Reliable Source
06-10-2008, 11:36 AM
Greetings true believers - this is your old pal, Reliable Source, back with another update. This time, it's news from The CW, regarding your favorite "not quite a superhero yet" superhero series, "Smallville."
Now, it's old news that the show is coming back in the fall for its 8th season, albiet without several popular cast members. Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor will not be back to plague our hero, and Kristin Kreuk's Lana Lang will appear only in a limited capacity. Laura Vandervoort, introduced just last season as Clark's cousin Kara, will reportedly not be back either, remaining stranded in the Phantom Zone indefinitely after last season's finale.
Up until recently, it was widely accepted that season eight would be the series' last. However, this is no longer the case. Following the departure of series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar from their roles as executive producers, the tide has changed. The series still remains one of the struggling network's top-rated shows, and execs are reluctant to let it die.
The network has just extended the show's contract for three additional seasons, taking "Smallville" to, at minimum, an 11th season.
It's possible that the desire to extend the series may have been a contributing factor in Gough and Millar's exit, as the two producers had seemed intent on ending the series before it overstayed its welcome. I spoke to an executive at the CW who chooses to remain anonymous, and inquired about Gough and Millar's supposed "eight year plan" for the series.
"Actually, it was initially a 'four year plan,'" the executive revealed. "Then, at some point, it became a 'five year plan.' Then 'six,' and so on. Basically they were already pulling stories out of their 'you-know-whats' for the last four years." The executive then requested that last comment be stricken from the record.
So, without Lex Luthor, who will the supposed Superboy be battling for the next few years? Expect some familiar faces from the comics to show up, but, as is often the case for the show, they will be presented in some decidedly unfamiliar ways. It was already revealed that Doomsday will appear in season eight in the form of "Davis Bloome," a human bartender who transforms into a monster unwillingly. In the upcoming seasons, look for the following...
Metallo: Will be portrayed as the new landlord of Chloe's apartment building. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
The Prankster: Will be portrayed as Oliver Queen's butler's tax guy. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
Toyman: Will be portrayed as Aunt Nell's dentist's brother-in-law. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
Parasite: Will be portrayed as Dr. Swann's garbage man. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
Darkseid: Will be portrayed as the owner of a gay night club. Will reportedly have a fling with Jimmy.
With cast members already dropping out after seven seasons, the next logical question is, who will stick around through Round Eleven? Brace yourself, fans... Tom welling has only signed through season nine, declaring that will definitely be his last.
"We fully intend to do a tenth and an eleventh season, with or without Tom Welling," our CW executive explained. "We can easily do 'Smallville' without Clark Kent. There are plenty of stories to tell with Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and the other members of the supporting cast."
If Welling leaves, the network has expressed interest in bringing back Sam Jones III as Pete Ross, a popular character from the early seasons of the series. Season seven's episode "Hero" featured Pete returning and gaining elastic powers via meteor-laced Stride Gum, a plot that could be revisited.
"That Stride Gum episode was one of our most popular episodes," the executive beamed. Because of the success of that episode, look for the network's sponsors to activate more super powers in the future, including compelling episodes where Lois gets super speed from a meteor-laced Toyota Yaris, Jimmy gets telepathy from a meteor-laced Verizon cell phone, and Sheriff Ethan returns with freezing powers from a meteor-laced Wendy's Frosty.
As always, more as I hear it.
Now, it's old news that the show is coming back in the fall for its 8th season, albiet without several popular cast members. Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor will not be back to plague our hero, and Kristin Kreuk's Lana Lang will appear only in a limited capacity. Laura Vandervoort, introduced just last season as Clark's cousin Kara, will reportedly not be back either, remaining stranded in the Phantom Zone indefinitely after last season's finale.
Up until recently, it was widely accepted that season eight would be the series' last. However, this is no longer the case. Following the departure of series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar from their roles as executive producers, the tide has changed. The series still remains one of the struggling network's top-rated shows, and execs are reluctant to let it die.
The network has just extended the show's contract for three additional seasons, taking "Smallville" to, at minimum, an 11th season.
It's possible that the desire to extend the series may have been a contributing factor in Gough and Millar's exit, as the two producers had seemed intent on ending the series before it overstayed its welcome. I spoke to an executive at the CW who chooses to remain anonymous, and inquired about Gough and Millar's supposed "eight year plan" for the series.
"Actually, it was initially a 'four year plan,'" the executive revealed. "Then, at some point, it became a 'five year plan.' Then 'six,' and so on. Basically they were already pulling stories out of their 'you-know-whats' for the last four years." The executive then requested that last comment be stricken from the record.
So, without Lex Luthor, who will the supposed Superboy be battling for the next few years? Expect some familiar faces from the comics to show up, but, as is often the case for the show, they will be presented in some decidedly unfamiliar ways. It was already revealed that Doomsday will appear in season eight in the form of "Davis Bloome," a human bartender who transforms into a monster unwillingly. In the upcoming seasons, look for the following...
Metallo: Will be portrayed as the new landlord of Chloe's apartment building. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
The Prankster: Will be portrayed as Oliver Queen's butler's tax guy. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
Toyman: Will be portrayed as Aunt Nell's dentist's brother-in-law. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
Parasite: Will be portrayed as Dr. Swann's garbage man. Will reportedly have a fling with Lois.
Darkseid: Will be portrayed as the owner of a gay night club. Will reportedly have a fling with Jimmy.
With cast members already dropping out after seven seasons, the next logical question is, who will stick around through Round Eleven? Brace yourself, fans... Tom welling has only signed through season nine, declaring that will definitely be his last.
"We fully intend to do a tenth and an eleventh season, with or without Tom Welling," our CW executive explained. "We can easily do 'Smallville' without Clark Kent. There are plenty of stories to tell with Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and the other members of the supporting cast."
If Welling leaves, the network has expressed interest in bringing back Sam Jones III as Pete Ross, a popular character from the early seasons of the series. Season seven's episode "Hero" featured Pete returning and gaining elastic powers via meteor-laced Stride Gum, a plot that could be revisited.
"That Stride Gum episode was one of our most popular episodes," the executive beamed. Because of the success of that episode, look for the network's sponsors to activate more super powers in the future, including compelling episodes where Lois gets super speed from a meteor-laced Toyota Yaris, Jimmy gets telepathy from a meteor-laced Verizon cell phone, and Sheriff Ethan returns with freezing powers from a meteor-laced Wendy's Frosty.
As always, more as I hear it.