So Long Smallville!

After 10 years, 'Smallville' flies out of The CW's lineup
By Jay Bobbin, Zap2It | May 4, 2011

"This was not a show about Superman."

That's what star Tom Welling says about "Smallville," which has spent 10 years charting Clark Kent's progression from his teen years into young adulthood, putting the native of the planet Krypton at the brink of becoming the Man of Steel. A landmark show for the then-WB Network before it merged with UPN to become the current CW, the DC Comics-inspired adventure wraps up its run with a two-hour finale Friday, May 13.

Many details are being kept under wraps, but wedding thoughts are certain since Clark (played by Tom Welling) is on the verge of marrying his true love, reporter Lois Lane (Erica Durance). However, his mind also is on two foes: the powerful Darkseid and the sly Lex Luthor, the latter played again by former series regular Michael Rosenbaum (now a co-star of Fox's "Breaking In").

"We shot the actual finale as our third-to-last episode," reports Welling, who also has been a "Smallville" executive producer and the director of six episodes. "We shot two more episodes, then shot the first part of the finale last. It gave us the opportunity to take a look at what would be the last image of the show in post-production and make any changes or adaptations to it. It didn't necessarily take the emotional pressure off us, but the time pressure."

Even if the very last scene was done weeks before production on "Smallville" ended, it still had its impact on Welling.

"I really didn't know what to expect," he says. "As we were shooting it, everyone's senses were heightened. People were flying up from L.A. (to Vancouver, where the show has been made) to supervise and make sure everyone who had to make a decision was there. Everybody was just really excited, and the energy level went up.

"I would imagine it's like the last mile of a marathon," Welling adds, "where the adrenaline kicks in and really allows you to finish strong. At the same time, it was 'Make sure the shot's good.' The last image, for me, sums up not only the end of Clark Kent but the birth of Superman. I hope that's what people can take away ... that Clark is still out there fighting the good fight, but we're just not able to go with him." (Movie director Zack Snyder plans to change that with the projected 2012 release of "Man of Steel.")

Its makers had plenty of notice "Smallville" was ending, since Welling announced at last May's CW upfront event for advertisers that the series' 10th year would be its last. "From the global aspect of making sure we summed everything up after 10 seasons, there was also the attention to detail," he reflects of the home stretch. "I think that attention has been a big component of why we've been able to survive for a decade."

Gone from "Smallville" for the past three seasons, Rosenbaum initially claimed he wouldn't return for a final round of Lex versus Clark, but he ultimately relented.

"It was fantastic," Welling says of the reunion. "It was like he'd been gone forever, but it was also like he'd never left. The scenes I had with him were all done in one day, and it was probably the most fun I've had in a long time. He and I have a great relationship."

Allison Mack closes out the role of Chloe Sullivan, since Welling reasons, "She's a big component not only of the show, but of Clark's trajectory, so it was important for her to be there."

However, Kristin Kreuk doesn't reprise the part of Lana Lang.

"When her character left Smallville, I think everybody knew that was kind of it," Welling says. "As exciting as it might have been for Clark to walk into the Daily Planet and see Lois and Lana having a conversation, and as stressful as that could have been for him, it just didn't come together."

For some time, "Smallville" producers stated the show's viewers never would see Clark fly nor wear the Superman suit under the so-called "no flights, no tights" rule. Well, they've now seen him fly, so it remains valid to wonder if they'll see him in the legendary blue-and-red uniform with the big "S" on the chest before the series signs off.

"To me, and to a lot of people connected to the show, that's not what the show is about," Welling maintains. "Maybe we leaned that way sometimes because it was easier to go that way and it would be easier to write about, but to me, the integrity of the show was about Clark Kent in Smallville. Even when he made his move to Metropolis, the essence of the character before he became Superman was always important to me. That's what I found interesting, that's why I signed up 10 years ago, and I think it's a big part of why people watched."

Still, Welling knows "Smallville" also has had to service a much bigger mythology, especially since he considers working with the late Christopher Reeve -- a four-time movie Superman and two-time "Smallville" guest star -- a highlight of doing the show.

"I think they do a great job with Superman in films," he says. "They spend a lot of time and money, and to be honest, they put a lot of restrictions on our show as to what we could do with Superman. We always had to check in with DC Comics, and everything had to be OK'd through them. There were limitations in doing some things we wanted to do, but other limitations were self-imposed."

Also seen in the movie remakes of "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "The Fog" during his "Smallville" tenure, Welling hopes to keep working for The CW as an executive producer of the series "Hellcats," which hadn't yet been renewed for a second season at this writing. For now, he's satisfied with the way "Smallville" is leaving the network ... and fans.

"I think people will feel fulfilled, but it's going to be bittersweet," he allows. "If someone has been watching the show for 10 years, it's coming to an end, and that's never a fun thing. There have been shows where I've been like, 'This finale had better be good, because I've spent a lot of time on this.' I was a big fan of '24,' and the way they ended that was fantastic. They gave me what I needed, and it was like a happy breakup. You always want more, but the reality is that it can't go on forever."

non_amos wrote:Interestingly though SUPERNATURAL has been renewed for a 7th season & is apparently still going strong! GHOST WHISPERER ended after 5 seasons I believe so it outlasted what could've been considered a 'similar' program. But one thing I liked was it being paired with SMALLVILLE! I didn't really like it when they moved SV to Friday & paired Supernatural with THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, AKA 'Twilight rip-off'.

What will they pair it with now? It'd be nice if there's a 'Smallville spin-off' to team it with. I mean, it's not like we haven't been teased or anything already, now is it?!

thecolorsblend wrote:I get what Welling is saying with the "this isn't Superman" bit but I really wish he'd quit saying that. He means, obviously, that it's a coming of age story for Clark Kent rather than the iconic Superman. It's still a Superman adaptation and I think SV has told some really kick ass Superman stories.

thecolorsblend wrote:A lot more ends with SV than just the series itself.

‘Smallville’ Tom Welling on saying goodbye to Superman
May 05, 2011 | 7:23 p.m.

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.
Tom Welling

Tom Welling (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Tom Welling has a new office on the Warner Bros. lot and there’s an empty parking spot right out front — it’s marked “C. SHEEN” — which reminds him how quickly things can change in television and how lucky he’s been to be one of television’s steadiest stars, with a decade logged on the now-ending “Smallville.”

“It can all go away and can go fast,” said the 34-year-old, whose new digs still had unpacked boxes and bare walls when he sat down last week to talk about the final flight of “Smallville,” which airs its two-part series finale beginning May 13 on the CW. “I feel so grateful. But I also know it’s time to move on.”

Welling leaves the show with mixed feelings, and that’s entirely appropriate for a man who spent 10 seasons as a Clark Kent who was perpetually denied the chance to be Superman — the show, for the uninitiated, follows the odyssey of Superman’s alter ego in his formative years and the title is the name of the little rural town where the future superhero grew up with his human adoptive family.

The New York native didn’t want the role — his headshot was plucked out of a stack by producer Alfred Gough, who asked why the handsome, towering actor wasn’t among the hundreds of hopefuls who sought an audition in “a massive manhunt” to find the star in 2000.
Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, Welling as Clark Kent and Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor in 2001.

The simple reason was that red-and-blue costume, the same one that brought success to actors such as Christopher Reeve and George Reeves in previous decades but came with a smothering career cost — after they flew across the sky in the public imagination they were locked into the image. When Welling found out the new show had the motto of “no tights, no flights,” he was far more intrigued.

“He brought an openness and warmth to the role,” Gough said. “He’s also incredibly good-looking and somehow is more good-looking in person, if that’s possible.”

During the fourth season of the show, Welling had learned so much on the set that he got a new ambition — directing. He did just that in the fifth season. Even before Welling was directing, he was “a leader” on the set, Gough said, and certainly he was qualified — no other cast member appears in every episode and only two crew members have stayed on for the entire run.

Welling isn’t certain about his next move. There was a fan movement to get him the lead role in the new Superman film that will begin shooting next year with Henry Cavill in the tights (and there was a similar campaign for the 2006 movie “Superman Returns” that took flight with Brandon Routh), but “Smallville” has created such a wide, deep thicket of its own mythology that it seemed unlikely that a reboot of the hero would take him on if it were seeking a true fresh start.

Welling seems OK with that. The conventional view that a film franchise is better than TV in every way misses the emotional factor of persistence, he said; he came into the homes of fans again and again for a decade, and that’s a potent relationship. “Besides,” he said, “I’m busy.”
Aly Michalka and Ashley Tisdale in Hellcats

Last year, Welling pushed in a new direction as the executive producer of “Hellcats,” the CW series that is a comedy-drama adaptation of the book “Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders.” The show is slick and frothy at the same time, and Welling is pleased with the show and the ensemble cast — he says that after holding up a show, it’s engaging to be part of “a team with a great spirit.”

“Smallville” had plenty of bumps in its flight since its first episode in October 2001. The show went from the WB to the CW in 2006 and the tone of the show changed through the years, with some of the visiting superheroes bringing a campy aura at times. The show enjoyed a surge in credibility and ratings in recent years, but it was running out of room — how long could Kent go into manhood without donning the suit?

“Each time we got picked up we had to push that finish line further away, and I think we had some low moments when we got too far-fetched,” he said. “If you look at the series, the first five years were one show and the next five were a different show.

“We could have called it ‘Metropolis,’ in a way … there were a few times when heroes come in where we allowed ourselves to get lighter. But that’s breaking things up. I don’t think anyone goes out and tries to make mistakes.”

For the record, 10:22 p.m. May 5: A previous version of this post stated that Tom Welling directed Friday’s episode and the series finale. He did not.

non_amos wrote:I found this originally at duh Homopage but this is the full article. 'Metropolis' huh? I hope WHOGAMAN doesn't get hold of that one!

On Eve of 'Smallville' Finale, Al Gough Reflects on Its Creation
By Melinda Loewenstein

May 11, 2011

Photo by Jay Goldman
"Smallville" creator Al Gough.
Al Gough didn't set out to be a writer, but his prolific partnership with Miles Millar has resulted in multiple movie scripts, a "Charlie's Angels" pilot, and the long-running "Smallville," which will have its series finale on May 13. "I always sort of thought I'd end up being a film producer and perhaps a director. Writing, frankly, was something that I kind of fell into," Gough explains. Gough met his British writing partner Millar in the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC. While in school, they partnered up and wrote a script that they sold to New Line, thus beginning their 18-year collaboration.

The two work together in a room—Millar on a laptop and Gough on a legal pad. "So there's no fighting for the keyboard," Gough jokes. "We've never worked separately. We're very much in sync and we both have strengths and weaknesses and blind spots that you can kind of compensate for." The writing ultimately led to Gough's originally intended line of producing—and now, directing.

They began their career with buddy comedies such as "Lethal Weapon 4" and "Shanghai Noon," but "Smallville" opened up another world for them—that of comic book–based properties. Gough says, "The idea of Superman in high school was something that really appealed to us.... A coming-of-age story that had sort of a big, fantastic hook to it."

The challenge was to reinterpret it for a new generation. They faced a similar dilemma with the pilot for the reboot of "Charlie's Angels." Says Gough, "Having the burden of the iconic brand behind you is a blessing in terms of marketing, obviously, and sometimes it can be a curse in terms of how you find a new creative ground to cover."

Initially, the team didn't want to develop "Charlie's Angels." They waited until they found a way to crack the show. Gough warns, "You can't do something because they are willing to pay you money. You always want to do projects that are creatively stimulating and are going to help you grow as an artist, because that's what's ultimately going to help you sustain a career."

"Smallville" received a put pilot commitment, providing more time for casting, which allowed them to do a much wider search. Casting directors were hired in New York; L.A.; Toronto; Vancouver, British Columbia; Sydney, Australia; and London with the intention of casting Clark Kent first. But when they saw tape of Kristin Kreuk, Gough says, "We were all blown away and, of course, the first question was, 'Has anyone else seen this girl?' And if not, make her deal immediately." She was the first hire and snared the role of Lana Lang, Clark's sweetheart.

Casting an Icon

Gough says casting an iconic character like Superman was a challenge because of popular preconceived ideas about his appearance, and they had to work within the likeness requirements of DC Comics. Gough says they liked Tom Welling's headshot, but the actor "didn't want to come in and 'put on a suit and be Superman.' So David Nutter [the pilot's director] called him, and he agreed to come in and read the script because we weren't sending the script out at that point. He read the script, loved the script, and then tested."

Another major challenge was casting Lex Luthor, Superman's archenemy. Gough says, "I think people have a certain image in their head of Gene Hackman from the movies. We were saying he's a young guy with a very rich father who's trying to prove himself in the world, who craves love. Michael Rosenbaum had actually come in months before and read, but had tanked the audition because he was sick. So when we were going back through, we were literally a week away from casting, we brought Michael back in and he redid his audition and really blew everybody away."

Gough has a lot of respect for the difficulties actors go through in the audition process. But he says actors should know that when they go into the room, everybody on the other side of the table is very interested and is rooting for them. "Because if you're great, you've solved all their problems," he says. But, he acknowledges, "It's tough when you're in the early rounds of those big cattle calls in terms of how to bust through the clutter of all the other people reading."

He encourages actors to memorize the sides so they can give some interpretation to them. "If you're coming in and you've half-read the scene, then you don't make an impression. [As a writer-producer,] you want somebody to come in and take what you've written and make it better. There's a couple lines [in the sides] which, if an actor can understand the interpretation of that line, nine times out of 10 they're going to get a callback. They're at least connecting to the material in a way that the majority of the other candidates you've seen aren't." He says he sees younger actors who "haven't quite read the sides, they're not really quite prepared, and they aren't taking it as seriously as they need to."

Distinct Voices

Creating unique characters is key to success, and Gough says writers should create distinct voices for each character, so their lines are not interchangeable. He notes, "I think that's the job of the writer, so that you've given the actor everything that they need on the page to then be able to go create a character and build a performance." Gough says he and Millar like when an actor can surprise them. "Then it says to us, 'Oh, there's something more to this character that perhaps we didn't see and that we can—and that they can—help bring that to the table.' "

Gough values the partnership between writers and actors. "Writers write it on the page, but actors have to actually bring the character to life and find the nuances and ask questions," he says. "You want to be able to articulate as a show creator and a show runner, 'Here's what the character is; here's where their journey is going.' Then the actor always has a lot of questions."

Millar and Gough sit in on rehearsals so the actors can ask all the questions they want. Gough says it's also important "to write to actors' strengths and away from their weaknesses." And the actors, especially young actors, grow over the course of a show. Gough says, "When Tom started, he really hadn't done anything, and you go back and you look at the pilot, he's pretty wooden—which, quite frankly, worked for the character of Clark Kent. But as he went through the show I can tell you he was the strongest actor on the set and he's since become a director and a producer."

Gough's acting advice is the same as his writing advice. "If you want to be a writer, you have to write. And stay interested in the world around you. Because if you aren't interested, you won't be interesting." And if you want to be an actor, act. "John Glover, who was Lionel Luthor on 'Smallville,' was an incredible role model. If he wasn't doing 'Smallville,' he was doing a play. He was still taking acting classes. If you're an actor, you have to constantly be honing your craft, whether it's in workshops or doing theater between auditions. If you love it and you want to get better at it, you just have to do it every day. Because there's a craft to it as well, and you really need to hone that craft. I think when you have that combination of raw talent with good craft, you can be unstoppable."

OUTTAKES
– Other films include "Spider-Man 2," "I Am Number Four," "Herbie Fully Loaded," and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"
– After graduating from the USC producing program, Gough and his partner Miles Millar formed their own production company, Millar/Gough Ink. The company has a first-look deal with Walt Disney Studios and produced "Hannah Montana: The Movie."
– Gough and Millar are currently writing and executive producing the feature "Upgrade" for Paramount, with Michael Bay producing.

non_amos wrote:Hey, why didn't Ruth do a guest spot on SV anyway?!

May 13, 2011: A Letter from "Smallville" Executive Producers
Smallville Season 10 Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders sent out the following open letter to the fans of "Smallville" ahead of tonight's series finale:

Nine years. At times it feels like forever (especially when we look at our Warner Bros ID badges we received our first week of work and we looked like kids!) and some times it feels like it's only been a few weeks. We will probably measure all time against Smallville for the rest of our lives. As it turns out, we've started measuring a lot against Smallville. We began as wide-eyed freshman. All we could focus on was getting that first big break in television. We used to sit in the writers' room and stare at the beautiful Burbank scenery saying, "Wow, we did it. We're here." Two kids from the Midwest make good. And it was quite a ride. 9/11 had just happened. The world was looking for a hero. Superman always fits that bill. Especially when you're looking for an American hero who is just, not vengeful, home-grown and dare we say earnest.

Then a decade passes. The war falls on a later page in the paper. It's easy to get buried under the thousands of decisions that go into every television season. And you can lose perspective being in such a macro world. But, coming to the end of the show this year, we were able to step back and we were moved by what we saw. In fact, we used that view to help shape the final season of Smallville:

Hope.

The theme this year was Believe in Heroes. They exist. And not just in red capes. And the fact that a show that's survived two networks, two time slots and four different days of the week proves that people want to be inspired. People want to put their faith in hope and their trust in humanity.

We have been lucky. We got to sit with the writers and think about Superman every day. We got to think about what inspires us. Think about why Superman is the most recognizable character in the world. Think about the most avid fans in television and the reason they tune in every week - not only do they want to believe in good, they actually do. Someone once said that you can only truly appreciate in others what you have the potential for in yourself. Superheroes are a reflection of who we want to become. Whatever impact we've had on the Superman mythos, it pales compared to the impact the fans of Superman across the globe have had on us. It's what makes us believe there's a more peaceful future out there. Being reminded of that every week for a decade has been a gift.

Thank you,
Kelly and Brian

· Steve Younis on May 13, 2011 6:18pm EST· 4 Comments · 542 Reads

Tom Welling to ontheredcarpet.com wrote:Tom Welling says he would be up for a 'Smallville' movie
Get more: TV, Tom Welling
Posted 2 hours, 35 minutes ago by Kristina Lopez

After 10 seasons on air, Tom Welling bid goodbye to audiences as Clark Kent one last time on the "Smallville" finale on May 13. However, the actor might be up for more Kent adventures if a movie based on his "Smallville" role ever came about.

Welling spoke to OnTheRedCarpet.com host Chris Balish on Monday at the 2nd Annual SAG Foundation Golf Classic about his experience on "Smallville" saying, "I can't imagine anything beyond family that could have such an effect on a career as 'Smallville' did for me. It's why I'm here."

The actor also revealed that an idea for a "Smallville" movie had been tossed around in the earlier seasons of the show. "We talked about that between, I think it was season three and four, when the characters were moving from high school to what will be college," Welling said when asked about a "Smallville" film. "We played with the idea and what we found was there wasn't time."

He added, "It would've been fun to do a transition movie for those characters. But who knows in the future."

So if a new opportunity for a "Smallvile" movie came up, would the actor take it? "Sure, I don't see why not," Welling said.

As for Clark Kent/Superman, Warner Bros. has big plans for the comic book superhero. The movie studio is currently developing a reboot of the film franchise with "300" director Zack Snyder helming the project. The film will star Amy Adams as Lois Lane and "The Tudors" actor Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman.

Diane Lane and Kevin Costner have also signed on to play Ma and Pa Kent. "The Dark Knight" director, Christopher Nolan, is also a part of the "Superman" reboot. He and his "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" writing partner, David S. Goyer, are penning the script for the new film. Nolan is also on board as a producer.

"They have other plans for Superman, which I'm a big fan of and I can't wait to see what they do," Welling said.

URL- http://www.kryptonsite.com/manofsteelnews/1132/tom-welling-would-consider-doing-a-smallville-movie/

Eunuch page member wrote:Superman Homepage member Dave Bratton attended the "Smallville" Retrospective Panel at New York Comic Con this weekend, and filed the following report...

I attended the NYCC's "Smallville" Retrospective Panel (featuring the 90 minute "Smallville" Retrospective doc). Essentially a rep from Warner Bros. pressed play on a DVD player hooked up to a LCD projector for about 150 or so of us (I was first in line, got a very good seat).

Some tidbits (and forgive me if these have been covered in previous articles or "Smallville" DVD features).

Transference: It was pretty easy for Tom Welling to play Lionel, but tougher for John Glover to play Clark? Why? Tom's portrayal of Clark is very still. Why? Because in Season 1 Tom was so green, he was scared to make mistakes and essentially stood on his mark and didn't do a lot more. Tom Welling also noticed that in the first few episodes the camera cut away from him while he was talking to the other actors. That changed after a few episodes as he got better.

Allison Mack had lots of discussions with "Smallville" producers/writers about NOT killing Chloe in the finale. Allsion said, "Chloe has already died about 5 times. It would be anti-climactic!"

Season 8 was definitely going to be the final season. "Smallville" had been moved to Thursday (where many thought it would die), but it's ratings rose. Hence, more "Smallville".

I assume most people know this (I had always assumed it), but the identity switching episodes, the episodes where characters were exposed to something and acted very different, were often about budget. They were fun character explorations, but they were cheap to produce, especially if other episodes featured lots of effects.

John Glover was given a very short amount of time to make up his mind about playing Lionel Luthor. Someone else had dropped out, or hadn't worked out. Glover was told that it would be a 2 day filming commitment with the possibility for more in the future.

Michael Rosenbaum was a complete cut up on the "Smallville" set. About as opposite of his Lex Luthor character as possible.

In one episode, Clark was to catch Chloe falling from his barn loft. They were going to hook up a rig to Allison Mack and drop her a few feet into Tom's arms... until Tom suggested he toss her up into the air and catch her. Which is exactly what they ended up doing.

There were more revelations - it was a fun retrospective. I don't think there's anything too earth shattering, no shocking revelations that suddenly change the way you view everything, but there were lots of nice moments. John Schneider talking about how people react to his character, Jonathan Kent, and about his relationship with his own son, was moving.

URL- www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=10419