Just about a week ago, we reported that super-producer Greg Berlanti had yet another DC Comics superhero series in the works: Black Lightning. Now, it looks like Fox has bought into the idea as the network has made a pilot production commitment for the drama. Yes, you read that right, Fox, the same network that currently has the pre-Batman property Gotham set to enter its third season on September 19th. That's both great news and a reason to be concerned.
EW reports that Fox will be playing host to Black Lightning, a series centering on one of the first African-American superheroes in comic book history. Husband and wife duo Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil will pen the series that sees Jefferson Pierce coming out of retirement thanks to a "daughter hell-bent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang" in order to rejoin the fight as the legendary Black Lightning. Sarah Schechter will also act as executive producer alongside the trio.
Berlanti already has Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl on his slate, all set up at The CW, now that the latter series has moved over from CBS. Though each of those series have their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own sense of style and tone, what runs in common with all of them is that the creative team behind each property fully embraces the comic book history and mythology that serves as the source of inspiration for the characters and their actions. Gotham is its own thing, a fact that the show's writers are quite proud of, though personally I just can't get behind it. I'm hoping that Black Lightning will be more like The CW TV-verse than whatever alternate realm the folks at Gotham have found themselves in. Fox also has a habit of nixing shows, regardless of their quality, early on if the ratings aren't up to par, while allowing lesser series that attract more viewers to linger on until they reach the point of decay. That's not enjoyable television, that's just business.
Are you excited to see Black Lightning joining the ranks of DC TV superhero series? How do you feel about Fox picking it up? Let us know in the comments below!
