Tagged: CW

The Next Season Of ‘Smallville’ Is The Last. So What Do You Need To See?

The Next Season Of ‘Smallville’ Is The Last. So What Do You Need To See?

Just in case you’ve not been knee-deep in the most current TV news, allow us to share some tidbits about your favorite CW drama with super people. That’s right, next fall, the tenth season of Smalleville will be the last. How do we know? Well, ole’ Clark himself, actor Tom Welling told Hollywood Life. The 33 year old actor was quoted as saying “Season 10 of Smallville will be the last season.”… Seems pretty straight forward to us, and the CW confirmed it at the upfronts. With many fans wondering how long the show was going to go on (after series regular Michael Rosenbaum left, and several disappointing storylines), it seems as good a time as any for the long running drama to take a bow.

Thanks largely in part to some revitalization from DC Comics guru Geoff Johns, who contributed to the season high ‘Absolute Justice’, the series gained back some lost steam with fans during it’s 9th season. Name dropping “Apokolips”, adding “Checkmate” and Amanda Waller didn’t hurt either. But with Clark still donning his “Neo-Lite” black trenchcoat and silver sparkle Superman tee-shirt combo… will the final season break the original series law of “No Flights. No Tights.”?

Well ComicMix’ers season 10 is just a summer away. So we ask you, what do you want to see in in the final Smallville episodes? Clark don his signature eyewear? More Justice-League Lite? More JSA? A showdown with Lord Darkseid? How about a return of Michael Rosenbaum? Let us know in the comments below!

ComicMix Quick Picks – February 11, 2009

ComicMix Quick Picks – February 11, 2009

Today’s collection of items may not be worth a post of their own, but may be of interest:

  • An online Heath Ledger fan club has put up an online petition calling for Warner Brothers to withdraw the role of the Joker from Batman movies once and for all. They already have over 2,000 supporters "freaks." They’re also on YouTube, Facebook and Flickr.
  • The Battlestar Galactica prequel spinoff Caprica will be available on DVD and as a digital download on April 21 of this year but will not air until the show is ready to launch on SciFi– a full year later. Caprica, which will lay the groundwork for a 22-episode series scheduled to launch in 2010, is executive produced by BSG‘s Ronald D. Moore and David Eick and Remi Aubuchon (24) and stars Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales and Polly Walker.
  • Blambot presents the grammar of comic book lettering.
  • Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years, The West Wing) will become lead math correspondent for the weekly Science Channel series Brink, joining host Josh Zepps. Danica graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in mathematics, is co-author of a published proof, and wrote two math books for junior high girls, called Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math and not Break a Nail and Kiss My Math.
  • The CW is collaborating with publisher Alloy Entertainment on a one-hour drama pilot adapted from the book series "The Vampire Diaries". Kevin Williamson (Scream) will write and executive produce, working alongside Julie Plec (Kyle XY). If the CW wanted vampires, why couldn’t they bring Buffy or Angel back?

Anything else we missed? Consider this an open thread.

‘Spectacular Spider-Man’ Swings from KidsWB to Disney XD in March

‘Spectacular Spider-Man’ Swings from KidsWB to Disney XD in March

  • News
  • December 12, 2008

The Spectacular Spider-Man will be spinning webs at Disney XD in March 2009. Toon Disney is being rebranded Disney XD in February in an effort to appeal to boys as well as girls and having Spidey on hand won’t hurt.  The webslinger’s current animated adventures are running on KidsWB but will make the move in a few months, according to Toon Zone.

The latest animated incarnation premiered this past March and needed to vacate his slot as 4Kids Entertainment completed a deal to program the Saturday morning hours for the CW network. With 4Kids and Fox going separate ways, the Fox series were also moving to CW, which squeezed available slots.

The Spectacular Spider-Man’s second season will premiere on Disney XD with repeats from the first season are also expected.

Television Notes

Television Notes

  • News
  • December 6, 2008

Sam Raimi’s entry into reality game shows, 13  Fear Is Real, has been given a January 7 premiere date on the CW. Contestants are brought to a haunted house and must endure challenges akin to the sort found in the modern day horror film. The challenges., though, are also designed to exploit each contestants greatest fear and the last person standing will win  $66,666. For those who miss out, the series is scheduled for repeats on Friday nights, beginning January 9.

ABC’s very full midseason inventory has meant the network could trim their orders from across numerous new shows.  Cupid, yesterday, had its order of 13 episodes trimmed to nine, including its pilot. Castle and The Unusuals had their 13 episode orders cut back to ten each.

Showtime has ordered a third season of David Duchovny’s Californication. The 12-episode season is expected for late 2009.
 

Fox Dumps Saturday Morning Cartoons in Favor of Infomercials

Fox Dumps Saturday Morning Cartoons in Favor of Infomercials

  • News
  • November 25, 2008

Since 2002, 4Kids has been programming Saturday morning fare on Fox but as the deal ends in December, the network has decided to abandon children’s programming in favor of infomercials according to Variety. 4Kids will continue to provide programming for the CW’s Saturday morning schedule under a separate deal. Some of the Fox shows will move to the CW but none were named.

4Kids had been paying Fox $20 million for the four hour block filled with animated fare based on games, toys and original properties. Two of those hours will now be returned to the local channels with the other two, 10 a.m. – noon, devoted to the paid advertising.

"These are hopefully not infomercials," said Fox Networks Group chairman Tony Vinciquerra. "These will be long-form programs that highlights their product. In that regard, it will have a little better quality." But we suspect that’s exactly what will be offered.

Saturday mornings used to feature a wide array of choices for children dating back to the 1950s but in more recent times, cable channels such as Disney and Nickelodeon siphoned away the audience so bit b bit, the network programmed less for the kids and are now closer to abandoning the once sacred hours entirely.

The deal ended after an acrimonious suit between Fox and 4Kids over money based on the percentage of affiliate stations carrying the animated shows. 4Kids contended the number fell below 90% entitling them to a $13 million refund while Fox said nothing was owed. Although 4Kids continued to provide programming, they did not pay $13 million owned between April and October. The settlement had 4Kids agree to pay $12.25 million and end the partnership now rather than next September.

CW Drops Plans for ‘Graysons’

CW Drops Plans for ‘Graysons’

  • News
  • November 7, 2008

Fans can breathe easier now.

The CW has dropped its plans for The Graysons, which would have dramatically altered the character of Dick Grayson in stories set before he became Robin the Boy Wonder.  According to Variety, Warner Bros. Pictures president Jeff Robinov rethought the premise and decided it didn’t fit in the company’s overall plans for its DC Comics super-heroes.

With Smallville likely in its eighth and final season, the CW network was seeking a replacement series and settled on Dick Grayson.  The reimagined premise, announced on October 1, saw him growing to his mid-teens and still performing with his parents, the renowned trapeze act, the Flying Graysons. Rather than call him Dick, he was also renamed “DJ”, all of which set off alarms throughout comic book fandom.

"Warner Bros. TV never had 100% clearance," one executive told the trade.

Robinov had told The Wall Street Journal back in August that the studio wanted to create a more cohesive plan for the DCU, largely after it faltered to keep up with Marvel which this year introduced connected elements between its Iron Man and Incredible Hulk films. Among those decisions was halting the Justice League film and possibly rebooting Superman, going with a darker approach.

Christopher Nolan, talking about directions he might go with a third film in his Batman franchise, dismissed adding Robin at any time but word had it that he never gave his blessing to the CW series. The idea that having Batman in theaters and Robin on television was considered by some executives to be a mistake.  They also thought Smallville might have had something to do with Superman Returns’ poor box office.  Clearly, none of them saw the film.

The Graysons, as a result, did not fit with the plan at all.

"The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of The Graysons at this time as the concept doesn’t fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise," the studio said in a statement. "Warner Bros. Television is currently working on several replacement options for the CW."
 

‘Smallville’ Producers Talk ‘Graysons’

‘Smallville’ Producers Talk ‘Graysons’

  • News
  • October 3, 2008

News broke earlier this week that the CW was developing a new series based around the first Robin titled The Graysons. The show, set to focus on Dick "DJ" Grayson in his pre-Robin years, has been reported as a possible replacement for Smallville should Clark Kent’s pre-Superman adventures conclude at the end of this season.

Not so, say Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders, executive producers on Smallville and now hard at work behind the scenes on The Graysons. They issued a statement over at KryptonSite that clears the air of their intentions on developing the new series.

Says the pair:

"As news and rumors swirl around the development of The Graysons for the CW, we have every intention of letting you, our fans, be the first to know the reality. Never have we been so committed to the continuing success of Smallville as we are to seasons 8 and 9. While we are extremely excited to be working hand-in-hand with Wonderland, Warner Bros. and the CW to create the origin story of Dick Grayson, it has never been intended as a replacement for Smallville, as is speculated in some media. The cast, crew, writers and producers are all working full-steam ahead on a story-line for Clark that allows for seasons of further trials and adventures for our favorite hero. As always, we all have you to thank for achieving eight years of this amazing show that Al and Miles created, and we’re looking far beyond!"

This upcoming season of Smallville is sure to have plenty of DC heavy cameos to put any Superman lover into a fangasmic fit. Justin Hartley, who plays Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), has returned to the series as a regular this season, and will be joined once again by Justice League members Aquaman, The Flash, Black Canary, Cyborg and the Martian Manhunter. The Legion of Super-Heroes are set to join the fray this year, along with Plastique, introduced just last night. Most widely reported is the arrival of Doomsday, played by Sam Witwer (Battlestar Galactica). Doomsday famously killed Superman in the best-selling Death of Superman arc back in the nineties, leading to the creation of Superman replacements Steel, Superboy, Cyborg Superman and the Eradicator.

With Peterson and Souders stating they have plans for Smallville beyond season eight, might they be setting up a junior version of the Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen stories? Holy kryptonite, that would be suh-weeeet.

‘The Graysons’ Fly to the CW

‘The Graysons’ Fly to the CW

  • News
  • October 1, 2008

Inspired by Clark Kent’s Smallville roots, the CW is launching a new DC hero-turned-angsty teen television series called The Graysons. According to Variety, the show follows the early years of Dick "DJ" Grayson before he becomes Robin. Smallville executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson are behind the series, as is Supernatural executive producer McG. The CW has committed to a pilot episode.

Variety is calling the show a potential replacement for Smallville should that series end this season as anticipated. The Graysons would also be a solid companion to Smallville should it return next year. Further, the move to bring another DC property onto the CW shows a sign of good faith from Warner Bros., who has a 50% investment in the network.

Fans of the character are familiar with Robin’s origin. Dick, a young acrobat, is orphaned when his parents are murdered by gangsters during their trapeze act. He’s taken in by Bruce Wayne and becomes Batman’s protege. The Graysons takes place before these events. Set in modern times, the hour-long drama will focus on young "DJ" as he faces tasks fit only for a hero of Robin’s caliber: first loves, young rivals and family. Ahem. Guess you can’t say Dick on TV?

Smallville grew out of the oroiginal producers’ desire to tell the story of yourn Bruce Wayne.  When Warner Bros. refused to let television have access to their movie franchise, they shifted gears and set their sights on Clark Kent growing up and discovering his powers.

Since then the eight seasons have seen a variety of DC heroes and villains appear, some with spin-off potential.  Among the characters already seen have been Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), A.C. Curry (Aquaman), Bart Allen (the Flash), Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Cyborg, and the Martian Manhunter.  Coming this season will be Plastique and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

In 2006, a pilot was produced for an Aquaman series much in the same vein as Smallville and the proposed The Graysons, but the CW decided not to air the program. Smart money says that even if The Graysons sees the light of day, the series won’t survive long. Part of Smallville‘s appeal is its unique spin on a superpowered adventure. Considering The Graysons is pre-Robin, it’s hard to imagine little Di–… sorry, "DJ" sharing in Clark’s success. Makes one wonder why they didn’t just go for a Bruce Wayne show. Maybe then Armie Hammer would actually have a job.

‘Smallville’ Schedules a Break

‘Smallville’ Schedules a Break

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

As Smallville prepares to premiere next week, word from the CW is that there will be a long break between episodes ten and eleven. This is being done for two reasons: one, it provides the network somewhere to run the second season of Reaper, and two, it allows them the opportunity to retool for a ninth season if ratings and casting issues indicate that makes sense.

The eleventh episode is currently scheduled to be the Geoff Johns-penned introduction of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Look for a season 7 recap next week before the new season kicks off.
 

Smallville Almost Begat Supergirl

Smallville Almost Begat Supergirl

  • News
  • August 29, 2008

At the Toronto FanExpo this past weekend, Laura Vandervoort confirmed she would appear in a single episode of the eighth and final season of the CW’s Smallville. Television’s Supergirl also made mention that there had been talk of her character once being considered for a spinoff series.  She merely said it didn’t pan out without providing any details.

She did admit to being a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan so working alongside Spike, James Marsters, was a thrill.  When she was just beginning her career, she wrote series creator Joss Whedon about wanting to audition for the show, something he remembered when they finally met.

Smallville, with new villains and the same old romantic triangles will return September 18.

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