The superhero-as-a-teen formula has worked wonders for Smallville, which recently kicked off its eighth season on The CW (yes, surviving eight seasons on the CW and WB is a major accomplishment). The program follows Clark Kent around as a hormonally challenged young man and his transformation toward becoming Superman.
Cowardly Batman hides behind Robin again.
But with Smallville reportedly coming to an end at the conclusion of this season, what teen future superhero is going to save the world from teen future supervillains? Answer: Dick "DJ" Grayson.
That name may not mean much to the casual comic reader, as he's better known by his alias Robin--as in "Batman and."
The CW is going to give The Graysons a shot with a pilot, reports Variety. Smallville producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will bring their young superdude experience to the project, which will chronicle Grayson's pre-Robin days.
As for what those pre-Robin days entail, well, Dick Grayson was a child acrobat in a circus whose parents were killed when their trapeze was sabotaged. Robin would eventually use his gift of tumbling and a killer floor-exercise routine to defeat bad guys with Batman.
Why would The CW choose Robin? Well, ummm...your guess is as good as mine.
What do you think? Robin? Sidekick to a real superhero? Wouldn't someone else have been more interesting?
Comments (102)
Robin? Why? He is so boring. Why not Batman or someone else? I think that show will go down hill from the first Pilot.
And when will Clark FLY!!!!!! Come on 8 seasons and he still runs and jumps...>.
Look, I'm a HUGE superman fan, and have followed this series since its beginning. While I feel it has been entertaining, I have to say that it has left the idea of Clark becoming Superman behind and become an "Elseworlds" story. I'm glad that of all the Robins that the producers chose Dick Grayson (since he actually has managed to become a hero in his own right), but come on. We get him before Bruce Wayne? That just seems wrong to me. Just wrong.
Will Clark ever fly around in smallvile.I guess it should be named Metropolis since the story is going on there more then in smallville now. LOLtoo Many loose ends here. What happen to KARA? How did lex dissapeared ? Where MUM kent went ? WHY ON EARTH LOIS LANE still in here!
Why robin, just cause batmans popular doesn't mean his SIDE KICK will also be popular. I just hope they don't do another clana relationship. probably not gonna even watch this show till it comes out on DVD
why not just make the aquaman series now? that looked promising when they made the pilot.
It could be awsome im waiting to see who's gonna be Robin
I would think this would be a very good show that I would watch, but I am really going to miss smallville, WHO will play robin?
Sweet. Major Teen Titans fan, boo that smallville's leaving though (hope they don't mess up Robin)
I agreee with everyone... Smallville can stil have a lot of success in this season if tey make the last one and make Clark finally Superman. Show his training, make him use the uniform and the end and period CW you made it... we will never forget you!!! Just don't make of this show a big circus. I think that Robin is a great character it's just that there is no place at this point of the show.... maybe if in the training appears Bruce Wayne trying to find his path... maybe and I say MAYBE that would give something else... but please just let the show end with honor.
I couldn't agree more with Electricpeppers! The characters are basically in place. Having said that; my next choice would be a post-Robin Dick Greyson aka Nightwing. But should the execs at the CW continue taking their current prescriptions, a pre-Robin show revolving around the circus family, Greysons, would be lame at best. Dick's parents were killed when he was 10 to 14 (comics say 12). So the stories would be more about his parents then Dick. Richard, Dick's father instilling in young Dick the values of right and wrong. Unknowingly giving him the moral compass and the value of team work that he will need to become Robin. Conclusion: If picked up beyond a pilot (and that's a big if), I don't give it longer than Birds of Prey - which I liked and thought should have gone longer.moreless
This is going to be lame. he has no superpowers! how does that make a good show? he's a sidekick not a superhero, for a show to work it needs to be a hero. with powers. Surely they can come up with something else?
hey its cool with me i liked robin but i hope his not lame like the first Dick Greyson
What in the world Robin why would anyone want to do a show about Robin? He's a dam sidekick. They’re not many interesting things before he became Batman. Green lantern the Flash or Atom would have made more interesting shows. Why bother.
I don't want smallville to come to an end. Smallville has been one of the greatest tv shows of all time. If they want to end smallville at least come up with one more season to show clark has what it takes to horror the legendary title of superman. I mean really cwtv must be losing their minds. Smallville would make a better tv show that robin. This network does not need a tv show about robin.
It's funny, I was watching the CW the other day thinking, "you know what this network needs? A show about a family of circus folk."
Lame. Just lame. Very disappointed.......
Robin?!?!? oh please. What about The Flash, Green Lantern, The Atom or Aquaman. Any of them instead of Robin
Frankly, they need to make sure not to have him like the Robin of the old Adam West Batman (too campy), or from those two lousy films (not at all like the Dick Grayson in the comics).
what a terrible terrible idea! who IS Robin?? especially before Batman came and saved his a** from certain doom... what is he gonna do? beat up the baddies of Gotham doing splits?
Just have to wait and see. Some seemingly bad ideas for shows in the past have led to shows with popular success.
the only thing worse than this idea is having it be the Jason Todd version of Robin. Smallville is bad enough but thi shas even less to work with!
You've got to be kidding me. Pre-Robin. This won't last 2 weeks. What about a Smallville spin-off? With Justin Hartley joining the cast this season they are practically setting up a Green Lantern or Justice League show. Failing that, I'm with chuckbeluckman on the Aquaman pilot. That was better than the majority of shows on tv recently.
How about one with the current Firestorm? Or Cyborg? Since DC and Milestone Media merge-how about Static Shock?? I'm sure Michael B. Jordan is available.
Hahahahahahahaha....seriously....who cares about an entire show devoted to Robin? I don't want to watch the boring pre-life of a future boring sidekick.
If Batman's daughter could hold audiences' attention for more than a dozen episodes, how can studio execs believe Robin will do better.
Yeah how about dusting off that Aquaman pilot and do that show. Instead of using boy wonder, who if he did have a standalone show would be Nightwing.
...dumb idea...
Robin became Robin when his parents died...before that he was just a kid in the circus...Not solving mysteries...not fighting crime..His parents death made him what he is...
This sounds so stupid. In the entertainment age of "heroes" "fringe" "Supernatural" " Iron Man"...At least give me a show with a character who has powers...I would go with teen titans..without costumes...
... wait a second, Robin's parents are dead inside his late childhood/teen years as others have mentioned. I'm sure we'll see plenty of scenes involving the circus but how deep can Robin's character be without Batman there? "Holy Cow Ba-... oh wait" :roll:
sounds all right dont know if i will watch. smallville was classic and it came out when i was in school... dont watch the new season and dont think i would give this show a chance.
They obviously wanted a repeat of smallville hence but your right there must have been a better choice out there in the DC universe. I just can't think of one so close too their core character list.
I think the funniest part of all this is that they've given him a nickname "DJ" so that he won't be called Dick... but his real first name is Richard. Wouldn't his nickname be "RJ"?Also, hoe much story can you really get out of Dick Grayson before he's Robin? If they wanted to do a Batman-less show, they should have gone forward to his Nightwing days not backward. Dick Grayson's pre-Batman days don't involve much.
On TV Guide's web it was said, that the CW doesn't plan to replace Smallville with The Graysons, that SV's execs are already planning season 9. Why do I have the feeling that Robin is planned as a replacement for Supernatural? The CW would have one long comic night on Thursday then. And now, instead of looking forward to a show that's, for once, not about rich teenagers with issues, I have to fear for SPN *sigh*
OR! How about bringing back Birds of Prey?
Justice League Spin-Off, Please! Robin is sooooooooooooooo lame! Where the Hell are they gonna get stories from? He's a freakn' circus performer! There's no material there!!!!!
Sounds interesting. I love Batman/Robin.
BUt I know this show will lack divesity like the rest of the CW shows;
so I wont watch.
Yes kyfm, he does. But that's WHILE he's Robin, not BEFORE, so basically no it hasn't worked in the comics. I really think a Nightwing show would be a hell of a lot better.
well it has worked in the comics robin does have a solo title
Hmm... no. I fell off the Smallville bandwagon a while ago. Last I checked, there was a young version of Aquaman running around, looking like a fool. Anyway, seriously, while there is potential for anything to come across our tv screens nowadays... The Graysons? Based off the life of Dick Grayson BEFORE he teamed up with the coolest DC character ever? I would prefer a live-action Teen Titans (or a renewal of the animated one), before this One-Tree-Hill-infused drivel gets air time. Oh, another teen can't deal with the trials of being a virgin. Then he slaps on the spandex and hits the big top, only to remain a virgin. Finally he teams up with Batman, and gets moderate loving from the chicks that the Dark Knight has no interest in. And he's still broken inside.moreless
Smallville only worked because it was the story of how Clark Kent turned into Superboy and then Superman and the stories around it. This concept is just telling us how a acrobat dawned green and red tights, without the man bat he's nothing but a teen titan. Now if they went all the way with this concept and brought in members of the teen titans like they did with the league in smallville then maybe, maybe not. I have a feeling that this concept will be laying right next to the aquaman concept on the cutting room floor, with all the characters you could pick why go with an acrobatic nonwonder.
it's like playing Paper-Scissors... where the hell is the Rock?!
This sounds like a kind of scary idea, I mean Robin without Batman is like Jelly without Peanut Butter.
Green Arrow or Justice League would have been good...but Dick Grayson is one of the best heroes out there...and as most know, is no longer Robin. In DC Comics Nightwing (as he is now known) is one of the most popular characters and is considered one of the most respected heroes by the other heroes in DC...second to perhaps only Superman. So...I think this makes an excellent choice...as long as they leave the acrobat/circus part in.
This sounds awful! If CW want to keep a superhero show in the mix they should do Green Arrow or Justice League. Get a clue CW!
HORRID HORRID IDEA! If you really want to do something. Revamp Dark Shadows for television. What will The Graysons do? I mean there is almost so MUCH you can do with a family who hasn't any powers. Will it just be about acrobats? It sounds SNOOOZEVILLE!
They have make it really cool. Sounds like a real challenge. I mean come on, the boy's name is Dick. ;p
Not Robin! Do somebody cool, like the flash, green arrow or martian manhunter, not Robin!!!
caitfate, I have to agree with you for once. The Green Arrow would most certainly be good for a spin-off. That man is hot and just gets me drooling in clothes. When they're off... The Justice League is really interesting as well.
Ummmmm Robin is universally the LAMEST SUPERHERO EVER CREATED. Surely they could think of someone different... ANYONE DIFFERENT!!How about a story about a young spiderman? Surely that would be better.
Use Bruce Wayne!!