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| Smallville | |
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| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Save Me" by Remy Zero |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 217[1] (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
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| Production locations | British Columbia, Canada |
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| Running time | 40-53 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | The WB |
| Release | October 16, 2001 – May 11, 2006 |
| Network | The CW |
| Release | September 28, 2006 – May 13, 2011 |
Smallville is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/Gough Ink, Tollin/Robbins Productions, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Television. Initially broadcast by the WB, the show premiered on October 16, 2001. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, the series' later United States broadcaster until its tenth and final season ended on May 13, 2011.
Smallville follows the coming-of-age adventures of teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling) in his fictional hometown of Smallville, Kansas, before he formally becomes the Man of Steel. The first four seasons focus on the high school life of Clark and his friends, his complicated romance with neighbor girl Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), and his friendship with future nemesis Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). From season five onwards, Smallville ventures into Clark's early adult years, eventually focusing on his career alongside Lois Lane (Erica Durance) at the Daily Planet and introducing other DC comicbook superheroes and villains.
Before the series' production, Bruce Wayne, a drama series chronicling the young protagonist's journey toward Batman, was proposed first. Although that series failed to generate interest, it inspired the idea of a Superman origin story, which later became Smallville. Series developers Gough and Millar pitched their "no tights, no flights" rule to the president of Warner Bros. Television, reducing the Man of Steel to the bare moral essentials and examining what led Clark Kent to become the iconic superhero. After seven seasons with the show, Gough and Millar departed with little explanation. Smallville was primarily filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, with local businesses and buildings substituting for Smallville locations. Most of the music for the first six seasons was composed by Mark Snow, who incorporated elements of John Williams's musical score from the Superman film series. In season seven, Louis Febre (who worked with Snow from the beginning) became the series' primary composer.
Smallville was generally positively received when it began. Former Superman star Christopher Reeve expressed approval for the series, making two guest appearances before his death. The pilot episode set a ratings record for a WB debut, with 8.4 million viewers. Over ten seasons the series averaged about 4.34 million viewers per episode, with season two the highest-rated at 6.3 million. By the end of its run, Smallville passed Stargate SG-1 as the longest-running North American science fiction series by episode count.[2] Since its first season, the series received accolades ranging from Emmys to Teen Choice Awards. Smallville spawned a series of young adult novels, a DC Comics bimonthly comic-book, soundtracks and series-related merchandise. All ten seasons are available on DVD in regions 1, 2 and 4. After the series finale in 2011, the story resumed in comic-book form, with 22 issues of Season 11 from April 2012 to November 2013.
Series overview[edit]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Average viewership (in millions) | |||
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| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
| 1 | 21 | October 16, 2001 | May 21, 2002 | The WB | 6.41 | |
| 2 | 23 | September 24, 2002 | May 20, 2003 | 7.77 | ||
| 3 | 22 | October 1, 2003 | May 19, 2004 | 5.64 | ||
| 4 | 22 | September 22, 2004 | May 18, 2005 | 5.02 | ||
| 5 | 22 | September 29, 2005 | May 11, 2006 | 5.32 | ||
| 6 | 22 | September 28, 2006 | May 17, 2007 | The CW | 4.52 | |
| 7 | 20 | September 27, 2007 | May 15, 2008 | 4.15 | ||
| 8 | 22 | September 18, 2008 | May 14, 2009 | 3.88 | ||
| 9 | 21 | September 25, 2009 | May 14, 2010 | 2.38 | ||
| 10 | 22 | September 24, 2010 | May 13, 2011 | 2.54 | ||
The regular cast is introduced in season one, with storylines involving a villain deriving power from kryptonite exposure. The one-episode villains were a plot device developed by Gough and Millar.[3] Smallville's first season primarily dealt with Clark Kent's coming to terms with his alien origin and the revelation that his arrival on Earth was connected to the death of Lana Lang's parents.[4] After the first season the series had fewer villain-of-the-week episodes, focusing instead on individual-character story arcs and exploring Clark's origins.[5] Major storylines include Clark's discovery of his Kryptonian heritage and Lex Luthor's escalating conflict with his father, Lionel.[6] The disembodied voice of Clark's biological father, Jor-El, is introduced; he communicates to Clark through his spaceship, setting the stage for plots involving his role in fulfilling Clark's earthly destiny.[7] In a fourth-season arc Clark, instructed by Jor-El, searches for three Kryptonian stones which contain the knowledge of the universe and form his Fortress of Solitude.[8][9] Clark battles Brainiac in his attempts to release the Kryptonian criminal General Zod,[10] and must capture (or destroy) other escaped Phantom Zone criminals.[11] His cousin Kara arrives,[12] and Lex Luthor discovers Clark's secret.[13] The eighth season introduces Davis Bloome (Smallville's version of Doomsday), and Tess Mercer replaces the departing Lex Luthor. Justin Hartley becomes a series regular as Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) after being a recurring guest in season six.[14] In the ninth season Major Zod (Callum Blue) and other members of Zod's military group are revived (without their Kryptonian powers) by Tess Mercer,[15] and their efforts to regain their powers are the season's central conflict. The final season revolves around Clark's attempts to lose his doubts and fears and become the hero he is meant to be, while confronting his biggest challenges: the coming of Darkseid and the return of Lex Luthor.[16]
Cast[edit]
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- Tom Welling as Clark Kent, a young man with superhuman abilities who tries to find his place in life after discovering that he is an extraterrestrial in origin and uses his powers to help those in danger. Clark's season-one problems include his inability to share his secret and his desire for a normal life. After months of scouting, Welling was cast as Clark.[17] David Nutter had to convince Welling's manager that the role would not hurt the actor's film career in order to get Welling to read the pilot script. After reading the script, Welling agreed to audition for the role of Clark Kent.[3]
- Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, the girl next door. Grieving the loss of her parents, she has empathy for everyone and feels connected to Clark.[18] Kreuk was the first to be cast, after Nutter saw an audition tape the actress had sent.[3] Although she left the series after the seventh season,[19] she returned for five episodes in season eight as a special guest star.[20]
- Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor, a billionaire's son sent to Smallville to run the local fertilizer plant. After Clark saves his life, they become fast friends.[21] As the series progresses, Lex's friendship with Clark crumbles until they consider themselves enemies. The role was difficult to cast;[4] Michael Rosenbaum auditioned twice and, feeling that he did not take his first audition seriously enough, outlined a two-and-a-half-page scene indicating where to be funny, charismatic or menacing.[22] His second audition went so well that he was hired.[4] Rosenbaum left the show after seven seasons,[19][23] reprising his role for the series finale.[24]
- Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman, Lana's boyfriend in season one, who becomes mean to Clark and Lana's budding friendship and bullies him.[21] He reconciles with Clark before joining the Marines and going to Afghanistan.[25] Although Whitney was written out of the show in the first-season finale, he made a special appearance in the season-two episode "Visage" (where it is disclosed that he was killed in action) and was also a guest star in the season-four episode "Façade" (during a flashback to Clark's freshman year of high school). Johnson, who auditioned for Lex and Clark before he was cast as Whitney,[26] was pleased that the writers gave his character a hero's exit.[27]
- Sam Jones III as Pete Ross, another best friend of Clark and the first person to whom Clark voluntarily tells his secret.[28] Although he is in love with Chloe,[29] he does not admit it because of the Clark-Lana-Chloe love triangle already in place.[30] Ross was written out of the series at the end of season three, but made a guest appearance in season seven. Jones was the last of the series regulars to be cast, with Gough and Millar seeing him four days before they began filming the pilot.[30] Jones is African-American while the comics have traditionally portrayed Ross as Caucasian.[30]
- Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, one of Clark's best friends, who is in love with him (although her feelings are not reciprocated).[31] Editor of the school newspaper, her journalistic curiosity and desire to "expose falsehoods" and "know the truth"[32] create tension with her friends (especially when she investigates Clark's past).[33] After learning about Smallville from casting director Dee Dee Bradley, Mack considered auditioning for Lana Lang but auditioned twice for Chloe Sullivan.[32] The character was created just for the series[4] and was intended to have an "ethnic background" before Mack was hired.[32] She has since appeared in the comic book.[34]
- Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother. She and her husband, Jonathan, give Clark wise advice about coping with his increasing abilities. In season five Martha takes a state-senate seat,[35] and in season six she leaves the show.[36] Although Cynthia Ettinger was originally cast as Martha Kent, during filming everyone (including Ettinger) realized that she was not right for the part.[4] O'Toole was committed to the television series The Huntress when Ettinger filmed the original pilot. Around the time the creators wanted to recast Martha Kent, The Huntress was coincidentally canceled, allowing O'Toole to join the cast.[37] The actress had previously played Lana Lang in Superman III.[38]
- John Schneider as Jonathan Kent, Clark's adoptive father, who goes to great lengths to protect his son's secret; according to Schneider, Jonathan is "perfectly willing to go to jail, or worse, to protect his son".[39] Schneider was written out of the show in the series' 100th episode, with Jonathan dying of a heart attack on the night of his election victory.[40] Millar and Gough wanted a recognizable face for Smallville; they were happy to cast Schneider as Jonathan because he was known as Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard, which Gough saw as adding to the belief that Schneider could have grown up running a farm.[4]
- John Glover as Lionel Luthor, Lex's father. Lionel is responsible for the Kents' adoption of Clark without legal ramifications or questions about his origins.[33] Glover tried to make Lionel seem to try to "toughen [Lex] up", and saw the character as a rich, powerful businessman who was disappointed in his son.[41] Lionel was created for Smallville to parallel the Kents and as an "experiment in extreme parenting".[4] A recurring first-season guest, Glover became a series regular from seasons two to seven until Lionel was murdered by Lex near the end of the seventh season.[42] Lionel returns in a parallel-universe version, also portrayed by Glover, during the final season as a special guest star.[43]
- Jensen Ackles as Jason Teague, Lana's love interest, in season four. He follows Lana to Smallville from Paris, taking a job as the school's assistant football coach,[44] but is fired when their relationship comes to light. By the end of the season, it is disclosed that he was working with his mother to track the three Kryptonian stones of knowledge.[45] Before he was cast as Jason, Ackles was second in line for the role of Clark Kent.[46] Although he received top billing for season four and was contracted for season five, he was written out of the show in the season four finale because of his commitment to Supernatural.[47]
- Erica Durance as Lois Lane, Chloe's cousin who comes to Smallville to investigate Chloe's supposed death[8] and stays with the Kents. Durance, a recurring guest in season four, became a series regular. The producers wanted to bring Lois Lane to the series, and Chloe's supposed death in the season-three finale provided the opportunity. Durance was cast three days before filming began; although she could initially appear in only four episodes, according to the film division of Warner Bros., after negotiations her character was cleared for more appearances.[48]
- Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy Olsen, Chloe's photographer boyfriend who works at the Daily Planet. Ashmore, a recurring guest in season six, became a regular cast member in season seven. He called his casting a welcome surprise: "I auditioned for [the role] and I put myself on tape. I hadn't heard anything, and a couple of weeks later, all of the sudden (sic), I got the call saying, 'You're going to Vancouver to start shooting Smallville'. It's a dream come true, really".[49] After three seasons on the series (two as a regular), Ashmore's character was killed off. Although Ashmore's Jimmy Olsen was murdered, he said his character was not the "real" Jimmy Olsen, his real name revealed to be Henry James Olsen. Jimmy's younger brother, who appears briefly in the season-eight finale, is intended to be the Jimmy who works with Clark and Lois.[50] Ashmore returns as the younger Jimmy in the series finale.
- Laura Vandervoort as Kara Zor-El, Clark's Kryptonian cousin. Sent to look after Kal-El (Clark), she was in suspended animation for eighteen years. When the dam confining Kara's ship broke in the season-six finale, "Phantom", she was set free. She has Clark's abilities, including flight.[51] At the end of the seventh season, Kara was trapped in the Phantom Zone. Although Vandervoort did not return regularly for the eighth season,[52] she returned to wrap up her storylines as a guest in season eight's "Bloodline" and as a special guest star in season ten's "Supergirl" and "Prophecy".[53]
- Cassidy Freeman as Tess Mercer, Lex's handpicked successor as LuthorCorp CEO in season eight.[54] Her name is an homage to two Superman characters, Eve Teschmacher and Mercy Graves.[55] Freeman described her character as "fierce", "fun", and "intelligent", with finding Lex her primary season-eight goal. Tess believes that Clark will be able to help her.[56] In the season-ten episode "Abandoned", it is disclosed that her birth name is Lutessa Lena Luthor and she is Lionel's illegitimate daughter.[57]
- Sam Witwer as Davis Bloome, a "charismatic" paramedic struggling with inner darkness,[54] Davis Bloome is Smallville's version of Doomsday (the only character to kill Superman). Davis would come to resemble his comic-book counterpart over the course of the season.[58] Brian Peterson said that with Michael Rosenbaum's departure, the new executive producers were looking for a villain "as great as Lex" and Doomsday fit the bill.[59]
- Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen, the CEO of Queen Industries and leader of a small group of superheroes known as the Justice League. Hartley, a recurring guest in the sixth and seventh seasons, became a series regular in season eight[14] and was the producers' first choice to play Oliver Queen. He