On Monday night, Fox debuted the highly anticipated show “Gotham,” a series based on the fictional city from DC Comics’ Batman franchise.

Essentially, “Gotham” will serve as a prequel to the Batman story, revealing how each character was created and developed.

“Gotham” follows Detective James Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department, a rookie detective handling the high-profile murder case of Thomas and Martha Wayne with his partner Harvey Bullock.

Bruce, son of Thomas and Martha and heir to Wayne Enterprises, witnesses the murder of his parents and later confides in Gordon to find the killer. The relationship built between Bruce and Gordon following the case of his parents murder, plays an essential role in the creation of the masked vigilante, which Bruce assumes later in his life.

Viewers will also be able to see how Gordon made his way up from being a new detective and eventually becoming the police commissioner, a position he holds in the Batman series.

Throughout the episode, the viewer is given glimpses at a number of villains in the franchise.

The villains that will appear in the show include Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker.

During the course of the show, it will be interesting to see how these characters develop into their villainous roles, as most of them first appear as ordinary, yet, odd beings.

Gordon is played by Ben McKenzie, known for his roles on “The O.C.,” and “Southland.”  McKenzie plays the part of the stern crime-fighter well and is forceful in his role, instantly grabbing audience’s attention from his first appearance as Gordon.

Starring alongside McKenzie is Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith is convincing in her role as Fish Mooney, the ruthless gang boss.

The cast also features several other actors who have found success in television, such as Donal Logue (“Grounded for Life”) as Detective Bullock, Zabryna Guevara (“Burn Notice”) as Police Captain Sarah Essen, and Sean Pertwee (“Elementary”) as Alfred Pennyworth, the butler who assumes guardianship of Bruce after his parents’ murder.

The setting in “Gotham” is consistent with the fictional city’s dark and dystopian backdrop, which plays a key role in portraying the crime-ridden city’s mysterious ambience.

With promising reviews, impending plot points and a star-studded cast to fill the 1940s theme of the original Batman comics, viewers will be left intrigued with anticipation for the following episode.