Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights Intertitle Card.png
Genre
Based on
Developed by
  • Natalie Abrams
  • Chad Fiveash
  • James Stoteraux
Starring
Music byDavid Russo
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Carl Ogawa
  • Jennifer Lence
  • Melissa Girotti
  • Elle Lipson
  • Suzanne C. Geiger
Cinematography
Editors
Production companies
Release
Original networkThe CW
Original releaseMarch 14, 2023 (2023-03-14) –
present (present)

Gotham Knights is an American superhero television series developed by Natalie Abrams, Chad Fiveash, and James Stoteraux for The CW. It centers on members of the Batman family and other DC Comics supporting characters. It premiered on March 14, 2023.

Premise

In the wake of Bruce Wayne's death, his adopted son Turner Hayes forges an unlikely alliance with runaways Harper and Cullen Row and criminal Duela when they are all accused of a murder they did not commit by Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent. Their attempt to clear their names and find out who really killed Bruce Wayne soon leads them to the Court of Owls.[1]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

No.Title [4]Directed byWritten by [5]Original air date [4]Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Danny Cannon
  • Natalie Abrams
  • Chad Fiveash
  • James Stoteraux
March 14, 2023 (2023-03-14)T15.101600.61[6]
In the wake of Bruce Wayne's death, his identity as Batman is also revealed. Joker's alleged daughter Duela Dent, siblings Harper and Cullen Row are arrested after an attempted break in at Wayne Tower for stealing the gun that Joe Chill used to murder Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne and become prime suspects in Wayne's murder. Bruce's adopted son Turner Haynes, who didn't know Bruce was Batman, and his best friend Stephanie Brown discover the Batcave after the funeral. Brown learns that money had been wired from Turner's account to the suspects and is arrested as well. Bruce's friend Harvey Dent tells Turner that Bruce's lawyers don't want to represent them as Dent receives pressure from Commissioner Yindel. With no other choice, Turner teams up with the suspects to break out and figure out the true murderer and clear their names. They receive aid from Carrie Kelley in her Robin alias after she saves them from Detective Ford and his fellow police officers who want them dead. They also learn that the secret organization the Court of Owls are somehow involved when a mysterious masked operative kills Ford.
2"Scene of the Crime"Jeffrey HuntChad Fiveash & James StoterauxMarch 21, 2023 (2023-03-21)T43.102020.43[7]
This episode's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
As Turner and his allies stock up on necessities, Mayor Hamilton Hill puts together a task force that will be overseen by Harvey Dent as they take everything out of the Batcave which Cressida denied any knowledge that it was beneath Wayne Manor. Brody March warns Stephanie about helping to prove Turner's innocence. When Harvey and Commissioner Sato try to call Detective Ford and those with them, they find their phones and their severed heads in the packages that were delivered to Gotham City Police Department HQ. In their first step to find out who framed them, Turner proposes to Duela, Harper, and Cullen that they join Carrie's Robin alias in returning to the scene of the crime using one the Wayne Security vehicles. While Stephanie is interrogated by Harvey as Brody, Turner's group heads to Wayne Tower where Turner and Robin obtain all of Bruce's journals. The arrival of a Talon causes Turner and Robin to avoid it when the alarms are set off causing Duela to flee. Robin evacuates Turner, Harper, and Cullen as Turner takes a sword. Duela takes the vehicle to an antique dealer that she met up with earlier as he pulls a gun on her upon finding out about the watch. He is then killed by another Talon who traps Duela in a car that it sets on fire as she burns her hand trying to exit it. Turner and Robin face off against the Talon while Harper and Cullen free Duela. After Turner gets injured and Carrie uses an explosive to weaken the Talon, everyone gets away. After their respectful injuries are tended to, Duela thanks Turner for saving her life as they find the last entries of the latest journal missing. Cressida meets with Mayor Hill where they are both associates of the Court of Owls as Mayor Hill has Cressida see to it that the Court of Owls keeps him in office for as long as possible. Back at GCPD HQ, Brody tells Stephanie that he has taken the blame for the hacking to help find proof of Turner's innocence. Robin returns to her apartment where she has the final pages as she works to figure out what Bruce has been preparing Turner for.
3"Under Pressure"[8]Lauren PetzkeNatalie AbramsMarch 28, 2023 (2023-03-28)TBATBD
4"Of Butchers and Betrayals"[9]Geoff ShotzDavid Paul Francis & Devon Balsamo-GillisApril 4, 2023 (2023-04-04)TBATBD
5"More Money, More Problems"[10]Nimisha MukerjiElle Lipson & Summer PlairApril 11, 2023 (2023-04-11)TBATBD

Production

Development

In December 2021, it was reported that a television series adaptation was in development at The CW. The series is currently being written by Natalie Abrams, James Stoteraux, and Chad Fiveash, all of whom also serve as executive producers with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden through Berlanti Productions.[1] The video game of the same title also takes place in a post-Bruce Wayne Gotham and also features the Court of Owls as antagonists,[11] but the projects are unrelated.[1] In February 2022, The CW ordered a pilot episode to evaluate.[12] In May 2022, The CW picked up Gotham Knights to series.[13]

Casting

In March 2022, Fallon Smythe and Tyler DiChiara were cast for the pilot,[14] followed by Oscar Morgan, Olivia Rose Keegan, and Navia Robinson shortly afterward.[15][16] Misha Collins revealed that he would portray Harvey Dent.[17] Anna Lore also joined the cast, portraying Stephanie Brown.[18] In April, Rahart Adams was cast as Brody,[19] whose parents were cast in recurring roles for Lauren Stamile and Damon Dayoub after the pilot was picked up to series.[20] In January 2023, Ethan Embry and Sunny Mabrey were cast in recurring capacities as Cluemaster and Crystal Brown.[21] In March 2023, Doug Bradley joined the cast in a recurring role as Joe Chill,[22] with Bradley indicating that he was a fan of Batman but was unaware of who Joe Chill was in the Batman mythology.[23]

Filming

Filming for the pilot episode began in April 2022 throughout Toronto, Ontario.[24] Filming for the rest of the season began in Atlanta, Georgia on September 13, 2022.[25]

Release

The first trailer was released on May 31, 2022.[26] The series premiered on March 14, 2023.[27]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 18% with an average rating of 4.7/10, based on 11 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Never send amateurs to do a Batman's job."[28] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 4 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[29]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Gotham Knights
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" March 14, 2023 0.1 0.61[6] TBD TBD TBD TBD
2 "Scene of the Crime" March 21, 2023 0.1 0.43[7] TBD TBD TBD TBD

References

  1. ^ a b c Otterson, James (December 13, 2021). "Batwoman Team to Develop Gotham Knights Series at CW". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Kopal (March 13, 2023). "'Gotham Knights' Cast & Character Guide: Who Stars in the DC Comics Show". Collider. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  3. ^ Weekes, Princess (June 1, 2022). "Who Is This Random Son of Batman in 'Gotham Knights'?". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Shows A-Z – Gotham Knights on CW". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  5. ^ "Gotham Knights". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 15, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 3.14.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (March 22, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 3.21.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "(#103) "Under Pressure"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  9. ^ "(#104) "Of Butchers and Betrayals"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "(#105) "More Money, More Problems"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Good, Owen S. (August 22, 2020). "Gotham Knights is the next Batman game (without Batman)". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  12. ^ White, Peter (February 3, 2022). "Walker: Independence, The Winchesters & Gotham Knights Land Pilot Orders At The CW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (May 12, 2022). "'Gotham Knights', 'Walker: Independence' & 'The Winchesters' Picked Up To Series By the CW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  14. ^ Otterson, Joe (March 7, 2022). "Gotham Knights CW Pilot Casts Fallon Smythe, Tyler DiChiara (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  15. ^ Otterson, Joe (March 9, 2022). "'Gotham Knights' CW Pilot Casts Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, Oscar Morgan". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Porter, Rick (March 9, 2022). "The CW's Gotham Knights Casts Trio of Lead Roles". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  17. ^ Iannucci, Rebecca (March 23, 2022). "Misha Collins Eyes CW Return, Joins Gotham Knights Pilot as Harvey Dent". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  18. ^ Porter, Rick (March 28, 2022). "The CW's Gotham Knights Adds All American Alum". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  19. ^ Petski, Denise (April 1, 2022). "Gotham Knights: Rahart Adams Joins The CW's DC Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  20. ^ Petski, Denise (November 8, 2022). "Gotham Knights: Lauren Stamile & Damon Dayoub Join CW Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  21. ^ Campione, Katie (January 25, 2023). "Ethan Embry & Sunny Mabrey To Recur On The CW's Gotham Knights". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  22. ^ Bell, BreAnna (March 1, 2023). "'Gotham Knights' Series at CW Casts Doug Bradley as Joe Chill". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Overaitis, Joseph (March 7, 2023). "Interview with Horror Icon Doug Bradley: Joe Chill in CW's Gotham Knight". GoCollect. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  24. ^ Nabulsi, Mira (April 12, 2022). "Batman's Gotham Knights Was Spotted Filming All Over Toronto & Here's Where". Narcity. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  25. ^ Behbakht, Andy (September 13, 2022). "The CW's Gotham Knights Season 1 Officially Begins Production". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  26. ^ Behbakht, Andy (June 1, 2022). "Gotham Knights Trailer Faces Backlash As Fans Slam New DC TV Show". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  27. ^ Pedersen, Erik (December 14, 2022). "'Gotham Knights', 'Superman & Lois' Season 3 Premiere Dates Set At The CW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  28. ^ "Gotham Knights: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  29. ^ "Gotham Knights: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved March 15, 2023.