Smallville

Smallville reimagines Clark Kent's early life long before the cape and the S emblem. The series tracks a young alien foundling growing up in a small Kansas town, coping with strange abilities, secret origins, and the ordinary pressures of school, friends, and first loves. As Clark's powers develop he faces moral choices, dangerous discoveries tied to meteor rock and alien tech, and a complicated relationship with the brilliant but troubled Lex Luthor. The show keeps the focus on relationships and character decisions, showing how a teenager shaped by loss and loyalty slowly moves toward accepting a larger role in the world, without spoiling key twists.

Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and drawing on the Superman mythos by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Smallville premiered in 2001 on The WB, later continuing on The CW. Tom Welling led a cast that included Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman, and Justin Hartley over a decade of episodes.

Across its run the series received attention from genre and fan-focused awards, earning multiple nominations and several wins in categories like visual effects and fan-voted honors. It was regularly recognized within sci-fi and fantasy communities for its production and performances.

Smallville left a clear mark on superhero television, showing that an origin story could unfold over many seasons while keeping serialized drama at the center. The show's reinterpretation of Clark and Lex's early friendship, its small-town setting, and recurring motifs like Kryptonite became part of pop culture conversation and influenced later comic-based TV series.

Critics and fans often differed by season, with early years praised for strong character work and later seasons drawing more mixed reactions for tonal shifts. The series averaged an 8.19/10 from audience votes, reflecting steady fan enthusiasm. Major themes include identity, responsibility, the costs of secrecy, and how ordinary relationships shape a person's choices, delivered through accessible drama and action that kept viewers invested over ten seasons.