What is "Smallville?"

Perhaps you just were browsing the Web and had never heard of Smallville before. You may be wondering what it's all about. Rest assured, here's the story:

The character of Superman was created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and first appeared in DC Comics' ACTION COMICS #1. You've surely heard of him -- he's that guy who can fly, bend steel with his bare hands, and that sort of thing. Superman has appeared in many different sorts of media, from movie serials in the 1940s to television shows to a popular movie series starring Christopher Reeve.

The last foray into television, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman starring Dean Cain, lasted four seasons.

It was decided that it was finally time for a new take on the Superman story -- one that delved into a period of Clark Kent's life that was never explored before; except for a very brief moment in "Superman: The Movie." Everyone knows it's hard to be a teenager. But what would it be like to grow up as a teenager who had the power of Superman?

In September 2000, it was announced that the WB Network was ordering 13 episodes of a series that would answer that very question. Eventually called Smallville, the show would tell the tales of the young Clark Kent.

Smallville stars Tom Welling, who was very popular among fans of the CBS series Judging Amy after appearing on several episodes of that show. This Clark definitely looks and acts the part, and you can truly believe he will grow up to be Superman. "The challenge was how do you find Superman before he was Superman. It’s like looking for Harry Potter or Anakin Skywalker," Smallville executive producer Alfred Gough told KryptonSite in an exclusive interview. "We really wanted a fresh face, someone who wouldn’t be identified with any other role. We had casting directors all over the country looking, and we saw 100s of actors in person and on videotape, but nobody popped for us. Then Tom came in. He's just one of these guys who has star quality. Not only did he have the right look, but he also had that right sort of spirit -- you could see him becoming Superman. There's a gentleness, but also real strength. We had him read with Kristin at the network - wow - talk about chemistry. We couldn't be happier," Gough added. Young Clark also comes to Smallville with some baggage -- when Clark's rocket came to the "leafy little hamlet" of Smallville, so did a shower of meteors that affected the town as well as some of the main players in the show.

Also starring in the cast will be Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang. Kristin was named one of the "faces to watch out for" in Entertainment Weekly magazine, and she will be appearing as Snow White in an upcoming ABC-TV movie. Kristin also appears on the Fox Family Channel series Edgemont. "She has a wonderful, delicate beauty. When you look into her eyes you immediately understand why Clark Kent pines for her," Gough said. The meteors hitting Smallville made a major effect on Lana Lang's life, which will be revealed in the Smallville pilot.

Michael Rosenbaum ("Urban Legends," Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane) is playing young Lex Luthor. Young Lex's father is the "fertilizer king of Metropolis" and has sent Lex to Smallville to run his fertilizer plant there. Lex was balded at age 9 during an accident that occurred at the same time the meteor shower hit Smallville.

Sam Jones III and Allison Mack play Clark's friends Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan. Pete's uncles owned the creamed-corn factory that eventually became the Luthors' fertilizer plant; and Chloe's father Gabe runs the fertilizer plant. Chloe's an aspiring reporter -- think Lois Lane about fifteen years younger and with blond hair -- and Pete is the sarcastic "Xander" of the bunch.

Eric Johnson plays Whitney Fordman, star quarterback of Smallville High. He's got a very "Flash Thompson" like feel to him, and may be somewhat threatened by Clark's sweetness to Lana. He appears to be very self-centered; but who knows what the future has in store for him.

Finally, John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard) and Annette O'Toole (who ironically played Lana Lang in the movie "Superman III") play Jonathan and Martha Kent. The couple found Clark in October 1989, and are wrestling with whether or not to tell Clark the truth about where he really came from.

Smallville will be filmed in British Columbia, Canada, but one would really think it was Kansas -- it looks right.

Look for Smallville to cover weird things, much like the X-Files and Twin Peaks, but don't look for it to be like a comic book or be campy. Also fans may be surprised to hear that in Smallville, Clark wears no costume and -- surprise! -- no glasses. He just wears regular clothes, he isn't in disguise, he just has to keep his powers secret. "He won't be wearing glasses. I always thought the glasses and that sort of persona that he plays in Metropolis is to disguise the fact that he is Superman in the costume. Here he's a kid dealing with these sort of extraordinary powers and trying to get through high school. Part of it is keeping these things secret. It's more along the lines of the movie where he didn't have the costume until he went to Metropolis. Basically, we're not doing "Superboy," Gough said.

Smallville premieres this Fall on the WB Network. The show will air at 9PM Tuesday nights, following Gilmore Girls. For more information and to consult the official WB site and more, check the links on the main page.