The CW hasn't had much luck launching another superhero series to capitalize on Smallville's success.  We all remember the short-lived Birds of Prey, which was later followed by an Aquaman pilot that never made it on the air.  The latest hope for comic book fans came in early October, when the network announced they were developing a series called The Graysons, which would tell the story of Dick Grayson before he became Batman's sidekick, Robin.  There were questions about the concept from the moment the series was announced, especially since Robin isn't all that interesting without Batman.

Unfortunately, fans of the character will never get to see what the CW had in mind for The Graysons.  Variety has announced that plans for the show have been scrapped, possibly due to the mega-successful Batman film franchise.

Smallville executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson were set to develop The Graysons, which was either going to replace Smallville or be paired with it should it be renewed for a ninth season.  According to Variety, Warner Bros. Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov decided to axe the series because "the concept doesn't fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise."  Insiders have speculated that Warner Bros. wasn't comfortable having a TV show related to the Batman franchise on the air, fearing that overexposure could harm the box office prospects of any movie sequels.

In a statement, Warner Bros. said that they are "currently working on several replacement options for the CW," meaning we could see some sort of Batman-free comic adaptation in the near future.

I find it strange that the CW is scrambling to find the next great superhero series, yet they haven't considered the most obvious option: a Green Arrow spin-off.  Justin Hartley already has a sizable fan base, and though moving him out of Metropolis may take something away from Smallville, giving him his own show seems like a no-brainer.  I can't think of another DC Comics character that would fit so perfectly on the small screen, though I suppose they could always do a reboot of The Flash.

The script for The Graysons had yet to be written when the cancellation was announced, so we'll never know how the pilot episode would have turned out.  The concept is now just another footnote in comic book history.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: Variety
(Image courtesy of DC Comics)