Good Idea or Bad? Looking at various sci fi and fantasy television projects currently in the works and pondering whether they will fly or crash.
What Is It?
A television series is in the works at HBO Max that will focus on Batman’s arch-nemesis the Penguin. Second probably only to the Joker among the rogue’s gallery for the caped crusader, he is a crime boss who wears tuxedos and has a long nose causing him to resemble the appearance of a penguin. He also carries umbrellas with him that often double as some sort of nefarious weapon. He is one of the main crime lords of Gotham City and often finds himself pitted against Batman and other heroes from that city.
What Is in the Works?
HBO Max is planning a series that will be a spin-off from the upcoming The Batman movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series will focus on Oswald Cobblepot’s rise through the Gotham City underground on his way to becoming the Penguin. Colin Farrell plays the character in the movie, but there is no word on whether he will appear in the series. It may act as a prequel to the to film, so they may seek a younger actor to play the role. Lauren LeFranc (Impulse, Agents of SHIELD) will be writing the script for the pilot. HBO Max is also working on a Gotham City P.D. spin-off from The Batman which may be linked to the Penguin series.
Good Idea or Bad?
For some reason, I am having deja vu all over again. I would almost swear there was another series on television not too long ago taking place in the Batman universe but without the caped crusader and it followed the rise of Oswald Cobblepot (among others) to the status of arch-villain in Gotham City. That sounds so familiar . . .
Oh wait! That was Gotham. The Batman prequel series that debuted on FOX in 2014 and aired for five seasons totalling one hundred episodes that explored the backstory of that city and its villains. So now we are going right back there again?
The MCU has been successful because it puts out consistently good, entertaining films that are interconnected and also adds tangential TV series that further explore its universe and characters. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has failed to acheive anything comparable with its DC line up because it keeps rebooting the properties and taking them down rabbit holes that link back to nothing (from what I understand, The Batman itself will be a reboot of that character). The Penguin series as well as Gotham City P.D. will rehash what Gotham already did across its five-year run, and that show only ended in 2019. Sure, Gotham had plenty of problems, and descended into bad camp and outright absurdity at times. But the story of the rise of Oswald Cobblepot is considered one of its strengths, and there are still plenty of DC fans that have fond memories of that show. And now everything it did is just going to get written over only a few years after it ended? To make things even more confusing, the prequel-prequel series Pennyworth is also still out that and it does not appear to link to any other past or current DC project.
A Penguin mini-series or stand alone movie linked to The Batman might make some sense. But not an entire series that will rework a story that was just done on television a few years back. DC needs to get its house in order because Marvel is way ahead at this point. Endless reboots and rehashes of the same characters is not what the fans are looking for. They want good movies and television shows that will bring thier favorite characters to life in a way the comics can’t. And an ongoing Penguin series seems like yet another unneeded tangent from the poorly cobbled-together DCEU. This one certainly sounds like a bad idea.
Notable Facts
The first appearance of the Penguin was in Detective Comics #58, and he was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger (the same duo responsible for Batman and Robin). His given name is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, and he was bullied as a child and forced to always carry an umbrella by his over-protective mother. His only friends when he was young were birds which eventually leads him to take on the persona of the Penguin. Burgess Meredith protrayed the character to much acclaim in the 1960s camp-classic Batman series which starred Adam West and Bruce Ward. Danny DeVito would take over the role for the 1992 Tim Burton film Batman Returns which gave a much darker spin on the Batman mythos. Robin Lord Taylor played the role of Oswald Cobblepot in Gotham, giving that series one of its main antagonists, and he his performance is often considered one of the highlights of that show.
Do you consider a Penguin television series to be a good idea or bad? Chime in with your comments below.
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Sci Fi TV Update posts on Fridays. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
Good actors,dumb idea for a series,same old story.
Can’t they think of anything better than this?
You would think. But I guess not.