If you could reboot Smallville...

[SpitCurl]

Don't know if this is a good idea for a thread or if it already exists, but, let's say you rewound the clock back to the beginning, or were given the chance to reboot Smallville, starting now, how would you do it?

Let's assume the basic premise: the early years of Clark Kent.

What aspects from the show would you change, if any, or do you think they pretty much got it right? How many seasons would you map out for it?

Would it still begin with HS? How soon would Clark learn about his heritage?

Would he be more enthusiastic about journalism in HS? Less conflicted about his abilities?

What supporting characters would you keep, and what new ones would you bring on? Would their roles be major/minor? Recurring or guest-stars?

Would Clark go to Met U full-time after HS?

Would you have Lois on the show, or would just refer to her (perhaps an over-achieving journalism student at Met U mentions wanting to be the next "Lois Lane", a recent grad made good at the DP).

What about Lex? Would he be around in Smallville, or just a looming threat on the horizon, mentioned but often unseen? Would Lionel instead by the main Luthor presence with Lex under mentor-ship in Metropolis?

What villains would you introduce, and how soon? Heroes?

How would you end it? Would Clark actually graduate Met U and transition right into Superman, perhaps making an unexpected public save (where he at last meets Lois), or does he still need an intermediate persona?

 

[Webhead2006]

Well for me a few things I would have done differently was less/no soap drama crap. Second I would have had lana and clark date earlier on/break up and just be good friends. Would keep having powers grow/and come up like sv did it. But definately would have had flight come sooner, but for budget wise sense use it here/there special reasons. Also production wise make sure I have a good proper budget to work with. Also like sv did def have comic writers on board as producers/writers. There is mpre but can't think right now.

 

[SV Fan]

-4 years of High School, 4 years of College, 2 years Metropolis

I think if Clark went to College alot of the "stalling plots" of S5-7 could have been avoided

-do cast reshuffle when Clark goes to college(bye Lana, Chloe and Pete)
-do full out Clana S3+4 before they break up(Lana finding out secret is cliffhanger of S2/3)

A bunch of new members of the cast could have freshened up the show for S5. In the case of Clana it seems like they never did full blown Clana because they knew the relationship only had a limited shelf life. Having the character of Lana though leave in S4 would have given the show an endpoint for her character so they wouldn't have to worry about how can they keep her relevant. If they wrote the character of Lana somewhat likeable I think the potential for a Lana spinoff series could have been done.

-Jor-El less of a jackholle

Probably the worst character on the show in my books and I would have done him way differently, instead of making him be a cheap excuse to create "drama"


other ideas I wouldn't mind but not necessary
-cast Lex to be same age as Clark(you can have him kicked out of boarding school and comes to live with his dad in Smallville)

 

[Webhead2006]

I do wish they did kept clark in college for a bit after john death in season 5. Then play into he is in school get a internship deal at planet. To have had him get into pplanet alot sooner. So then at least have had clark gain assoicates degree would have been fine. On top of interning and then say around 7th season get a full job from dp.

 

[SpitCurl]

These are all really good.

I think it's interesting how many directions the show could've taken. I do love it for what it is, but I'd definitely do some things differently.

As SV Fan said, I'd have Clark go through college. I think one problem with keeping him based in SV while essentially fighting crime (and working) in Metropolis is that the producers had to constantly revise how far Metropolis was, until Smallville essentially became just a suburb in order to make it plausible for non-super-powered characters to travel there just to have a 2 minute conversation and then quickly return.

I'd want Metropolis to feel like a different world to Clark when he first arrives there as a college freshmen (he could visit once or twice during his HS years as a journalism field trip, but the city should've keep it's freshness).

-Jor-El less of a jackholle

Yeah. Hmm... What the h*ll is up with that interpretation, anyway? I've missed episodes here and there, but has it ever been explained why he's such a *****e-nozzle?

 

[SrsBsns]

-Season one would be Clark's senior year of high school. He's comfortable with his powers but still doesn't know of his Kryptonian heritage.
-Clark/Lana would be done with by no later than season two.
-He would have a stronger desire to be a journalist. Most of the ways he would discover threats is through reporting.
-Clark would begin to form his superhero persona early on, recognizing his ability to help others in need. He would be the complete opposite of SV's Clark prior to season eight.
-IF Lois ever made an appearance, it would be for a very brief cameo in a later episode.
-Lex would be in it at some point, but probably not until the end. He would be the final villain of the show. Clark would perfect his dual identity routine once he realizes Luthor isn't any ordinary villain.
-Flight would happen around the third season or so.

Just a few ideas off the top of my head.

 

[vantheman77]

This is easy. If I were to reboot Smallville, I would do the following:

-First four years in high school involving Clark, Lana Lang, and Pete Ross. In
those 4 years would have Jonathan and Martha Kent raising & supporting him
along with giving him glasses. Have Clark, Lana, and Pete meet The Legion of
Superheroes. Not necessarily joining them. End those 4 years with graduation
as Clark, Lana, and Pete going their separate ways. Clark would bring the
Fortress of Solitude to life. I'd have Lex with hair and have him be friends
with Clark until the turning point where he loses his hair would cause them
to be enemies forever.

-The next 4 years would deal with college. During this time, Clark should train
at the Fortress of Solitude to supplement his college. He should also join the
Justice Society of America, who can show him the tricks of the costumed
trade and learning about teamwork. During this time, Martha should create
the Superman suit. At this point, Lex would learn from his father in running
a company and would kill his father to take over to turn LuthorCorp into
LexCorp. Also, Clark would meet Lori Lemaris during his time in college.

-The final 2 years would see Clark in Metropolis working at the Daily Planet
where he meets Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and Cat Grant. He'd become Superman
and meet other DCU heroes to form the Justice League. At this time, Lex
would establish LexCorp. I would not use any intergalactic
villains such as Darkseid, Doomsday, Zod, and even Brainiac. Only the Earth
bound villains. The Superman legend would be built up by Lois and the Daily
Planet. I would end the show with the Justice League Vs. The Legion of
Doom.

 

[SV Fan]

Yeah. Hmm... What the h*ll is up with that interpretation, anyway? I've missed episodes here and there, but has it ever been explained why he's such a *****e-nozzle?

Not really, it's attitude seemed to change depending what the plot was and how much drama the show needed to create. For the most part Jor-El was fairly nice after reckoning but he turned into a butthead again in S10

 

[DrMylesOBoogie]

Not really, it's attitude seemed to change depending what the plot was and how much drama the show needed to create. For the most part Jor-El was fairly nice after reckoning but he turned into a butthead again in S10

If you listen to the commentary tracks by Gough and Millar they explain that they put a "Smallville twist" on Jor-El because they thought that messing with peoples perception of him would be more interesting. Didn't seem to matter to them that his behaviour never made any sense. Hack writing for the purpose of creating drama.

Him being handled so badly is actually one of the main reasons the show started to go downhill. I remember giving up watching it every week for awhile because I couldn't follow what was going on with all the contradicting behavior from him.

 

[elgaz]

I would simply get rid of the writers. In general, I love Smallville, but damn .......... I really, really hate some of the lines they get. Chloe is the worst, everything is Dawson's Creek-style peppered with home-made cliches.

 

[Webhead2006]

I just had a thought. What if the show stated when clark was a junior in hs in season 1. So then we could have been done with hs after season two. Go straight to college in season 3/4. And have clark get assoicates degree in writing/journalism. Then either could have stop schooling to go straight into working for the planet. Or like I said early go to college and be interning in the planet.

 

[Webhead2006]

I just had a thought. What if the show stated when clark was a junior in hs in season 1. So then we could have been done with hs after season two. Go straight to college in season 3/4. And have clark get assoicates degree in writing/journalism. Then either could have stop schooling to go straight into working for the planet. Or like I said early go to college and be interning in the planet.

 

[SV Fan]

I just had a thought. What if the show stated when clark was a junior in hs in season 1. So then we could have been done with hs after season two. Go straight to college in season 3/4. And have clark get assoicates degree in writing/journalism. Then either could have stop schooling to go straight into working for the planet. Or like I said early go to college and be interning in the planet.

I would do college 3-6 in that scenario. Alot of things would make more sense if the show started them off as 16 year olds(them driving, Lana dating Whitney, Chloe being the editor of the school paper, etc)

 

[Binker]

Vaguely, if I were to reboot or recreate Smallville, while I would keep the fate vs. destiny theme, I would've wanted it to be about how a boy becomes a man, and how a man becomes an icon. That would mean the show changing titles from Smallville to Metropolis to Superman, because Superman in costume and flying would be in it. And speaking of which, the no tights, no flights rules would be a temp rule and not a perm. By going this route, we would show how Clark goes through a coming of age point in his life, but also show how successful and how respected and well-known a person can be, and have that be reflected on how he's Superman. Plus, it would be in good connection to the immigrant theme that Superman emboides since 1938.

Also, I would like to had have Clark explore the world in discovering himself, like Birthright and even the Odyssey TPB.

Others: Lana done right (actually Chloe IS Lana, so do a switch or turn Chloe into Lana and get rid of the rest); if Batman and Wonder Woman still can't be in it, don't do replacements.

Can't think of anything else right now.

 

[Indy Flash]

Seasons 1-4 High school. Season 5 Meeting Lois Collage/ Build Fortress. The Last Four Seasons Superman, Daily Planet, Perry, Jimmy, Wearing Glasses Lois And Clark Ace Reporters.

 

[Hush]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer only replace Buffy with Clark and obviously change the villians to Clarks rogues gallery.

 

[TheTrickster]

I would do
3 High School
4 College
1 Gap Year
2 Daily Planet
Each with 16 episodes.
Each season should build up without taking a step backwards. The narrative is for a single season, like dramas such as the wire. For the first 8 seasons the drama should be leading up to Lex. We should be picking up information about Lex in the background over the course of the first 8 seasons.
High School Years has a story arc that encompasses all three years; Mainly a battle with Zod toward the end of Season 3. Have CK build up his powers over these seasons.
Keep Lana, Chloe and Pete, but have them part ways after High School finishes - they each go to different uni’s to CK . Clark wears glasses
Season 1 – I would like to see this season see CK develop his powers. Have meteor freaks which are similar to some lesser villains like Livewire. Ultimately the first season is about CK learning about his Kryptonian birth and choosing to use his powers wisely unlike the meteor freaks. Leader of which is parasite.
Season 2 – Would have it build up to CK fighting Bizzaro learning about ZOD
Season 3 – Finally with Zod.
College years I would like to see him meet some of the Justice league and meet others through uni life. Perhaps love interest Cat Grant. 4 years should be a trial for a confrontation with Brainiac
Season 4 – Build up to Metallo
Season 5 – Build up to ??
Season 6 – Build up to ??.
Season 7 – Build up to Brainiac
Season 8 - CK takes a year out and travels the world. Would like to see him meet J’onzz , Aquaman. See the formation of the league, replace Batman with the Green Arrow if necessary. Builds up to the JLA defeating Darkseid. This is when Lex begins to take notice of CK’s shenanigans
Season 9 – First years of Daily Planet, he first meet Lois, Jimmy etc. Superman myth born. Builds up to a Lex confrontation. Have it end with Lex unleashing something badd.
Season 10 – Lois –Clark share their first kiss. Find out that what Lex has unleased was Doomsday.

 

[SuperFerret]

Limit the series to Clark in high school, no reference to other superheroes, focus on him learning about his powers and the responsibility he has to use them well.

 

[Superfreak]

-4 years of High School, 4 years of College, 2 years Metropolis

10 seasons is too much, SV has proven that already.

maybe 2 years of highschool, 4 years of college in metropolis, 1 year after grad. 7 always seems to be the magic number.

I dunno where that essential smallville thread went... but I wonder how many episodes of Smallville there are, if one eliminates all the single serving episodes that are not important to the actual plot?

 

[The Cocreator]

I wouldn't have so many coincidences and i wouldn't reuse some plot elements every time.
While the meteor rocks arrived with clark the pilot episode or the 2nd episode would release the rocks and make them create those effects on humans, so it would explain why they only attacked clark and friends now. And i would use Kenny Braverman, the future conduit as a rival for clark and Bizarro from the original smallville would have another name as i would show the original bizarro like what was shoun in the comics.
Season 1- Freaks of the week with LuthorCorp being mentioned and i would probably keep Nixon, the reort that appeared in 4 episodes of the original season 1 but the ending would kind of elude to Kryptonite, maybe based on the first episode featuring christopher reeve
Season 2- Lex Luthor would appear for the first time in a way like the original, he would be friendly, the Red Kryptonite and Kal (the persona clark becomes when on the effect of red K) the ending would be the same as the original with clark discovering his past. Krypto would be introduced.
Season 3- Morgan Edge has a more significant role and is shoun as the main villain of the season, Lionel Luthor is the secoundary. The main storyline would have clark trying to pass 3 of Jor-Els texts, in the first he must be able to stop the falling of a montain in a village, in the 2nd text he must survive a week with no powers, and in the last text, which would be the season finale would be clark trying to stop an invisible force, a hurricane and he would accidentally fly.
Season 4: The seasrch for the stones of power and clark goes to the future for 5 or 6 episodes.
Season 5: BrainIac, or in least what we believe to be him, brainiac would be like in the comics, he would always appear in a different way and the true one would only appear when clark don't the suit. Clark would go to the university.
Season 6: Luthorcorp finds their wourks with problems because of some man that is shoun as a blur in their video tapes (this is in fact clark) Luthorcorp tries to access the Phantom Zone and in the season finale Clark is able to stop it from being opened but a mutant created by kryptonian scientists is unleashed, with the abilities to have other people's apearances.
Season 7: The mutant is stoped and Luthorcorp find what they believe to be the blood of the misterious man (clark), in the end Bizarro is created and Lex discovers clark's secret because of this, he kills his father and almost kills Clark, only for Jor-El to erase his memories.
Season 8: Lex tries to remember his erased memories only to discover that his father had once an adopted son, he ends up being Doomsday but the beast is only 1 % of the power the true beast, that will only fight clark when he becomes superman, Clark is able to destroy this beast, but doesn't know of the one he will one day face and Lex seems to be killed by Oliver.
Season 9: The Show would be rebranded METROPOLIS, since clark moves here and features Darkseid as the villain.
Season 10: Lex may be back or not, Darkseid decides to stop his invasion for now and Clark dons the suit.

If i made a smallville reboot i would prefer to have a pre-batman and a pre-wonderwoman series running together for some storylines.
After season 10 the series would be again rebranded Superman or The Man of Steel

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Remove the character of Lana that they created, and re name Chloe Lana.

I know that sounds weird, but I just think that removing the whole 'yearning after the love of his life' aspect of the series would definitely have improved it. There would have been enough room for 'shipping' moments with a Lana that had more feelings for Clark than he had for her. And TBH it's always more interesting to have that kind of friendship with almost more dynamic, than to have a damaging relationship go on for 7 seasons.

I have really enjoyed Alison Mack's performances, so I wouldn't want the show without her. But I do think that Chloe filled a lot of the roles that Lana had in Clark's early life in the mythos, and so Lana became this character whose only point was as Clark's obsession.

Just try and picture it.

What would each episode have been like, if Chloe was Lana, and there was no 'fairy princess' Lana.

Pilot - Meteor shower hits Smallville. Lana's parents dying doesn't happen. All that we see is Lex's accident, and the Kents finding Clark. Clark goes to school, but does not fall down at Lana's feet, because the necklace doesn't exist. Perhaps a good change to the plot here would be that Whitney is a jerk who is always after Alison Mack's Lana, but whom she always brushes off (similar to the way Biff pursued Lorraine in Back to the Future). Pete is always there to help her fend him off. He loves her, but she doesn't see it (though we know that eventually they end up married). No grave scene, but something similar in which Whitney sees Clark and Alison's Lana sharing some kind of moment, and getting jelous. I'm sure the writer's could have found some other way of having Clark weakened enough to be able to become the Scarecrow, without the necklace. All of the storyline with lex stays pretty much unchanged (bar Lex finding the necklace, and spending the whole of the season being Clark's 'wing man', encouraging him to get with Lana - which I can most definitely do without). Nothing about the Kents and Clarks relationship is changed.

These subtle changes, if you go through every episode and analyse what would have to be lost, and what would be changed for the better, IMO would solve a HELL of a lot of Smallville's problems.

 

[ironman29758]

More or less the same but:
-less of the Lana drama
-Clark go around the world getting college credit and writing article for
-more focus on Clark interest in being reporter
-Clark guiding the team and being a leader but heroes like green arrow and impulse having more or less the same role and so are most of the villains etc except for Mxyltplk
-Clark showing his love for Metropolis and Daily Planet And season 5 he could get a Daily Planet internship.

 

[Anubis]

3 years of high school. He should be a sophomore by the time his powers start to kick in. Date Lana, best friend Pete secretly in luvs with Lana. No Lex. By year 3 Legion shows up. 2 episodes. One, like the one they already did, and the other being an actual adventure in the 31st century. Breaks up with Lana. Goes to College. Leaves everybody behind.

4 years of college. Meets Chloe here. Stuff happens. Adventures had. Meets Lex, but only as a cameo. Maybe meets with some old JSAers. Hawkman. Alan Scott. Jay Garrick.

Then, taking a page from Birthright, does some journalist work over seas. Coups in Africa. Hurricanes in the Caribbean. Helping people along the way. More cameos, s**t like that. Realizes that he could stand as a symbol or whateves. Goes home, makes a suit. Finally, he gets the job in Metropolis with the Planet. Meets Lois, etc, etc. Show ends with first shirt rip.

 

[Catman]

Season One: No freaks of the Week. There can be freaks, but create ones that can last for more than one episode. Remember Lizzy Caplan's character? The one who had a lesbian crush on Lana and could transform into anyone? She could have been a recurring villain. Or even that Jonathan Taylor Thomas character who could split into multiple versions of himselve. But the real villain focus should have been the Luthors. Rememeber all that Luthor drama in season two? They should have used that in season one.

Season Two: Don't make Jor-El a jerk. Make the Native Americans recurring characters. Have Clark's relationship with Kayla (was that her name), that werewolve chick, last the entire season.

Season Three: Clark and Lana date, for real. Things reach their breaking point between Lex and Lionel, for real. Morgan Edge and Intergang are recurring villains.

Season Four: Lionel stays in jail. Chloe stays dead. Lana stays in Paris. Lois is a main character and is a college reporter. Clark and Lex's friendship is the focus of the season. The stone plotline can remain, but without all that witch nonsense.

Season Five: Clark is in college with Lois. He joins the school newspaper. They spent their time working together. There are HINTS of a romance beginning to blossom. Prof. Milton Fine/Brainiac is the central villain. Although, I would have avoided the whole Zod/Phantom Zone storyline. Would have used something involving LuthorCorp instead.

Season Six: Lois and Clark get internships at the Daily Planet. Clark is inspired by Green Arrow to become a superhero. This is when the Blur makes his appearence. Lex, Brainiac, and Intergang would have all been villains for them to battle. Maybe throw in a few new ones as well. But, basically, the focus of the season would have been Clark becoming a superhero.

Season Seven: This is when Brainiac gets a hold of the Phantom Zone and unleashes Zod. Zod is the central villain of the season. He begins to slowly build his empire and set his sights on taking over Earth. Clark begins his training to prepare for that day. He uses his resources at the Fortress, but also help from Green Arrow. Introduce Supergirl half way through the season to really get the ball rolling. She's the one who teaches him how to fly. Meanwhile, Lois & Clark begin to date. Lionel gets out of jail and tries to take over LuthorCorp. Lex and Lionel get into an epic fight that leaves Lionel dead and Lex with amnesia. Tess Mercer, his half-sister, takes over the company and helps Lex in his recovery. But all that becomes irrelevant when Zod invades the planet and it's up to Clark, Supergirl, Green Arrow, and the rest of the Justice League to stop him. When it's all over, Clark emerges a hero and becomes Superman.

The End.

 

[RakuMon]

Season One: No freaks of the Week. There can be freaks, but create ones that can last for more than one episode. Remember Lizzy Caplan's character? The one who had a lesbian crush on Lana and could transform into anyone? She could have been a recurring villain. Or even that Jonathan Taylor Thomas character who could split into multiple versions of himselve. But the real villain focus should have been the Luthors. Rememeber all that Luthor drama in season two? They should have used that in season one.

Season Two: Don't make Jor-El a jerk. Make the Native Americans recurring characters. Have Clark's relationship with Kayla (was that her name), that werewolve chick, last the entire season.

Season Three: Clark and Lana date, for real. Things reach their breaking point between Lex and Lionel, for real. Morgan Edge and Intergang are recurring villains.

Season Four: Lionel stays in jail. Chloe stays dead. Lana stays in Paris. Lois is a main character and is a college reporter. Clark and Lex's friendship is the focus of the season. The stone plotline can remain, but without all that witch nonsense.

Season Five: Clark is in college with Lois. He joins the school newspaper. They spent their time working together. There are HINTS of a romance beginning to blossom. Prof. Milton Fine/Brainiac is the central villain. Although, I would have avoided the whole Zod/Phantom Zone storyline. Would have used something involving LuthorCorp instead.

Season Six: Lois and Clark get internships at the Daily Planet. Clark is inspired by Green Arrow to become a superhero. This is when the Blur makes his appearence. Lex, Brainiac, and Intergang would have all been villains for them to battle. Maybe throw in a few new ones as well. But, basically, the focus of the season would have been Clark becoming a superhero.

Season Seven: This is when Brainiac gets a hold of the Phantom Zone and unleashes Zod. Zod is the central villain of the season. He begins to slowly build his empire and set his sights on taking over Earth. Clark begins his training to prepare for that day. He uses his resources at the Fortress, but also help from Green Arrow. Introduce Supergirl half way through the season to really get the ball rolling. She's the one who teaches him how to fly. Meanwhile, Lois & Clark begin to date. Lionel gets out of jail and tries to take over LuthorCorp. Lex and Lionel get into an epic fight that leaves Lionel dead and Lex with amnesia. Tess Mercer, his half-sister, takes over the company and helps Lex in his recovery. But all that becomes irrelevant when Zod invades the planet and it's up to Clark, Supergirl, Green Arrow, and the rest of the Justice League to stop him. When it's all over, Clark emerges a hero and becomes Superman.

The End.

Wow. This is great. It really streamlines the "Smallville" universe into something concise and tight.

I like that you went with a lot of the conceits of the show: (Lois, Oliver, Tess) and made them work rather than just dismissing them.

Great job!