TV Guide reports what could be Smallville's biggest shocker of the season: creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are departing the show at the end of this season! This is no April Fools joke! As soon as I read this, I went to one of Smallville's most popular website, KryptonSite, and found the open letter both creators sent to announce their departure. "After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on," they say in their letter.
The creators' letter doesn't explain why they decided to depart before the series ended (Smallville was renewed for an 8th season). Could it be because of some behind-the-scenes drama? They do say thanks to someone for always having their backs "when the knives were out." Could it be to tackle on other projects? Both worked on movies while on Smallville, their latest project being The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. We could speculate for days about the reasons why they left one of The CW's most popular show.
One thing the creators make clear in their letter is that they are thankful. Not only to the cast and crew but also the fans who supported them through the past seven years. "Finally, to the fans who have stuck with us through the highs and the lows: know this – we never stopped fighting to make this show great. Thanks for watching," they mention at the end of their letter. Right back at you Smallville creators, I'm thankful for the entertaining episodes you offered us.
So what does that mean for the series? Will the show be affected creatively? Who will take on the responsibilities that both had with the show? Questions without answers right now.
As a Smallville fan, Gough and Millar's departure is making me a bit uneasy. Next season will already feature less of Lex and less of Lana (I'm really happy about the latter though), so what will it be without the creative duo? Post your reactions below.
Update! TV Guide now reveals that "sources have since informed [us] that a pair of producing teams - Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, and Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer - have been named the new show runners/executive producers, leaving Smallville in the good hands of four longtime writers for the show."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-03-2008 @ 11:46AM
Thomas said...
Creative duo?
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4-03-2008 @ 11:48AM
Isabelle Carreau said...
They are creative and a duo, no? Plus they wrote a lot of the Smallville episodes.
4-03-2008 @ 2:57PM
Thomas said...
Considering the quality of the show in recent years and that each episode is basically the same, the creative part could be argued. I'm not overly concerned.
4-03-2008 @ 12:12PM
litehousebeacon said...
Now maybe the canon of Superman won't be completely disregarded...
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4-03-2008 @ 12:16PM
Scott said...
Maybe they can drop the "no tights, no flights" rule and finally have Clark fly. I don't care about the tights part, but considering how many other characters can fly, it's getting very silly that Clark can't/doesn't (he levitated while sleeping 7 years ago in the pilot!)
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4-03-2008 @ 12:34PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
That is indeed a rule I wouldn't mind them breaking.
4-03-2008 @ 12:27PM
Robobagins said...
No Lex? It isn't a show without Lex!
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4-03-2008 @ 12:33PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
We will have some Lex.
4-03-2008 @ 12:28PM
Concern Wrestling Fan said...
"We could speculate for days about the reasons why they left one of The CW's most popular show."
If you call it the most popular by the ratings, you should take a look. The CW's most popular show is WWE Smackdown. Next year now that Smackdown is going to My Network TV it maybe but it certainly is not now.
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4-03-2008 @ 12:32PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
That's why I said "one of the most popular" since it depends how we look at it (only scripted series, all shows on the network, etc.).
4-03-2008 @ 1:24PM
Jason Hughes said...
she said one of, not the most popular. It definitely qualifies as one of The CW's top shows, I think.
4-03-2008 @ 12:40PM
Mary said...
I agree with what Scott said; I think it is time for Clark to fly. I have been waiting for years. Every new season I wonder is this it will he fly? Come on guys it time already.
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4-03-2008 @ 1:09PM
Oreo said...
They don't want to stay for the finale season? Stupid move. Gilmore Girls creators did the same thing and no one has forgiven them.
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4-03-2008 @ 1:34PM
Riley Freeman said...
this better be the last season. im a big smallville fan but lets face it. nobody on that show looks even remotely close to the ages they try and play. i dont even think smallville should get a full season. give them like 11 episodes and as a chappelle show skit would say WRAP IT UP lol.
its time ill miss it and i loved it but its time. and he better start flying. i dont want to see him in any superman tights unless its a smallville movie but its time for him to fly. in the movies he was flying at the end of high schoool so they are definitely dragging their feet.
I think they are leaving because the cw probably wants to take to superman steps and they probably want to keep it back or they want to wrap it up and the cw wants to keep it going.
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4-03-2008 @ 1:59PM
MrMuggs said...
I tried to watch Smallville but it was the same plot structure over and over in every episode. Am I wrong? It's been too long since I watched it but I remember it being the same setup every single time.
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4-03-2008 @ 2:09PM
kevjohn said...
This could be a good or bad thing, depending on who they're replaced with. For some reason it usually doesn't work out so well when creative staff get replaced on television shows, but it happens in other industries all the time. For instance, I think we're all thanking the heavens that Chris Nolan came along and replaced the previous Batman directors. Just last night I was watching the X-Men 2 special features dvd and saw that in one of the segments they were talking about the long line of artists, writers, and Marvel company chiefs who worked on the comic over the years. Some eras have not been as good as others, but overall the series has continued to grow and progress. That never seems to happen to tv shows. The people who were there from the beginning leave, and the quality seems to suffer almost immediately. But maybe they can make it through their (reportedly) final season without much of a dropoff. Not that these past couple of seasons have been top-notch.
Wow, I just talked about Batman and the X-Men in a Smallville article. If only I could find some way to work in Spider-man and Hulk I would be golden. hmmm. Fantastic Four. Iron Man. ...there.
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4-03-2008 @ 2:13PM
KayDee said...
I haven't watched Smallville with any degree of regularity for a few seasons now because the Lana/Clark angst was just too much to bear. I never understood putting so much creative energy into that relationship, especially following high school, when everyone knows Clark ends up with Lois. And the continual "Lana in danger and Clark saves her" routine had become a gimmick-staple of the show. Maybe Gough and Miller leaving might be a good thing, don't know. But I think I may tune in again next season, see what's what. Maybe Clark will go to college and intern at the Daily Planet, and maybe he'll actually learn to fly. Could be cool!
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4-03-2008 @ 3:05PM
Sam said...
Oh thank god.
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4-03-2008 @ 3:06PM
Mark said...
I would love them make the jump to a new show called Metropolis. You can keep many of the same characters, but you have the freedom to open it even more to a more global perspective. More Justice League. Perry White as mentor instead of Ma and Pa Kent with a more big city attitude of what it takes to live in the city. The idea of a superman out there fighting crime even though Clark would rather remain out of the spotlight.
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4-03-2008 @ 3:41PM
ac said...
Hopefully the new show runners will unwussify Clark, let him fly, and keep Lana in zombie mode like the last episode left off.
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