Daybreak_st
Old-School Comic Cool
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2010
- Messages
- 1,623
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 31
Interesting topic.
First and foremost I'd have a clear game plan/trajectory for the series, particularly how long it needs to run and where we'd leave each of the major players and how it would bridge into the Superman mythos.
The series would run for 5 seasons max.
The main problem with Smallville was how long and drawn out they made it, also the reluctant hero routine grew stale after a while. They had to artificially ****** his progress to justify the lack of forward momentum to the series. A shorter run ie 5 seasons would eliminate all of that, allow him to make organic process and also allow him to gain flight in the final season since he was only gaining one power a season anyway.
They did such an awesome job on Lex and Clark's relationship in early seasons i'd keep that intact. The main premise as in the early seasons would be how these two grow apart and set on their separate paths.
Season one would feature a well-liked sports star Clark Kent on several varsity teams. In the events of the first episode his powers would start to emerge (he's been functioning at peak human performance but nothing drastic yet). He'd maybe injure someone playing football or wrestling. Later (like in the pilot to the animated series) he'd save a family from a fire or something discovering he was invulnerable or like in pilot of Smallville save lex after he runs into him.
So you'd see this huge shift from the popular Bryne era Clark Kent to the much more withdrawn introspective Clark who becomes keenly interested in his heritage and his emerging abilities. I'd like to downplay the angst (some is appropriate) and play up the fascination he'd have with what he can do. I'd also have either Pete or Lana or both find out early on with his parents unaware that they know. Maybe the cliffhanger for season one where he rescues Lana would lead her to knowing his secret etc.
Id keep the younger parents. That was a great idea. And Lionel Luthor is perhaps the greatest contribution the Superman mythos from Smallville.
"Destiny" would be down played. Ultimately each of their paths is all about choice not destiny. "Destiny" was the most overused word in that series and should be removed.
Also I'd change the chloe/lana dynamic. Chloe essentially filled the role that young lana should play in the Superman mythos, making Lana redundant and only suitable for the "first love" type role. Once that wore thin there was no where else to go so they kept inventing ridiculous plot after ridiculous plot to justify her staying on the series, it was a catch 22. If we had the same cast I'd simply rewrite Chloe as Lana and cast Allison Mack. She'd be Lana but function as Chloe did. Clark could have a variety of Love interests in the show until he and Chloe/lana fall for each other but for whatever reason it doesn't work out towards the end of the series. Also Id have a better Pete more along the lines of how Oliver and Clark became close friends at the end of Smallville.
I also like the Kawatchee caves and the early versions of Kryptonian tech. those elements were later dropped in favor of similarities to the Donner films. I'd sever all connections to the donner film and play up an original vision of krypton. But that wouldn't come into play until the fifth season. I actually liked how he had to assemble the pieces of the crystal that were scattered around the world. So in the fifth season (after we've seen clark pretty much in smallville during the first four years) he would go on some global adventures discovering artifacts and finally assembling the crystal and creating (a very different looking ) fortress. Also no stupid witch subplpot. I do think it would be interesting if he was racing against lex who was racing against Lionel to find the stones.
While i never liked "meteor freaks" they did give him a credible threat. I would instead do something along the lines of Lionel funding Cadmus labs who's performing experiments on humans using meteor rocks among other things etc. They would be the huge source of conflict with clark during the series. They are more shadowy/mysterious (think men in black or Horned Rimmed Glasses from Heroes and the Company). Clark wouldnt discover the connection between Lionel and the Company until later on, perhaps only after Lex has discovered the same connection.
And another element I liked in Smallville was his early interaction with some of the DC characters like Impluse, Cyborg, and Aquaman. I'd keep things like that in play showing how clark inspires these guys to acts of heroism (in the 5th final season) but would avoid any fully formed heroes in costume. That would be avoided at all costs!!!
In high school I would have his interests in researching himself bleed over into researching other things leading to his working for the paper and ultimate his becoming a journalist. I'd also play up how genuiely decent of a person he is in that if he comes across and injustice he's focused on righting the wrong, hence a little golden age Superman in there. He'd also secretly use his powers do help out. That would lead to a diverse set of stories, some featuring superpowered threats, some featuring he and lana investigating something going on, and stories simply about clark, his emerging powers and discovering who he is.
Another element Id play up is the use of extraterrestrials. One character who was criminally underuse d was John Jones. I really like there take on him. He would been a great mentor to Clark. And anticipated having him and Clark work together to round up those phantom zone escapees in season 6 but it never materialized. I would definitely use something along those lines in season 5 while Clark is traveling the work finding Kryptonian artifacts he stumbles upon an alien bounty hunter trying to recapture some dangerous criminals. Clark and he have to team up to take these folks down. Id play homage to classic DC aliens maybe.
All in all Id try to have a very tight tv series with a clear beginning, middle and end in mind. Id probably end with him creating/discovering the fortress of Solitude. Youd finally get to see remants of krypton and a very scifi inspired fortress. Jor-el would be a holographic projection like Rommie from Andromeda. The last episode would flash forward 5 years to his first public appearance, wed see Lex and his current position and maybe see the first appearance of the DP. Something like that.
First and foremost I'd have a clear game plan/trajectory for the series, particularly how long it needs to run and where we'd leave each of the major players and how it would bridge into the Superman mythos.
The series would run for 5 seasons max.
The main problem with Smallville was how long and drawn out they made it, also the reluctant hero routine grew stale after a while. They had to artificially ****** his progress to justify the lack of forward momentum to the series. A shorter run ie 5 seasons would eliminate all of that, allow him to make organic process and also allow him to gain flight in the final season since he was only gaining one power a season anyway.
They did such an awesome job on Lex and Clark's relationship in early seasons i'd keep that intact. The main premise as in the early seasons would be how these two grow apart and set on their separate paths.
Season one would feature a well-liked sports star Clark Kent on several varsity teams. In the events of the first episode his powers would start to emerge (he's been functioning at peak human performance but nothing drastic yet). He'd maybe injure someone playing football or wrestling. Later (like in the pilot to the animated series) he'd save a family from a fire or something discovering he was invulnerable or like in pilot of Smallville save lex after he runs into him.
So you'd see this huge shift from the popular Bryne era Clark Kent to the much more withdrawn introspective Clark who becomes keenly interested in his heritage and his emerging abilities. I'd like to downplay the angst (some is appropriate) and play up the fascination he'd have with what he can do. I'd also have either Pete or Lana or both find out early on with his parents unaware that they know. Maybe the cliffhanger for season one where he rescues Lana would lead her to knowing his secret etc.
Id keep the younger parents. That was a great idea. And Lionel Luthor is perhaps the greatest contribution the Superman mythos from Smallville.
"Destiny" would be down played. Ultimately each of their paths is all about choice not destiny. "Destiny" was the most overused word in that series and should be removed.
Also I'd change the chloe/lana dynamic. Chloe essentially filled the role that young lana should play in the Superman mythos, making Lana redundant and only suitable for the "first love" type role. Once that wore thin there was no where else to go so they kept inventing ridiculous plot after ridiculous plot to justify her staying on the series, it was a catch 22. If we had the same cast I'd simply rewrite Chloe as Lana and cast Allison Mack. She'd be Lana but function as Chloe did. Clark could have a variety of Love interests in the show until he and Chloe/lana fall for each other but for whatever reason it doesn't work out towards the end of the series. Also Id have a better Pete more along the lines of how Oliver and Clark became close friends at the end of Smallville.
I also like the Kawatchee caves and the early versions of Kryptonian tech. those elements were later dropped in favor of similarities to the Donner films. I'd sever all connections to the donner film and play up an original vision of krypton. But that wouldn't come into play until the fifth season. I actually liked how he had to assemble the pieces of the crystal that were scattered around the world. So in the fifth season (after we've seen clark pretty much in smallville during the first four years) he would go on some global adventures discovering artifacts and finally assembling the crystal and creating (a very different looking ) fortress. Also no stupid witch subplpot. I do think it would be interesting if he was racing against lex who was racing against Lionel to find the stones.
While i never liked "meteor freaks" they did give him a credible threat. I would instead do something along the lines of Lionel funding Cadmus labs who's performing experiments on humans using meteor rocks among other things etc. They would be the huge source of conflict with clark during the series. They are more shadowy/mysterious (think men in black or Horned Rimmed Glasses from Heroes and the Company). Clark wouldnt discover the connection between Lionel and the Company until later on, perhaps only after Lex has discovered the same connection.
And another element I liked in Smallville was his early interaction with some of the DC characters like Impluse, Cyborg, and Aquaman. I'd keep things like that in play showing how clark inspires these guys to acts of heroism (in the 5th final season) but would avoid any fully formed heroes in costume. That would be avoided at all costs!!!
In high school I would have his interests in researching himself bleed over into researching other things leading to his working for the paper and ultimate his becoming a journalist. I'd also play up how genuiely decent of a person he is in that if he comes across and injustice he's focused on righting the wrong, hence a little golden age Superman in there. He'd also secretly use his powers do help out. That would lead to a diverse set of stories, some featuring superpowered threats, some featuring he and lana investigating something going on, and stories simply about clark, his emerging powers and discovering who he is.
Another element Id play up is the use of extraterrestrials. One character who was criminally underuse d was John Jones. I really like there take on him. He would been a great mentor to Clark. And anticipated having him and Clark work together to round up those phantom zone escapees in season 6 but it never materialized. I would definitely use something along those lines in season 5 while Clark is traveling the work finding Kryptonian artifacts he stumbles upon an alien bounty hunter trying to recapture some dangerous criminals. Clark and he have to team up to take these folks down. Id play homage to classic DC aliens maybe.
All in all Id try to have a very tight tv series with a clear beginning, middle and end in mind. Id probably end with him creating/discovering the fortress of Solitude. Youd finally get to see remants of krypton and a very scifi inspired fortress. Jor-el would be a holographic projection like Rommie from Andromeda. The last episode would flash forward 5 years to his first public appearance, wed see Lex and his current position and maybe see the first appearance of the DP. Something like that.
until S7 or S8 when she shows up working at the Daily Planet. Clark is attracted to her but he is with Lana and keeps his feelings to himself. The more time they spend together the more Clark likes Lois, while Lois is oblivious to his dilemma. Then in S8 Clark starts working at the DP and starts to like Lois even more but the relationship is halted by Lana's return and then her departure. Lois is not pathetic, easy, or so willing to please with Clark after Lana leaves again, telling Clark that he made his decision (it was Lana) and anything that might have happened has forever been squashed. Clark is upset but mildly accepting (for now). Everything that happened with Doomsday and S9 stays the same. Clark and Lois do not get engaged in S10.
