After months of speculation, Syfy has officially announced that a TV show based on the DC Comics character Booster Gold is officially being developed for the channel. Due to the success of "The Walking Dead," there has been a rush to get more comic book-based live-action shows on TV. There are positives and negatives about "Booster Gold" being one of the first comic book-based shows to come out in the next few years.
Who is Booster Gold?
Michael Jon Carter was born in Gotham City in the 25th century. He was a star quarterback at Gotham University until he was caught betting on his games. He got a job at the Metropolis Space Museum as a night watchman and began to study the exploits of the superheroes and villains from the past. He stole some of the superheroes artifacts from the museum and traveled back to the past to cash in on being the superhero called Booster Gold. The character's story in DC Comics follows his exploits, the discovery of his secrets by the media, his fall from grace, and his eventual journey to become superhero for the right reasons.
Positives
If "Booster Gold" does well for Syfy, the channel can call itself a "trailblazer" as the other networks finally get moving on their comic book-based shows. People who do not follow the comic book market closely might think that the upcoming remake of "The Incredible Hulk" on ABC, Fox's "Punisher," and other superhero shows were an answer to Syfy's show. While all of these shows have been on the drawing board for roughly the same amount of time, viewers might gain the perception of Syfy as the originator of bringing a superhero to TV in the modern era. This perception about "Booster Gold" could boost interest in the network.
Also, if "Booster Gold" is able to fly in the ratings, the networks should get a push to finally get their shows on TV so they can cash in on the comic book-based market. Instead of waiting a few years or more for more live-action superhero shows, we might see a complete roster on TV within the next year or sooner.
Negatives
Booster Gold is not a household name like the Hulk. If the show crashes and burns, worry could spread through other networks. Instead of realizing that the story of how Carter became a superhero is not as famous as the stories of Dr. Bruce Banner (Hulk) or Frank Castle (Punisher), the networks might believe the market is not strong enough for superheroes on TV right now. They could pull back on production or even cancel ideas before they have gotten off the ground. This would be the worst-case scenario for comic fans hoping to see their favorite characters come to life on the small screen.
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