Fox has given a straight-to-series order for comic book drama Gotham, based on Batman character Commissioner James Gordon.
The origins tale, based DC Comics fixture, comes to the network from Warner Bros. Television. The series will be executive produced and written by Mentalist showrunner Bruno Heller. News of Gotham City's most notable police officer comes on the same day that ABC launches its own comic franchise, Agents of SHIELD, from corporate sister Marvel.
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Warner Bros. and DC are already in the TV business with the CW's Arrow and planted spin-off Flash in the works, but Gotham takes the genre into much more recognizable territory. A description for the series says that in addition to showing the history behind Gordon, it will focus on the villains that made fictional city famous.
Taking place prior to Gordon's meeting Batman, the superhero will not be part of the series -- but Gordon's roots in the Batman universe go quite deep. He first appeared Detective Comics #27, the same issue that introduced the dark knight. He was famously portrayed by Gary Oldman in the Christopher Nolan trilogy and the late Pat Hingle in the 1989-1997 Batman features.
The series also isn't Fox's first flirtation with Batman this development season. The network recently gave a pilot order to The Middle Man from director-ep Ben Affleck, who is set to play Batman in the upcoming Zack Snyder feature.
Gotham joins CBS’ Steven Spielberg-produced Extant as the only projects to get straight-to-series orders this season.
Heller is repped by WME.
