Smallville (TV Series)

Smallville is an American television series, created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the largest hero of all-time, Superman. The series addresses the  transition of young Clark Kent from his adolescence to adulthood, showing all the problems faced by an ordinary teenager, as well as developing superpowers and finding discoveries about his true origins. Starring the actor Tom Welling, Smallville lasted for ten complete final seasons, which is the ultimate way to show that Clark will become the planet's best known superhero.

Summary
Smallville first aired in October of 2001 and last aired its series finale in May 2011. Alternately known as Smallville Beginnings or Superman: The Early Years, the series focuses on the trials and tribulations of young Clark Kent and life in the small town of Smallville, Kansas. The series received favorable ratings although viewer opinion varies depended upon the demographic. Many comic fans have voiced their disapproval of the show based upon several facets including the liberal departure from the known history as it has been chronicled in the Superman family of comic titles.

Prior to its initial airing, producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar trumpeted a strict "no flights – no tights" policy in regards to the Man of Steel. Effectively, it was their intention to focus more on the characterization of troubled teen-aged Kent, and the burden of his budding super-powers without the added aloofness of brightly colored outfits or excessively showy displays of super-prowess. While it is true that Clark has never donned the famous super-suit, he is usually seen wearing casual attire appropriately color-coded to reflect his comic counterpart's red and blue fashion sense. On a few occasions the famous "S" shield has been known to appear on his chest, but always under singularly unique pretenses. To date, Clark has demonstrated his ability to fly at several different points, but always with a distinctive qualifier attached to it, which allows the production staff to maintain their stance that Clark Kent will never be seen flying on Smallville. In one episode he is shown floating above his bed, but this is actually a form of levitation as he is technically not propelling himself. In other instances, Clark's power can be construed as super-leaping rather than flight. In one example, he leaps across two skyscrapers (in a single bound) in Metropolis in order to rescue his mother. In another mishap, Clark uses a super-leap to stop a runaway missile from breaking Earth's atmosphere. In the fourth season premiere episode Crusade, Clark is seen streaking across the Smallville skyline. However, circumstances reveal that he is actually possessed by his darker, Kryptonian persona and is technically not in control of his body at the time. In a flashback episode Tom Welling plays a younger version of his birth-father Jor-El and is seen flying through the air over Smallville. However, as this is Jor-El and not Clark, Gough and Millar could still attest that they have maintained their "no flights – no tights" edict. However, the final episode of the series, titled Finale, Part 2, features Clark both flying and wearing his Superman suit, officially breaking the "no flights – no tights" rule.

As of November, 2011, all ten seasons of Smallville have been made available on DVD.

Trivia

 * Stories set in the continuity of the television series have been published in the short-lived Smallville comic book title.
 * DC Direct has released a series of action figures corresponding to the main characters in Smallville including, Clark Kent, Lana Lang and Lex Luthor.