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This article is about the television series. For Superman's adoptive home town, see Smallville (DC Comics).
Smallville
File:SmallvilleNewOpeningCredits.jpg
Smallville Title Screen
Created byAlfred Gough
Miles Millar
StarringSee Cast & characters below
Country of originUnited States United States
and Canada Canada
No. of episodes119
Production
Running time60 minutes (approx. 42 min)
Original release
NetworkThe WB (2001-2006)
The CW (2006 - )
ReleaseOctober 16, 2001 –
present

Smallville is an American television series that follows the adventures of a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), as a teenager living in Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Smallville debuted on October 16, 2001 on the WB Network, though it now airs on The CW (following the merger of The WB and UPN after the respective networks ceased operations) and is currently in its sixth season.

The series spawned one spin-off (Aquaman) that was not picked up. Promotional tie-ins have included two sets of online "webisodes" produced by Verizon (titled Smallville: Chloe Chronicles and Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles, respectively), a series of young-adult novels, a DC Comics comic book and soundtrack releases.The show broke Charmed's record for highest rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers tuning in for its pilot. Viewers will often observe of dialogue, guest stars, character wardrobe, musical scores, and scenic design used as allusions to the Superman comic books and films.

Overview

Template:Spoilers The series follows the life of a teenage Clark Kent living in the town of Smallville, Kansas, that is set at the start of the 21st century. It shows Clark Kent coping with adolescence while he is developing superpowers (x-ray vision, superhearing, etc.), exploring his extraterrestrial origins, and struggling to find his destiny in life.

The series often deals with the people in Clark Kent's life: the trials and tribulations of his adoptive human parents, Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent; friendship with his peers Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross; his attempts at a relationship with his sometimes love interest Lana Lang; and especially his peculiar friendship with a young Lex Luthor and how it gradually decays into their mutual enmity of legend.

The element of Kryptonite is used as a recurring plot device throughout the series. Kryptonite is shown to have bizarre and lingering effects on human physiology and the young superhero often encounters mutated villains who have developed bizarre powers, such as psychic abilities, shapeshifting, and other paranormal abilities (for this reason, the show is often criticized as being predominantly a "villain of the week" series[1][2][3]).

Regarding Kryptonians like Clark, though, the Kryptonite has very different effects; the general premise is that Clark is virtually invincible except when around Kryptonite. Different colors affect Clark differently: Green Kryptonite physically weakens him and could possibly kill him if he is exposed to it for too long. Red Kryptonite causes him to set aside moral compunctions and act out on his impulses and dark desires. Black Kryptonite splits Clark into (and merges him back together from) two separate beings that exhibit two personalities (Clark Kent and the apathetic Kal-El). Silver Kryptonite causes hallucinations and paranoid delusions.

Production

Back in 1998, Warner Brothers Television began pre-production of a proposed television series about a teenage Batman, tentatively titled simply Bruce Wayne.[4] Based on a pilot script, it focused on young Wayne, Vicki Vale, Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, and Jim Gordon.[4] Tim McCanlies, who wrote the film The Iron Giant, wrote the pilot script and series bible for Tollin-Robbins Productions. The project, however, never got off the ground and into production. Because Warner Bros. was working on rebooting the Batman film franchise, all production was stopped for the television series.

File:Asdaf.JPG
Cynthia Ettinger in the original Pilot, as Martha Kent

Eventually, in 2000, Tollin-Robbins chose to purchase the rights to do a series about the younger years of the Clark Kent character, and brought in creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who were only interested in the concept if they could make him lose the suit and the majority of his powers.[citation needed] They created a "No Tights, No Flights" rule, vowing that Clark would not, at any point, fly or don the suit during the run of the show.[5]Michael Rosenbaum, once a consideration for Harvey Dent in Bruce Wayne,[citation needed] was cast as Lex Luthor due to his quiet, secretive nature,[citation needed] Kristin Kreuk was cast as Lana, and a young construction-worker-turned-model-turned-actor named Tom Welling was cast as Clark Kent. Also cast were Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, Sam Jones III as Pete Ross, Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman, John Glover as Lionel Luthor, Cynthia Ettinger as Martha Kent and John Schneider (of The Dukes of Hazzard fame) as Jonathan Kent. After the pilot for the series had already been finished, due to unknown reasons, Cynthia Ettinger was replaced with Annette O'Toole (who played Lana Lang in 1983's Superman III), and Cynthia's parts were reshot with Annette O'Toole.

The concept of Smallville has been described by Warner Brothers as being a reinterpretation of the Superman mythology from its roots. Recently, since the November 2004 reacquisition of Superboy by the Siegels, there has arisen contention regarding a possible copyright infringement. The dispute is over the ownership of the fictional setting of Smallville, the title setting of the show, and a claimed similarity between Superboy's title character and Smallville's Clark Kent. The heirs of Jerry Siegel claim that "Smallville is part of the Superboy copyright",[6] of which the Siegels own the rights.

Filming and location

The Clova Cinema in Cloverdale, British Columbia, which stands in for the Talon's exteriors on "Smallville".

Smallville is filmed at various locales in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada.[7] The main studio where most of the show is recorded is located in Burnaby, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver.[8] However, scenes on the "main street" of Smallville are shot in the town of Cloverdale, British Columbia.[7] Cloverdale is particularly proud of being a filming site for the show; at its entrance is a huge sign which reads "Home of Smallville.[7]" When filming first started, the exterior school scenes were shot at Vancouver Technical School, while the interiors were shot at Templeton Secondary School.[9] Painted hallways with the "Smallville Crows" logo remain inside Templeton.[7] The Kent farm is a real farm located in Aldergrove, BC.[citation needed]

An actual movie house, the Clova Cinema in Cloverdale, British Columbia, is used for the exterior shots of the Talon[citation needed], the show's coffee house, owned by Lex Luthor and managed by Lana Lang. In the show, before being turned into a coffee house, the Talon was formerly Smallville's movie theater until it closed sometime after the meteor shower. Lana, recognizing the Talon's cultural heritage and wanting to preserve it, secures Lex's financial backing to reopen the former theatre.

Series history

Template:Spoilers

Smallville season one poster.
See also: List of Smallville episodes

Season 1

The first season was a tremendous success, but some fans balked at the frequent plot device of a villain (or outcast classmate) deriving their power from Kryptonite exposure and appearing in only one episode, becoming known as the "freak of the week."[1][2][3] Eric Johnson's character of Whitney Fordman, boyfriend to character Lana Lang, was also said to be underused and one-dimensional.[citation needed]Despite these problems, the producers were instantly ordered to film at least two more seasons of the show.[citation needed] John Glover's Lionel Luthor character, ruthless business tycoon and father of Lex Luthor, was originally intended to only be a guest star on the show; due to his popularity and Johnson wanting to leave the show, he became a full time cast member for season two as Whitney was written out of the series.[citation needed]

Season 2

Season 2 had fewer "freaks of the week" appear on the show, focusing more on character development and relationship building. Several key plot points included Lex becoming more entangled in conflict with his father, Chloe digging into Clark's past and making deals with Lionel, Martha and Jonathan Kent's financial troubles, and a vacillating Lana and Clark relationship. The show mostly volleyed Clark and Lana's relationship throughout the season, never actually allowing the two to become an official couple. The main story arc, however, focused on Clark's discovery of his Kryptonian origins. The disembodied spirit/will of Clark's biological father Jor-El is introduced, communicating to Clark via his space ship, setting the stage for plots involving the fulfillment of Clark Kent's earthly destiny. Jor-El is voiced by Terrence Stamp who played General Zod in the first two Superman films. A "passing of the torch" moment occurs when Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the 1970s and 1980s film series, appeared as Dr. Virgil Swann to provide Welling's Clark with information regarding his heritage (Swann was the first person on the show to say the name "Krypton").

Season 3

The third season was also moderately successful.[citation needed] Now, the show focused on more character development, loyalty, betrayal, and new revelations involving Jor-El. Early in the season, Michael McKean, O'Toole's real-life husband, portrayed Clark's future Daily Planet editor Perry White; from this point on, other characters relevant to the Superman mythos and the DC Universe were introduced to Smallville. To the chagrin of fans,[citation needed] however, Pete Ross was essentially marginalized as a character, playing minor roles that involved illegal street racing and threats by investigating agents for Lionel. The character was ultimately written out of the show, explanatorily through his inability to deal with keeping Clark's secret and the desire to move to Wichita, Kansas with his mother after his parents had divorced. Fans have complained that this was because the writers didn't want to expand his character anymore,[citation needed] but Gough has stated that the actor wanted to leave the show due to lack of screen time.[citation needed] As of early 2006, Sam Jones has not made (and does not want to make[citation needed]) any return appearances, however, Gough has said that Pete Ross could potentially return if they find the right story arc for him.

Season 4

The fourth season ventured further into the Superman mythos by creating a story arc that would run the length of the season. The arc involved Clark seeking out three Kryptonian stones (at the instruction of his father Jor-El) that hold the knowledge of the universe . The majority of this season revolved around Lex trying to rekindle a strained friendship with Clark, Lana dating Jason Teague, a young man she met in France, Lionel's ambiguous transformation into a good father and person, and Clark and numerous other characters vying with one another in attempts to obtain the stones. This season was also a milestone because it introduced Lois Lane (Erica Durance).

Season 5

Delving deeper into Superman lore, Season 5 introduced several classic mythos elements such as Jonathan Kent's death, Fortress of Solitude, Professor Milton Fine (James Marsters), also known as the villain Brainiac, the Phantom Zone, and General Zod. Fine would become a recurring antagonist for Clark throughout the season with the central plot revolving around Clark using the knowledge obtained in the Fortress of Solitude to train for an impending doom that was to befall Earth. It was revealed that this doom was the release of General Zod from the Phantom Zone due to the machinations of Milton Fine. Season 5 also allowed Clark and Lana to explore their first real adult relationship with each other. This helped organize the blueprint for what would eventually become the series' most sought after love triangle between Clark, Lana, and Lex. As with Season 4, Season 5 featured a gradually unveiling storyline in conjunction with multiple minor story arcs running in parallel, mid-season and season finale cliffhangers, and cameos from two other notable DC characters.

Season 6

Season 6 provided the show's first glimpse into the Phantom Zone, inhabited by a society of exiled criminals from the "28 known galaxies". The destinies of Lionel and Lex play out in the aftermath of Lex's possession by Zod and Lionel's adoption as the oracle of Jor-El. Several criminals escape the Phantom Zone with Clark, and Clark is initially left uncertain and directionless as he soon realizes that he has no one left to turn to in the aftermath of Lex/Zod's destruction. More DC Comics characters, Jimmy Olsen, Oliver Queen (and his superhero alias Green Arrow) and the Martian Manhunter are also introduced this season. Clark finally decides to accept who he really is, and the destiny that was in store for him, by making a vow to continue his training once all the escaped Phantom Zone criminals are either returned or destroyed. Template:Endspoilers

Cast and characters

Template:Spoilers

Main articles: Characters of Smallville and List of Smallville guest stars
File:SmallvilleSeason6fullcast.jpg
Left to right: Justin Hartley (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow), Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen), Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan), Erica Durance (Lois Lane), Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang), and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor).
  • Tom Welling as Clark Kent: A teenager with a growing set of abilities, he regularly battles "meteor freaks" in his effort to fix a disaster he believes is his fault. The series centers around Kent and his relationships and adventures.
  • Michael Rosenbaum as Alexander "Lex" Luthor: A billionaire, and product of his father's "personal brand of parenting." Throughout the series his transition from best-friend of Clark to most hated enemy is an ever-expanding plot.
  • Kristen Kreuk as Lana Lang: A romantic interest for Clark throughout the series. As the series progresses the relationship between the two is a continuing storyline.
  • Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan: Not originally a character from the comics, she has become an intricate player in the Smallville universe. Her love for investigative journalism often leads her into inquiries about Clark, her best friend, and his mysterious disappearances. She eventually learns Clark's secret in season 4.
  • Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent: Clark's loving mother. She learned she would never be able to give birth to a child, and was overjoyed when she and Jonathan found Clark in the meteor shower. Clark considers her his "heart and soul".[10]
  • John Glover as Lionel Luthor: Not originally a character from the comics, he has become a regular in the Smallville universe. Lex's father has had many sides during the series. He has gone from feared enemy to a vessel for Jor-El. Since Season 5, he has protected Clark's secret, but his own son believes he may be hiding his true nature.
  • John Schneider as Jonathan Kent: Clark's devoted father. He would do anything to protect Clark, including sacrificing himself. Like in the 1978 film, Superman, he passes away of heart failure in season 5.
  • Sam Jones III as Pete Ross: The best friend of Clark, his family was swindled out of their business by Lionel Luthor. Accidentally finding Clark's spaceship, and learning his secret, he guarded it with his life for three seasons before moving to Wichita with his mother.
  • Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman: Star quarterback of the football team, and Lana's boyfriend, he initially disliked Clark. The two would later settle their differences before he was shipped out for basic training in the Marines. In season 2 , he was K. I. A.
  • Erica Durance as Lois Lane: Chloe's cousin, she initially arrives to investigate Chloe's supposed death. She first meets Clark in season 4, and immediately the pair struggle to get along. Lois is at first not interested in journalism, but takes part in investigative activities with Chloe.

Template:Endspoilers

Appearances by other DC Comics characters

Powers of Clark Kent

See also: Powers and abilities of Superman

Listed are Clark's powers along with the first episode each appeared in.

  • Super Strength (Pilot, Season 1)
  • Super Speed (Pilot, Season 1)
  • Invulnerability (Pilot, Season 1)
  • Super Vision (X-Ray, Season 1, Episode 4)
  • Heat Vision (Heat, Season 2, Episode 2)
  • Super Hearing (Whisper, Season 3, Episode 10)
  • Super Breath (Sneeze, Season 6, Episode 2)

Allusions

There are a number of allusions and themes which relate to the Superman franchise in a number of ways, including references to the Superman name, colors or costume.[11] One of the most obvious of these is that Clark is almost always seen wearing combinations of red, yellow and blue; an allusion of his costume to come.[12] In addition, Clark is frequently told by other characters that he looks good in either blue or red. Clark's surroundings maintain a similar theme; the Kent farm has objects which colors are either red, yellow or blue. For example, their house is yellow, the barn is red and the truck is blue.

In addition to the Kent Farm, in seasons one through to four, Smallville High School represents many of these allusions as well. The school mascot, which is a crow, wears a red cape, with a crest on its chest that has the letter S (for Smallville). As well as the crow, two of Superman's colors - red and yellow - are abundant in the school. As well as the references to the Superman character, the series makes numerous references to other Superman lore and media.[13] It should also be noted that the Superman films has some reference as well through the cast, as Annette O'Toole, who plays Clark's mother, played the role of Lana Lang in Superman III in 1983 and Terence Stamp, who voices Clark's biological father, Jor-El, played General Zod in both Superman and Superman II.

Reception

On January 24, 2006, it was confirmed that Smallville would be part of the new The CW's Fall 2006–2007 lineup once The WB and UPN ceased separate operations and merged as The CW in September 2006. Season 6 began on September 28, 2006,[19] but a Season 7 has yet to be confirmed. The show is one of several supernatural/sci-fi-themed shows that have premiered on The WB, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed and Roswell. Smallville broke Charmed's record for highest rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers tuning in for its pilot,[20] while Charmed had 7.7 million viewers.[citation needed]

DVD releases

Complete Season Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1st September 23, 2003[21] October 13, 2003[22] December 3, 2003
2nd May 18,2004[23] September 17,2004[24] January 10,2005
3rd November 16,2004[25] April 18,2005[26] July 12,2005
4th September 13,2005[27] October 10,2005[28] November 1,2006
5th September 12,2006[29] August 28,2006[30]

Music

Most episodes feature a song or songs by an alternative rock act, and the success of Songs in the Key of X prompted the release of a soundtrack album.[citation needed] A second soundtrack album followed two years later. As yet, none of Mark Snow's Americana-flavored original scores (which at times incorporates John Williams' iconic themes from Superman: The Movie) has been released in any capacity. On February 25, 2003, Smallville: The Talon Mix was released. The Talon Mix featured a selected group of artists that supplied music for the show.[31] Following that release, on November 8, 2005, Smallville: The Metropolis Mix was released. It followed the same format, featuring a selected group of artists from the show's music.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b ""Freak of the Week criticism (1)"". Peter David. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  2. ^ a b ""Freak of the Week criticism (2)"". Smallville-Twist. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  3. ^ a b ""Freak of the Week criticism (3)"". TV.com. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  4. ^ a b ""Bruce Wayne series"". Kryptonsite.com. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  5. ^ ""No Flights, No Tights"". MichaelRosenbaum.com. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  6. ^ ""Smallville's ownership"". Goodcomics.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  7. ^ a b c d ""Smallville filming locations"". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  8. ^ ""Smallville FAQ page (in French)"". Planete-smallville.com. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  9. ^ ""Smallville secondary shooting location"". vsb.bc.ca. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
  10. ^ Toddy Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (writers) (November 17, 2006). season 5 episode Solitude (Television). The CW.
  11. ^ "Smallville: Every Story Has A Beginning..." ESHAB. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  12. ^ "Review: the fourth season kicks off with Crusade". BBC. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  13. ^ "Smallville". chirographum.com. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  14. ^ http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Saturn2002.html. Saturn Award for "Supporting Actor on a TV series". Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  15. ^ http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-04/12/10.00.books. Hugo Award nomination for "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form". Retrieved October 19, 2006.
  16. ^ http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Saturn2005.html. Saturn Awards for TV on DVD. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  17. ^ http://www.fox.com/teenchoice/features/winners.htm. Teen Choice Award for "Choice TV Sidekick". Retrieved October 19, 2006.
  18. ^ http://www.emmys.org/awards/2006pt/awards/soundedit.php. Emmy Award for "Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series". Retrieved October 19, 2006.
  19. ^ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/pr.aspx?id=20060717cw01
  20. ^ http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C71462%7C1%7C,00.html. Smallville Pilot ratings. Retrieved October 19, 2006
  21. ^ "Season 1 (Region 1)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  22. ^ "Season 1 (Region 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  23. ^ "Season 2 (Region 1)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  24. ^ "Season 2 (Region 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  25. ^ "Season 3 (Region 1)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  26. ^ "Season 3 (Region 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  27. ^ "Season 4 (Region 1)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  28. ^ "Season 4 (Region 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  29. ^ "Season 5 (Region 1)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  30. ^ "Season 5 (Region 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  31. ^ "Smallville: The Talon Mix". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
  32. ^ "Smallville: The Metropolis Mix". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
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