DC Comics’ origin story fast-tracked to Asia after US premiere
HONG KONG (July 18, 2014) – Before there was Batman, there was Gotham. And before any other broadcaster in Asia, WarnerTV will offer audiences the chance to see Season One of Gotham, this year’s most-talked about drama. The series will premiere this autumn in the US and then fast-tracked to Asian screens exclusively on WarnerTV.
Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Gotham is the origins story of the great DC Comics super-villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer-writer Bruno Heller (The Mentalist, Rome), this one-hour drama follows one cop’s rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil. It also chronicles the genesis of Batman, the most popular superhero of our time. The series focuses on an urban environment that is the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains: Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler and The Joker.
Marianne Lee, Vice President – Network, General Entertainment, Turner International Asia Pacific, said: “Gotham offers audiences excitement, intrigue and action, and will be an ideal addition to our programming line-up. This drama series is exactly the kind of compelling content that makes WarnerTV so popular, and showcases the high-production values and great storytelling that we’ve come to expect from the world’s number one television and movie studio. We know that audiences in Asia will love it, and we’re really pleased to be offering Gotham so soon after it airs in the US.”
In the story, the newly-minted detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) is partnered with the brash, but shrewd police legend Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). The two stumble upon the city’s highest-profile case ever – the murder of local billionaires Thomas and Martha Wayne. At the scene of the crime Gordon meets the sole survivor; the Waynes’ hauntingly intense 12-year-old son, Bruce (David Mazouz), toward whom the young detective feels an inexplicable kinship.
Moved by the boy’s profound loss, Gordon vows to catch the killer. As he navigates the often-underhanded politics of Gotham’s criminal justice system, Gordon encounters imposing gang boss Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), and many of the characters who will become DC Comics’ most renowned, enduring villains, including a teenaged Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman (Camren Bicondova) and Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor).
Although the crime drama follows Gordon’s turbulent and singular rise through the Gotham City police department, it also focuses on the unlikely friendship Gordon forms with the young heir to the Wayne fortune, who is being raised by his unflappable butler, Alfred (Sean Pertwee) – a friendship that will last them all of their lives and will play a crucial role in helping the young boy eventually become the caped crusader he’s destined to be. Full programming details will be announced shortly.
WarnerTV is currently available across Asia Pacific and is the No. 1 entertainment channel in Singapore for the first six months of 2014#.
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Note to editors:
Promotional images available on request.
Video link to Gotham trailer: http://youtu.be/rzxqQflCbY0
#Data source: Kantar Media Singapore. All Time Mon-Sun 03:00-26:59. Individuals aged 4+ and 18-49 for January-June 2014. Entertainment package channels on Starhub reported with ratings: Animax, AXN, beTV, Comedy Central Asia, Diva, Fox Channel, Fox Crime, HITS, MTV Asia, Star World, SyFy, Universal Channel, WarnerTV.
About WarnerTV
WarnerTV offers viewers in Asia Pacific an unprecedented mix of hit TV series and blockbuster movies. Its line-up boasts the world’s biggest franchises, first-run exclusives for the region and fan favorites across a wide range of genres from action, adventure, comedy to crime, sci-fi and drama. WarnerTV is also home to feature films from the legendary studios of Warner Bros. Entertainment. The channel is available across Asia Pacific including distribution in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Palau, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea. In Asia Pacific, WarnerTV is owned and operated by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., a Time Warner company. Visit warnertvasia.com and facebook.com/WarnerTVAsia for more information.
About Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific
Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond. A leader in the television and media business, it runs pay- and free-TV channels, as well as Internet-based services, including 46 channels in 13 languages in 38 countries throughout Asia Pacific. Turner’s leading brands in the region include CNN International, CNNj, CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Cartoonito, Boomerang, POGO, Toonami, WarnerTV, TCM Turner Classic Movies, truTV, WB, MondoTV and TABI Channel. In addition, Turner is also the exclusive distributor of HBO, HBO Hits HD and HBO Defined HD in South Asia. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. is a Time Warner company.
For media enquiries, contact:
James Moore
Turner International Asia Pacific (in Hong Kong)
James.Moore@turner.com
(+852) 3128-3720