According to Variety, the CW has ordered a pilot for something called The Graysons, a Smallville-esque drama which will trace the adolescence of Dick Grayson in the years before he becomes Robin, Batman’s partner-in-crimefighting. How Smallville-esque, you ask? Well, it’s being executive produced by the Smallville showrunners (along with McG) and, in case Clark Kent doesn’t last another season, The Graysons is being positioned as a potential pre-superheroic replacement.
Follow me after the jump for an explanation of why this is the Worst Idea Ever of the Week.
1) Dick Grayson’s origin story goes like this: He was a kid when his circus-acrobat parents died in an "accident" engineered by very bad men. He’s taken in by Bruce Wayne, who channels the kid’s fury into fighting crime, and gives him a girl’s/bird’s name to do it. Not a whole lot there to base a TV show around, unless you monkey with his origin to a point where it’s unrecognizable. Which is exactly what they’re doing. According to the Variety piece, The Graysons "will be set in modern times, young DJ will face challenges involving first loves, young rivals and his family as he grows up." Ecch.
2) They’re changing his name to D.J. Grayson. Look, I get that you don’t want your hero to be called "Dick" all the time. But what’s wrong with "Richard’? Every time I hear "D.J." I think its going to be followed by "and the Bear."
3) Of all the DC Comics properties to make a TV show out of, this is the wrong one to choose. Hell, even if you wanted to make a Batman-related show, to capitalize on The Dark Knight‘s success, there are far better choices. Here’s one, of the top of my very large head: Gotham Central, a police procedural that shows how the cops deal with all the stuff Batman doesn’t have time for. You never once have to show Batman, it’s not his show. So, no tights. But you still have access to the entire Batman rogues gallery. You do that one right, it’s like Law and Order…but 23 percent more awesome.
4) See No. 2. Blurg.
And I thought I was old, when I think “DJ”, I think of Full House. And yes, this is SO going to SUCK. They have really had problems with the Chloe-Clois-Lois issues in Smallvile, how can they not spend any amount of time on this guy and already be painted into a corner where they have to go straight to who he was post-Batsy. And I thought when you were suggesting Gotham Central, it would be all about Gordon’s rise…now that could work.
What an awful idea! They can make this, but they couldn’t give “Moonlight” a shot? Anyway, everytime I hear D.J. I think of “Full House,” which is not something that should be associated with Batman-related things. As for “Gotham Central,” I think I might actually watch that. Off topic, what ever happened to the Aquaman show they were supposed to be doing?
It’s “BJ and the Bear”, not DJ
This idea doesn’t sound any better or worse than any other garbage idea that’s managed to make it to the TV and movie screens.
I’ve said it a hundred times: Give Ollie/Green Arrow his OWN show!!!!!!!! For the love of god, no one cares about Robin!
LOL if Gotham Central was on CBS, would it be dismiss as a another procedural
While i am not sure this is going to be a terrible show, i am not sure it will be good either. This show sounds average at best. However, the Gotham Central show would be incredible. You could even include superhero cameos like they do on Smallville if you wanted to. Or since the Batman villains, for the most part, are not super powered, it could be very realistic. There are always new crime dramas on television so whats wrong with one more, especially with that premise.
Or they could’ve done Dick Grayson as Nightwing…after he’d moved out of Wayne Manor. That would’ve been a lot more interesting and brooding than this schlock.
I think Gotham Central sounds awesome! A crime procedural with comic villains is genius.
The Graysons is total blurg.
I love Batman and almost every thing involved in world, but this has all the makings of a disaster. I never liked smallville because of the “reinvisioning” and I am not looking forward to this treatment.Why don’t they stop this and seek new ideas instead, isn’t that what writers do?
of all the dumb ideas. dj grayson… arg.
anyone reading the batman comic nowadays? batman just lost. bad.
This reminds me of the Family Guy skit about Robin…Yes, agree, totally terrible idea.
This has got to be one of the worst things I’ve heard since the Palin Couric interview.
Except that it was BJ and the Bear.
I… I’m agast. what a terrible idea. And I’m a big genre fan and a Batman fan as well. If they want a young skewing repalcement for Smallville, there are at least a dozen GREAT ideas I can think of… and none of them would *ever* call Dick “DJ”. It’s… horrifying.