Smallville is an American television series created by
writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and
was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and
UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current
broadcaster for the show in the United States.[1] Smallville premiered on October
16, 2001, and completed its sixth season on May 17,
2007.[2] A
seventh season was officially announced by The CW on May
16, 2007,[3] and
premiered on September 27, 2007.[2] It is produced in and around Vancouver, Canada.
The plot follows the adventures of a young Clark Kent's life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The first four seasons
focused on Clark and his friends' high school years. Since season five, the show has ventured into more adult settings, with some
characters attending college. Recent seasons have seen an increase in the introductions of other DC comic book superheroes and villains.
Smallville inspired an Aquaman spin-off pilot, which was not picked up by The CW network, as well as promotional tie-ins with Verizon, Sprint, and Toyota. In other media, the show has spawned a series of young-adult novels, a DC Comics comic book and
soundtrack releases. The show broke the record for highest rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers tuning in for its
pilot episode.
Production
Development
Originally, Tollin/Robbins Productions wanted to do a show about a young
Bruce Wayne. The feature film division of Warner
Bros. had decided to develop an origin movie for Batman, and, because they
didn't want to compete with a television series, had the television series idea nixed.[4] In 2000, Tollin/Robbins approached Peter Roth, the President of
Warner Bros. Television, about developing a series based on a young Superman.
That same year, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar developed a pilot based on the film Eraser. After watching the pilot, Roth approached the two men about developing a second pilot, based
on the young Superman concept that was brought to him.[4] After meeting with Roth, Gough and Millar decided that they didn't want to do a series where
there was lots of flying, and a cape.[4] It
was here that they developed a "no tights, no flights" rule, vowing Clark would not, at any point, fly or don the suit during the
run of the show.[5]
Gough and Millar wanted to strip Superman down to his "bare essence", and see the reasons behind why Clark became
Superman.[4] Gough and Millar felt the fact
that they were not comic book fans played into their favor. Not being familiar with the universe would allow them an unbiased
approach to the series. This didn't keep them from learning about the characters; they both did research on the comics and picked
and rearranged what they liked.[4] They
returned and pitched their idea to both the WB and FOX in the same day.[6] A bidding war ensued between FOX and the WB, which
the WB won with a commitment of 13 episodes to start.[6]
Roth, Gough, and Millar knew the show was going to be action oriented, but they wanted to be able to reach that "middle
America iconography" that 7th Heaven had reached. To help create this atmosphere, the
team decided the meteor shower that brings Clark to Earth would be the foundation for the
franchise of the show. Not only does it act as the primary source behind the creation of the super powered beings that Clark must
fight, but it acts as a sense of irony in Clark's life. The meteor shower would give him a life on Earth, but it would also take
away the parents of the girl he loves, and start Lex Luthor down a dark path, thanks to the loss of his hair during the shower.
Roth loved the conflict that was created for Clark, in forcing him to deal with the fact that his arrival is what caused all of
this pain.[4]
Another problem the creators had to address was why Lex Luthor would be hanging out with a bunch of teenagers. They decided to
create a sense of loneliness in the character of Lex Luthor, which they felt would require him to reach out to the teens.[4] The loneliness was echoed in Clark and Lana as
well.[7] Gough and Millar wanted to provide a
parallel to the Kents, so they created Lionel Luthor, Lex's father, which they saw as the "experiment in extreme
parenting".[4] Gough and Millar wanted a
younger Kent couple, because they felt they needed to be able to be involved in Clark's life, and help him through his
journey.[7] Chloe Sullivan, another character created just for the show, was meant to be the "outsider" the show
needed. Gough and Millar felt the character was necessary so someone would notice the weird happenings in Smallville.[4] She was meant to act as a "precursor to Lois
Lane".[7]
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 ownership of the fictional Smallville, 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 "Smallville is part of the Superboy copyright", of which the Siegels
own the rights.[8]
Filming
The Cloverdale welcome sign
The show is produced at BB Studios in Burnaby. Initially, production was
going to be in Australia, but Vancouver had more of a "Middle America landscape". The city
provided a site for the Kent farm, as well as doubling for Metropolis. It also provided a cheaper shooting location, and was in
the same time zone as Los Angeles.[4] "Main street" Smallville is at a combination of two locations. Portions
were shot in the town of Merritt, and the rest was shot in Cloverdale.[7] Cloverdale is particularly proud of being a filming site for the show; at its entrance is a sign
which reads "Home of Smallville."
Vancouver Technical School doubled as the exterior for
Smallville High, as the film makers believed Van Tech had the "mid-American largess" they wanted.[7] This kept in-line with Millar's idea that Smallville should be the
epitome of "Smalltown, USA".[9] The
interiors of Templeton Secondary School were used for Smallville High's
interior.[10] The
Kent farm is a real farm located in Aldergrove. Owned by The Andalinis, the
production crew had to paint their home yellow for the show.[6] Exterior shots of Luthor Mansion were filmed at a castle in Victoria.[7] The interior shots were done at Shannon Mews, in Vancouver, which was also the set for the
Dark Angel pilot and Along
Came a Spider.[7] Movie house Clova
Cinema, in Cloverdale, is used for exterior shots of The Talon,[11] the show's coffee house.
Music
Most episodes feature one or more songs by alternative rock acts. Two soundtrack
albums were released, with the second following two years after the first. 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.[12] Following
that release, on November 8, 2005, Smallville: The
Metropolis Mix was released. It followed the same format, featuring selected artists from the show's music.[13]
Series overview
- See also: Smallville timeline,
Powers and abilities of Superman, and Kryptonite in Smallville
Season one sees the introduction of the regular cast, and storylines that
regularly included a villain deriving a power from kryptonite exposure. The one-episode villains were a plot device developed by
Gough and Millar. Instead of creating physical monsters, the kryptonite would enhance the personal demons of the
character.[7] To prove the show was not simply
about a new kryptonite monster every week, the writers attempted to craft episodes that had nothing to do with kryptonite, like
"Rogue".[14] The first season primarily dealt with Clark
trying to come to terms with his alien origins, and the revelation that his arrival on Earth was connected to the deaths of
Lana's parents.[4] Clark develops
X-ray vision this season, and, unlike his super strength and speed that he was already
aware of, is forced to exercise his new ability to gain control over it.[15]
Season two has fewer villain of the week episodes, focusing more on story arcs
that affect each character and explore Clark's origins.[16]
Several key plot points include Lex becoming more entangled in conflict with his father, Chloe digging into Clark's past while
dealing with Lionel, Martha and Jonathan Kent's financial troubles, and Lana and Clark's vacillating relationship though they end
the season apart. The main story arc, however, focuses on Clark's discovery of his Kryptonian origins.[17] The disembodied voice 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's earthly destiny.[18] Christopher Reeve, who portrayed
Superman in the 1970s and 1980s film series, appears as Dr. Virgil Swann to provide Welling's Clark with information regarding
his heritage.[17] Season two saw the
emergence of heat vision,[19] as well as a new form of kryptonite. Red kryptonite causes Clark to set aside moral compunctions and
act out on his impulses and dark desires,[20], unlike green
kryptonite, which physically weakens him and could possibly kill him if he is exposed to it for too long.[9]
Season three focuses on loyalty, betrayal, and new revelations involving
Jor-El. Early in the season, Michael McKean, Annette O'Toole's real-life husband,
portrays Clark's future Daily Planet editor Perry
White; from this point on, other major characters present in the Superman mythology and the DC Universe are introduced to
Smallville.[21] Pete Ross' inability to deal with
keeping Clark's secret causes him to move to Wichita, Kansas with his mother after his
parents' divorce.[22] Season three introduced Clark's
"super hearing", which developed when his heat vision accidentally blinded him.[23]
Season four ventures further into the Superman mythology by creating a story
arc that runs the length of the season; it involved Clark seeking out three Kryptonian
stones, at the instruction of Jor-El, which contain the knowledge of the universe.[24] The majority of this season revolves around Lex trying to rekindle a
strained friendship with Clark, Lana dating Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles), a young man she meets in France, Clark and numerous other characters vying with one
another in attempts to obtain the stones, and Lionel's ambiguous transformation into a good father and person.[25] This season introduced Lois
Lane (Erica Durance), Chloe Sullivan's (Allison Mack) cousin, as well as
Bart Allen.[24][26] The season
began with the appearance of a new form of kryptonite; black kryptonite held the ability to split Clark into—and merge back
together from—two separate beings exhibiting two personalities.[24]
Season five brings in more elements of the Superman mythology, including
Jonathan Kent's death,[27] the
Fortress of Solitude,[28] the Phantom Zone,[28] and Zod.[29] The villain Brainiac, in the
guise of Professor Milton Fine (James Marsters), becomes a recurring antagonist. The
season's central plot revolves around Clark using the knowledge contained in the Fortress of Solitude to train for an impending
doom that will befall Earth: the release of Zod from the Phantom Zone due to Fine's machinations.[30] Clark and Lana finally begin a relationship with one another.[31] Season five 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, Aquaman and Cyborg.[32][33]
Season six takes Clark inside the Phantom Zone, inhabited by a society of
exiled criminals from the "28 known inhabited galaxies".[34] 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 prisoners escape the Phantom Zone with Clark.[34] Clark acquires "super breath", after developing a cold from
over-exerting himself cleaning up Lex/Zod's destruction in Metropolis, and having no abilities while in the Phantom Zone.[35] DC Comics characters Jimmy
Olsen,[34] Oliver Queen (and his superhero alias Green Arrow) and Martian
Manhunter are introduced this season,[36][37] and many of them unite in Smallville to fight a common
threat.[38] Clark promises to continue
his training, at the Fortress of Solitude, once all the escaped Phantom Zone criminals are either returned or destroyed.[39] Other storylines involve Lana and Lex's marriage,[40] Lex's secret "33.1" experiments,[38] and the introduction of a Clark clone.[41]
Cast
Unlike most shows, which generally get about four weeks of casting, Gough and Millar had five months.[4] In October 2000, the two producers began their
search for the three lead roles, and had casting directors in ten different cities.[6] There were originally eight series regulars, but since the first season four
members of the original cast were written off the show, while five new actors were hired as series regulars during the succeeding
seasons.
Original cast
"He hasn't been able to choose whether or not he has these abilities. All this responsibility has just been
thrust on him, and he has to deal with it."
Tom Welling on Clark Kent[42] |
- Tom Welling as Clark Kent: A young man
with superhuman abilities, who tries to find his place in life after being told he is an
alien. He uses his abilities to help others in danger. Clark's problem in season one is not being able to share his secret with
anyone. He just wants to be normal. Clark is afraid to open up to Lana, for fear that she will not accept him if she knows the
truth.[42] After months of scouting, Tom Welling was
cast as Clark Kent.[42] David Nutter was looking
through pictures of actors and stumbled upon Tom Welling's image. When he asked about Welling, the casting director said
Welling's manager didn't want him to do the role, because it could hurt his feature film career. After a conversation with
Welling's manager, Nutter got him to read the script for the pilot, which convinced him to do the part.[7] For one of his auditions, he read the graveyard scene with Kristin
Kreuk; the network thought they had "great chemistry".[4] Welling believes his lack of knowledge of the Superman mythology helps his performance because
Gough and Millar have set up the series so that the previous mythology is not important.[42]
The original cast: (from left) Annette O'Toole, John Schneider, Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Eric Johnson,
Allison Mack, and Sam Jones III
- Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang: The
girl next door. She is the "beautiful, popular girl who is really lonely."[43] She has a "hole in her heart," because of the
loss of her parents, and feels empathy for everyone. She feels connected to Clark.[43] Gough and Millar were initially trying to find someone for the role of
Clark Kent, but Kristin Kreuk was the first to be cast, as Lana Lang. Casting director Coreen Mayrs sent David Nutter, the
director of the pilot episode, a tape of 69 people and the second person on the tape was Kristin Kreuk.[7] They loved her audition tape so much they immediately showed her to
the network.[4]
- Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor:
A billionaire's son, sent to Smallville to run the local fertilizer plant. After Clark saves his life, the two become quick
friends.[9] Lex tries to be a hero, but his
motives are usually driven by curiosity for the unexplained, like the day Clark rescued him from drowning. He is searching for
that unconditional love, something his mother had for him before her death.[44] Smallville's Lex Luthor was not supposed to be a precursor to the more comedic role
performed by Gene Hackman; he was meant to be likeable and vulnerable.[44] The role was hard to cast, as no one could agree on
who they liked for the role. Gough and Millar wanted to cast a comedian for the series, on the belief that comedians always want
to "please and be loved at the same time."[4] Michael Rosenbaum auditioned for Lex Luthor twice. Feeling he didn't take his first audition
seriously, Rosenbaum outlined a two-and-a-half-page scene, indicating all the places to be funny, charismatic, or
menacing.[44] His audition went so well that
everyone agreed he was "the guy".[4]
- Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan:
One of Clark's best friends. She is in love with Clark, although the feeling isn't reciprocated.[45] Editor of the school newspaper, her journalistic curiosity — always wanting
to "expose falsehoods" and "know the truth"[46] — causes tension with her friends, especially when she is digging in Clark's past.[47] She is intelligent, and independent, but also an
outcast in the school during season one.[46]
After learning about Smallville from the show's casting director, Dee Dee Bradley, Allison Mack thought about auditioning
for the role of Lana Lang. Mack instead auditioned twice for the role of Chloe Sullivan.[46] The character was created just for the series,[4] and was intended to have an ethnic background before Mack was
hired.[46] Part of the reason she was cast
was because Gough and Millar felt she had a "rare ability to deliver large chunks of expositionary [sic] dialogue conversationally".[4]
- Sam Jones III as Pete Ross: Another
of Clark's best friends. He hates the Luthors for what he sees as their thievery of his family's creamed corn business.[48] He is the first person Clark voluntarily informs of his secret.[49] He is in love with Chloe,[50] which he keeps to himself because of the Clark-Lana-Chloe love triangle
already taking place.[51] Pete Ross was written out
of the series at the end of season three. Sam Jones III, who portrayed Pete Ross, was the last of the series regulars to be cast.
Gough and Millar saw Jones III four days before they began filming for the pilot.[51] In the comics, Pete Ross is Caucasian,
and the producers chose to cast Jones III, who is African-American, against the
mythology.[51]
"...I have the feeling that she didn't have a mother growing up — they've never introduced a mother for her.
That's why being a mother is so important to her — and being the 'picture book' kind of mother at that."
Annette O'Toole on Martha Kent[52] |
- Annette O'Toole as Martha
Kent: Clark's adopted mother. She, along with her husband Jonathan, give Clark sage advice about how to cope with his
growing abilities. Annette O'Toole devised her own background for the character, in an effort to help her identify with the role.
In her vision, Martha was originally from Metropolis, but she left because she felt it was "too phony".[52] O'Toole also believes Martha carries sympathy
for Lex, because of all the loss he endured as a child (his mother and his hair). According to O'Toole, Martha will always give
Lex "the benefit of the doubt," even when he reaches the point that he has crossed to the "dark side".[52] In season five, she takes a state
senate seat.[53] This leads to a job in
Washington, D.C. in season six, and the character's exit from the show.[54] Cynthia Ettinger was originally cast as
Martha Kent, but during filming everyone realized that she was not right for the role, including Ettinger.[4] Annette O'Toole was committed to the television
series The Huntress when Ettinger was filming the original pilot. Around
the time the creators were looking to recast the role of Martha Kent, The Huntress was canceled, which allowed O'Toole to
join the cast of Smallville.[52]
O'Toole had previously portrayed Lana Lang in Superman III.[55]
- John Schneider as Jonathan Kent: Clark's adopted father. He 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."[56] Schneider also believes, "The least important person in Jonathan Kent's
life is Jonathan Kent."[56] John Schneider was
written out of the show on the series' 100th episode.[27] Millar and Gough wanted a recognizable face for Smallville. Gough and Millar loved
the idea of casting John Schneider as Jonathan Kent, because Schneider was already known as Bo
Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard,[57] which Gough saw as adding belief that he could have grown up running a
farm.[4]
- Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman: Lana's boyfriend. He becomes
jealous of Clark and Lana's budding friendship, going so far as to haze Clark.[9] He eventually reconciles with Clark, before
joining the Marines.[58] Kristin Kreuk feels audiences did not get to know the character, because he was only seen
through Clark's eyes.[43] Whitney was written
out of the show in the first season's finale, but he made cameo appearances in the
season two episode "Visage", where it is revealed he died in combat overseas, and the season four episode "Façade", during a
flashback to Clark's freshman year. Eric Johnson has expressed his pleasure in the way the writers handled Whitney's departure,
by giving the character the exit of a hero.[59] Johnson auditioned for the roles of Lex and Clark, before finally being cast as Whitney
Fordman.[60] When the producers called him in for
one more audition, after passing on him for the major roles, Johnson informed them that if they wanted him then they would need
to bring him in for a screen-test. After the screen-test, Johnson was cast and spent only one day filming his scenes for the
pilot.[60]
Additional cast
- John Glover as Lionel
Luthor: Lex's father. Lionel is responsible for the Kents being able to adopt Clark without any legal ramifications or
questions of his origins.[47] Glover tried to
make Lionel appear as though he was trying to "toughen [Lex] up". The character is made to "go out his way, to give [Lex] tests,
so [Lex] can prove himself." Glover saw the character as someone who was a rich and powerful business man, who is disappointed in
his son. Glover's goal, for season one, was to show Lionel's attempts to make Lex tougher; he interprets the character's motto,
in regards to raising Lex, as "no risk, no rewards."[61] Lionel was created specifically for the show, to provide a parallel to the Kents, as an "experiment in extreme parenting."[4] In season two, John Glover, who had been a recurring guest on the show in
season one, became a part of the regular cast.
- Erica Durance as Lois Lane: Chloe's
cousin, she comes to Smallville investigating the supposed death of Chloe.[24] She stays with the Kents while in town. Durance was a recurring guest
for season four; she returned as a regular cast member in season five.
- Jensen Ackles as Jason Teague: A love interest for Lana in season four. He follows Lana to Smallville, from Paris, France, and takes a position as the school's assistant football coach.[62] He was fired from the school when his relationship
with Lana came to light. By the end of the season, it is revealed that he has been working with his mother to track the
three stones of knowledge.[63] Jensen received top billing for season four, but was written out of the show in the season's
finale.
- Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy Olsen:
Chloe's photographer boyfriend; he also works at the Daily Planet. Ashmore was a recurring guest for season six but became
a regular cast member in season seven.
- Laura Vandervoort as Kara: Clark's Kryptonian cousin. According to Gough and Millar, she was sent to look after
Kal-El (Clark), but was stuck in suspended animation for eighteen years. When the dam broke in the season six finale, "Phantom",
she was set free. She has all of Clark's abilities, as well as a few that he doesn't have at the moment, including the ability to
fly.[64] Gough has stated that she will not wear any
version of the Supergirl costume.[65] It was officially
announced on July 11, 2007, that Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort was cast as Kara.[66]
Reception
Smallville's first accomplishment was breaking the record for highest rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers tuning in for its pilot.[67] A common criticism for the first season was the use of "villain of the week" storylines. By the time the first seven episodes aired, at least one journalist
had had enough; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Rob Owen stated, "Smallville flies high with super character interaction and a nice
performance by John Schneider as Pa Kent, but the series needs better plots than the "monster of the week" stories seen so
far."[68] Jordan Levin, president of The WB's
Entertainment division, recognized the concerns that the show had become a villain-of-the-week series. Levin announced that
season two would see more "smaller mini-arcs over three to four episodes, to get away from some of the formulaic storytelling
structure we were getting ourselves boxed into... We don't want to turn it into a serialized show."[69] Smallville's first season placed sixth on the Parents Television Council's list of the "best shows for families".[70]
On January 24, 2006, it was confirmed 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.[1]
- Seasonal rankings (based on average total estimated viewers per episode) of Smallville on The WB and The
CW:
| Season |
Timeslot |
Season Premiere[2] |
Season Finale[2] |
TV Season |
Rank # |
Viewers
(in millions) |
| 1st |
Tuesday 9/8C [71] |
October 16, 2001 |
May 21, 2002 |
2001-2002 |
115 [72] |
5.9 [72] |
| 2nd |
Tuesday 9/8C [73] |
September 24, 2002 |
May 20, 2003 |
2002-2003 |
113 [74] |
6.3 [74] |
| 3rd |
Wednesday 8/7C [73] |
October 1, 2003 |
May 19, 2004 |
2003-2004 |
141 [75] |
4.9 [75] |
| 4th |
Wednesday 8/7C [76] |
September 22, 2004 |
May 18, 2005 |
2004-2005 |
124 [77] |
4.4 [77] |
| 5th |
Thursday 8/7C [78] |
September 29, 2005 |
May 11, 2006 |
2005-2006 |
117 [79] |
4.7 [79] |
| 6th |
Thursday 8/7C [80] |
September 28, 2006 |
May 17, 2007 |
2006-2007 |
125 [81] |
4.1 [81] |
| 7th |
Thursday 8/7C[82] |
September 27, 2007 |
|
2007- |
|
|
Awards
Throughout its first six seasons, Smallville has won numerous awards ranging from Emmys to Teen Choice Awards. In 2002, the show was recognized
with an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series.[83] Four years later, the series was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Editing for a Series for its fifth
season episode "Arrival".[84][85]
The series has been awarded Leo Awards on multiple occasions. Make-up artist Natalie Cosco
was awarded the Leo Award for Best Make-Up twice, one for her work in the fourth season episode "Scare",[86] and one for her work in the sixth season episodes "Hydro" and
"Wither".[87] In the 2006 Leo Awards, Barry
Donlevy took home Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series for his work on the fourth season episode "Spirit", while David Wilson
won Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series for "Sacred".[88] Smallville's sixth season won a Leo Award for Best Dramatic Series; James Marshall won Best
Direction for "Zod"; Caronline Cranstoun won Best Costume Design for her work on "Arrow", and James Philpott won Best Production
Design for "Justice".[87] The visual
effects team was recognized for their work on the pilot with an award for Best Visual Effects in 2002.[89] They were later recognized by the Visual Effects Society with a 2004 VES
Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Televised Program, Music Video or Commercial, for the work they did on the second
season episode "Accelerate". That same year, they won for Outstanding Matte Painting in a Televised Program, Music Video, or
Commercial for season two’s "Insurgence".[90]
In 2002, the American Society of Composers, Authors,
and Publishers honored the band Remy Zero, who provide the opening theme song for
Smallville, and composer Mark Snow for their contributions to the show. The award is
given to individuals who wrote the theme, or underscore for the highest rated television series during January 1 - December 31, 2001.[91] The American Society of Cinematographers gave the series an award for the work done on
the sixth season episode "Arrow".[92] Members of the
regular cast have won awards for their portrayals on the show. In 2001, Michael Rosenbaum won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.[93] Tom Welling won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Star – Male in 2002,[94] while Allison Mack was awarded Best Sidekick in
2006.[95] Mack won Best Sidekick for the second year in a
row when she took home the award in the 2007 Teen Choice Awards.[96]
Other media
Allison Mack's character Chloe Sullivan has starred in two promotional tie-in series, Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, and Vengeance Chronicles. There were two "Chloe
Chronicles" editions. The first featured Chloe investigating further into the events of the first season episode
"Jitters". The second edition, Chloe Chronicles, Vol II, was a continuation
of the first. In total, the first two series included seven mini-episodes. The third series was a spin-off of the fifth season
episode "Vengeance". Titled Vengeance Chronicles, Chloe joins forces with a
costumed vigilante whom she dubs the "Angel of Vengeance." In a promotional tie-in with Sprint, Smallville Legends: The Oliver Queen Chronicles was released dictating the early life of
Oliver Queen in a six-episode CGI series.[97]
On April 19, 2007, a tie-in with Toyota, promoting their new Yaris, featured an online comic strip as
interstitial programs, during new episodes, titled Smallville Legends: Justice
& Doom. The interactive comic was based on the episode "Justice", which follows the adventures of Oliver Queen, Bart
Allen, Victor Stone, and Arthur Curry as they seek to destroy all of LuthorCorp's secret experimental labs. The online series
allowed viewers to investigate alongside the fictional team, in an effort to win prizes.[98] The plots of Smallville and the Smallville
Legends: Justice & Doom are integral and complimentary to each other. Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles
Millar also developed an Aquaman pilot for The WB Television Network, with
Justin Hartley as Arthur Curry.[99] The series was planned to follow the adventures of Arthur, in the
same fashion that was being done with Clark. Following the merger of the WB and UPN, the resulting CW network opted not to
produce the show.
DVD releases
-
Seasons one through to five have been released in Regions 1, 2 & 4. DVD releases include commentary by cast and crew
members on select episodes, deleted scenes, and featurettes. The promotional tie-ins, Chloe Chronicles and Vengeance
Chronicles, accompanied the season two, three, and five box sets respectively. Other special features include interactive
features such as a tour of Smallville, or a comic book. There are also DVD-ROM features on some DVDs.
| Complete Season |
Release dates |
| Region 1 |
Region 2 |
Region 4 |
| 1st |
September 23, 2003[100] |
October 13, 2003[101] |
December 3, 2003[102] |
| 2nd |
May 18, 2004[103] |
September 17, 2004[104] |
January 1, 2005[105] |
| 3rd |
November 16, 2004[106] |
April 18, 2005[107] |
July 13, 2005[108] |
| 4th |
September 13, 2005[109] |
October 10, 2005[110] |
November 11, 2006[111] |
| 5th |
September 12, 2006[112] |
August 28, 2006[113] |
April 4, 2007[114] |
| 6th |
September 18, 2007[115] |
October 22, 2007[116] |
October 8,2007[117] |
References
- ^ a b Jessic Seid. "'Gilmore Girls' meet
'Smackdown':CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September.", CNN Money, 2006-01-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
- ^ a b c d e [http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=100398&more=ucepisodelist Smallville Episodes |
TVGuide.com]. TV Guide. Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
- ^ Neil Wilkes. "'Smallville', 'Supernatural', 'One Tree Hill' safe", DigitalSpy, 2007-05-16.
Retrieved on 2007-05-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Simpson, Paul (2004). Smallville: The Official Companion Season
1. London: Titan Books, 8-17. ISBN 1840237955.
- ^ Barry Garron (2001-10-15). Smallville. MichaelRosenbaum.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
- ^ a b c d (2002). "Metamorphosis" commentary by Al Gough and Miles Millar [DVD].
Warner Bros. Television.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j (2002). "Pilot" commentary by Al Gough, Miles Millar and David Nutter
[DVD]. Warner Bros. Television.
- ^ Brian Cronin (2006-08-02).
![Smallville promotional poster for the premiere of its pilot on October 16, 2001[2]](http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/d/dd/180px-Smallville_poster1.jpg)