Long before the Avengers assembled, the Arrowverse ignited, or James Gunn became the face of the DC Universe, Superman returned to television on this very day 25 years ago. Developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, “Smallville” premiered on The WB on October 16, 2001 — and became the network’s highest-rated series debut at the time. The series reimagined the Man of Steel’s origins for 21st-century viewers, unfolding the story of a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) before he even learned to fly.
“Smallville” explored Clark’s romantic entanglements with Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and eventually Lois Lane (Erica Durance), his friendships with Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack), and the moral foundation instilled by Jonathan (John Schneider) and Martha Kent (Annette O’Toole, who had previously starred in “Superman III”). Along the way, Clark grew into the superhero viewers knew he would become.
“Smallville” ran for an entire decade. It even outlived The WB, continuing on The CW for five seasons after the UPN merger. While the show’s ratings declined over time, the series evolved from a superpowered high school drama to young adult sci-fi and, eventually, a full-fledged superhero show. Clark finally appeared in his famous “S”-clad uniform during the series finale, a moment that only happened once.
Smallville premiered just five weeks after 9/11
The timing of “Smallville” ultimately gave the series an unexpected cultural context. Superhero movies were still recovering from the poor reception of films like “Batman & Robin,” while “Spider-Man” had yet to arrive on the big screen. Superman himself had also been absent from television for several years. According to Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, “Smallville” had largely been written off before its debut — but its premiere came just five weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“Before 9/11 the show was dismissed, largely. After 9/11, the show took on a whole new meaning. The show, visually and aesthetically, was a celebration of Americana,” Millar told The Hollywood Reporter years later. “Deliberately in terms of the red, white, and blue of Clark Kent and the aesthetic of the town and the farm, it was the idyllic portrait of America.” Millar said the attacks gave the series a new significance upon its debut.
“I think people were looking for a hero,” noted star Michael Rosenbaum on the “Talk Ville” rewatch podcast, reflecting on the pilot’s relationship to 9/11. “They were looking for some sort of peace, some sort of escape.” According to Tom Welling, who nearly turned down his career-defining role, the series was shooting the third episode, “Hothead,” when the attacks occurred.
Smallville became the longest-running live-action superhero series
“Smallville” reached audiences beyond Superman fans and avid comic book readers. Families have described watching the series together, while U.S. Army units in Iraq reportedly turned to the show as an escape. Its “no flights, no tights” rule kept Clark from fully becoming Superman for most of its decade-long run.
Not only is “Smallville” the longest-running Superman show, but it’s also the longest-running live-action superhero/comic book television program as of this writing. Furthermore, it’s tied with “The X-Files” as the longest-running live-action North American science fiction series based on their shared 218-episode count — that is, if you consider the “Absolute Justice” and “Finale” two-parters as two episodes each. While “Smallville” almost received a spin-off, the series ended in 2011 after 10 seasons.
The following year, The CW returned to the DC Universe with “Arrow,” launching a shared television universe that would remain on the network for more than a decade. Tom Welling and Erica Durance even reprised their roles as the now-married Clark Kent and Lois Lane for an episode of the five-part “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover. “Smallville” also nearly returned in animated form, but Welling has since revealed that those plans have stalled.