Actually, while it shared the same actors (except for the character of Niles Caulder), I’ve read multiple articles where the people working on Doom Patrol (actors and production staff) explain the show is NOT in the same continuity as Titans.
Stargirl to air on both DC Universe and the CW
- Thread starter kitik
- Start date
No.
The producers of the Doom Patrol series and actress April Bowlby have stated on-record that the Doom Patrol team seen in Titans is not the same team as the one seen in the Doom Patrol series.
The Titans and Doom Patrol series share actors, but they are not connected narratively or from an in-universe perspective.
Edit: Ninja'd by @Ovation
Well, as no in-universe evidence has been presented, I'm not concerned about what producers and actors have to say. After all, lots of DC shows have been said not to be connected by the people involved, until they are, or in the case of Titans and Doom Patrol, are again, should that happen.
I haven't seen them, but I thought there were some clear contradictions between the Titans version and the series version. Like, didn't they recast the Chief?
Anyway, like I said in another thread, fictional continuity isn't always all-or-nothing. Two works can share characters, premises, and story elements while interpreting them in incompatible ways, or Work A can pretend to be in continuity with Work B while Work B ignores Work A and later contradicts it. Stories are all just pretend anyway, so a story can pretend to be consistent with another story that doesn't pretend back, or it can pretend that the elements it's borrowing from another story are different in some ways than they are in the other version.
The Doom Patrol that showed up in Titans was a pilot version that got reworked for the distinct Doom Patrol series. So there is a conceptual continuity from one to the other without a literal, factual continuity. Hardly the first time changes have been made from backdoor pilot to spinoff series. E.g. the Sheriff Andy Taylor and Mayberry that appeared in The Danny Thomas Show were not exactly the same as the ones who appeared in the spinoff The Andy Griffith Show.
By the time that the Titans "Doom Patrol" episode aired, actors Matt Bomer and Brendan Frasier had dubbed their performances over those of actors Dwain Murphy (Negative Man) and Jake Michaels (Robotman) respectively, so the only actor not shared between the Titans episode and the Doom Patrol series is Bruno Bichir.
The most significant difference between the Doom Patrol team that appeared in Titans and the Doom Patrol team that appears in the Doom Patrol series is that, in the latter, the characters have zero connection to or history with Gar Logan/Beast Boy (a fact publicly confirmed by April Bowlby).
The most significant difference between the Doom Patrol team that appeared in Titans and the Doom Patrol team that appears in the Doom Patrol series is that, in the latter, the characters have zero connection to or history with Gar Logan/Beast Boy (a fact publicly confirmed by April Bowlby).
And Negative Man is wildly out of character.
Or he was just having a good day. It happens.
^ "I don't dance." 
Premiere Dates announced!
First episode to go online on DC Universe on May 11, followed by the airing on The CW on May 12.
First episode to go online on DC Universe on May 11, followed by the airing on The CW on May 12.
So basically a summer series running after the Earth Prime shows have ended their seasons, or overlapping just a bit. I wouldn't be surprised if the survival of the multiverse were confirmed to the Earth Prime characters by then.
Geoff Johns wrote an open letter for people about to watch "Stargirl"
To Everyone About To Watch Stargirl –
I know you have real life concerns to deal with, as we all do, so if you are watching these I hope it’s to take a break from it and I’d encourage you to watch Stargirl with your family. It’s what the show was created for and what the show is about -- and, quite frankly, right now is the time to be with family.
My entire career began with heroes. A cold call to Superman director Richard Donner’s office landed me an internship that eventually led to me being Dick’s assistant in 1996. During that first year working for him, my sister - Courtney - was killed in the TWA flight 800 disaster. Courtney was on her way to France as a foreign exchange student. She was 18. She was smart, funny and endlessly enthusiastic. Dick bought my ticket home to Detroit and told me I would have a job waiting for me in Los Angeles whenever I was ready to come back. That fall, we shot a film called Conspiracy Theory in New York. He invited my parents to the set and put them in the movie. It was the first time I remember them smiling and having fun since my sister’s death. Dick was my hero for that.
A year later, I sold my first comic book proposal to DC Comics. It was called Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E.. The premise, which is also the premise of the show, was that teenager Courtney Whitmore’s mother, Barbara, marries mechanic Pat Dugan and Courtney (reluctantly) moves with them from Los Angeles to Nebraska. In Nebraska, Courtney discovers that her new step-father used to be a superhero sidekick and steals his partner’s old stuff, taking it for a joy ride. Ultimately, Courtney takes on the mantle of Stargirl and Pat is forced to come out of retirement and becomes a sidekick to his step-daughter as S.T.R.I.P.E. It is a story about how family is created by bond, not blood. Stargirl was, obviously, named after and inspired by my sister, Courtney. It is her spirit and optimistic energy that I wanted to put back in the world with Stargirl. It is celebratory, forward-looking and positive. And I hope that comes through when you watch these episodes.
I’ve written a lot of superhero stories in my career, but this is by far the most personal on every level. The cast, crew and everyone involved has given their talent and passion to bringing Stargirlto life and I couldn’t be more grateful for them. I think their hard work paid off and, at the very least, I hope you smile a few times while you watch Brec Bassinger, playing Courtney, and Luke Wilson, playing Pat, take up their mantles individually and together.
I apologize for the length of this “introductory” note. Weeks ago, I had thought it would be a simple paragraph or two. But now, I almost feel apologetic for assuming you have the time to watch Stargirl. Again, thank you, and if anyone wants to talk further about the show, I’d be happy to.
Best to you and your family –
Geoff Johns
To Everyone About To Watch Stargirl –
I know you have real life concerns to deal with, as we all do, so if you are watching these I hope it’s to take a break from it and I’d encourage you to watch Stargirl with your family. It’s what the show was created for and what the show is about -- and, quite frankly, right now is the time to be with family.
My entire career began with heroes. A cold call to Superman director Richard Donner’s office landed me an internship that eventually led to me being Dick’s assistant in 1996. During that first year working for him, my sister - Courtney - was killed in the TWA flight 800 disaster. Courtney was on her way to France as a foreign exchange student. She was 18. She was smart, funny and endlessly enthusiastic. Dick bought my ticket home to Detroit and told me I would have a job waiting for me in Los Angeles whenever I was ready to come back. That fall, we shot a film called Conspiracy Theory in New York. He invited my parents to the set and put them in the movie. It was the first time I remember them smiling and having fun since my sister’s death. Dick was my hero for that.
A year later, I sold my first comic book proposal to DC Comics. It was called Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E.. The premise, which is also the premise of the show, was that teenager Courtney Whitmore’s mother, Barbara, marries mechanic Pat Dugan and Courtney (reluctantly) moves with them from Los Angeles to Nebraska. In Nebraska, Courtney discovers that her new step-father used to be a superhero sidekick and steals his partner’s old stuff, taking it for a joy ride. Ultimately, Courtney takes on the mantle of Stargirl and Pat is forced to come out of retirement and becomes a sidekick to his step-daughter as S.T.R.I.P.E. It is a story about how family is created by bond, not blood. Stargirl was, obviously, named after and inspired by my sister, Courtney. It is her spirit and optimistic energy that I wanted to put back in the world with Stargirl. It is celebratory, forward-looking and positive. And I hope that comes through when you watch these episodes.
I’ve written a lot of superhero stories in my career, but this is by far the most personal on every level. The cast, crew and everyone involved has given their talent and passion to bringing Stargirlto life and I couldn’t be more grateful for them. I think their hard work paid off and, at the very least, I hope you smile a few times while you watch Brec Bassinger, playing Courtney, and Luke Wilson, playing Pat, take up their mantles individually and together.
I apologize for the length of this “introductory” note. Weeks ago, I had thought it would be a simple paragraph or two. But now, I almost feel apologetic for assuming you have the time to watch Stargirl. Again, thank you, and if anyone wants to talk further about the show, I’d be happy to.
Best to you and your family –
Geoff Johns
Stargirl premiere pushed back a week:
https://tvline.com/2020/03/26/stargirl-premiere-date-change-may-19-cw/
https://tvline.com/2020/03/26/stargirl-premiere-date-change-may-19-cw/
On DC Universe's official Community, the reason for the delay is given as "minor delays due to the current circumstances", which to me sounds like a logistics problem potentially related to editing.
I gather the main stumbling block for most projects (movies, TV shows, what-have-you) currently in post production at the moment is the scoring phase. Editing, VFX, and even ADR & the final mixdown can all be done remotely...but assembling and orchestra for a recording session is needless to say somewhere between challenging and impossible right now.
Not sure that's the case here, since it's only a week's delay and even work done remotely is going to slow the workflow no matter what, but it may be a factor.
Not sure that's the case here, since it's only a week's delay and even work done remotely is going to slow the workflow no matter what, but it may be a factor.
Having read all of TVLine's article on this subject, I've revised my speculation as to the cause of this delay and now think it may be related to The CW having to shift its schedule as a result of having to shut down all current production.
^ That's what TVLine's reporting indicates.