Facts From a TV Junkie: 'Smallville'

Hello all! Chances are if you're reading this it means you, much like myself, are addicted to TV. You just can't ever get enough of that small screen action! Well, I'm here to tell you that I feel your pain and would like to help you in your noble quest for TV knowledge, which is why I've taken it upon myself to create this fun, weekly feature. Every week, I will dig up new and interesting facts about a show and share them with you right here. So sit back, relax, and let the trivia madness commence!

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s this week’s TV Junkie feature! Of course, I’m referring to the widely popular WB (now CW) show, ‘Smallville,’ which provided fans with a glimpse into the life of a young Clark Kent before he became the full-fledged, tights-wearing Superman we all know and love. From his complex relationship with Lex Luthor to that pesky green kryptonite, this series covered a wide range of topics near and dear to any comic book nerd’s heart. But there are some things you still may not be aware of in regards to this Man of Steel. Such as…

Did You Know:

1. ‘Smallville’ holds the Guinness World Record for the longest running sci-fi series of all time in the U.S.

By the end of Season 10, the series had aired a total of 218 episodes, breaking ‘Stargate SG-1’s record of 213. That’s a pretty impressive feat, even for a man who can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

2. Jensen Ackles was the second choice to play Clark Kent.

So Tom Welling had decided to opt out of the part, the role would have gone to Ackles. He was later hired to play Jason Teague during the show’s fourth season, but then left to pursue a starring role in another series. You may have heard of it...'Supernatural.'

3. Tom Welling is not a fan of the Superman comic books.

It’s hard to believe given that he was the major lead in the series, but the actor has admitted during several interviews that the comics just weren’t his cup of tea. (More like his cup of kryptonite, amirite?) Seriously though, that’d be like learning Daniel Radcliffe didn’t enjoy the ‘Harry Potter’ books — words that absolutely no one on this Earth should ever utter.

4. Kristen Bell auditioned for the role of Chloe Sullivan.

Luckily for us, the role ended up going to Allison Mack, which left Bell free and clear to take up the part of Veronica Mars in 2004. I guess it’s true what they say…all things happen for a reason.

5. There’s a very specific reason Smallville High’s student newspaper was called “The Torch.”

It was named after the student newspaper at Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster both worked together while they were students.

6. Milo Ventimiglia auditioned for the role of Clark Kent.

And although the role went to Tom Welling, producers at The WB liked Ventimiglia so much they decided to offer him the role of Jess on ‘Gilmore Girls.’ So, in a way, ‘Smallville’ is responsible for the creation of Jess Mariano. Crazy, right? He eventually got to stretch his superhero chops in 2006 on the show ‘Heroes.’

7. Margot Kidder’s character, Bridgette Crosby, was meant to become the primary villain of Season 4.

Thinking that the name sounds familiar? Well, it should. Kidder played Lois Lane in the four ‘Superman’ movies opposite Christopher Reeve. However, after Reeve’s untimely death in 2004, the show’s producers decided to incorporate the death of the legendary actor into the plot by killing off his character Virgil Swann. Kidder wasn’t happy with the decision, feeling they were capitalizing on the actor’s passing, so she backed out of her commitments to the series. As a result, Jane Seymour’s Genevieve Teague became the central big bad for the remainder of the season.

8. The series was originally intended to center around Batman, not Superman.

Tollin/Robbins Productions were actually planning to do a show that followed the story of a young Bruce Wayne before he became Batman. However, since Warner Bros. Studios had decided to move forward with ‘Batman Begins,’ they didn’t want the film to compete with a TV show. So, instead, Superman became the next pick. (Of course, 'Superman Returns' came out just a year after 'Batman Begins,' so there's definitely a few flaws in this logic. Perhaps there wasn't yet any talk of a new Superman movie back in 2001.)

9. Kim Poirier auditioned for the role of Tess Mercer.

To be honest, I never really cared about the whole Tess storyline, so it’s hard to say if this casting alternative would’ve made any real difference to me. After Lex's departure, I was downright inconsolable.

10. Lex Luthor’s mansion is the same mansion used in CW's 'Arrow' and 'X-Men 2.'

You may recall this fun fact from my ‘Arrow’ feature last year, but just in cased some of you missed it, I thought I’d throw it in here. The exterior shots of the Luthor Mansion were taken at Hatley Castle, which just so happens to be the same building used to showcase the Queen Mansion as well as Professor Charles Xavier's mutant school. Someone think of a cool crossover story ASAP.

I hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Facts From a TV Junkie. Check back next week for another fix!

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