A week before the broadcast network is slated to present its schedule to advertisers, FOX has formally given a series order to its highest profile drama Gotham. The project had a significant series commitment attached to it - making it a virtual lock for the 2014-15 season. But it is now officially happening. A precise episode count wasn't immediately released - but I'm guessing it's for the standard 13 episodes.
An origin story of the great DC Comics supervillains and vigilantes, Gotham explores the early years of James Gordon (Ben McKenzie), and idealistic rookie detective in Gotham City who will one day become the city's police commissioner, and the rogues' gallery of villains that made the city infamous.
The pilot from Warner Bros. Television was written by The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller - who will serve as showrunner on the series - and directed by Danny Cannon. John Stephens recently joined the project as a writer/executive producer.
Also starring on Gotham are Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock; Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney; David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne; Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot; Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle; Erin Richards as Barbara Kean; Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth; and Zabryna Guevara as Captain Essen.
With the formal series pickup, Gotham joins Backstrom and Hieroglyph as new dramas expected to debut on FOX's fall schedule. The network also seems very happy with its two drama pilots in development - hip-hop family drama Empire and hospital coming-of-age drama Red Band Society. Both are expected to get ordered to series later this week.
