2001 TV News Archives

March 16, 2001: "Smallville" Pilot Episode Script Review

I've just completed reading a Production Draft copy of the Pilot episode script for "Smallville", thanks to my inside source "Chloe".

Without giving away any spoilers, let me say that any reservations I had about this TV show have now evaporated. I was quite impressed! The story is solid and entertaining, with a couple of nods at previous incarnations of Superman that long-time fans will appreciate and enjoy. But also enough fresh and original material to capture the interest of new and future fans.

When reading this script I kept imagining the Smallville scenes from the 3-part "Last Son of Krypton" episodes of "Superman: The Animated Series"... it just had that feel about it. Clark's personality is much like that in the teenage years shown in STAS. He's smart, charming (in a shy kind of way), yet his also troubled and alone. He strives to impress without wanting to show off. His relationship with his friends, Pete and Chloe, is entertaining and light-hearted. These two are a fun pair. With Lana he's less sure of himself but that's not totally his fault. ;)

More interesting yet is Clark's interaction with his adoptive parent's, Martha and especially Jonathan. It's a loving, trusting relationship that's tested by a secret that Jonathan finds hard to share with his son, unsure of how he'll react. Just as interesting is Clark's interaction with Lex Luthor. I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship with each other pans out beyond the pilot episode. At the end of the pilot episode they find themselves somewhat indebted to each other through life-changing events that occur. And while not exactly friends, these two strangers have a mutual respect for each other which looks set to lead them down an adventurous path.

I'm looking forward to seeing how some of the special effects described in the script will be handled, especially the Prologue which shows the arrival of Kal-El's rocket ship to Earth.

While I don't yet know who will be playing the role of these two characters, their roles in the Pilot Episode are worth mentioning...

Whitney Ellsworth - Smallville High's star quarterback and all-round golden boy... and boyfriend of Lana Lang.

Gabe Sullivan - Father of Chloe Sullivan. A burly man in his 50s, who runs Luthor Corp's Smallville Fertilizer plant (which, before being bought by Lionel Luthor, was previously a Cream Corn factory owned by Pete Ross' parents).

I promise to bring you more information as it becomes available to me... stay tuned!



2001 Television News

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