waddling gait — tuxedo and all — and the pal- pable rage that flares up in him is a pretty clear indicator of his villainous future. "Who are the super-villains in the city, and how did they become that way? Maybe they were just like me and you," suggests director and execu- tive producer Danny Cannon in the preview. "Why on Earth would that real person turn into that crazy psychopath?" This is what "Gotham" will ex- plore. As for the rest of the villains we're familiar with — Poison Ivy, The Scarecrow, The Joker and any other member of the rogues' gallery — their inclu- sion and amount of screen time is dependent on the audi- ence's reaction to them. "The first year is very much about the rise of The Penguin ... but other characters will be in- troduced as we roll along through that first season," Hell- er revealed during a TCA media tour, "but we'll respond to what's working and what isn't." They won't play it fast and loose with character roll-outs, either; Heller assures us that later villains-to-be will be intro- duced slowly, and often in un- expected ways. Not all characters will be recognizable from the DC Uni- verse, though. Jada Pinkett Smith ("Hawthorne") has a starring role as Fish Mooney, a sadistic gang boss and night- club owner that Gordon will find himself going up against as he navigates Gotham's crime world. She's got a hot temper, can read people like a book and wants to control the city — and she's also the long- tormented Cobblepot's boss. It's tough to catch all the new projects coming in hard and fast during premiere sea- son, but "Gotham" is one that you'll want to make time for. What little that's been revealed of the series already makes it a must-see, and that barely scratches the surface. The fresh new origin story premieres Monday, Sept. 22, on Fox. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 coverstory Ben McKenzie and David Mazouz in a scene from "Gotham" In the beginning... Fox's new series tells the origin stories of Gotham City's most well-known characters By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: How many hosts have there been for "Family Feud"? A: As is usually the case with list-type questions, it depends. As is less often the case, it depends on Al Roker. There have been seven hosts if you count Roker. The affable "Today" show staple hosted a brief series of prime-time specials called "Celebrity Family Feud" in 2008. You may or may not want to include him in the official list, de- pending on what kind of a stickler you are. It was definitely "Family Feud," with the same format, similar set and every- thing. However, it aired while John O'Hurley was still hosting the daytime version, so Roker didn't break into the continuity, if you will, of "Feud" hosts. If we're not counting Roker, there have been six, starting, of course, with the great Richard Dawson, who hosted the show from its debut in 1976 until 1985. He was replaced by Ray Combs, then Louie Anderson, Richard Karn, John O'Hurley and now Steve Harvey. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A B/ Fly Creek 2 x 4 G ENERAL S TORE FL Y CREEK Cafe GROCERIES DELICATESSEN