Smallville Series Outline?

[Binker]

Does anyone know if there was ever a series outline that they created for Smallville back when, I guess day one? I ask this because, the original version known simply as Bruce Wayne, had a series outline where they knew where to go and how long, which was 5-6 seasons total, and possibility no more else (maybe). I wonder if Smallville had that because, I would think every show has one. And if Smallville did, I wonder if it wasn't suppose to run this long, and instead suppose to be shorter (maybe a few seasons total), and have a different type of ending, until things changed.

Any ideas?

 

[LL2K2]

They did something like that in one of the Smallville Magazine annual specials - 2005, I believe. In it they had a comparison of how the characters and plotlines had developed through Season 4 to the original series treatment.

Such examples included how different Pete and Lana looked on the show compared to the comics, and how Clark's powers developed (his heat vision and X-ray vision manifested as proposed). However, I don't think they mentioned a specific timeframe.

 

[LightningFlash]

They had seven years planned, originally. One of the speculative reasons that Al Gough and Miles Millar decided to leave the series during its seventh season was because, earlier that year, they showed the WB and/or DC their outline of the last ten episodes of season seven, and the "bosses" didn't seem to like or even cared for it(as in WB) and they didn't allow it(as in DC), thus season seven's ending was fairly changed, and it lead into season eight. And Al/Miles ended up leaving the show.

 

[SV Fan]

Here is the Series Outline for the Batman series they originally pitched. You can sort of fit Smallville characters into certain roles. In all honesty, I believe the tone of the show would work better with Batman or Spiderman then Clark "Mr Happy Go Lucky" Kent.

http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/outline.htm

 

[Superfreak]

there is no overall plan with Smallville. There never has been, nor will there be (although I can hope there will be one).

an overall plan would involve foresight... which is nonexistant on this team, even since the season 8 revolution.

if there was a 7 year plan with MandG, it was a pretty weak one. And I don't think that 'arc' would have saved anything at the end of 7. Just because there is some sort of plan for the last 6-7 episodes, doesn't mean that there is an overall plan for the series.

this point has infact, for me, been the weakest point of the series. It is a long term plan, which would have helped avoid the endless FOTW episodes in the earlier seasons... as well as eliminate those filler episodes that have occured since the revolution. Simply put, if you have a plan: you don't need 80-90 episodes worth of filler (aka: audience exploitation for commercials)

 

[Webhead2006]

good question, i am sure there was an early outline of what gough/miller had in mind for the show and things they want to do. Then of course over time things changed and all that.

 

[Mikelus]

The original producers, Al Gough and Miles Millar, had a vision about the end of the series according to current producers Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders, a vision they share:

And in the case of Smallville, we all know what that ending is. Speaking of which, do you already have an endgame planned? And if so, how similar or dissimilar is it to what the show’s creators—Al Gough and Miles Millar—envisioned?

Whenever the final episode airs—whenever that is—there are moments that Al and Miles always talked about, and those are moments that we want to use to preserve their vision. They’re really great steps to getting into the full Superman mythos. So what will be a part of that episode, whenever it is, will be their vision. And every season, we think of more moments that would be really cool in the final episode. So we’ve been gathering these jewels along the way each year.

So if you do plan to incorporate Clark’s “disguise,” do you have a plan to address how no one recognizes Clark in the glasses?

Souders: That’s really the great question of all time, isn’t it? How does someone not recognize someone behind a pair of glasses? For us, it’s more about the double identity to be honest, about getting both images together.

So, finally, how do you maintain the balance of the original intent of Smallville without making it a full blown Superman show?

Each year, it’s a different challenge because we don’t want him to completely stall. We always want him to keep making progress and move toward becoming Superman. So at the beginning of each season, we sit down and talk about Clark psychologically. What’s going on with him, why he hasn’t put on the outfit, the lessons he has to learn. So each year, we look over what the final stages are that he has to get through being Superman 100%. You know, not just going around saving people, but actually embracing his persona and being that symbol of hope.


http://www.popcultureshock.com/smallville-showrunner-kelly-souders/55025/