The Large Legacy of ‘Smallville’

Key Points:

• In 2000, superhero media was largely out of favor in Hollywood, but Warner Bros. Television acquired Superman rights and tasked Alfred Gough and Miles Millar with creating a new TV series, leading to the 2001 debut of Smallville on The WB.
• Smallville redefined superhero storytelling by focusing on Clark Kent's teenage years in a rural town, exploring his human side and early relationships, including a unique friendship with Lex Luthor, which was a departure from traditional Superman narratives.
• The show ran for 10 seasons and 217 episodes, becoming the longest-running North American sci-fi series by episode count and laying the groundwork for the interconnected DC superhero TV universe that followed on The CW.
• Smallville's production reflected the old broadcast TV model with 22-episode seasons, requiring flexibility to respond to audience reactions, contrasting with today's streaming era's shorter, more serialized seasons.
• The series continues to find new audiences internationally via Netflix, sparking discussions of a potential revival, as its creators remain open to revisiting the world and stories of Smallville amid ongoing developments in the DC Universe.