5 TV Shows We're Putting on Probation

Ok seriously...enough with the bring back Lana or Lex crap. Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum were NOT forced out. They wanted to leave. I follow KK more and she wanted to pursue things outside of Smallville. And she is. I just saw her on NBC's Chuck. And MR apparently said that he would come back like the last episode of series if they could work it out with his schedule so that means he's busy with other projects. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing these two come back but only like the last episode of the series. But more than that, I'd really love to see Martha Kent back in the last few eps....

But even if that doesn't happen, it doesn't matter. The show seems almost 85% likely to get a season 10 with how much they're kicking ass on Friday ratings. Expecting the original cast to hang out for 10 years when their storylines have been given closure on the show is a bit too much. Lana=CK's love interest (even if AlMiles tried to make her the star, that's all she was). The show is NOT a freakin' ensemble. Clark is the center, the main star so as long as Welling remains, why the hell is there so much whining about others whose course has run?

I don't care how great or whatever the ratings of the past seasons of Smallville were. I watched seasons 1-3 and then quit because of the freak-of-the-week storylines and something just didn't connect with me. I started watching cautiously around end of season 7 and honestly, I'm loving the more grown-up Clark Kent. The closer he and the show gets to Superman, the happier I am. I do wish Lex was still part of the cast though because he was awesome.

What I'm saying is, I like the mature feel to the show and the fact that they're trying to connect it to the mythology with Zod/Kandor etc. There are problems of course but the good outweighs the bad for me. I love Lois and I do enjoy Chloe so I do wish for Chloe to get more screentime.

I'm a non-shipper but where did Lana/Chloe (mainly Chloe fans from what I've seen) fans think the show was gonna go? This might be an Elseworlds version of Superman but if I recall my Superman lore, Superman only gets with other chicks after Lois' death or before he even meets Lois. So since there is a Lois Lane on show, where did you guys actually think the show was gonna go?

Anyways, I'm loving season 9 and I too am a 24 year old woman in the key demo and Lana's departure and Chloe not getting Clark mean absolutely nothing to me. It only means we're getting closer to Superman.

And rabid Lana and Chloe fans might be pissed, but I, along with many others, love Lois Lane. Considering she was the ONLY character (no Lex, no Daily Planet, no Smallville) in the original 1938 comic other than Superman, I'm pleased to see this version of her.

Also, the show has been on for 9 years (!!) and its been relegated to Fridays. Between that horrible time slot and the antipathy towards a show that been on for nearly a decade, I'm not surprised that viewers were lost.

Bring back Kristin Kreuk into the show, maybe in some dream sequence, alternate universe, or perhaps as a new different character! Don't get me wrong, I love Lois but Erica Durance puts me off ever since S4! I've been a loyal fan since S1 and I am very loyal to the original cast of the big three - Lana, Clark, and Lex! Bring these 3 back together and Smallville can end for good!

I have followed Superman all my life. I have liked all the movies and "Lois and Clark". When Smallville started I was skeptical of the storyline. It has been fun watching Clark develop in his storyline. The frustrating thing is that he is not flying after 8 seasons and we didn't see clark go through his training. There are so many storylines that could happen and keep the interest of the audience. I agree that SV should be put back on Thrusday nights. Only shows that are going to be killed are put on Friday nights!

u want to talk about depression,try the never ending story of lois lame/clark dents.lana/clark's story was a refreshing start to the show and so was clark/chloe's relationship.now the views are hand feed the canon crap that they are doing because the comics commands it,we don't need to be reminded of this fact ever generation.u act like lois is the best and only thing that have happen when it comes to Superman's logo,but in fact she is/was only only thing anyone ever none(until now) and for the fans to be screaming for something other than lois lame is call outsiders/haters of the show.the only hate the fans have,is that they wasted 9yrs of their life supporting a show that started one way and ending another way.sorry if u guys can't get over the fact that some fans are screaming(BS) just because u want to relive the past and they don't.

u want to talk about depression,try the never ending story of lois lame/clark dents.lana/clark's story was a refreshing start to the show and so was clark/chloe's relationship.now the views are hand feed the canon crap that they are doing because the comics commands it,we don't need to be reminded of this fact ever generation.u act like lois is the best and only thing that have happen when it comes to Superman's logo,but in fact she is/was only only thing anyone ever none(until now) and for the fans to be screaming for something other than lois lame is call outsiders/haters of the show.the only hate the fans have,is that they wasted 9yrs of their life supporting a show that started one way and ending another way.sorry if u guys can't get over the fact that some fans are screaming(BS) just because u want to relive the past and they don't.

"The meaning of love is what we saw with Clark and Lana."

If "Love" means that you are in a constant state of depression, I rather hate.

"The ratings show that that there should be a change. All we want is a change in the mythos to reflect that which was shown in Smallville"

The ratings show that from S2 -> S7 the viewership dropped from 7.8M people to 4.2M people. Now if going by your reasoning that Clana was the focal point of the show alot of that has to be put on there shoulders.

As for the comics, you have to understand that the bulk of comic book buyers are male and don't want to be annoyed by angst ridden storylines like Smallville's take on Clark and Lana. SV did draw in alot of female viewers because of Clana, but DC has to realize in the big piture those viewers are not there target audience(they Dawn's target audience who also seem to enjoy shows about rich spoiled sluts)

Smallville will always be considered some alternate universe and while a couple things may creep there way into the comics, the character of Lana will never resemble anything in the comics like the TV show counterpart. She will always be that normal highschool sweetheart who basically falls out of the picture when Clark graduates.

The reason Al/MM, came up with the idea for Smallville, was to generate fans for the franchise. Which face it, was loosing alot of sales for there comics at the time, and needed a boost.

So they came up with this concept of having the story based on Clark Kent's humble beginnings, from age 15 raised by human parents. Only with a modern twist, with WB storylines along with todays popular music as a back drop. They used the idea of no flights, no tights to base there storys around, where it's just Clark dealing with life as a teenager, going through pubity, while getting a handle on his emerging powers, with the help of his parents. As he saves lives, he learns to deal with trying to have a relationship with his friends, like Lex and the love of his life Lana, while trying to keep his secret from getting out. All while trying to find out who he is and where he came from, the destiny he has to fullfil, when he just wants to live a normal life. Which makes it hard when you live in a town called Smallville, where there are freaks of the week to battle.

Now, since this show is about Clark, before he becomes Superman, stands to reason that Lois just does not fit with the concept they origanally planned. Why? Because she did not exist until after he came back from his training, as Superman. But someone in the Network wanted Lois in the mix. Though it worked to have Clark and Lois banter in a relationship, much like a brother and sister. Now, ratings didn't rise once she came in S4, but they didn't drop. Because we still had Clark and Lana, whether they were fighting or not.

There was no mistaken that when ever they put them together as a couple, they ratings got a jump. Though, ratings would never get as high as they were in the first three season. As for S8 and now S9, with Clark and Lois as the super couple, the ratings are struggling. You do the math. The way I look at it, the Cloiser's should actually be thanking Clana.

The timing and the place in the season, they put Lana's episodes, couldn't have been planned better, the jump in the ratings for those episodes, was just what they needed to get the green light for S9 and all the Clois they are getting now.

She also mentioned that Clana was an unhealthy relationship. Granted they could of done with a little less agnst, it was every bit as healthy as it could be for a first teenage relationship. An unhealthy relationship is being whiped by a brass, selfish b*tch, who has control issues. How long have they been married in the comics anyway?

The meaning of love is what we saw with Clark and Lana. The ratings show that that there should be a change. All we want is a change in the mythos to reflect that which was shown in Smallville.

GET RID OF AMERICAN DAD AND TEH CLEAVLAND SHOW!!!!! seth mcfarlane is now monopolizing on fox sunday night.i for one,am sick and tiire dof the clone shows.i dont watch them anymore. just simpsons and family guy...

MOVE SMALLVILLE BACK TO THURSDAY NIGHTS!!!!

MOVE LAW AND ORDER BACK TO WEDNESDAY NIGHTS!!!!

put the focus on secondary characters like Lois and Oliver whom the long term fanbase had no vested interest in.

I,am a long time DC comics reader,and have loved Green Arrow for years.I am glad they are focussing on him,in some eps...

Administrator at the Wrap: please delete the duplicate posts and the comments will be so much easier to read. thanks.

Smallville this season has been fantastic. I don't know how they keep producing a top quality weekly show with I am sure is a "tight budget". I agree that there has been very little promotion. Take a look at the crap on the tv today and compare it to the original story lines on Smallville. I think the writing this year is better than ever. I look forward to a Season 10. But , it looks like the CW network might be looking for a reason to cancel the show, by putting it on a Friday night.

put a sock in it you Smallville lovers. The show sucks and needs to be put out of its misery. Also to people saying it mythos that Lois and Clark end up together and crap. Well things change and should. Superman books suck when she in them and it time for a change. Lois Lane sucks. Also if your a real Superman fan then you be mad at what smallville is doing to the superman story. Cause this one if messed up and sucks. Come on the blur. LAME. He meet everyone of his villians before he evern put the suit on. Also come on look at what he wearing. He superman for god sake not the punisher. Then show has sunk so low and you Lois and Clark fans dont see it cause you presses Lois is not front and Center.

I for one am GLAD the shippers and their snark are moving on. PLEASE DO QUIT watching the show. The rest of us are really tired of your continual whining! This show is about Clark Kent. It's not the Chloe show, and it wasn't the Lana show. This season is by far one of the best yet. I agree with the person who comment that Dawn O hates this show. She doesnt know a good thing when she sees it. I started watching this show when I was 40 (yes I am 48 now) and Ive loved it ever since.

Count me in as someone who is really enjoying the grown up and mature tone to Smallville Season 9. I love that we are seeing Clark grown up. He has come so far in the last 8 years. And I agree, I also love Lois. She is such a feisty character and I love that she is so loyal to Clark. I like them as a couple a lot. I like that she only shows her softer side to Clark and I like that Clark becomes more masculine when he's around Lois. It's a much more mature relationship (and honestly much sexier) than the one with Lana. It's like he has progressed from teen romance to a relationship to an adult relationship.

It sucks that the CW moved this show to Friday nights. The shows was doing well on Thursday and it's such a shame that the storylines of Season 9 are SO good and people are missing it. I'm a die hard fan and even I have to DVR is almost every weekend because I'm out of town or out on Friday nights. I totally understand why the ratings are down because Friday night TV is tough.

It also sucks that the CW doesn't promote this show. Seriously, every time I turn on the TV I see ads for Melrose Place or Gossip Girl but nothing for smallville. I'm a 20 something women as well so I'm also in the target demo. But I can't stand all those other shows on the CW. Who wants to watch another show about rich teenagers screwing each other and shopping? At least Smallville is original.

I hope we get a season 10 because I'm loving Season 9.

If the CW promoted the show better that would gain better ratings! Or here's an idea, change it back to Thursday nights!

Sure it's an old show, but this only proves how successful it is. Placing it on a friday night has been a huge hanicap for the show, where live viewers are concerned anyway. Gossip Girl and other CW shows pull less ratings on other nights, but they are 'safe'. The CW needs variety, people do NOT want 10 shows about high school/college teens obsessed with who's dating who/who's wearing what. If the CW thinks they do... well, they dont know their 'target audience' well. The low ratings for these shows prove it.

In summary: Promote Smallville. Move it to a night when people can WATCH it.

I personally love the fact the show is actually moving forward and not stuck in the constant circle of the lana drama that it had in previous seasons. It's time to move on.

I also love ED. She is feisty and tough and the banter of her Lois Lane with Clark makes her really interesting. I also love how loyal Lois is. She isn't manipulative and doesn't try to do crazy things to get more power. She uses what she has and is happy just helping people.

I know this is going to sound weird: But I would rather Smallville got a smaller audience and continued with the MATURE storylines of Season 9 than to backpeddle again with Clark's development in the hope of attracting teen viewers who want soap opera storylines or who only watch a a show to see who has sex with who. I've watched the show for a long time and the sad thing is that now that the show is on Fridays I have to DVR it because I'm never home. And I'm a die hard...so what about the casual fans?

Anyway, I hope the producers just stick to their guns and keep telling their story. The most important thing for most of the fans is as mature story for Clark. Everything else always falls into place as long as Clarks' growth is kept front and center. I'd rather the show get less viewers and the show remain MATURE then it backpeddle again. I know that's weird...but it's true. Quality over quantity I guess.

Wow, some bitter nasty fans are complaining and dissing Smallville. Must be Friday.

Oh yeah and for what it's worth, I still love the show. I'm a huge Superman fan and I think Season 9 has been brilliant. I hope we get a Season 10.

I've also watched Smallville since Season 1. I'm a 27 year old woman so technically I'm in the CW demo. But I'll tell you that Smallville (and Supernatural) are the only two shows that I'm interested in on that network. I've never really understood the CW's constant need for programming geared towards young women. I'm a young woman and I can't stand most of the shallow stuff on that network.

As for Smallville, I was 19 years old when the show started. The show has changed over the years and as a fan, so have I. I sort of feel like we've grown up together. The show started off as a teen drama and now the show has matured into an adult drama with more mature storylines. I've been very pleased with the way the show has unfolded. I like seeing the characters grow and change. As for the original cast members...to me...this is a show about Clark Kent. It's his story and his journey. I don't have the same people in mny life now at age 27 as I did at age 18. I would expect the same to be true for Clark. I like that we have seen him grow and change and meet new people.

My vested interest in is Clark. I'm always interested in how his journey will turn out. I like his interaction with every character on the show including Lois, Oliver, Chloe etc. I agree with the poster below. I feel disheartened seeing some people be so nasty. I'm still really enjoying the show and I hope that Brian and Kelly know how many of us are still out here being positive and wishing them the best!

WEll, I guess I'll throw my two cents in.

I've watched Smallville from Day 1. I'm a long time Superman fan. I've read all the comics, seen the films and I loved LnC when it was on. And I still really enjoy Smallville. I have enjoyed watching Clark change from a shy and awkward 15 year old to the man that he has become. I think Tom Welling is TERRIFIC as Clark Kent. He embodies the character's grace and humility in a way that I have not seen since Christopher Reeve. On a shallow note, he is probably one of the most beautiful men to ever be on TV.

The rabid fanbase of Smallville is disheartening to me as a fan. I feel like no matter what website I go to I see a small but very vocal section of fans trashing the show, trashing the actors and complaining. It makes them sound like selfish, immature children.

The ironic thing is that for me, Smallville's 9th season is the best thing to come out of the show for a long time. I sometimes question the fans who claim to be Superman fans but then balk any time that Clark appaers to show strength or independence. This is a story about CLARK's journey to becoming the greatest hero the world has known. He is going to make mistakes along the way...that's the point.

Regarding the shipper nonsense all I'll say is this: I think ERica Durance is fantastic as Lois Lane. I'm a true comcis fan and I can tell you that she is probably the closest in terms of personality to what we see in the comics. I understand that some people don't really understand Lois. But I guess I have to say that that's just the way it is. This character IS going to rub some people the wrong way. That's how she's been written for over 70 years! She's ballsy and tough and she has serious foot in mouth disease....but for some reason Clark Kent gets under her skin and brings out a softer side to her. He sees that she has a good heart. That's who Lois is. It's who she's always been. Lois has ALWAYS Been a controversial character. If you don't like her,, then OK. But there have been MANY great characters in literature and pop culture over the years that have been controversial and complicated. That's what makes them great! I personally think Lois Lane is a fascinating character. But i would argue that you have to be a very secure woman to like her. As far as Clark's relationship with her, I think it's been done very well. Lois was pushed to the sideline for the first few seasons but i've always seen a unique chemistry betewen her and Clark. I like that we've watched Clark grow up and learn what it means to be in a mature relationship. He spent years in an unhealthy relationship with Lana and it's really sweet to watch him finally learn what it really means to love someone with Lois. As a married woman myself, I can see his growth and maturity as he evoles. I love their relationship. I like that she seems to bring out a more aggressive side to him. He acts more like a man around Lois and less like a boy. On the flip side, Clark seems to bring out a more vulnerable side in Lois and touches a side of her that few people see. This is not unique to Smallville: this is the heart of the SUperman and Lois Lane relationship and has been for 70 years. I understand and respect that not everyone "gets" it. But it's very true to canon and it's been done beautifully on Smallville by Tom Welling and Erica Durance.

That being said, I also enjoy Chloe. I enjoy their friendship. What I don't enjoy is this persistant notion on every single board on the web that Chloe is somehow the most important person on the show. I love her...but she's not. Clark is the most important person on the show. And yes, their friendship has been a joy to watch over the years. But friendships change and grow as we age. We all go through transitions in life. Honestly, I question the intelligence sometimes of the people who seem obsessed with screaming and ranting about Chlark and Chloe on every damn board on the net. Why can't you appreciate the beautiful and unique friendship that has been put in front of you? Why must this entire character's worth be tied to her ending up in Clark's bed? Is Clark anything more than a prize to be won or a piece of meat at this point to these people? Sometimes, I'm not so sure. This is about Clark's journey. Chloe is a supporting character in that journey. An important one...but a supporting character none the less.

Lastly, Smallville has been on the air for going on 9 years. That's quite an accomplishment. Yes, they've had some bumps along the way but they've also had some great moments. It makes me sad that so many people seem to think it's a hobby to bash this show. My hope is that Brian and Kelly know that there are still so many of us out there that LOVE this show and are so proud of the bold direction they are taking it. You can't make everyone happy. So please just keep doing wahwt you are doing and end this show on a high note showing us how Clark matures into the hero we know adn love. You are doing such a good job so far in Season 9. Ignore the haters and keep it up. I'll be there till the end.

From a loyal fan. :)

Honestly can you save your Chlois theory ramblings for wild speculation forums where they belong. We get it, a small group of Chloe fans like Chloe so much that making her Lois makes you fans magically think her overall importance on the show is more then what it really is.

"Clark goes to Chloe for help and advice, just as he goes to the real Lois in the comics and people who whine about it are clueless as to the actual nature of the real Clark-Lois relationship."

From my memory of comics, Clark and Lois work at the Daily Planet together as reporters. Many times they shown to be rivals for stories. When it comes to Superhero'ing Clark is usually shown as fairly independant from Lois. Beyond that When Lois gets involved in Superman stories it's usually when she out actually doing her job, not becoming a personal search engine like Chloe

I honestly question anybody who subscribes to the theory's understanding of Superman in general. Chloe being a "proto-Lois" and a journalist could just as easily make her be comic!Lana just as much as it make her Lois(and I would argue she more lined up to the comic book take of Lana then Lois, but fact is she is different in many ways that she neither)

Smallville's well past it's prime. The show stopped being a Superman story when they decided to continue on without Michael Rosenbaum as Lex. It stopped being a hit when the characters who made the show great began to disappear - Jonathan & Martha Kent, Lionel Luthor - and yes, even Lana Lang.

To make matters worse, the shows current producers made the big mistake of alienating a huge section of their fanbase with their current storylines. Like it or not, the Chlark relationship is a huge part of the appeal. The shows ratings have all but halved from this time last year, and there's only so much blame that can be heaped on the move to Friday night.

The current storylines are yawnworthy, there's never any pay-off to established plotlines, and the writing is bi-polar from one episode to the next. If the story editors can't decide whether the dog is male or female, how old Chloe was when her mother left (5, 12, 8 and counting), stick with one particular distance between Smallville and Metropolis, or distinguish the Spring Formal from Homecoming, I don't see why I should bother trying to keep up.

Fans of a good show will follow it to Friday night. Trouble is, Smallville is no longer a good show.

Everytime there's any article on SV, good, bad or indifferent, you see the same group of Chloe-obsessed crazies run over to go on and on, and on, about how it should all be about Chloe! and Chlark! Its really laughable at this point (and more then a little sad). For a show that you people hate so much, you sure do spend a huge chunk of your life searching out every possible obscure article to knash your teeth, and pull your hair out over. Get a life! If you've tuned out the show (that you can't seem to stop commenting on), then why do you care? Move on, find something you enjoy to watch. Smallville sure has made a lot of mistakes, that cannot be denied. I've had my issues with many of the storylines. But the reality is that the show is old, and like most old shows, its audience is starting to erode. Its also been shipped off to fridays, which isn't called a graveyard for nothing. And most of all, its on a pathetic network that is obsessed with programming for tween girls, and does not support it. It isn't about who Clark is dating, because lets be real here. WHOEVER that is, some other group is going to scream bloody murder.

It is too bad though, since Tom Welling is terrific as Clark Kent, and I love how mature and self-assured he is this season. And on the shallow side, Welling has never looked more gorgeous, or more like Superman.

u know the cloisers have the upper hand when it comes to shippers,because we all know how it ends(right) but for some reason these guys aren't as secure as they want others to beileve.u are suppose to be out here representing what Superman stand for,yet u are bulling your way threw the net as if u has the rights to all thing Superman, when in fact u don't know the frist thing about this amazing hero(nothing) because if u did u would respect what others beileve in,rather u agree or not.fighting for something that u already know is a bit silly on your part don't u think.the chlark's/clana fans have the right to beileve whatever they want when it comes to this show,after all the producers/writers have given them a reason too(imo) u guys have dismissed the other fanbase and claim to be the only loyal ones which is not true,because the true fans of sv left because they know what this show was suppose to be about(clark's joureny) and not some rehashemnt of yester-year.so while u are watching this hack job on Superman,the fans of this generation and before us will be seeking the real thing.

The real problem with Smallville is that it has trashed the Superman character, turned Clark into an insensitive jerk who repeatedly fails to display that supposedly superior Kryptonian intelligence and the compassion he should have learned from his human parents. The writers have Clark chase nasty, vapid girls like Lana, and the uneducated Not-Lois who cheated her way into the Daily Planet and slept with her boss for favors and if the producers think longtime Superman fans like myself will ignore that gutting of Clark's and Lois Lane's characters they are sadly mistaken.

The real CLark isn nothing like this one and although Tom Welling makes a great Clark, the writers give him nothing to work with. Fuirthermore, the only girl who ever resembled the real Lois from comics and other TV shows has always been the character called Chloe, who has always done what the real Lois does in the comics and that is to be Clark's real partner and confidante in all things. Clark goes to Chloe for help and advice, just as he goes to the real Lois in the comics, and people who whine about it are clueless as to the actual nature of the real Clark-Lois relationship. Chloe fills the Lois bill quite nicely and to have Clark look at anyone else has never made any sense at all.

Add that to the wonderful on screen chemistry between Tom Welling and Allison Mack who portrays Chloe and not taking advantage of that as well as not revealing Chloe is Lois since she is like her in everything but name, makes me certain the network and the producers have Kryptonite for brains.

Smallville plots have always been sketchy but since Season Five, they have tanked so badly I can't believe the show is still on. I gave up on it ever making sense or redeeming the characters long ago and while I held the slim hope that Welling in the Executive Producer's chair might turn it around it seems that isn't going to happen.

That's too bad because Smallville held great ptotential in the early years but it's become a lumbering dinosaur with bad plots and lack of continuity which grate on my last nerve. Add that to the producers attempts at shoving a mangled character like Not-Lois who is portrayed by an appallingly awful actress who9 lacks any chemistry with ehr costar Tom Welling and there just isn't any reason for discerning viewers or serious comic fans to watch and the ratings make clear a lot of people agree.

Smallville has rarely told the story it proposed to tell years ago: the story of young Clark growing up. With over seventy years of comic history to draw from, there should have been no way the show could fail but it has. Instead of crappy teen angst and bad plots we should have gotten a true glimpse of Clark Kent as a young man learning the ropes of superheroing but that has been sadly lacking for the most part. As a Superman fan who was reading comics long before the original producers were in diapers, I am appalled that Smallvilel has trashed these beloved characters. I refuse to watch such crap and so do many others.

I find it really interesting that the article is about five different shows, yet every single one of the comments to date is about just one of the shows. You'd think the entire article was about Smallville, so it is obvious that Smallville has quite a fan base.

Far be it for me to break the trend.

I've been watching Smallville since the pilot episode, and I'm not ready to see it go. However, shrinking budgets and bad time slots have definitely hurt the show. That said, Welling is signed up for season 10, and it sounds like everyone within Smallville is expecting to call it quits at the end of season 10, and are now apparently planning their shows with that in mind. So I would like to see Smallville continue that long. But even as a long-time fan, I can't expect the show to go beyond that. Most series never make it past seven years, let alone nine or ten.

Keep Smallville for season 10 and let it end with dignity. It has been one of WB/CW's best shows for years, and it deserves that much.

And for the record, I don't watch any of the other shows listed in the article. Keep them or cancel them, makes no nevermind to me.

"Do you honestly believe that Chloe fans make up half the shows audience? I don't think any shipper fanbase accounts for that much. I personally want to watch a show about Clark, not Chloeville(which it seems like a majority of Chloe fans want)."

I believe that shipping is important on this show, yes. it always has been. The small remaining fanbase is nearly ALL Clois shippers, it seems, so I don't see why the idea that the half of the fanbase that left might be Chlark shippers should surprise anyone. However, my comment wasn't that the ratings had fallen entirely due to Chlark shippers leaving. They've stripped away much of the show's heart and soul by destroying the Chlark FRIENDSHIP. Then they've ruined Clark's character by having him suddenly ditch his best friend and don black and become an arsonist and a vigilante. And, as I said before, they literally made EDLois (formerly a relatively minor character) the leading character in the first two episodes, giving her more screentime than Clark himself. It's not a good show for Clark fans OR Chloe fans anymore.

"Do you honestly believe focusing on Chloe would be a huge ratings boost to the show on Friday nights?"

Fankly, I wouldn't advocate them focusing this strongly on ANY two characters. It's always been an ensemble show, and I think the producers would have been wise to respect that. Clark should be the most important character, but there should be focus on all the other major characters, too (including the villains, who are being ridiculously shortchanged this year). To suddenly pretend Smallville is "The Newer Adventures of Lois and Clark" is an insult to the entire fanbase. That is why people have tuned out-- because it's simply not the same show it was.

Smallville is a disaster this year. Emo/jerk Clark, zombies, Clois sex dreams, and destroyed Chlark relationship (friendship or otherwise). The new producers literally showed the Chloe fans the door. This is not about the timeslot alone. It's about alienating a large and previously loyal fanbase who cannot watch a show featuring Erica Durance's Lois Lane as the center of the Smallville universe.

The producers bet on the wrong horse - they are paying the consequences.

I for one enjoy S9 of Smallville. Clark is being proactive and I for one am happy that Smallville has become a Superman show instead of crutchville where Clark runs to Chloe for everything. I stopped watching SV after Reckoning and am back to watch it in S9. I would be very pleased if the show continues in the S9 format even if it is endangered because Clark's story would end in a positive way. PTB keep doing what you are in S9.

Do you honestly believe that Chloe fans make up half the shows audience? I don't think any shipper fanbase accounts for that much. I personally want to watch a show about Clark, not Chloeville(which it seems like a majority of Chloe fans want). As for Chloe being such a huge ratings draw, how come the second half of season 8 that focused alot of Chloe tanked? Do you honestly believe focusing on Chloe would be a huge ratings boost to the show on Friday nights? This idea that everybody loves Chloe(and most hate Lois) is wrong, like all the female characters on the show they each have there share of fans, people who are indifferent to and haters.

As for killing romantic Chlark, it was dead about S4 when Chloe became his BFF. And for shoving a "secondary" character into the spotlight, how would it be any different for Chloe being shoved to the forfront, she was a secondary character basically for the first 7 seasons herself. Beyond that is there any reason to use the term "EDLois", this isn't TWOP.

The problem with Smallville isn't so much that it's old as that the producers went out of their way to alienate half the fanbase. The Clois fans aren't the only "loyal" fans; many Chloe and Clark fans have been watching since SEASON ONE. Not only did the producers apparently kill romantic Chlark this season, but they destroyed the Chlark friendship as well. Meanwhile, they shoved EDLois, who was previously a secondary character, front and center (to the point where the character had more screentime than CLARK in the first two episodes!). Since EDLois is widely disliked (and yes, of course she has her fans, but there are also plenty of fans who strongly dislike the character), this all naturally had a severely depressing effect on the ratings. Meanwhile, they turned Clark into a bad Batman ripoff (he's not anything like iconic Superman, he's a vigilante who burns private property!) and alienated most of the comics fans, too.

In brief, the new producers have made a hash of the show, and thus its previously respectable ratings are in the toilet. It's as simple as that.

I am one of the many loyal fans tired of the schizophrenic writing, the pretense that 8 seasons prior don't exist who is kicking the show to the curb.

The producers went out of their way this summer to alienate long term fans by telling us we wasted our time following the show bc as of season 9 it's a brand new show with no regard for what came before. Sorry, but the ads are right it's not Smallville anymore, it's a bad LnC rip-off that makes the frog-eating clone arc look like stellar writing.

The only fix I can think of is to ditch the mythos that required 8 seasons be forgotten and tell the Smallville story they began with.

"I agree with the comment that Smallville has turned into a show for older men".

Being male I don't think that's a bad thing. For the past few years I got annoyed how often they demasculated Clark Kent to try satisfy shippers of Chloe and Lana. The issue seemed to get progressively worse and worse starting in S5. The catering to a bunch of different shippers I think hurt the storytelling aspect of the show during those seasons, so I for one am happy if they make a more consistent storyline that focuses on Clark and tries put him in the best light.

To please Chloe fans they turn Clark into a moron who needs saving and for fans of Lana they turn him into an emotional basketcase who can't live his life without being depressed.

Being a male I don't want to watch a watered down show of Superman that puts Clark in such a terrible light just to build up female characters I can care less about, that should not have as big a role in a Superman show then they are given. Maybe pissing all over Chloe screentime might hurt the ratings a little but as long as we get a consistent story for Clark all is good in my books.

As for the show not getting renewed for Season 10, time will tell. I am guessing Warner Brothers has alot of say in what happens and as long as Smallville makes them money, I am guessing the show will stay on it's Friday Night slot(a dead slot that nothing else on the CW could bring in ratings to the degree it does)

The DVD sales are only like 25,000-30,000 from last year, itunes sales seemed to have increased bigtime from last year(probably a result of people not being home Friday night). Those are 2 revenue streams that the WB has to take into consideration when deciding the shows fate.

I'm a UK viewer thats been with the show from the very start, i'm also on the US schedule and always have been. The trouble with any show like this is you can't please everyone. The trouble with any US show seems to be that they start with a bang, run a few useless feeder episodes and then try to build up to a big finale. It's easy to look back with rose tinted glasses and say how great the show used to be but I remember when I thought the 80's version of Knight Rider was great and you look back now and cringe at it. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the direction that Smallville had in the first place however as Clark and the cast have grown up so have the situations they find theirselves in. The trouble with story telling is always about outside perspective and if your too close you miss the mark. Some of the story arcs are too short and some too long and you find yourself frustrated at the end of the big arcs when they have taken too long to come to fruition. Moving time slots must have given them a wake up call to which they thought they must darken the scene and it has worked in some respects I thought the first few S9 episodes were great but now i'm realising that they are flip flopping again and still not sure whether to go with it or flip flop back. The single thing that always frustrates me the most is too much filler and not enough killer, surely we all want to see some proper supes battles and not a 2 minute fight in a 42 minute show? The show also seems to have lost some structure since moving to Metropolis because really thats what it should be called now.... Perhaps they should upgrade it to a new name as Smallville seems to rarely be part of the show anymore.

I say to everyone please don't give up on Smallville/Metropolis and lets hope for a kick ass Season 10!

You forgot to mention Dawn Ostroff's (runs CW) detest for Smallville. She has been planning to kill the show so she can re-live her 20's with Melrose Place, 90210, Gossip Girl blah blah blah! Loyal fans like me (who fall in their precious demos) know this season kicks butt so far!! THE ONLY reason it's down is because a lot of us are now FORCED to DVR the show thanks to Dawn's evil plotting. Speaking of which you neglected to mention how she's RUNNING THE CW INTO THE TOILET! Smallville was #1 in gains after DVR numbers. WHO LET'S THIS MANIAC OF A WOMAN MOVE A SHOW TO FRIDAY DEATH SLOT WHEN THEY COULD BE GETTING ALL OF THOSE DVR VIEWERS LIVE AND TURN IT INTO MORE $$

I agree with the comment that Smallville has turned into a show for older men. It's basically a series now that only two group of people can enjoy, Superman fanboys or Clois shippers.

There's no gray area, not like in the past seasons where you had so many choices of what to watch the show for, be The Kent's, The Luthor's, Chloe, Lana, Clark, Chlark, Clana, Lexana, Chlex, Clex!

I think the point of the posts has been, dorysdoll, that the fans have moved on. Darth!Lex and Rosenbaum's insistence he won't return have driven off Luthor, Lex, and Clex fans. Kreuk is gone so Lana fans have no reason to stick around. The Kents and Lionel are gone and that created family dynamics for about 2/3 of the series. Now, the final old school hold outs, the heavily female, Chloe fanbase has walked along with long termers disgusted by Oliver and Lois's push to center stage and the nonsensical Batman impression Clark is attempting.

A lot of us have moved on and the show, which has paid off nothing, is crashing because of it.

Watch CHUCK for Kreuk and Routh,couldn`t careless about smallville now.

DIE SH*TVILLE DIE! KRISTIN KREUK ROCKS!

OH GAWD!!!!!! MOVE ON WITH THE STUPID CHLARK STUFF!!! IT CAN NEVER HAPPEN. As Mack said, Chlark is dead in the water!!! DEAD!! NOW MOVE ON!!!!!!!!!!

the negative comments on here are coming from people who watched the show a long time ago and are still whining about "no flights no tights". how do i know this? if you have been watching season nine you know how the real "loyal" fans are absolutely thrilled with how it is going thus far. seriously though move it away from fridays cw please!

Smallville used to have a substantial loyal fanbase, but it's dwindled over the seasons and this year was practically halved. The move to Friday nights has hurt the show, but the producers didn't play it smart. Knowing they were going to be on a more difficult night they decided to alienate a large portion of their fanbase, fans who would have rearranged their schedules to watch the show live. Ironically, it seems they decided to cut out the fans who are in the demo the CW targets (young women) and make the show appealing to a demo the CW couldn't care less about (old men).

Obviously the new focus on ICONIC MYTHOS is hurting the show because it puts off the loyal fans that have invested 9 years to this show. Remember those fans were there before ED joined.

It should be obvious now that a focus on Clois and Lois in general was been detrimental to the show and it's future. It is leaving long term fans bitter and leaving in droves.

The DVD sales are down compared to last season, DVR recording is too down, and other indications this season is the worst are mounting.

The main reason why this show is on Probation in the first place is because they managed to fail in producing a Supes/Doomsday fight. It's sad that the most fighting we get from SV comes from Lois fighting Zombies and not from Clark/Dooms or even Clark/Metallo

Speaking of which ignoring the show's 8 year cannon doesn't help. Long terms fans can't simply forget what they've seen. When a lightswtich occurs, it's so obvious it makes one wonders why bother watching if things can change with a flick of a switch?

Also get a good Villain please. Have a Solid Villain that test the heroes and his allies until the ultimate showdown at the end. Smallville has been lacking at that, I admit but it would improve the writing somewhat. I mean they have Zod but appears that plot was only used to give Clois sex scenes. Regardless what Peterson and Souders would like to believe, not everyone who watches the show want Clark Kent and Lois Lane together. At the very least not in a way that mimics their future relationship.

What does that say about Clark Kent and Lois Lane? Why he put Lois through a love triangle between him and his alter ego (The Blur) now only to have the same kind of triangle with Superman later on?

Of course that doesn't address the question; why would Clark willing allow himself to fall into another relationship with secrets and lies like he had with Lana all over again? Why relive all that angst? Oh wait... S1-8 doesn't matter anymore *flicks switch*

Apparently the Producers know what their fans want, with regards to Chloe fans, they know many hated the Chlimmy relationship, so what they do? They have them get married and now Chloe is mourning over the death of her ex-husband. They knew all Chloe fans wanted at least was Chloe to return to the Daily Planet, in they give her an apartment full of computers to serve as Watchtower when the JL is MIA. Their explanation? Chloe worked on a computer in the Pilot. While the comment in itself is absurd, it's been proven as a fabrication too. Chloe never had a computer scene in the Pilot but was reference as an Intrepid Reporter.

Clark fans wanted him to be Superman, at least in everything all but name but now he's not even in red and blue anymore. A show about him and all his development happened in offscreen. From the S6 Finale he wasn't interested in Journalism. In the S7 opener, after a month absent, he is now a reporter at the Daily Planet. From wanting to have a normal life/ not wanting to be a hero in season 6, he is now running around Metropolis saving people for what? His feelings for Lois too seem to come out from no where. S7 it was Lois who loved Clark, from Lie detectors to petting his suit. After a near kiss with Lois in Bride, it lead to Him and Lane having bed breaking sex. That doesn't scream true love to me. Now he's apparently so much in love with Lois that after 3 weeks of "Clark Kent is dead" he's not dead anymore.

Bottom line is, when the long term fans are now wishing the old show runners had stayed on, it screams volumes as to what these new producers are doing. (When they ignore events from their own episodes they written you know something is serious wrong there.)

Maybe if they stopped with the whole "ICONIC MYTHOS" and causing Shipper wars the rivals a Republican/Democrat debate, and focused their energy on good story telling and actual development then maybe this show will deserve a 10th season.

I have to say that I don't know if I'm sad to think of this show leaving the tv... this last seasons they have been doing everything thy can do make some of their more loyal fans go away

From characters that get more lightswitches than you can count to some that turn really bad... to leaving the favorites like Chloe or Clark turn into something they never where and that in some cases destroys the way we feel for them just to fit with their idea of other characters that are less important... I just don't know what they are thinking.

Unless the CW starts doing better by my favorite characters.. the fanon is much more interesting than the canon, and the fanfics absolutely better than the real show.

Chlark will make me come back.. romantic Chlark, real one!!!

I really love Smallville up until this year, but I am actively not watching Season 9 because it's completely different and basically trashes eight years of show history. The Chloe and Clark friendship has been the heart of the series for years, now he is obsessed with Lois, and Chloe gets FIVE MINUTES of screen time. Allison Mack, who carried both major plotlines last year, is now basically a guest star. The two villains spend all their time in Offscreenville. Ollie has a bigger plot arc than Clark, whose only plot this year is a role in Lois' sex dreams. I refuse to watch Chloe be replaced in all aspects, while a character who barely appears in half the episodes be suddenly the most important thing. Put Lois back in the background where she belongs and refocus on Clark and Chloe and I will gladly support the show again.

Smallville is an great TV show and should not be cancelled Clark need to learn how to fly and they need to move on with the story if they draw it out to much it will fail like now they need to move forward to saved it I hope it does not go away I love this show too much.

I've watched and supported this show for 8 years. Since I was 11, I loved the fresh take on the superman mythos. I am currently not watching and encouraging everyone I know not to since s9 is a slap on the face to about half the 8 yrs log fanbase!

I will only tune back in if Chloe, a character I've grown to love, goes back to the daily Planet and if Clark leaves the sexdream BS and emo bat-wannabe attitude.

I think if the EPs hadn't suddenly retconned the last 8 years of Smallville and rebooted the series so none of the characters are recognizable, SV might have had a chance. As it is, they've illogically alienated longtime fans.

The PTB should get back to what made the show successful - focus on the core characters Clark and Chloe and lose the retcons, lightswitches and resets.

This show is a mess. It isn't Smallville anymore, yet its too far off the wall to be considered a Superman story. Where the hell are his glasses for starters if he's already working at the Planet? Aligning the mythos my ass. Most of the core audience has abandoned the show because frankly, the creators have abandoned them. They fail to acknowledge the canon of this history, Lex is gone, the Kents are gone, Lionel is gone, what remnants of the old Chloe is gone. This Clark is an emo dick, and the Lois they got is like watching nails on a chalk board. Don't care for Tess, bored with Ollie, Emil is a wannabe Chloe. What's left, Shelby? Who the writers can't even remember the he's a BOY half the time.

Stick a fork in it already, this show is done.

As far as I can tell, everyone loves the new season of Smallville except the Chloe and Lana fans- but Lana's gone and Chloe fans always complain. Tom Welling's signed on for season 10, the ratings are still better then half the CW shows despite is airing in the death slot and so far this season has gotten great responces from fans. DVD sales, Itunes, etc. are huge for Smallville and probably taken into consideration from the CW. I can easily see a season 10- and if there isn't one, then at least Smallville will be ending with a bang and the best season to date.

I think that the problem with Smallville is that they've actually driven off about half of their previously loyal fanbase. They changed direction drastically and reduced Mack's screentime and put the focus on secondary characters like Lois and Oliver whom the long term fanbase had no vested interest in. If it went back to focusing on Clark's story outside of Lois dating, put Green Arrow back as background, and stopped with random DC guest star cameos, I feel they'd do better. As a woman in the CW's demo (18-34), I'd watch again to see final pay off for Clark and Chloe.