Perhaps no fictional location gets as much screen-time as Gotham City. Blockbuster films like the upcoming The Batman will take place squarely in the sprawling, gothic metropolis. The same is true for the seemingly endless list of animated Batman-centric films. Even on the small screen, Gotham and Titans focus on the fictional city.
There is currently an officially untitled DC television project that will join the ranks of properties that call Gotham City home. Currently referred to as “Gotham PD,” the television show will reportedly take place in the same universe as The Batman, during the Caped Crusader’s early tenure as Batman.
Gotham-centric projects have been mixed bags as of late. The HBO Max show Titans is certainly coming into its own after finding somewhat shaky footing in its first two seasons. However, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League were decidedly poor films. Furthermore, the show Gotham was tonally inconsistent and never lived up to its hype. “Gotham PD” would be wise to avoid Gotham’s pitfalls, as the latter dedicated much screen time to Gotham’s police force and the former will be entirely focused around Commissioner Jim Gordon and company.
There is a Marvel project that “Gotham PD” would be wise to garner inspiration from. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a television show whose formula would work well for “Gotham PD.” Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. focused on Marvel’s Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), the premier law enforcement agency at the House of Ideas. Although a local law enforcement organization, the Gotham Police Department is DC’s most widely recognized non-metahuman crime-fighting entity. Furthermore, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. took place immediately following the events of The Avengers, just as “Gotham PD” will reportedly operate in the same universe as The Batman. Aside from following Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s initial formula, there are several more ways “Gotham PD” can emulate the defunct Marvel show’s success.
An Authentic Tone
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. followed the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) tone of colorful characters grounded in likeability sprinkled with humor. In that way, the show did not just belong to a larger cinematic project, but it felt that way, too.
DC and Warner Brothers produce decidedly darker projects than Marvel Studios, with very few exceptions. The Batman looks to be a grounded, gritty exploration of the Dark Knight’s world. “Gotham PD” should lean into the darkness of Gotham City and its score of cruel supervillains. If a show like Titans can be as dark as it is, while drawing from a decidedly lighter original source material, surely “Gotham PD” can follow in a similar path.
Exist in Batman’s World, but Do Not Rely on Him
Though existing in the MCU, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. never once featured a cameo of Iron Man or the Hulk. The show was able to utilize its world of superheroes and supervillains without relying on them as marketing gimmicks. It did, however, introduce a new superhero in the Ghost Rider, scratching the need for a larger-than-life character in just the proper way.
Similarly, “Gotham PD” should not feature Batman, at least not prominently. Gotham City has a plethora of vigilantes it can lean on without featuring the Dark Knight himself. Titans has demonstrated this in no small way. Just like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. featured Ghost Rider for a time, “Gotham PD” could do the same with one of the Robins, or a member of The Birds of Prey.
Have a Connection to a Beloved Comic Book Run
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. very loosely drew from Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Warriors, an underrated series that featured several members of S.H.I.E.L.D. taking on clandestine operations. Though the show was very much its own animal, both the show and the comics share several characters and overall plot points.
Similarly, “Gotham PD” can and should draw from Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker’s smash hit series Gotham Central. Collected in four trade paperback volumes, the run focuses on the Gotham Police Department and mostly keeps Batman in the shadows. While it features Two-Face and the Joker, this hard-boiled series stays fairly grounded and has a rich rotation of Batman villains. If Gotham Central is not the primary source material for “Gotham PD,” then something is seriously wrong at DC and Warner Brothers.
One Thing to Avoid: Twenty-plus Episode Seasons
In the 2010s, it was fashionable for shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Flash, and Arrow to produce 20-episode-long seasons. While this was great in that it produced more content for fans, it also plays into superhero fatigue. “Gotham PD” should follow Titans in having 10-13 episodes per season. Give the audience what it craves, but do not gorge it.
Hype for The Batman is constantly building, as fans have not had a worthy Batman-centric story on the silver screen for a decade. If The Batman is a great success, then the hype should carry over to “Gotham PD.” If the show can emulate the great things about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. while avoiding one of its pitfalls, it should become a critical success as well.