The idea of having Batman written out of the
show, says Executive Producer Laeta
Kalogridis Robbins, comes from one of the
most popular comics of all time.
“Let’s be really specific,”
explains Kalogridis Robbins. “The idea that [Batman]
went into self-imposed exile was taken from a comic—The
Dark Knight Returns. You don’t know exactly why he’s
gone. He could be pursuing the Joker. The trauma of that certain
night changed Gotham. But he didn’t run away. He might
be brooding. He might be pursuing.”
The first episode of “Birds of Prey”
will focus on flashbacks of the night that drove Batman into
exile, why Barbara Gordon was forced to abandon her Batgirl
career, and show how Oracle and Huntress come together to
fight crime. The show will also introduce young runaway psychic
Dinah Lance, called Black Canary in the comic, played by Rachel
Skarsten.
Dina Meyer,
who plays the computer expert and technical wizard called
Oracle, says she’s done tons of research
on her character and can’t wait for fans to finally
have the chance to see the heady tech in live action.
“Like Oracle, I am quite the cyber
geek,” says Meyer. “I’ve done a
lot of research. I didn’t know a whole lot about the
character, aside from the fact that she’s got an enormous
fan base, and very high expectations. She’s a favorite
character. People are already saying things about her, and
they haven’t even seen the show. [Oracle] really comes
into her own. She wasn’t just following in Batman’s
footsteps. She found her own calling.”
Kalogridis Robbins also explained that Huntress,
played by Ashley Scott,
isn’t just the very athletic and well-trained character
from the comics—she’s actually got some superpowers.
“Because Huntress is the daughter
of Catwoman and Batman, we refer to the effects that they
had on her,” says the executive producer. “What
effect did they have as parents on her? What we decided to
do was explore the fact that [Huntress] was not human, but
meta-human. What I wanted to do was use that, and explore
that. She’s half-human, half-metahuman.”
Many early reviews of the pilot episode of
the series reveal that the first episode will revolve around
Oracle and Huntress meeting and taking in Dinah Lance,
as well as taking on a murderer who invades his victims’
minds. Of course, the trio of crimefighters doesn’t
have the same relationship with the Gotham City Police Department
that Batman did, which sets up an interesting relationship
with Gotham City Detective Jake Reese, played by Shemar
Moore.
“It’s Gotham somewhat in the
future,” says Moore. “Batman and the
Joker are a myth. People don’t even know about them.
It’s all just myth. I run into these divas jumping from
rooftop to rooftop, and I’m a man’s man. Anything
that looks like that, I’m going to chase. As far as
my character, I have this whole dark side backstory with a
father who’s a crime lord. I’m trying to do a
good thing, but I’m compelled to be loyal to my family.”
Staying loyal to the roots of the “Smallville”
approach, which never shows Clark Kent in his Superman duds,
Brian Robbins
points out that “Birds of Prey” will
be about exploring the essences of the respective characters,
not who’s wearing what kind of costume.
“You’re not going to see a
lot of tights in this show,” says the executive
producer. “In the pilot, you see flashbacks to Batgirl,
and that’s about it. These are new superheroes who don’t
wear tights and don’t wear masks. Like ‘Smallville,’
this show is about real people with real problems.”
But there will be at least one established
Batman villain showing up throughout the first season of “Birds
of Prey.” Look for Harley Quinn, who first appeared
as the Joker’s therapist turned sidekick in “Batman:
The Animated Series,” to play a major role as the
antagonist during the first season.
“She’s going to go on and
try to fill her Puddin’s shoes,” says Kalogridis
Robbins slyly, referring to Harley’s pet name for her
beloved Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime.
Brian Robbins says doing known villains on
the show will always be the toughest episodes to get right,
but he has faith his team can put together episodes that won’t
disappoint long-time Batman fans.
