Twenty-five years ago, TV was nowhere near what it is today. However, some shows werestarting to push the boundariesof how series were made and slowly changed the landscape of what could be done on the small screen. One of these shows wasSmallville, which pretty much set the bar for what superhero shows should look and feel like over the next 20 years. During a nostalgic panel at MegaCon in Orlando at which Collider’sMaggie Lovittwas in attendance, cast membersTom Welling(Clark Kent),Michael Rosenbaum(Lex Luthor),Kristin Kreuk(Lana Lang), andErica Durance(Lois Lane), spoke about their time on the show and its long-lasting impact on television.
When asked about how they thought thatSmallvilleinfluenced other TV shows that came after it, Rosenbaum was quick to joke that"They saw that it works and they copied us.“The actor also commented on the structure and approach of the production team. He told the audience:
“There are some good shows that used the format that was, you know, a little movie of the week and had high production value and, you know, I think we started it in a way, so it’s kind of cool.”
Of course, TV has changed a lot since 2001, but back thenSmallvillewas one of the big references when it came to “blockbuster” television. Each episode — and especially the season premieres and season finales —felt like watching a movie, and this approach is what prompted TV producers to go bigger and bigger. For the DC universe on TV, this meant that the ambitious, interconnected shows were created with the same premise asSmallville, which was to show the early years of huge superheroes in other series likeArrow,The Flash, andSupergirl.
What Has the ‘Smallville’ Cast Been Up To?
After some years away from TV, Tom Welling had a recurring role inLuciferas the son of Adam and Eve. Recently, he guest starred inThe Winchestersand was on the Viaplay seriesProfessionals. He reprised his role as Clark Kent in one episode ofBatwomanin 2019 — Erica Durance also returned for the special episode. AfterSmallville, she almost immediately jumped into the medical seriesSaving Hope, which ran for five seasons. Durance returned to the DC world inSupergirland in the last few years has starred ina slate of Hallmark movies.
Kristin Kreuk was one of the cast members who participated in the most TV series since she leftSmallville. She was inBeauty and the Beast,The Burden of Truth, Apple TV+‘sGhostwriter,and recently, in the Fox thrillerMurder in a Small Townand the Prime Video hit seriesReacher. Last but not least, Michael Rosenbaum has mostly done voice work since the show ended but recently has made waves with his podcastInside of You, in which he speaks bluntly with fellow actors about several subjects, includingtheAllison Mackscandal.
You can stream all ten seasons ofSmallvilleon Max.
Smallville
