Smallville
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Smallville (2001) is a drama and adventure series from The CW. Episodes run about 60 minutes. It premiered on October 16, 2001. Viewers rate it 8.1 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 10 seasons.
What Smallville Is About
A retelling of Superman’s early days as teenager Clark Kent growing up in Smallville, Kansas. He is guided by his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent.
Friends and adversaries include Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan, Pete Ross, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor and his father Lionel Luthor.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 60 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, spread across 10 seasons and it leans into its drama/adventure roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Tom Welling, Allison Mack and Michael Rosenbaum to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Tom Welling, Allison Mack, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, Annette O'Toole and Erica Durance lead the cast.
Key roles include Tom Welling as Clark Kent; Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan; Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor; Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang; Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of drama, adventure and science-fiction have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside The CW’s other originals, a 8.1/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2001 and carried by The CW with the series still ended, it lands hardest with drama and adventure viewers.
How Smallville Compares
If Smallville lands for you, the next stops are Breaking Bad, Firefly and The Wire, which share its drama/adventure lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Smallville comes from The CW. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Smallville is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Tom Welling and Allison Mack doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its drama/adventure roots, It has held up since 2001 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Smallville is a safe bet for anyone already inside the drama and adventure lane, the audience score holds around 8.1/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8.1/10. Watch it if you want drama/adventure you can settle into.
