Batman Sidekick Robin Gets TV Pilot

[Robby]

Batman Sidekick Robin Gets TV Pilot

The CW Television Network is readying a pilot that will delve into Robin's experiences before he became Batman's sidekick.

The show, titled The Graysons, will portray Dick "DJ" Grayson during his formative years as he deals with girlfriends, rivals and family problems, Variety reports.

Executive-produced by Terminator: Salvation director McG, the show was hatched by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, who deal with the early years of Superman as showrunners for the CW's Smallville series.

It's not the first time a Batman spinoff has had a shot at prime time. Anybody remember Birds of Prey? Back in 2002, The WB tried to sex up the Gotham mythology with airborne female superheroes who protected the citizenry in Batman's absence. It didn't fly.

No word yet on casting the title role, but whoever gets the gig will have a tough time trumping Burt Young (pictured), who portrayed The Boy Wonder in the 1960s Batman TV series. Have any suggestions for likely actors? Let us know in the comments below.

(Via Wired)

 

[Kevin]

Didn't Robin's parents die when he was young, very early teens, before being assigned as a ward of the state to Bruce Wayne?

If the premise of the show is going to be Dick Grayson's life before becoming Robin, then what exactly is the show going to focus on? What comic books he read?

 

[Robby]

‘The Graysons’ TV Series Axed By CW: Was Batman’s Success To Blame?

‘The Graysons’ TV Series Axed By CW: Was Batman’s Success To Blame?

While television seems like the ideal medium for comic book adaptations, they rarely ever make the cut to the small screen. According to Variety, the latest to fail is “The Graysons,” the CW series that would revolve around Dick “DJ” Grayson in his pre-Robin days. The series was being groomed to either replace or complement Warner Bros’ long-running “Smallville.”

Rumors abound as to why the series was dropped. Some insiders say it is because of Warner Bros taking the time to rethink its DC strategy — a thought process that seems to be taking an awful long time when it comes to the big, long-awaited properties like Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman.

Another report suggests that Batman’s top man, Christopher Nolan, was uncomfortable with having a Batman-themed TV show on the air. But given that Nolan has no interest in ever including Robin in his Batman films, it seems unlikely that he would care about a television series focused on the Boy Wonder. It was studio president Jeff Robinov who had the final say, and the official studio statement suggests that he was the one who wasn’t interested in competing Batman mythologies. “The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of ‘The Graysons’ at this time as the concept doesn’t fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise.”

“The Graysons” sounded like it had the potential to be pretty fun — are you sorry it was abandoned? Or do you think Robin should stay off movie and television screens alike?

(Via MTV Splash Page)