As part of the June 5, 2014 CTV upfront press conferences – and since Gloryosky needs a bit of content that appeals to a wide audience – I had the opportunity to talk to Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie of Fox’s Gotham. I apologize that this interview did not go up with the rest of the June upfront news, and that it was banked until the ass-end of July 2014. This is because I am a mental case.

Robin Lord Taylor (Oswald Cobblepot/the future Penguin) was at the Gotham press conference, but did not answer my question.

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How familiar are you with Batman: The Animated Series? Gotham is the first major appearance of characters from the ‘Bat-mythos’ since the show left Fox in 1995.*

Donal Logue (Detective Harvey Bullock): I remember my kids used to watch it in the car driving to Oregon all the time, so I heard Harvey Bullock playing behind me as I was driving. It was funny, ’cause it’s so iconic – the animated series, that was the immediate choice. [Robert Costanzo] did that, and I’m not doing it. Someone else did that! I had seen [Batman: The Animated Series]. It was actually quite good, too.

Ben McKenzie (Detective James Gordon): I’m not familiar with [B:TAS]…having never watched it.

Devon Soltendieck (CTV Upfront press conference moderator): You talk about a cartoon all the way from the ’90s, we’re talking about this with Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. You couldn’t do a show like [Gotham] even five or six years ago. You could not do it. You would have to do it in comic form or cartoon form. That would have been the only way to do it.

McKenzie: I honestly think that network television owes cable television a tip of the hat, because cable has pushed network to say “not only can we do it, but we have to do it. We have to put real money behind it, and we have to really promote it.” That’s what’s brilliant about [Gotham], from my mind…we’re setting it in a time period [where] the tone is sort of noir-ish. It gets your adrenaline rushing in a way that is not at all campy, that is sort of miles away from Adam West Batman, which I loved as a kid.

Soltendieck: I loved the Adam West Batman.

McKenzie: I watched it in the afternoons with my brother.

Soltendieck: I want a Bat-Pole in my house.

*I didn’t ask the question like that, as Rob Salem’s unedited video of the Gotham press conference proves. In truth, glottal sounds came out of my mouth in search of a half-thought-out replacement for better, answered questions. I still thought it was a pertinent question – in my mind, Bob Hastings (RIP) is James Gordon, while Robert Costanzo is Harvey Bullock.

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As part of the CTV press conferences, I also interviewed Grant Gustin and Danielle Panabaker of The Flash about what sets The Flash apart from upcoming DC/Vertigo-related shows, as well as The CW’s Arrow, the show The Flash spun off from. This time, the questions I asked were similar to the ones I wrote down. No fumbling for a usable question this time, no sir!

Candice Patton (Iris West) was at the Flash press conference, but did not answer my question.

With three new titles in the DC live-action television universe – Gotham, NBC’s Constantine, and The CW’s iZombie – plus AMC’s upcoming adaptation of Preacher, which was announced earlier this year – how do you think The Flash will stand out, and is a crossover with iZombie out of the question?

Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash): I would say no crossovers with iZombie. I haven’t heard anything about that. I would imagine that’s something that’s probably not going to happen. I think the crossover is between Arrow and The Flash because it’s the same team, mostly – same existence, same world, and…

Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow): I think what’s great about The Flash is that when you see the trailer and when you see the pilot, it’s very all-American, you know, it’s so relatable. [Barry Allen’s] a normal guy who sorta gets plucked out of nowhere and he’s superpowered…The Flash is a very bright show, it’s a very thoughtful show, and I think it’s going to be great.

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Both interviews were held at Bell Media Queen Street (299 Queen St. West) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Gotham debuts Monday, September 22, 2014 on CTV, 8:00 PM ET/PT, in simulcast with Fox. The Flash debuts Tuesday, October 7, 2014 on CTV, 8:00 PM ET/PT, in simulcast with The CW.