Smallville, seen objectively

[alabama assassin]

thanks for the info

[Permanus]

so maybe smallville is offensive to some of the old school purist, but to us rookies it can be the start of a new journey. 

I freely admit I'm a bit of an old fogey (in fact I was already an old fogey when I was 17), and I'm certainly a purist, so I suppose you're right when you say that Smallville offers younger people an introduction to Superman. My one concern is that the series seems to be a bit afraid of its source material and only includes the stuff that its core fans - teenagers, I suppose - won't think is ghey, to use the modern terminology. It's interesting to encounter someone who knows Superman from the other end, so to speak; nice to hear you're getting into the comics, you've got a lot of goodness ahead of you!

[nightwing]

I've actually wondered whether "Smallville" is creating new comics fans.  Seems to me anyone who reads the books based on the show would find there's not much connecting them, and give up.

Then again, what got me into Ian Fleming's Bond novels were the Roger Moore films, so I guess anything's possible. 

Getting back to the header for this thread, I don't know that it's possible for a Superman fan to view Smallville objectively.  That would only really be possible for someone who knew nothing about Superman before watching the show...or at least knew or cared very little.  The very fact that I AM a Superman fan means I'm going to tune in with certain expectations that will either be met or not.  On the other hand, I could tune in to the first episode of "Lost" with no expectations whatever, and judge the show on it's own merits, if you follow.

Having said all that, if you take away the Superman angle and all the baggage it brings, and simply judge "Smallville" as a TV show, I have to say I've only made it through two complete episodes in what, seven years? (the one where Lex marries the hot girl from Days of Our Lives and the one with the cheerleader who stinks the life force out of teenage boys...or is that redundant?) Maybe it's because I'm not a high schooler, or because the show started as a wannabe "X-Files" without the budget, or just because I got lousy reception from my WB affiliate via the rabbit ears on top of my TV, but I can honestly say "Smallville" is the first incarnation of Superman that hasn't interested me enough to watch more than a couple of times. 

On the other hand, my wife was often up late nursing the baby and watching "Smallville" reruns in the wee hours of the morning, and she really got into it.  It beat "Star Trek: Voyager," anyway.

[Klar Ken T5477]

I watch regularly for that one or two lines of dialog or Clark's super-stuff that brings out the geek in me.  Usually in terms of arcs, the first two eps and last two of the season are the BIG story - although Lex has slowly turned over the years into the Lex we all know and hate...

And last week, Jimmy got klonked on the head and had a B&W Noir dream and int the 40s Clark is wearing glasses, adjusting them (and blowing Routh away as he does) who has a double identity as a Fed.  The show was shot well (as always - it won the American Cinematography award) and the leads did their "Big Sleep" number. Kristin Keruk may be the worst actress ever to play Lana -- plus she ends up in the hospital ever darn week.  KK couldnt even pull off the femme fatale part in the 40s seg.

This week: Lex's been developing a force field AND a super-soldier serum.  And the season's finale will no doubt place everyone in peril  as its taken all season to round up the escaped Zoners.

On the production news a pilot "Metropolis" that would feature Green Arrow and Lois has been shot - so wrong. No word on whether it's been picked up.  Hopefully will join the Aqua pilot on Youtube.

If youre going to do Metropolis, its no city with CK/Superman.

[Gangbuster]

I caught a rerun of the 1950s episode (from the second season, I think) yesterday, and  you're right...Kristin Kreuk is not that great of an actress. Of course, when you say that she's the worst to ever play Lana, there has only really been one more to play her in a regular tv series. It's because of the hair.

[Criadoman]

Well, a couple of points...
1) If you are a fan of Superman in any incarnation of film, TV or comics - you will not find Smallville being particularly true outside of the very basic aspects.
2) We are here talking about TV drama/suspense about a superhero.

To 1 I say...
The kick I get the biggest of is how many people I talk to who have found out about the series, and knowing I'm a big Superman fan, go out of their way to talk to me about how much they like the show and how neat episode #? was, and so forth.

I've resigned myself to just looking at this pretty much like I looked at the Byrne's revision (and frankly I like Smallville better than that one), Birthright, Elseworlds or anything else.  Personally I also think that the show is much more interesting than not.  Yup, there were some really terrible episodes, particularly the 1st part of season 5, but overall, a rather enjoyable trip and very neat to have such a long running Superman show approaching it's 7th season.

To 2 I say...
This show was a definite chance when it was purchased.  There was no way to tell it would be such a hit when it came out.  So...unfortunately economically speaking, eye candy was more important than Juliard training.

[living not existing]

What is there to like about the show? The "writing" is grade-school level and most of the acting isn't even equal to that a high school drama club.

Moreover, Clark is an incompotent moron who 9/10 has to be lead on to the plot by Chloe or Lois. He stills listens and obeys the disembodied voice who wants him to conquer the planet, that killed several people, and is only slightly less ruthless than Zod.

Lex's motivation for evil comes right out of Star Wars: Episode 3. He goes down the dark path to attempt to save Lana from dying in child birth.

Bo Duke, the most entertaining character on the show, is brilliantly killed off just to echo what happened in a movie that was released 30 years ago.

That's a little harsh.

It's an entertaining, watchable show, but its lost its way from its original premise. Now its all about fan 'ships (Clark/Lana, Clark/Chloe, etc) having former Superman media actors as guest stars (although I thoroughly enjoy this idea) and various other Superman characters making appearances (Aquaman, Green Arrow, Supergirl, etc) too, yet again, prematurely.

However, Smallville manages to do what the Superman movies refuse to do; have a villain other than Lex Luthor! I have to agree with you about John Schneider. Its almost like everything Superman has to obey allegiance to the pre-crisis canon. We've seen [for the first time in live action] Brainiac, Doomsday, etc.

But at the end of the day, whether you like Smallville or not, its the only thing right now keeping Superman alive. We had Superman Returns, a rehash of a 30 year old movie sequel, that barely made a dent into the general public's conscience. I've ran into many people who didn't even know a new Superman movie had came out. The two decades we've seen various versions and interpretations of Batman on film, and yet people can't let go the Donner/Reeve interpretation that its almost embedded into everyone's mind sight that Superman MUST be played that way. George Reeves never played Clark Kent as the extremely goofy, bumbling fool to further to depart himself from Superman. In fact, it wasn't until Christopher Reeve that [Superman] was portrayed that way. I still maintain that Reeve is the best Superman by far, but the whole ridiculous Clark thing got on my nerves. The best reporter of the Daily Planet get through a revolving door without bumping into the ceiling or needing Lois' help?

[jayce77]

I always loved how Smallville was about Superman when he was Clark Kent before the flight and the tights ( as they put it ) until season 6 or so. Then all the sudden, it was a complete alternative version of Superman. Cause they F-ed up the mythos so royally, there was just nothing else to say.

I swear, if this show was on a major network, and a prime spot. It would have been cancelled many, many yrs ago. Either that, or it would have had too seriously step it up a few notches. Several actually. The fact that they put it on Friday's at 8:00, ( Which used to be the prime spot 20-25 yrs ago ) is even telling for the CW. So it's just impossibe ( even if I was 15 yrs old ) for a huge Superman fan, and lover of great television to look at this laughable teenie WB hackjob with character's so annoying and 1 dimentional I want to pull my hair out as anything but.

Somebody save me indeed.