Critics go bats for Gotham

Initially, I was quick to dismiss Gotham. A crime saga set in the pre-Batman days of Gotham City, focusing on the early police career of pre-Commissioner James Gordon (Ben  McKenzie). Featuring neophyte versions of Selina Kyle and Oswald Cobblepot, with Jada Pinkett Smith as some kind of crime lord? No thank you! I'm not an Arrow guy or Smallville follower. I like my heroes fully grown and out of school. This sounded like another WB-ish face-lift.

Then I learned they'd cast Donal Logue as detective Harvey Bullock. Oh...! If you aren't a Donal Logue fan, and if you haven't caught his staggering work as Lee Toric on Sons of Anarchy - well, you have some catching up to do. Suddenly Fox had my attention.

Now it's riveted. The Television Critics Association have Gotham top honors in both the Most Promising New Show and Most Promising New Drama categories. 

Series creator Bruno Heller has said the show will be dark and disturbing. Young Bruce Wayne will be 12 on the show, and Heller plans on keeping things focused on origins and beginnings. When the time comes that Bruce becomes Batman, that would be the end of the series.

So much for being dismissive. It sounds like denizens of Gotham are in for the real McCoy. The series premieres on Fox, Monday, September 22nd, 8-9 PM.