What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batman?

[Joe Washington]

I was thinking after watching shows like Buffy and Angel and movies like Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and Dark Knight: what if Joss Whedon did a show on Batman?

How he would portray Batman?
Would Batman have his own friends to turn to other than Alfred in his crime-fighting?
Would Joss put Batman through the same wringer he put Buffy and Angel through like suffering through the tragic deaths of loved ones and relationships that eventually end in heartbreak?
What if Bruce and Harvey Dent prior to his scarring were the best of friends?

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[InvisibleGT]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

Obligatory "only if he had enough time to plan" comment.

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

I still want to see Whedon's take on WONDER WOMAN. Too bad that fell through.

 

[Dream]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

All of Bruce Wayne's girlfriends would die horrible deaths
Catwoman would eventually take over the show as the main character
Lots of snappy dialogue

Still it would at least be much better than that travesty called Smallville.

 

[Joe Washington]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

Hell yeah!

 

[Joe Washington]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

But, seriously, would a friendship between Bruce and Dent in this show be more interesting and tragic in Joss Whedon's hands than the friendship between Clark and Lex in Smallville?

 

[3D Master]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It would be a pile of crap.

 

[the Dagman]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It would be a pile of crap.

I agree. Just like everything else Whedon has done.

 

[Joe Washington]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

Hold on there. What about the love story of Buffy and Angel? Or the tragic end of poor Fred's life that always make my eyes water? What about Wesley's transformation from bookish geek to complete badass? Or Cordelia's as she goes from being a selfish, self-absorbed brat to a woman willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good and who becomes the new love in Angel's life?

 

[Skywalker]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

Hold on there. What about the love story of Buffy and Angel? Or the tragic end of poor Fred's life that always make my eyes water? What about Wesley's transformation from bookish geek to complete badass? Or Cordelia's as she goes from being a selfish, self-absorbed brat to a woman willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good and who becomes the new love in Angel's life?

Whedon wrote every single episode of Buffy and Angel?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It would be quickly cancelled.

 

[Joe Washington]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It all happened when Whedon was manning both those shows.

 

[JoeZhang]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

People would suggest that Nathan Fillion would have to play the young Bruce Wayne regardless of his suitability for the role.

 

[Lindley]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It would be a pile of crap.

I agree. Just like everything else Whedon has done.

Says the guy with the Doctor Who avatar, a show which (stylistically speaking) has more in common with Buffy than any other recent scifi I can recall....probably because RTD was a huge fan.

 

[the Dagman]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It would be a pile of crap.

I agree. Just like everything else Whedon has done.

Says the guy with the Doctor Who avatar, a show which (stylistically speaking) has more in common with Buffy than any other recent scifi I can recall....probably because RTD was a huge fan.

Then why is it that I have tried to watch every show Whedon has ever done, trying to like them, only to find them intolerable?

As for Doctor Who, I have been a fan of the show since I discovered on my local PBS station back in the 70s, and the newer episodes aren't really all that different from the original run of the series. I think it is YOU who are watching the series with your Whedon glasses on. Don't go dissin' the Doctor.

 

[3D Master]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

Hold on there. What about the love story of Buffy and Angel?

First 3 seasons of Buffy kept in check by David Greenwalt.

Or the tragic end of poor Fred's life that always make my eyes water?

Repeat of Buffy S6 (Willow goes evil) and Angel S4 (Cordelia is possessed) and an episode so filled with plotholes and idiocy it makes you laugh out loud. She could have been saved with simplistic ease - if only Angel had picked up the phone and told the smart guy Wesley everything the non-liar that was lying through his teeth said what was going on.

What about Wesley's transformation from bookish geek to complete badass?

David Greenwalt.

Or Cordelia's as she goes from being a selfish, self-absorbed brat to a woman willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good and who becomes the new love in Angel's life?

David Greenwalt.

It all happened when Whedon was manning both those shows.

He wasn't manning both those shows. He was manning Buffy S4 and onward, while David Greenwalt was manning Angel. Joss Whedon barely had anything to do with Angel S1 to S3. A few bits and pieces, but it's ultimately Greenwalt who ran Angel.

Buffy is also best, when Greenwalt is on there.

And thus we know to true genius behind (the good parts, before they went down the drain) of Buffy and Angel: David Greenwalt.

 

[Skywalker]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

It all happened when Whedon was manning both those shows.

That doesn't mean he's the guy who came up with every single bit of character or plot development. I like Whedon, but it's not fair to everyone else working on those shows to give him all the credit for their success.

 

[Lindley]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

^Oh, there's little doubt that Whedon performs best when he's not riding solo. But at the same time I think it's clear he brings something key to the mix.

Then why is it that I have tried to watch every show Whedon has ever done, trying to like them, only to find them intolerable?

Couldn't tell you. All I can say is, the hype is right. I avoided "the vampire shows" for years, but when I actually sat down and gave 'em a shot, I was pulled right in. There's a lot of good TV to the man's name.

As for Doctor Who, I have been a fan of the show since I discovered on my local PBS station back in the 70s, and the newer episodes aren't really all that different from the original run of the series. I think it is YOU who are watching the series with your Whedon glasses on. Don't go dissin' the Doctor.

I'm not trying to imply any sort of causal relationship (well, beyond the incidental of RTD being a Joss fan). I'm just saying, Doctor Who and Buffy have a lot in common as shows. They're both able to swing manically between dead serious and incredibly funny on the turn of a dime, and make it feel natural. They're both drowning in cheese yet manage to avoid feeling cheesy (usually). They both use the monster-of-the-week as a cheap device to tell a story about the characters, rather than making the fight be the story. And they're both damn good shows.

Angel is epic, Firefly is just plain fun, and Dollhouse is.....well, it's okay. Still the weak link at this point.

 

[Maestro]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

I'd watch, but he'd need to pull a good team of writers together, similar to the teams he had with Greenwalt, Espensen, Noxon, Minear, etc. Joss is a great creative force, who needs tempering by a solid writing staff.

I'd watch, and I'd probably enjoy it if he had good writers.

I do agree that the first mistake that would occur would be the rabid-Wheadonites demanding the casting of Nathan Fillion as Bruce/Bats. No. And not Tamoh Penikett either.

Of course Wheadon is also such a BSG and Doctor Who buff and Espensen is involved with Caprica, so we'd see this:

Batman Beginneth
Written, Produced, and Directed by Joss Wheadon

Starring:
Jamie Bamber as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Nathan Fillion as Harvey Dent
Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
David Tennent as The Joker
Michael Hogan as James Gordon
With
Jewel Statie as Barbara Gordon
Seth Green as The Riddler
Danny Strong as The Penguin
and
Featuring
Anthony Stewart Head as Alfred

 

[Lindley]

Re: What if Joss Whedon did a TV show based on the early years of Batm

Hehe, some of those aren't half-bad.