Idea for Batman Universe police drama
Hi everyone, I was pondering the other day and came up with a rough idea for what I thought would be a great idea for a TV show, where, much like the Shield TV Show looks to be, is set in a comicbook character’s universe, but are not actually in the show.
The basic concept:
The show would be a police drama that is set in Gotham City, where Gordon has formed a special task force that is designed to deal in Batman related incidents. Their goal: To get a conviction, but keep the Batman’s involvement off the books.
So it is a pretty simple idea, and I have always wondered, especially in some comic-book continuity where the public is not sure if the Batman is real, how they can every arrest, let alone convict anyone if the Batman was involved and had supplied the evidence? For someone like the Joker, yeah, it might be easier to convict without the Batman’s help, but a crime lord will be a lot tougher.
Plot Points:
The show will have several key plot elements that will take it through its run:
1. The show will be building up to a major incident, or major character introduction throughout the series
2. Not every crime will be solved in every episode (E.G. CSI) some crimes will be unsolved, and others, you will learn start to become connected throughout the series, and are connected to the major story arc,
3. There will be a mole within the team
4. 2 of the task force members will want to work to solve the question of who the Batman really is
5. Set early in Batman’s career, so still dealing with mob boss type criminals
6. Hugo Strange is the police ‘shrink’ and thus will become more involved as the show goes on
7. This is one point I have been debating – Robin’s Origin will become slightly different here – After he is taken in by Wayne, he starts supplying the mole with information, so yes, here Robin will actually start off as a bad guy, and will become good throughout the series having to make a choice to betray Wayne or not, as he believes mole will help find his parents killer – Mole will have connections to Hugo Strange.
Those are just some of the key elements, I would see the show starting out like most police dramas where the episode starts with the crime and we see it through to being solved. However, early on there will be the cases that start to go unsolved, evidence disappears, and Gotham’s dirty cops, start to make life difficult for the team.
Hugo I would see as a background character at first, but starts to become obsessed with the Batman much in the same way he does in the comics, when he is hired by the two people in the task force who want to know who the Batman is, and if he can really be trusted.
Key Note:
Batman, would probably actually never appear, but would be mentioned or seen as a ‘corner of your eye type shadow’. Bruce Wayne would appear several times throughout the series.
The style of the universe would be much like the Arkham Games, quite dark, Gotham clearly isn’t a safe, fair place to be working in, and everyone has their own agendas.
Well that is it, I just wanted to float the basic premise out there and get a taste for what people think. If is liked, may even get around to trying to write the script.
I will be honest there is a comicbook called ‘Gotham Central’ which, I think is based around the police of Gotham, but I have never read it, so this might be similar or be vastly different, either way I am sure you will let me know.
Look forward to hearing from you…comment below