CW developing new hour-long drama series based on DC’s Hourman

DC comics continues it’s slow burn of bringing its large stable of comic characters to the big (and small) screen as the CW is now developing an hour-long drama series based on Hourman, a mostly second-tier character from the comics company. DC/CW has had great success in the small-screen market, with the Superman-based series Smallville running 10 seasons and their latest series, Arrow (based on Green Arrow) into its second season with the promise of introducing one of their mainstay’s, The Flash, who will then spinoff into his own series.

In addition, the network is also actively developing a series based on Constantine, which was formerly adapted into a film version starring Keanu Reeves, and is still mulling over the Wonder Woman themed show, Amazon, which is the equivalent of Smallville only with the famed lasso-wielding heroine. There’s also the Gotham TV series that focuses on Jim Gordon over at Fox. Perhaps DC is happy to dominate TV for a while, as Marvel prepares to invade as well.

Here’s the rundown on Hourman:

Hourman centers on a brilliant-yet-troubled pharmaceutical analyst who discovers that the visions that have plagued him since childhood are actually glimpses of tragic events occurring one hour in the future. Determined to win back his ex-wife and son, he heroically prevents these tragedies from unfolding, finding both purpose and redemption along the way.

I don’t know if DC is just going for “what works” in trying to exploit their characters on the small screen or if there’s a bigger plan at work (i.e. crossing over their big screen efforts with the small screen ones). Producers have said that The Flash TV series would not interfere with the planned THE FLASH movie, but who’s to say that couldn’t be some misdirection? I guess the model “if it isn’t broken why fix it?” applies here, but with Marvel leading the pack in terms of a cinematic universe, I have to wonder why we keep hearing about new TV shows for DC characters instead of new films. Guess we’ll just have to be patient, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Hourman is in active development, but no airdate is specified. The next DC cinematic adventure will be BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, hitting on July 17, 2015.