Twenty years ago Smallville debuted on the WB (now the CW network) in the fall of 2001. The producers of the show turned the town of Smallville into a character unto itself. Clark Kent's arrival in a rocket ship caused a meteor shower and changed everyone's lives. Today there is an explosion of superhero movies and TV shows on every channel but in 2001 that was not the case. In syndication you had Hercules and Xena but they were starting to wind down their runs. Most networks were focusing on teen dramas once the WB network found success with Dawson's Creek.
The genius of Smallville was that it was a superhero show mixed with teen drama featuring a young Clark Kent who is 16, in high school, and finds out that he is an alien. In Smallville Clark Kent (Tom Welling) was a nerd, an outsider who never fit in. He was in love with his best friend Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) but he couldn't say anything because she was in a relationship with the football captain. Like any regular teenager that deals with puberty, Clark's powers would manifest themselves at awkward times. All these things made Superman who has been portrayed as so perfect since the end of World War Two, more relatable to the audience.
One of the biggest reasons that Smallville succeeded was because of the relationship between Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and Clark Kent. As fans we not only got to see the evolution of Clark Kent into Superman but we also see how Lex Luthor becomes the man he is. Through the machinations of his father Lionel Luthor (John Glover), Lex becomes the tyrant we know him to be. Clark and Lex start as friends but over 7 seasons Clark and Lex become enemies as they both embrace their destinies.
As Smallville moved on they introduced new characters and other heroes into the show. Characters like Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) entered Smallville. When Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum left the show in season 8, the relationship between Clark and Lois became the centerpiece of the show until its end in season 10.
In Season 8 Clark moved to Metropolis and embraced his superhero identity known as "The Blur". As a fan I always wanted to see Tom Welling in the classic Superman suit and I always thought it was wrong that he never wore it on the show. In hindsight, Clark never needed the classic suit and his "blur" costumes were very modern and would fit well in today's superhero culture.
Since it ended in 2010, superheroes have become big business in movies and television with Marvel and DC battling for supremacy. The CW network has garnered big ratings with shows like Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow on its programming slate. Today, Warner Brothers has struggled to make Superman relevant with movies like Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman being critically panned. Its possible that if they stayed with the formula that Smallville started they might be more successful.
Smallville was one of the most successful TV shows ever, airing for 10 seasons. It introduced Clark Kent and Superman to a new generation of fans and delighted longtime fans. 20 years after its debut, it is still fondly remembered as a precursor to what we see now.
Thank you Smallville.
THE PROFESSOR
