Fox’s new television series Gotham explores the origin stories of both heroic and villainous characters found in the DC Comics Batman series, focusing predominantly on Detective Jim Gordon, portrayed by Ben Mckenzie, before the arrival of Batman. Since television series and movies that create adaptations of the Batman comic focus on Batman himself fighting crime as a vigilante, Gotham displays alternative motives, as it stays in the past with Bruce Wayne still as a child. It is a series not about the superhero, but humans fighting evil. In the pilot episode of the series, it quickly becomes evident how it has been designed to satisfy the network’s profit motives. The pilot episode of Gotham satisfies the network’s profit motives insofar as …show more content…
Gotham appeals to all of the following target audiences, while differently but effectively, in its plot, genre, and characters. Upper females and lower females are attracted to Gotham insofar as there is romance and seduction. While not only admiring McKenzie’s presence throughout the entire episode, the scene where Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) enters the room and a conversation quickly turns into romantic gestures was sure to spark interest. The following scene involves Gordon waking up topless to answer the phone. Gotham draws in upper and lower males with intense action scenes, such as the first look at Gordon in the Gotham police department involving a violent encounter with a culprit, the alley fight with a thief, Gordon, and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), and the montage of Gordon and Bullock interviewing various belligerents. Both upper males and females who have previously watched Batman series or are fans could also be intrigued by the distinctive path Gotham takes in comparison to other Batman …show more content…
This creates a nostalgic feel with individuals who have previously seen other Batman films, further drawing them in, while the film crew produced a new and more modern police department interior, drawing in new viewers and a sparking a contrasting interest among old ones. In an interview, the director of photography David Stockton discussed how they were inspired by films such as Blade Runner and other film noir while filming in Manhattan. Furthermore, by adding gargoyles, smoke, and emphasizing shadows in the editing, the special effects team was able to make Manhattan look like the infamous Gotham city. There are scenes on the streets and in alleys that show Gotham’s filth with graffiti and damaged architecture while emphasizing the evil that occurs. Two examples of this include the murky alley in which the Wayne’s were murdered as well as the back alley where Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot also known as the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) are battering an unfaithful henchman. The locations exhibiting the wealth of Gotham, for example Mooney’s office and the Gordon/Kean residence, demonstrate the immense status and class differences. Audiences can enjoy the contrast that Gotham displays insofar as it further demonstrates the struggle of the residents of the