The following is the official Gotham synopsis from Fox:

Everyone knows the name Commissioner Gordon. He is one of the crime world’s greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon’s story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker?

GOTHAM is an origin story of the great DC Comics super villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (“The Mentalist,” “Rome”), GOTHAM follows one cop’s rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.

Growing up in Gotham City’s surrounding suburbs, JAMES GORDON (Ben McKenzie, “Southland,” “The O.C.”) romanticized the city as a glamorous and exciting metropolis where his late father once served as a successful district attorney. Now, two weeks into his new job as a Gotham City detective and engaged to his beloved fiancée, BARBARA KEAN (Erin Richards, “Open Grave,” “Breaking In”), Gordon is living his dream – even as he hopes to restore the city back to the pure version he remembers it was as a kid.

Brave, honest and ready to prove himself, the newly-minted detective is partnered with the brash, but shrewd police legend HARVEY BULLOCK (Donal Logue, “Sons of Anarchy,” “Terriers,” “Vikings,” “Copper”), as the two stumble upon the city’s highest-profile case ever: the murder of local billionaires Thomas and Martha Wayne. At the scene of the crime, Gordon meets the sole survivor: the Waynes’ hauntingly intense 12-year-old son, BRUCE (David Mazouz, “Touch”), toward whom the young detective feels an inexplicable kinship. Moved by the boy’s profound loss, Gordon vows to catch the killer.

As he navigates the often-underhanded politics of Gotham’s criminal justice system, Gordon will confront imposing gang boss FISH MOONEY (Jada Pinkett Smith, “The Matrix” films, “HawthoRNe,” “Collateral”), and many of the characters who will become some of fiction’s most renowned, enduring villains, including a teenaged SELINA KYLE/the future CATWOMAN (acting newcomer Camren Bicondova) and OSWALD COBBLEPOT/THE PENGUIN (Robin Lord Taylor, “The Walking Dead,” “Another Earth”).

Although the crime drama will follow Gordon’s turbulent and singular rise through the Gotham City police department, led by Police Captain SARAH ESSEN (Zabryna Guevara, “Burn Notice”), it also will focus on the unlikely friendship Gordon forms with the young heir to the Wayne fortune, who is being raised by his unflappable butler, ALFRED (Sean Pertwee, “Camelot,” “Elementary”). It is a friendship that will last them all of their lives, playing a crucial role in helping the young boy eventually become the crusader he’s destined to be.

GOTHAM is based upon characters published by DC Comics and is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Executive producer Bruno Heller (“The Mentalist”) wrote the pilot, which will be directed and executive-produced by Emmy Award nominee Danny Cannon (the “CSI” series, “Nikita”).

The lengthy outline doesn’t provide details on the time period, setting, or influential style of the infamous city, but the title card’s design is similar to the Rocksteady’s Arkham games. Which hopefully spells out the same dark, dank, and dreary backdrop implied by the logo.

The description does a better job spelling out the relationship between Gordon and Bruce. It sounds a lot like the relationship Bruce has with Dick Grayson. Having Bruce get some kind of training and/or picking up a thing or two from Gordon would be pretty cool. Especially when compared to the version of Batman in the Batwoman saga, in which he dresses up to disguise in order to test his theories to discover Batwoman’s true identity. I suppose it could still happen, but highly unlikely.

It is inevitable that Batman will have to save Gotham from the rising number of theatrical criminals, but how many seasons are they planning on stretching this out for? Smallville has been tossed into the conversation about what this series is going to be like, so will we have to sit through ten seasons before we see Bruce don the cape and cowl? Seeing as Fish Moody and the Penguin are up first, it could end up being one or two villains per season. It’s interesting that they specifically name drop the Riddler, Two-face, and the Joker, but if they include either Thomas Elliot or the Court of Owls I’ll be watching this show till the bitter end.

Colour me sceptical about this one, but Batman does have a rich mythology to pull from. Just look at #27 of Batman Detective Comics the special mega-sized anniversary issue it has several different incarnations in one title. Some of villains’ origin stories have been reimagined in The New 52 like Mr. Freeze being a workaholic and becoming obsessed with Nora instead of her actually being his wife. It should prove to be a fun watch, but I must admit Constantine is higher on my watch list than this one, if for nothing more than to see something different.

What say you, are you excited for this one or is there another superhero television series you looking forward to? Which rendition of Gotham city is your favourite? Who is your favourite villain? And which origin story do you prefer for said villain?

Gotham is on Fox scheduled for the Fall of 2014.

The writer of this piece was:

Laurence Almalvez
Laurence has previously written over at Whatculture.com.
Laurence tweets from @IL1511