Smallville

The origins of the world’s greatest hero–from Krypton refugee Kal-el’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel.

Smallville (2001-2011) is an American teen superhero drama created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar for The WB and later The CW. Tom Welling plays Clark Kent, a Krypton refugee raised on a Kansas farm who hides his powers while growing up alongside Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor, and Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan. Each season follows Clark through high school crushes, dangerous meteor-rock encounters, and the slow build of his mythology, as he tries to keep his secret while the people around him drift toward danger and rivalry. The series runs ten seasons with more than two hundred episodes, mixing standalone monster-of-the-week episodes with longer arcs that deepen the Superman mythology. Its tone is earnest and wholesome, with a nostalgic small town atmosphere and a steady undercurrent of melancholy about a boy who must choose duty over ordinary life. Viewers of Heroes, Roswell and Arrow will find similar pleasures in its origin-story structure and teen drama romance. The show rewards long-term viewers with the gradual arrival of its destiny.

Viewers broadly rate Smallville as a positive, well-liked origin-story drama, with strong cast chemistry and a Superman mythology that builds out slowly and is at its best when focusing on the bigger storylines.

• Gilmore Girlscoming of age superhero origin, small town teen drama with mythology built episode by episode
• Heroesserialized superhero origin story following a young hero discovering his powers
• Roswellteen drama in a small American town with a secret supernatural destiny and serialized mythology
• Arrowsuperhero series with a young hero growing into his destiny across many seasons

Created by

Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

Release Date

2001-10-16

Episode runtime

43 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (4634)

What is Smallville about?

A teenage Clark Kent learns to control his alien powers and grow into the hero he is destined to become in a small Kansas town.

What is Smallville like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Smallville as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Smallville violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Smallville as mild.

What did critics think of Smallville?

Viewers broadly rate Smallville as a positive, well-liked origin-story drama, with strong cast chemistry and a Superman mythology that builds out slowly and is at its best when focusing on the bigger storylines.

Which shows are like Smallville?

Shows with a similar feel include Gilmore Girls, Heroes, Roswell, and Arrow.

How long is Smallville?

Smallville: 10 seasons, 216 episodes.

Is Smallville still running?

No, Smallville has ended.

Where can I watch Smallville?

In United States, Smallville streams on Hulu.