In my review of the CW’s “The Flash,” I praised DC Comics for its ability to produce great television shows based on its comic series. It seems, however, I may have spoken too soon.

That’s not to say Fox’s “Gotham” is bad. It’s just missing something.

It’s not a lack of characters by any means. All the regular players are here. The series centers around Jim Gordon, palyed by Ben McKenzie, in his quest to deal with Gotham’s corruption before the days of the Caped Crusader. His partner Harvey Bullock, Donal Logue, certainly does not help in this department with his working relationship with mob leader Fish Mooney, played by the scene-stealing Jada Pinkett Smith. Even a young Bruce Wayne, David Mazouz, and Alfred Pennyworth, Sean Pertwee, make appearances. While Pertwee steps into the shoes of Michael Caine nicely, Mazouz plays Wayne as a bit of a brat.

Maybe the problem is that there are too many characters. In addition to those listed above, the show also features a handful of villans who possibly made their debut a bit too early. In addition to the Falcone and Maroni mob family wars, “Gotham” also features Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma, the eventual Riddler, and Camren Bicondova as a young Selina Kyle. All that’s missing from this plethora of well-known Batman villians are Harvey Dent and The Joker. Scratch that — Dent’s slated to appear later on in the season, played by Nicholas D’Agosto.

I think the problem with “Gotham” is that it tries too much to be an inside joke instead of standing on its own two feet. Much like “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Gotham” seems to be bobbing along, throwing Easter eggs out to sharp-eyed fans of the Batman canon. It feels like a procedural set in a comic book universe and nothing more. McKenzie does great work, but the show cannot rely on him alone.

However, there is hope for “Gotham.” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” was able to overcome this same problem with a boost from “Captain America: The Winter Solider.” Due to the fact that both the television show and the movie are set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fallout from the film gave “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” the creative boost it needed to carry through to the end of the season. Now DC Comics does not have this sort of shared universe, so the writers will need to be a bit more inventive to make “Gotham” a must-see show. There’s a possibility of this after the most recent episode introduced the plan to refurbish Arkham Asylum. Until that time comes, there are other shows on Monday nights that I can watch.

Bottom Line: “Gotham” needs to be saved before I continue tuning in.

2/5