NYCC Interviews Constantine – with David S. Goyer – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive:  While at New York Comic Con this year Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to see the pilot of the other big DC show Constantine. The show premiered in the US on NBC on Friday the 24th of October and we sat down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Constantine with Matt Ryan (John Constantine), Angélica Celaya (Zed) and show creator and executive producer David S. Goyer. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator.

In our Constantine interview we caught up with show runner David S. Goyer who chatted with us about the refreshing change of pace writing Constantine, the fun of the punk influence on the character and the music for the show, his admiration for the Hellblazer comic series and he revealed that someone will turn up on John Constantine’s doorstep to pick up the Helmet of Nabu. You can listen to the full interview on our podcast below or read on for the full interview with Mr. Goyer

Question – You’ve done a lot of TV and you’ve done a lot of movies contrast the experience?

Someone once said that movies is more like oil painting and TV is like water colour. The turnover time in TV is a lot faster, movies you have a lot more time to perfect everything. With TV it’s sometimes that by the time you’re in to your third draft, its time to go. So on one hand that time constraint is harder but also sometimes its better not to over think things and go with your first instinct. But with television you also get to revisit characters and have characters grow and change over the course of the season and this has already happened in our first season. We’ve had a couple of actors come in and really blow us away and we’ve thought “Oh they’re really amazing” and so we’ve brought them back a couple of episodes later.

Question – So in looking at the original version of the pilot and then the pilot that we’ll see later. What do you think is the biggest change in terms of where the show is going now versus where the show might have been going when we saw  the trailer back in May?

Well when we first started adapting Constantine I think there was some concern with the audience that we needed a character that was from the audience point of view that was not apart of this world. So we created a character that was not part of the comic books, named Liv, that embodied that point of view. We made the pilot and Lucy who played her did a great job, but as we started breaking the subsequent stories we thought it would be much more interesting and challenging if someone were more of that world and having seen the pilot we were able to convince NBC that maybe we should go in that direction. So we selected a character called Zed, who’s also from the comic books, and she has a really interesting back story, she’s not a blank slate, she’s got a lot of mysteries. She was able to go toe-to-toe more with  John and it made for some more interesting dynamics. I think with John and Liv, you know, John was sort of the cut up and Liv was the straight man or straight woman and with Zed they flip flopped those roles and it’s just more interesting.

Question  – You’ve worked on a lot of different comic book adaptations. When you approached doing Constantine compared to some of the more superhero properties was there a difference in how you approach the characters themselves or did they feel the same way?

Sure, I mean John doesn’t have any superpowers, he’s not a billionaire, he’s not an alien from another planet, he’s just a regular bloke. He doesn’t have a costume, he doesn’t have a secret identity. If someone arrests him and throws him in jail he is in trouble and that does happen in the first season. He can’t just swoop in and have someone expunge his record. It’s kind of interesting, after having written Batman and Superman, to write someone who doesn’t have access to those powers or that infinite amount of wealth to help him out. He’s also not a hero hero, I mean he’s a jerk, and it’s really refreshing to write a character that’s a jerk.

GTVP Question – We saw the helmet of Doctor Fate in the pilot screening. How far is Constantine going to delve in to the mythology that has been established within the comics?

Should we continue on long enough the plan is that we have access to the broader occult DC universe. So even in the first twelve episodes you’ll see two or three characters that show up that aren’t part of Hellblazer proper that are part of the larger DC universe; and the plan is that eventually someone will show up at John’s door to collect that helmet.

Question – You’re dealing with a supernatural version of the universe in a number of projects, so it’s a very different approach than taking a more straight forward superhero based in science fiction or the real world. How is it to envision things in that way?

It’s a really refreshing change of pace, its nice to be doing something that’s scary, it’s nice to be doing something that’s a bit more funny. I’m a huge fan of John’s roots he was created in the 80’s with a real punk sensibility and we’ve actually licensed a lot of punk songs in the show. I’m proud to say, I don’t know if this is a first or not, but we licensed a Sex Pistols song for episode three. So that is pretty fun having John Constantine listening to the Sex Pistols. I think he listens to Buzzcocks. [Interviewer] Gang of Four? Not yet but hopefully we’ll get there, maybe we’ll get some Cramps and Dead Kennedys.

Question – When there is such a rich pool of characters that you can pull from, how do you decide which ones you are going to bring in to the story and at when is a good time?

It’s story based. So we don’t say “OK we’re going to do a story about Doctor Occult” and I’m not saying we have done a story about Doctor Occult per se. We talk about where it would be good for the story to go or come up with an idea for a story; and then we think if there is an appropriate character in the DC universe that fits with that story and makes sort of sense in an organic way to bring that character in. That’s how Jim Corrigan entered in to the show as a a reoccurring character because we had a need for a homicide detective; and so we thought “You know let’s bring in Corrigan”.

Question – Hellblazer is such a long running series, there are so many storylines that you can choose, there are so many different runs. Do you have a favourite, a particular story line form Hellblazer?

You know I have a lot of favourite story lines and I will say even though the first season loosely tracks American Gothic we’ve already adapted within the first twelve episodes a couple of other singular issues. We’re trying to do a version of one of the Delano issues early on right now. We did a really cool version of the Hunger Demon issue that’s actually one of our better episodes, I think, so far.

Question – How soon do we learn more about Chaz?

Episodes nine or ten, we’ll turn over some cards relating to him.

Question – Do you have a hell of a comic book art collection? Who is you favourite artist?

I’ve got some choice pages. I mean old school [Jack] Kirby and contemporary I really like Steve Rude a lot.

Arrow Season 3 Episode 1: “The Calm” Review

Arrow Season 3 Episode 1: “The Calm” Review. “At what price victory?

[Beware the full episode SPOILERS below] Arrow’s exciting return was on Sky 1 HD tonight. Here is our review.

Season three of Arrow returned with great anticipation following on from the climatic events from last season between the Arrow/Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Slade/Deathstroke (Manu Bennett) and the lies that pushed Oliver’s sister Thea (Willa Holland) towards her father, Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman). The season three opener “The Calm” suggests that the dust has settled from the events and revelations of season two as Starling city along with its citizens enjoy crime levels that are at an all-time low thanks to Arrow and his team. However, all is not what it seems as the drug vertigo emerges back on the streets of Starling to haunt the Arrow and the mantle of the drug Lord, Count Vertigo, is taken up by a new protagonist or so we are led to believe. Behind these developments an older deadlier menace is set to assert himself on the city of Starling and catch the Arrow off-guard. The opener to Arrow season three twists and turns with some shocking events that lead to further tragedy for Oliver Queen.

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With the personal threat of Slade towards Oliver and his family over, we see a willingness of Oliver and his team to relax. John Diggle (David Ramsey) has his paternal duties to consider to his new baby as his partner Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson), known as Harbinger, gives birth to a baby girl. It’s great to see Ramsey, a fan favourite from the series, truly take on the mantle of “Daddy Diggle”! Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) is also in a much better place. She has kicked her addiction and is building bridges with her sister Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), the Black Canary, and her father Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorn) who has been newly promoted to Captain at Starling City Police Department. His first act in office is to cease the warrant for the arrest of the vigilante known as Arrow.

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As calm quite literally descends even over Oliver, he begins to achieve a balance between being both the Arrow and Oliver Queen. He seeks to put an end to the romantic tension that has built up between him and Felicity (Emily Brett Ricards). It is a really nice touch to the first episode to see him and Felicity break the ice as Oliver asks her out on a date (Olicity anyone?). However,  Felicity may also have another admirer, Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), as they very much seem to be on the same wavelength as one another in a tech-savvy kind of way. Brandon Routh plays Palmer really well and it’s a great performance in his first outing of season three. He gels with the character’s relaxed demeanor and charm. There is a sense of fun about the character with an easy sophistication that is great. It makes me excited to see more of his character over the season as he develops to become a well known DC character and especially as he is revealed to be in competition with Oliver for control of the bankrupt Queen Consolidated.

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The grab for Queen Consolidated by Palmer, the concern of Roy Harper (Colton Hayes) for Thea his missing former girlfriend, as well as the health of Captain Quentin Lance are hints that all is not as settled as we were led to believe. Indeed, in flashbacks to Hong Kong, we see Oliver Queen under continued coercion after escaping the Island; as he is forced by Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) under the threat of killing the family of his handler, Maseo Yamashiro (Karl Yune), to proceed with training for an as yet unknown objective. These new flashbacks are a welcome and timely change to the flashbacks to the Island called Lian Yu. Whilst I look forward to the further pieces of the puzzle these flashbacks will reveal about Oliver and his past I do wonder (and worry) about the merits of over using this technique as the series moves forward.

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Roy Harper steps up to fully take on the mantle of The Arsenal in his full costume that is nicely red (I still prefer the idea and name Red Arrow for this show) and awesome, especially as in a great little moment the Arrow calls him “partner”. This entrance is not a moment too soon as the veneer of safety and calmness is brutally removed from Starling City and for Arrow and his team with the arrival of Werner Zytle (Peter Stormare), who has claimed the mantle of Count Vertigo. Zytle attempts to kill Arrow, in a bid to cement his control over the streets of Starling, but fails thanks to the help of The Arsenal and Black Canary (aka Sara Lance) who is back in town. But collateral damage in these attempts by Zytle comes in the form of Felicity as she is seriously injured, re-igniting doubts in Oliver’s mind about his ability to mix the personal with the professional (vigilantism). These encounters though lead to some great stunts and action sequences in this opening episode. There is a particularly good Oliver versus Oliver sequence as Zytle, through a cocktail of the vertigo drug, shows Oliver to see who he fears the most – himself!

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But a potentially greater menace lurks in the shadows of Starling City, one that has serious consequences for a strong and close ally of Arrow. The closing sequences of episode one certainly begins to explore the tragic consequences at the end of season two and the theme for season three “At what price victory?”, as Sara Lance is shot in the chest with three arrows by an unseen figure. She falls from a rooftop to her death in front of a shocked and traumatised Laurel (and audience). Who is this mysterious figure? Could it be the return of Malcolm Merlyn, the Dark Archer, to Starling? Or is it a more ancient foe in the shape of Ra’s al Ghul? Indeed is Sara Lance really dead? These are some  great questions that have been set up at the start of Arrow season three and I can’t wait to see them play out.

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Overall, this is an excellent episode of Arrow and a solid start for season three. The episode began to shape the start of a new piece to Oliver’s back story in Hong Kong. Despite the episodes title – The Calm – the victory (or perceived victory) from last season has been flipped as new criminal forces are on the horizon. These new foes bring a real sense of danger to Arrow and his team which is a nice change. The writers also introduce us to the start of a great new line up from the evolving Roy Harper as Arsenal  to the new man in town Ray Palmer played by the excellent Brandon Routh. We also get, hot on the heels of the series premiere, a cameo appearance of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) as he seeks advice about what to do with his new found powers. This cameo also helps set up the links between the worlds of The Flash and Arrow that inhabit the same universe. We’ll see more of this in a two-hour cross-over in episode eight of both shows and also in episode four of The Flash as Felicity makes her way to help Barry Allen in Central City. As always where would this new season of Arrow be without Stephen Amell, he really does provide the core to this show as Arrow. We can’t wait to see how he will protect Starling City, deal with his missing sister and of course, what really happened in Hong Kong.

Arrow, starring Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Colton Hayes and Brandon Routh, returns next week with the episode “Sara” this coming Thursday 6th November on Sky 1 HD at 8.00pm.

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Also published on The Effect.net

Year One E03 – The Balloonman Review” – Gotham TV Podcast Episode 20

Gotham “The Balloonman Review” – Year One E03

Show Notes

In this podcast we discuss, in full detail, episode 3 of Gotham entitled “The Balloonman”. We talk about the comedic elements versus the darker and more serious aspects of this episode, whether a weather balloon could lift a man or woman to their untimely death, the increasing pressure on Jim Gordon from the MCU and Barbara over his integrity, the return of Oswald Cobblepot to his home, Gotham, and we welcome Sal Maroni to the fight for this great city. Of course, we also include all the Gotham and DC related news and include your feedback and comments so far.

News

  • Morena Baccarin who many will remember as Inara from Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity, Anna from the updated version of V and most recently in her Emmy-award winning role as Nicholas Brodies wife Jessica on Homeland has joined Gotham. She’s one of our favourite actresses here at Gotham TV Podcast and we’re really interested to see what she can do with the character of Dr. Leslie Thompkins on the show.
  • Flash premieres in the UK and Ireland on Tuesday 28th October and Arrow returns with season three of the show on Thursday 30th October on Sky One HD.
  • Constantine will continue in the USA this Friday 31st October on NBC, whilst in the UK Constantine will be exclusively available on Amazon Prime instant video the day after its air date in the USA. Amazon Prime is unavailable outside the UK so we’ll keep you up to date with any news about who will broadcast Constantine in Ireland.

If you want to send us your thoughts or suggestions you can send them to our new address [email protected]

Thanks so much to all of our listeners for their feedback it’s great to have the support so far and we hope you keep sending us your feedback. As always thanks so much for listening and we’ll be back next week with our discussion of episode 04 of Gotham – “Arkham”.

Derek and John

Gotham TV Podcast

Date recorded: 28/10/2014
Date published: 29/10/2014
MP3, 1h 25m, 128kbps, 78.1 MB

NYCC Interviews Constantine – with Matt Ryan – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive:  While at New York Comic Con this year Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to see the pilot of the other big DC show Constantine. The show premiered in the US on NBC on Friday the 24th of October and we sat down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Constantine with Matt Ryan (John Constantine), Angélica Celaya (Zed) and show creator and executive producer David S. Goyer. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator.

Our first interview was with John Constantine himself Matt Ryan who chatted with us about the challenges of fan expectations, playing the part of a Scouser (John Constantine is from Liverpool) and what’s been his scariest moment. You can listen to the podcast with all of the interviews we did at New York Comic Con 2014 with the cast of Gotham and Constantine or read on for the interview

Question – Playing John Constantine is a big job but as a character what drew you to this part?

Matt Ryan – The fact that he’s tormented, he’s guilt ridden he’s got all this dark shit going on and he’s someone that would flip the bird to the devil and do it with a smile and a wink. To play those two things is awesome. It’s so three dimensional and multifaceted. I still feel like I’m peeling back the layers of him and getting under his skin. We’re recording episode 9 and 10 and it’s getting deeper and deeper as we go and what’s great about a part like this is that you can keep going lower and lower there’s not going to be any end to it.

GTVP Question – How do you prepare to be a “petty dabbler of the dark arts” and more importantly as a Welshman how do you prepare to play a Scouser (A person from Liverpool where John Constantine is from in the comics)?

Matt Ryan – Interesting question, first of all reading the comics going to the source material, gleaning as much of that as possible and then reading a bunch of the Grimoriums you know magic books, watching a bunch of movies like the Exorcist and trying not to freak myself out too much. In terms of John being from Liverpool and being a Scouser, early on I wanted to get in touch with the DNA of the character and go for the essence of him rather than playing a voice and an accent. I talked to one of my best friends who’s from Liverpool about the accent but I wanted to get the essence of him and to do an accent that was accessible but wasn’t me. It wasn’t completely me and Welsh but also wasn’t a hard Scouse but was a Northern [English] accent. Something that’s going to be accessible and has that working class quality to it. That came about from me wanting to find out who the character was and I wanted to go for that rather than playing an accent.

Question – What is your characters relationship with Zed (Angelica Celaya’s character)?

Matt Ryan – It’s feisty. It’s really cool she’s someone that doesn’t take any of his shit and really gets in his face. They get on each others nerves they have this interesting sexual chemistry between them. They need each other and want to push each other away it’s a really interesting dynamic I think that they start to grow together as well. Where we’re at now they’re at a really interesting place it’s a really interesting chemistry they’ve got and it’s really fun to play.

Question – What was the scariest moment in your own life?

Matt Ryan – Probably doing this. Reading comics before I go to bed and then being in my apartment on my own, in a strange place alone hearing knocks in this strange apartment building in the middle of the night after a day shoot and shitting myself. That’s probably while I’ve done this cause you’re thinking about it all the time. I’m trying to keep reading the comics even though we’re working twelve to fifteen hours a day so I can keep that line to the source material and into the DNA so that it’s always there in the background. You do that before you go to sleep and you think of demons and stuff.

Question – When you do comic adaptations fans will judge you on every little thing you do. Does that ever come into your mind when you’re doing the role because this is such an iconic character?

Matt Ryan – Yeah, well it’s a lot of pressure isn’t it? It’s the fans that are the reason I’m here the reason the comics are loved so much and you want to do it justice. But I think at the same time, to make it your own, I think you have to be ballsy enough to go “Well OK this is what I’m doing” and hope that they like it and hope that my interpretation of it and the fact that I really like the comics and I’m trying to keep a line to that all the time and I’m hoping that will come across. But you can’t really think about it too much because it can get in the way. You want people to love something that they’ve spent a lot of time in their life reading because it’s something that they love.

 

No UK or Irish broadcaster has been announced for the show just yet but we’ll bring you news as soon as we hear it.

Gotham Podcast Selina Kyle Episode 2 Review– Gotham TV Podcast Episode 19

Year One - Selina Kyle ReviewListen to our Gotham Podcast Selina Kyle review of Episode 2 of Gotham.

Show Notes

In this episode we discuss Gotham Season One Episode 2 – Selina Kyle in full spoilerific detail. We talk about the possibilities of Professor Pyg, the polite scariness of Doug and Patty and what may be down that shaft in the basement of Quillen Pharma and, of course, we include your feedback on episode one and two.

News

Great ratings on Channel 5 it won the time-slot for episode one beating out it’s closest rivals of Channel 4 and BBC2.

Full season of 22 episodes confirmed.

Characters coming up on the show include murderer Victor Zsasz, Harvey Dent who we talked about last week and Tommy Elliot. A childhood friend of Bruce with a dark future in Gotham.

At New York Comic Con (NYCC 2014) we got the chance to interview the members of the cast and creators who where in attendance. Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive roundtable interviews with Sean Pertwee, Erin Richards, Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor Danny Cannon and Donal Logue from New York Comic Con can be read over on our interview page.

The Gotham panel at the Paley FEST in New York took place on 19th October at the Paley Center.

DC Connected News

Constantine premieres in the US on the 24th of October. We’ve seen the pilot of the show twice at NYCC and it’s excellent. Interviews with the cast Matt Ryan and Angélica Selaya and creator David S. Goyer. Reaction from the audience was huge with loads of requests for characters to be added to the show. They’ve already filmed 10 episodes. A UK and Irish broadcaster is yet to be announced so this might mean that we won’t see the show until 2015 but it has a lot of promise.

DC Movie Slate was announced by Warner Brothers up until 2020. One of the big elements to this news was also that the DC movie and TV universes would have no connection.

⦁        “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” directed by Zack Snyder (2016)
⦁        “Suicide Squad,” directed by David Ayer (2016)
⦁        “Wonder Woman,” starring Gal Gadot (2017)
⦁        “Justice League Part One,” directed by Zack Snyder, with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams reprising their roles (2017)
⦁        “The Flash,” starring Ezra Miller (2018)
⦁        “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa (2018)
⦁        “Shazam” (2019)
⦁        “Justice League Part Two,” directed by Zack Snyder (2019)
⦁        “Cyborg,” starring Ray Fisher (2020)
⦁        “Green Lantern” (2020)

The music at the end of episode two is Roads by Portishead featured on their album Dummy and in the episode Selina Kyle.

If you want to send us your thoughts or suggestions you can send them to our new address [email protected]

Thanks so much to all of our listeners for their feedback it’s great to have the support so far and we hope you keep sending us your feedback. As always thanks so much for listening.

Derek and John

Gotham TV Podcast

Date recorded: 21/10/2014
Date published: 22/10/2014
MP3, 2h, 128kbps, 109.9 MB

NYCC Interviews Part 6 with Ben McKenzie Gotham’s Jim Gordon – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive: In our final roundtable interview at New York Comic Con 2014 we spoke with actor Ben McKenzie who discusses his “Dream job” of playing Jim Gordon, the similarities between Alfred and Jim, his push-pull relationship with Harvey Bullock and guiding “The darkness” within Bruce. Here’s the podcast with all the interviews from New York Comic Con 2014 or you can read on for the transcript. Sorry for the poor audio quality at the end of the interview with Ben McKenzie.

Question – What’s it like coming in and dealing with the fans at New York Comic Con?

Ben McKenzie – It’s great. I’m really excited about this panel because when we were in San Diego the show wasn’t on yet. It’s an odd thing to interact with fans who haven’t seen it yet cause they’re excited and also going “This isn’t going to suck right?” (laughs) and you say “No no I really think it’s going to be good”. So this will be a real opportunity to see people who have actually seen the show and what they think of it and get their questions.

Question -What’s it like playing an iconic character and making it completely your own?

B.McK. – It’s a thrill. It’s an absolute thrill. It’s kind of a dream job in that respect. It was very intimidating initially because the character has been portrayed before and portrayed by some brilliant actors but what’s freeing about it is what you pointed out we’re showing how he came to become, how he came to be, how he grew into the role of commissioner and that’s never been seen on film before. So there was a chance to take advantage of the mythology and the deep love for these character but also breathe fresh air into that.

Question – They’ve set Jim up as a mentor for Bruce which is very different to the comics. What’s that like since you’re basically helping to create Batman

B.McK. – Yeah. But I think Jim starts off trying not to create Batman. He is a law enforcement officer and you see in the third episode with “Balloon man” who is the first vigilante that Gotham had seen actually targeting people are morally corrupt and going outside the law to do so. Jim, rightly, is deeply concerned about this trend in Gotham. If people choose not to follow the law there is no law. If people choose to go outside the law, even for the right moral reasons the whole society falls apart. So when he starts counseling Bruce he’s trying to educate him on how not to fall into that trap. Because he sees a darkness in Bruce, he sees an incredible intelligence an incredible integrity in this young boy but he also sees a darkness and an anger that he’s trying to direct in the right way.

Question – so you have this area to negotiate between the murder and the full blown Batman. What do you do to envision this character. Is there a guiding source for that?

B.McK. – It’s actually quite straightforward in a way. He’s a war hero. He came straight off the front lines pretty much back to Gotham where he saw heavy action. So he approaches it with a military man’s perspective. Morally rigid, can-do, stoic, fight forward, fight forward, fight forward, don’t look back. Unfortunately he realises that the terrain is more complicated than even the war in which he was fighting. So he has to learn how to live in Gotham and get things done. Cutting deals educating himself perhaps making decisions that morally are dubious in order to get the kind of positive change that he wants.

Question – This is the back story that’s in your head? they haven’t said do that?

B.McK. – Well we talked about it and it’s set up in the pilot. Harvey Bullock leaves Essen’s office after basically trying to get rid of the kid and says “Oh your a war hero and your daddy was a big D.A. and I can’t get rid of you”. We don’t dwell on it. Hopefully we won’t do flashbacks just because they’re clunky. But that’s the approach, he was raised that way from the beginning because his father was a revered D.A. and a noble man. Perhaps not quite as noble as Jim thinks he was. So he’s always prided himself on this morally rigid stance and yet he’ll learn that perhaps he’ll have to be a little more flexible in Gotham.

Question – Are there any more parallels between Gordon and Alfred. They’re both military men Alfred was in the Marines, Gordon was in the Army. Do you see any other parallels between them?

B.McK. -There are. The parallels are their approach to life, perhaps being a bit stoic about it. At the same time Alfred has receded from the battle lines he’s not working on the ground level in law enforcement and his charge is to take care of Bruce. But his school of parenting is a bit…unusual let’s say and Jim’s is actually oddly a bit softer. He’s probably actually trying to talk to the boy and get him to understand things on a deeper emotional level. Whereas Alfred is probably coming from an older set where children are supposed to be managed and taught things, seen and not heard. Drilled a bit sort of like you would drill soldiers as he fences around Wayne Manor with him. So it’s a fun relationship and they are essentially battling over Bruce’s soul.

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Your partner Harvey Bullock has gone path of least resistance. Now you’re that block in the way how does that develop over the season. That tense relationship where you’re trying to drag him out of the mire but he’s trying to drag you in?

B.McK. – Yeah we end up sinking both back into it in a way. Pull out and fall back in and of course I’m hiding the secret from Harvey that I’ve not actually killed Oswald and that will come back and create yet another layer of tension between the partnership. It’s a complicated relationship that will only become more so. But they do at the end of the day teach each other things. Begrudgingly they learn from each other.

Question – Can they trust each other?

B.McK. – Eventually? Probably. (Laughs) but not now.

Click here for previous interviews –   Robin Lord-Taylor    Danny Cannon     Erin Richards   Sean Pertwee    Donal Logue

Ben McKenzie

NYCC Interviews Part 5 with Donal Logue Gotham’s Harvey Bullock – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive: Here’s our interview with actor Donal Logue, Harvey Bullock on Gotham, who discusses the similarities and differences between Harvey Bullock and other characters he’s played, the impact of Ben McKenzie’s Jim Gordon on his character, the burden of comedic relief and the future broadening scope of Gotham. You can listen to the podcast below with all of our interviews from New York Comic Con or read on for Donal Logue’s interview

Question – From pretty heavy independent films to a pretty heavy character on TV do you feel it’s a natural evolution?

Donal Logue – When you’re younger and you do college theatre or something, I remember we would do something like a Joe Orton play and then you’d rehearse a Sam Shepard play you’d do next and then you’d do the play that night. That’s just being an actor. Especially in the old school. Look at guys like Burgess Meredith and those kinds of careers. Your job is to go all over the map it’s a little tricky but that’s what the fun is.

Question –  just a follow up. Some people have said the process of TV is different than the process of film that’s why I ask.

D.L. – I’ll give you a good story on that one so when I first auditioned for anything ever it was a mini-series about “Common Ground” which was the Pulitzer prize winning book about the Boston Busing Crisis in the mid-seventies and so Meg Simon who cast the show with Warner Brothers discovered me in Boston, I was a theatre actor at the time. I was reading (the script) and I said I dunno I’ve done a bunch of plays and I hear stories, am I supposed to be smaller I hear the process is different and (Meg Simon) said “Just act the F’ing scene”. If you think that way you’re thinking the wrong way. Every medium is it’s own thing. I did a sit-com which originally wasn’t supposed to be in front of a live studio audience and when that changed I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. John Lithgow said “It’s a two act play in front of an audience, it’s fantastic” and I said OK so it is it’s own animal. By the way John Lithgow to me is the king, when you talk about bouncing between all the mediums. He’s an amazing guy, super super great guy.

Question –  What’s your take on this character? I mean he’s so complicated and so layered and you do a great job.

D.L. – Thanks. I think my take on that is the same as most people the difficulty I have is that he also seems to have carry a little bit of the burden of comedic relief. It’s about finding that balance of when it’s real serious when it’s dark and when it’s kind of goofy. I’ve done comedies in the past and your living fully in the sunshine of that side of the street and then I went to Sons of Anarchy, Vikings and Copper so you’re comfortable in that cause you know it’s dark. With this one it’s a little tricky to bounce back and forth almost arbitrarily so.

Question –  and do you see him as corrupt?

D.L. – I think a lot of people are corrupt. Over the course of your career luckily you get to meet people who work in law enforcement, you get to meet criminals, you get to meet people who work in the military and they say “you know it wasn’t cool but we had to do a deal with this war lord to get through this”. That’s the world. I’m sure a lot of young idealistic people have walked into places like Washington DC into a police department and said “Well I know what the culture is but I’m gonna change it”. It’s not that everybody is corrupt there’s gradations of it. There’s big T truths and small t truths. I think now when you catch him (Harvey) he just wants to get to the finish line. He may want to stash some money on the side, legally or not and wants to add to his pension and then Jim Gordon comes in and (Bullock) has seen fifty of these guys but none of them have been Jim Gordon. They’ve never had the moral fiber of this guy. Jim Gordon is such a strong character that it changes Harvey which reminds him of who he used to be I think.

Question – What’s the appeal of police shows for you such as Life? What’s the appeal for you as an actor or is it just a different role?

D.L. – I would say it’s just a different role, trying to stay as flexible as possible. I have respect for all roles and professions but there’s something so iconic (here). When I did the pilot for Gotham I was doing what I thought was a really thrilling run on Law and Order: S.V.U. which I loved a lot. There’s something so iconic about being able to play a New York Detective. There’s a million amazing stories happening every night, every day there’s stuff going on here (New York) and these guys get to beeline straight to the strangest, darkest part of the human condition and I think there’s something fascinating about it.

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Will we get to see the story behind why Crispus Allen is no longer partnered with Harvey Bullock?

D.L. – We haven’t gotten to it yet. But we get more back story on Montoya and Allen and the M.C.U. and what’s nice too is that the show is starting to breathe more into the worlds of Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth which I like. It was fun to have so much focus on Gordon and Bullock’s partnership. It’s such a big world that I think people will be excited to see it breathe and open up a little bit.

Question – Are you a fan of comic books?

D.L. – I wasn’t a huge fan growing up but since I started working in Blade in 1997 I got into comics. Partially just to understand the world I was representing and i have for the last twenty or so years.

Click here for previous interview – Sean Pertwee

Donal Logue

NYCC Interviews Part 4 with Sean Pertwee Gotham’s Alfred Pennyworth – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive: Ahead of the UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Gotham and what we can expect from future episodes in season one with Executive Producer Danny Cannon and five members of the cast (Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie) about their thoughts on the show, their characters and what could be coming in Season one of the show. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator.

Here’s our interview with British actor Sean Pertwee who discusses his thoughts on the larger role of Alfred in the show, the connection with previous versions of the character and being at New York Comic Con with a show like this. You can listen to all of our interviews from New York Comic Con in our podcast here or read on.

Sean arrived at the interview table and immediately reached out his hand to both of us to greet us. He thanked us for all the support and wanted us to know how much he much he appreciates all of the fan feedback and support since he started the project.

Gotham TV Podcast Question – With the casting of David Mazouz, Bruno Heller has said that he has a bigger role in the show than was previously expected what does that mean for your character Alfred?

Sean PertweeIt means I’ll be around for a lot more as well. I have a son called Alfred as well which is a bit of a bizarre one, but he’s the same age and I have an affinity at this moment with children of that age and its really interesting. David [Mazouz] is one of the most driven, most fabulous actors I’ve ever met and I genuinely mean that and it can be difficult for young people, young actors young men and young women, he is extraordinary. He’s the most focused, driven guy and can really turn it on and he has a real sense of pain and darkness and we’ve found our own heart beat that we will begin to see at around episode three. There are people out there who are a little concerned about Alfred’s parenting skills – I was as well I have to say! [Laughs] But I mean how would he know how to be a father he comes from a military background, he blames himself for the demise of the Waynes, he never signed any contract to say that I’m now the legal guardian…how would he know? What we [David Mazouz and Sean Pertwee] are trying to do, developing, is to find a hook, a way of communicating with a young man who is suffering from post-traumatic stress; and then you start to discover that Alfred also has issues rage issues, guilt issues and everything else. We’ve become a disfunctional family and it really sort of gets out there by episode eight.You see a marked change [in the relationship] and a real marked flag in the sand as to which direction they’re going. It’s really difficult to say anything without giving too much away.

Question -Your Alfred is following on from and kind of pre-figuring Michael Caine in the films but obviously in the old days Alfred was a bit more posh. Are you interested in the Marine direction more Cockney side of Alfred that Gotham is presenting?

S.P. – Yes, certainly. He’s from the East End. He’s a Military guy. I wrote a bible [on the character] and presented it to Bruno on the first day. I tried to stay away as much as I can [from the previous character interpretations]. I have so much respect for my preceeding Alfred’s I mean they are absolute genius in their own way but you have to find your own sync, find your own rhythm, your own beat. So I presented it to him [Bruno Heller] that my father would have been the butler for the Waynes, he was ill, I went there to see him and I left the services to aid him on his death bed. He passed away and I took on the mantle of the valet, the role of the bat man, to the Waynes [Laughs]. So, you’ll see the development of their relationship over the next ten episodes. What I loved about Sir Michael Caine’s interpretation was that he represents the common man and I think that is why I am here.

Question – What is it like to bring the show to Comic Con and really present Gotham to the fans and interact with them?

S.P. – I think it will will be very interesting and I’m very excited by it, We’ve kind of been quite cosseted in our lifestyles because we’ve been working really hard so it’s really nice Ben’s done one and I haven’t done one before so it’s going to be lovely to see their reaction.

Question – And so are you going to put your parenting skills to good work?

S.P. – Yes of course [Laughs] I’ve been asked do I treat my son like that and no I don’t [Laughs].

Click here for previous interview – Erin Richards

Sean Pertwee

Erin Richards Gotham Interview NYCC Interviews Part 3 Barbara Kean – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive:  Here’s our Erin Richards Gotham interview where she discusses her thoughts on the character of Barbara, her relationship with Ben McKenzie’s Jim Gordon, how she deals with attention from fans and the strong characters on the show.

Ahead of the UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Gotham and what we can expect from future episodes in season one with Executive Producer Danny Cannon and five members of the cast (Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie) about their thoughts on the show, their characters and what could be coming in Season one of the show. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator. You can listen to the full podcast below with all the interviews or read on for the full transcript.

Question – How did you get the job of Barbara Kean in Gotham and how did you prepare for the part of Barbara Kean in the legendary city, did any tell you what you must do?

Erin RichardsFirstly nobody told me to do anything! I got the job during pilot season through a round of auditions with our fabulous creators Bruno and Danny, who are Brits which is nice [laughs]. I got the job and was over the moon. I have always loved Batman and working with these guys is always fantastic. On such an incredible and highly anticipated series at the time, I then sort of went about going back over the movies which I have always enjoyed and watching all of those again and then read Batman Year One [by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli] which is the comic that Barbara appears in. But for me Barbara is a bit of an open book because she is not in the comic books that often and also she’s in her finished form, so for me it was about just about finding something that was interesting and relevant and would work with what Ben has created in Jim Gordon so that we could really forge an interesting story and a dynamic that people would really want to watch.

Question – What about the chemistry between yourself and Ben McKenzie, it’s a key pivotal relationship in the show so I guess you are bouncing off one another?

E.R. – We get on great as people, we went to watch him do a radio play the previous night. The whole cast are really supportive of one another and we hang out a lot. I get on really well with Ben. We approach acting in the same way and have really similar backgrounds. We both did Politics degrees and the first time we met we had a lot to talk about, which is really nice to get on with each other because we do a lot of pretending together as actors. Though its not too hard with Ben he’s a good looking guy.

Question – There’s so much attention on this show, what’s it like interacting with the fans when there is so much anticipation, do you tune it out?

E.R. – I don’t think we need to tune it out. I really enjoy on twitter interacting with the fans and I like getting questions about my character. We feel a great sense of pride, affection and responsibility – isn’t that like a Batman thing, no its Spider-man [Laughs]. We feel a lot of responsibility to the fans as they are really in to Batman and we really want to deliver a programme that they are interested in and are proud of, as we’re up against the big boys, the films and what’s in everyone’s mind, so were hoping to deliver a beginning, as we are telling the origin story, and that it fits with what they have grown to love.

Gotham TV Podcast Question – One of the big things about Gotham is the strength of the female characters in the show. Can you tell us something about Barbara’s strength and where she gets it from and where she brings it to?

E.R. – Bruno Heller, our fantastic creator, writes amazing female characters. I’ve always watched his programmes and they always have these fantastic female characters, which is so brilliant to play and is so important. I feel that TV is leading the way at the moment with this and Barbara for me, personally, I feel that she is such an interesting character. She’s really strong, very intelligent and really motivated and though she comes from money, I think that doesn’t matter because sometimes it can be hard if you come from money to really find a path in life when you are given things on a plate. So she really has to forge her own way and she has this really interesting history behind her. The really interesting thing about Barbara as well is that though she is incredibly strong, she has these amazing weaknesses and character flaws that don’t take away from her strengths its just another part of her. This is the fantastic thing about Bruno’s writing is that a lot of women on TV are boxed in to she’s the hero, she’s the poor broken hearted one and I think that Bruno, and other amazing writers at the moment for TV, are creating women who are just multifaceted, you know they can be strong but at the same time they can be lonely and hurt and that is just everyone – women and men – its just people and finally we get to play those.

Click to go to previous interview – Danny Cannon

NYCC Interviews Part 2 with Danny Cannon Gotham’s Executive Producer – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive: Here’s our interview with British director and Gotham’s executive producer Danny Cannon who discusses the creation of Gotham, the connection with his other police procedural shows, his favourite villain and the possibility of other vigilante’s on Gotham.

Ahead of the UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Gotham and what we can expect from future episodes in season one with Executive Producer Danny Cannon and five members of the cast (Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie) about their thoughts on the show, their characters and what could be coming in Season one of the show. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator. You can listen to our full NYCC interviews or skip below to read the full transcripts.

Question – So talk about the concept of Gotham?

Danny Cannon(Show creator and other Executive producer) Bruno Heller had talked about this idea to DC but he sat with me at thanksgiving last year but the idea started way before that. He gave me the pitch of “Go back in time in Gotham and meet the only honest cop left”. It was great because the conversation we had was in 20 years time what would make a city like this need a masked vigilante to save it and why would the villains be so outrageous. So we started from that foundation we had a long way to go. Geoff Johns at DC comics allowed us to go in and we talked about origins of characters and who had the rights and we were amazed at how many didn’t have them. so that enthused them.

Question – So you worked on a lot of police shows has that been useful with Gotham?

D.C. – I spent a lot of time doing that but in Gotham you get to throw it all out. You know it’s more “let’s move the body” lets do that, “lets smoke around the body” lets spill my coffee on the dead guys face it’s going back in time it’s a New York City without gentrification without (New York Mayors) Giuliani or Bloomberg it’s a city spiraling out of control. So the procedural thing goes out the window

Question – So who was your favourite villain to work out the details of?

D.C. – Well I gotta say the villains that are upcoming. We still have many to go. I have to say Fish Mooney a villain that was written from scratch and Jada took that up a notch to make it even better,

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Now that we’ve introduced the vigilante “Baloonman” (in episode 3 of Gotham) there’s speculation that we could see more vigilantes within Gotham

D.C. –  Yeah definitely. I think a city that doesn’t trust it’s mayor or police department or can’t trust your neighbour there’s always going to be someone attempting to do that. As the show progresses the way we get to see David Mazouz’s Bruce Wayne navigate that too is very interesting. I couldn’t possibly say if any of the existing cast will do that.

Montoya the vigilante?

Question – Do you plan on exploring any of the supernatural elements?

D.C. –  We’re very feet on the ground here. Who’s to say where a show will go but for now we’re very grounded.Gotham is a crazy theatrical world but I’d like to think it’s all very credible so for now we’re just going to stick with that.

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Given that a number of the DC shows on TV have police forces or different police departments what are the possibilities of cross overs.

D.C. –  Very interesting again I don’t know. Right now what exists on air is apples and oranges. Tonally it might be a big shift but in the first season of the show as long as we keep building the reality of that situation and the great legacy of that I’ll be happy. Season two we’ll start again.

Question – Do you have any city models that have informed the show?

D.C. –  When I was talking to Bruno Heller who is one of the most well read individuals I know. He needed another partner on the show cause it was such an undertaking. I talked about incorporating Dickensian London and the have’s and have-nots. We talked about Grimm fairy tales and I talked about westerns also in that in a western town is a great way to tell moral stories. It’s easier to tell moral stories when they’re played out in a neutral town.That’s why westerns were always incredibly popular in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s were always so popular because a contemporary moral story is easier to play out in a nondescript town.

Click here for the previous Interview – Robin Lord Taylor                                                Click here for the next interview – Erin Richards

Danny Cannon RTE

NYCC Interviews Part 1 with Robin Lord Taylor Gotham’s Oswald Cobblepott – Gotham TV Podcast Exclusive

Exclusive:  Ahead of the UK release of Gotham on Channel 5 Gotham TV Podcast were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable at New York Comic Con 2014 to discuss Gotham and what we can expect from future episodes in season one with Executive Producer Danny Cannon and five members of the cast (Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie) about their thoughts on the show, their characters and what could be coming in Season one of the show. The roundtable includes questions from other journalists present and our own questions to the cast and creator.

Here’s our interview with actor Robin Lord Taylor who discusses his thoughts on the character of Oswald Cobblepott, how he prepared for the role, what he takes from the previous live action versions of the character and if the “Penguin” moniker will stick. You can listen to all our NYCC interviews below or read on for the full transcript after the jump.

Question – So how did they prepare you for this role on the show?

Robin Lord TaylorI didn’t really get a lot of prep. When I auditioned I didn’t know what I was auditioning for. It was like the untitled Warner Brothers project but the night before I went in I got the tip off on what it was that “Your going in to audition for The Penguin in the new Batman origin story series” but at that point I was already prepared and I went in and did what I did and it worked out.But now in terms of preparation the scripts that Bruno (Heller) writes along with the world he’s created with Danny (Cannon) and the other writers it’s just so fully realised it’s just all there in front of me. When it’s right it’s easy.

Question – You didn’t feel that you needed to watch the previous incarnations?

R.L.T. – How can you not see previous incarnations the Adam West series played every day after elementary school I’d seen all of that.I’d seen Batman Returns a million times I could recite that movie from memory. But I realised from the scripts that they were going in a different direction with the character but to be following in the footsteps of Burgess Meredith and Danny Devito how freaking amazing is that? The one thing they brought to it was that sense of fun and that can be difficult cause it’s a dark world but that’s the one thing i took away from their performances. I’m trying to bring it into this.

Gotham TV Podcast – That’s a great tie by the way (his tie depicts fish bones all over it)

R.L.T. – (Smiling happily) Thank you very much

Gotham TV Podcast Question – Your character hates being called The Penguin but can we expect to see him take on that moniker?

R.L.T. – Very much so. That was a pivotal moment from the first episode. Since he was a child he’s been called penguin and he was a victim of bullying and a lot of it was centered around his appearance and his interests and all of his eccentricities but I think the moment that he comes out of the water in first episode was him embracing the name. I mean the moment that you take on the thing you hate the most and embrace it is the moment you take away the power of it and I think that moment is him harnessing the Power of the Penguin and going “OK you’re going to call me the Penguin then I’m the Freaking Penguin, let’s go” and that propels him into the series.

Question – Did you try to make sure that there was a big difference in the characteristics of Oswald before and after the water scene in episode 1?

R.L.T. – Yes definitely. In regards to his walk I love that it’s an actual injury it’s something that we see established. This whole show is bringing some reality to this fantastic world so yeah I was hobbling around the apartment like a moron.working on it making sure it looked good and then Danny (Cannon) was also there to help me out.

Click here for the next interview – Danny Cannon (Executive Producer of Gotham)

Robin Lord Taylor

Gotham Pilot Podcast Year One E01 – Gotham TV Podcast Episode 18

START HERE FOR GOTHAM EPISODE DISCUSSIONS.

Join us for our Gotham Pilot Podcast review

Show Notes

Gotham premiered on Channel 5 in the UK on October 13th at 9PM and on RTÉ2 in Ireland on Monday January 26th 2015 in Ireland and is now available on Netflix and Blu-Ray and DVD. So We’ve finally been able to see the episode and share our thoughts with you. Our episode begins with some Gotham News from back in 2014 when we saw the episode first.

Gotham News

  • We’re not going to talk about ratings much on our show as they generally come out much slower in the UK but ratings for the pilot in the US were pretty high with about 8 million on the night of September 22nd. The audience increased by 50% when DVR watching over the subsequent three days was included. Making the total audience for the show 12 million if out maths is accurate.
  • As we’ve discussed on a past episode Harvey Dent is coming to Gotham and the actor who has been cast to play him is Nicholas D’Agosto. We know him from his turn as one of the ill-fated kids in Final Destination 5. He’s a lot younger than we’ve seen the character on screen before making it very possible that we’ll seen the character on screen before making it very possible that he’s a young lawyer working his way up the ranks of the legal system in Gotham. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of interplay between him and Jim Gordon as they try to clean up the city together.

DC Connected News

  • The Teen Titans joins the expanding list of DC properties being developed as a TV show. Variety reports that TV channel TNT are close to a deal on producing “Titans”, the show would center on Dick Grayson, the former Robin who emerges from Batman’s shadow to become Nightwing and the leader of a fearless band of heroes who include Starfire and Raven. Looks like it might be a show relevant to our interests.

FEEDBACK

We discuss lots of feedback on episode one at the end of the review. If you want to send us your thoughts or suggestions you can send them to our new address [email protected]
Thanks so much to all of our listeners for their feedback it’s great to have the support so far and we hope you keep sending us your feedback as Gotham ramps up.

As always thanks so much for listening and all your interactions over the last 17 episodes. We will be covering all the news and info that came from our trip to New York Comic Con in another episode up this week and the next review episode will be up next week.

Derek & John
Gotham TV Podcast

If you have any questions or comments you can contact us any of the following ways:

You can email us at [email protected]
@gothamtvpodcast on Twitter
Facebook.com/gothamtvpodcast or just search “Gotham TV Podcast” on Facebook.
You can leave us a voicemail on Skype just search for Gotham TV Podcast.
You can also connect with us on Google + at +gothamtvpodcast.

Date recorded: 14/10/2014
Date published: 15/10/2014
MP3, 1h 50mins, 128kbps, 100.2 MB

New York Comic Con – Day 1 – Preview Day Round Up

The top moments of the first day of New York Comic Con October 9th 2014.

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WB Preview Night Screenings

This panel closed out the opening Preview day of NYCC 2014. While it was billed as the preview of the fully completed pilot episode for Constantine and a preview of the Season 2 premiere of The 100, there was actually a lot more on show with an exclusive first look for the crowd at the second episode of the new CW hit The Flash; that really builds on all the threads left open from the pilot episode which was broadcast in the US this week. The episode had a great premise and deepened the relationship between Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his surrogate father Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin). Another surprise was a preview of crazy upcoming cartoon show Mike Tyson Mysteries. It felt like a fusion of Scooby Doo and Archer and worked very well on the unsuspecting crowd. The newly retooled official pilot for Constatine is excellent, Welsh actor Matt Ryan carries off the swagger of the scouse demon hunter John Constantine excellently, your eyes and ears are drawn to him in every scene that he’s in making it difficult for some of the other characters to get much of a look in. A scene where the helmet of Doctor Fate is introduced got a huge cheer from an audience who had been at the convention for almost twelve hours. I think Warner Brothers have a hit on their hands. Constantine will debut in the US on the 24th of October on NBC, hopefully a UK and Ireland broadcaster will be announced soon.

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Adam West talks “Gotham” and Batman Blu Ray release

In the main hall at 6.45 we were treated to almost an hour in the presence of Adam West who played Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1960’s series due for release for the first time on Blu Ray in November 2014. Mr. West was a fascinating guest and shared many fun anecdotes of the process of making the show, yes of course they knew it was a joke for adults and apointment TV for kids. He spoke of the various guest stars from Vincent Price to Burgess Meridith and also gave some impressions including a fantastic Liberacé. Adam West also talked about his opinion of the TV show Gotham saying he’s delighted that Fox are taking a new look at the Batman mythology and giving his seal of approval to the shows fresh approach. A really fun panel where we also got to see multiple clips from the newly restored Blu Ray box set which includes and preserves all original 120 episodes of the TV series and contains 3 hours of extra features. We know what’s going on our Christmas list.

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Artist Alley and Exhibitors

The preview day of Comic Con is also the day that most collectors are waiting all year for. Almost every exhibitor on the show floor brings along exclusive items for the earliest through the door. From Alliance Cruisers to one off Sketch variants of comics there are tonnes of exclusives available for purchase at extraordinary prices. Given the queues most attendees choose exactly what they are looking for before they arrive and go for that one thing but we saw more than a few NYCC guests layden down with more than they could carry. Alternatively Artists Alley is a great place to visit some of the creators behind all of your favourite characters. DC Comics feature a list of their hottest talent including Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Many other artists from independant comics to the majors are all over the area willing to give you a few minutes of chat and a signature. We even got a one of a kind drawing from 30 days of Night, Welcome to Hoxford and upcoming “Gotham By Midnight” artist Ben Templesmith. A visit to the artists area will give you that one of a kind experience that only an event like this can produce.

Templesmith

Things we missed

You can’t be everywhere, the one panel we would have loved to have been at was the Disney “Big Hero 6” and “Tomorrowland” panel. Not that we are hugely excited about those particular movies but with panel members such as Damon LIdeloff and Hugh Laurie we were sorry to have to skip it. But even bigger than that was a special appearance from George Clooney who dropped in unannounced to the Tomorrowland panel to discuss his role in the show. He also got the whole room on side when he appologised for killing the Batman franchise with his starring role in the movie Batman & Robin. Don’t worry George we know it was the twelve year old who wrote the movie who was at fault.

Gotham TV Podcast Heads to New York Comic Con 2014

New York Comic Con 2014 (NYCC) is the second largest of the US comic conventions. The event takes place at The Javits Center in Hell’s Kitchen New York from 9th to 12th October. The majority of the event is more focused on comics than it’s West Coast counterpart in San Diego and with increasing TV and movie elements NYCC has getting bigger and more popular each year whilst retaining its focus on comics and the comic industry. This years event being the most popular to date as four-day tickets sold out in 40 minutes..The Senior Vice President of event organisers ReedPop Lance Fensterman sent an open letter to fans explaining how big the event is getting with the example that in 2013 four day tickets for the event took 8 weeks to sell out. It’s a really exciting event with a big line up of Comic, animation and TV panels.

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Gotham TV Podcast will be in New York from 5th to 14th October and we’ll be covering as many of the events as we possibly can. The big event for us of course is the Gotham panel on Sunday 12th October. Currently scheduled as a Special Video Presentation and Q&A with many of the cast attending this home town event at 1.15 pm EST in the main hall. Confirmed for the event are Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards,Sean Pertwee and Danny Cannon. There will be a special video presentation as Gotham has already completed filming the first half of Season 1, we’re hopeful that there will be lots of exclusive footage. We’ll be queueing to get all the news directly from the event about our favourite new show. We might even get to meet a few special guests while we’re there.

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DC and Warner Brothers are also well represented at the event with a panel, Q & A and screening of the pilot for the dark new DC show Constantine. We’re almost as excited for Constantine as we for Gotham and look forward to seeing cast members Matt Ryan (John Constantine) and Angélica Celaya (Zed) along with Executive Producer David S. Goyer taking the stage on Saturday 11th October.

Steven Amell (Oliver Queen on Arrow) will be appearing at the event for all four days, while there is no Arrow or Flash panel scheduled the premiere for both shows will be presented..

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There are also many notable DC Comics events and guests over the four day event. The many Batman related comic events range from current Batman dynamic duo, writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo to the artist of the upcoming Gotham by Midnight regular comic series, Ben Templesmith. There will also be a number of events to celebrate Batman 75.

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The upcoming movie Birdman, featuring former Batman Michael Keaton and former Hulk actor Edward Norton will also be a highlight of the show. The movie about a former superhero movie actor who has fallen on hard times is definitely relevant to our interests.

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New York Comic Con has had a huge boost from genre TV with many describing the event as “the Con that Walking Dead built” due to the recurring appearance of cast and crew of the hugely successful show each year since it began. This year is no exception with the Walking Dead once again taking the prime Saturday night at 6pm spot. Most of the major cast including Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Steven Yeun and Norman Reedus are slated to appear. But that’s not the only big comic related TV event happening at NYCC 2014.

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Where best for Marvel and Netflix to show off the upcoming TV show Daredevil than in his hometown of Hell’s Kitchen New York at the NYCC in the prime slot leading into the Walking Dead panel on Saturday the 10th of October. This will be the first of four shows that Marvel and Netflix are working together including Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron First. The four more grounded Marvel properties are due to lead into one combined mini-series called The Defenders. We’re very excited to see the cast on stage together for the first time. Given that the show has been filming in New York for the last few months there might even be some footage of the upcoming show screened.

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Marvel TV is well represented at the event with a panel for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. taking the prime slot on Friday the 10th of October. They had a smaller panel with Scottish actor Ian DeCastacker (Fitz) and English Actress Elizabeth Henstridge (Simmons) taking the stage along with Jeph Loeb in 2013. It’s hoped that there will be a full cast panel there to discuss the show.

There will be loads of other exciting stuff at the show from Cosplay to exclusive artwork, statues and comics. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook and Fliker where we’ll share our unique take on the event.

Gotham episode 3 “Balloon-man” airs on Fox on the 6th of October and the pilot is due for its UK TV premiere on Channel 5 on Monday the 13th of October.

A UK broadcaster for the hotly anticipated Constantine has yet to be announced. The show premieres in the US on October 24th.

Arrow will return to Sky One in October with Flash also premiering on Sky One in the same month.

The comic series Gotham By Midnight by Ben Templesmith is due to come out in November 2014

Walking Dead Season 5 will premiere in the US on Sunday the 12th and Ireland and the UK on Fox on Monday the 13th

Daredevil is set to premiere on Netflix worldwide in June 2015

Season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had it’s Irish Premiere on RTÉ2 HD and continues every Sunday at 7PM on RTÉ2 HD. You can read John’s review of the first episode over on theeffect.net right now.

We’ll be sharing news stories images and hopefully some interviews from New York Comic Con next weekend so be sure to check back for more news.

Derek & John

Channel 5 Announces UK Air Date for Gotham TV Series

Channel 5 have today announced they will broadcast the big autumn TV show Gotham very soon. The show has been received very well in the US on the 22nd of September with very high ratings and generally well received reviews. Channel 5 will show the pilot episode of the show on Monday the 13th of October 2014 at 9PM and we’ll be watching every episode.

Gotham tells the story of young Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, The O.C., Southland, Batman: Year One) a former resident of Gotham City who returns after more than 10 years away to join the Homicide Unit of the Gotham City Police Department. His partner in the G.C.P.D. is street savvy Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, Vikings, Law & Order: S.V.U., Sons of Anarchy) a detective with connections to underworld characters including Nightclub owner Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith, The Matrix Revolutions, Scream 2, Collateral), a character newly created for the show. In Fish’s employ are Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord-Taylor in a break out performance) a well-known character from the comics who will eventually become crime boss The Penguin and her right hand man Butch Gilzean (played by Drew Powell who previously worked with Ben McKenzie on Southland).

Other members of Gotham City Law enforcement include Detectives Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) and Crispus Allen (British actor Andrew Stewart-Jones) who we at Gotham TV podcast had the pleasure of interviewing recently you can listen to the interview in the player below. As members of the Major Crimes Unit they have a distrustful relationship with anyone outside of their tight knit partnership including Detective Allen’s former partner Harvey Bullock. Captain Sarah Essen (Zabryna Guevara) heads up the Gotham City Police Department providing guidance for the team. The detectives work closely with the intelligent yet inscrutable Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) another character well-known to comic book and Batman fans as the future Riddler.

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With the help of his fiance Barbara Kean (Welsh actor Erin Richards), Jim Gordon will try to navigate the dangerous mob run streets of Gotham to investigate the murder of 12-year-old Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz, Touch) aristocratic parents Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Left in the care of his butler, former soldier in the British SAS Alfred Pennyworth (British Actor Sean Pertwee, Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon) the young Bruce Wayne will find it difficult to grow up without guidance.

The city of Gotham and it’s characters from young Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova),  mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Doman, The Wire) to his rival Salvatore Maroni (David Zayas, Dexter) will make a great backdrop to what we expect to be a fascinating look at the time in Gotham before the Batman and what led a young man with a score to settle to don a cape and cowl to patrol the streets of this lost city.

Join us after the premiere of Gotham on Channel 5 on the 13th of October for our review of the episode. If you want to listen to our podcasts that have been leading up to the release of the show so far and give background information on the major players from comic book appearances to events with the cast you can listen here or subscribe in iTunes. You can send us your thoughts on the episodes at [email protected]

We’re getting very excited to see what Gotham has to offer we’ll be attending the Gotham panel at New York Comic Con on the 12th of October 2014 for some final news before the season starts in the UK and Ireland on Channel 5.

Derek & John