I came across an article today quoting Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders, producers of Smallville. I was thrilled when I read there was a rumor attached to the new series, “The Graysons,” starting next fall.
My hope was that the whole series was a rumor. Just one big, sick, pretty un-funny joke. Unfortunately, I never get that lucky.
No, the rumor was simply that “The Graysons” won’t be a replacement to Smallville as we all hoped. This was the precursor for yet more bad news: the CW and the producers have every intent on letting the now-stale Smallville overstay its welcome for at least another season.
In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, news came out recently that another show based on the DC universe is coming to the CW for next fall’s lineup. It’s not the Flash. It’s not a Justin Hartley Green Arrow spin-off from Smallville as a lot of us may have hoped for. And naturally, because of the success of Batman Begins and Dark Knight, a Bruce Wayne series is indefinately out of the question. So what’s the next best thing?
Apparently, a prequel about Robin. “The Graysons” will follow Dick Grayson (D.J. in this series, as if anyone but the uber-nerdy knows his middle name is “John”) and his family in the circus, before his parents are murdered and he goes on to become Robin.
Sound as lame to you as it does to me? Several other bloggers have mentioned that the reason these Batman spin-off shows haven’t worked out (most notably “Birds of Prey,” made it rest in peace but be often played on home DVD players) is that they’re missing the very important element of BATMAN. And while that might be true, Dick Grayson has proven since the 80s that he can stand on his own two feet without Bruce– Nightwing has been a popular solo book for DC for years.
The problem with doing a prequel series is that there’s nothing to inform the character. His parents’ death IS his origin. You can do it with Clark Kent (as I still submit Smallville is an excellent idea with mostly poor execution past the first season) because, beyond his crashing to Earth and knowing his planet was destroyed, there’s no defining moment in his history where he decides to don a costume. The events of his upbringing in Smallville could very easily help explain why he’s a super hero and not a tyrant.
But Robin has that defining moment. I can’t imagine that anything interesting can be said about him before that. I suppose the show could be mostly about his parents, but how can you keep an audience buying this premise when it’ll be 2009, and circuses aren’t exactly popular anymore. Plus, Dick needs to be about 8 or 9 when the show starts– if he’s 15 or 16 at the beginning and the series gets a good run, when does he become Robin? At 22 or 23? But I’m betting it’s another teen angst show like Smallville was to begin with. I’m still wondering how this Clark Kent could ever become the Superman we respect and love, and I don’t want to wonder about that with Robin.
And finally, if Birds of Prey didn’t make it, a show that lent itself to super villains, action, and a comic-book style show, how can the CW possibly expect a family show that will have to force itself to look anything like a comic book to survive?
LLAP
-Cap’n Logan
