Smallville Spin-Off Showcase

There have been several recent examples of hit shows spinning off something new after a few years of success. Angel spun off after three years of Buffy, for example; CSI and Law & Order seem to spin off something new every other year. Most recently, Stargate: SG-1, now in its seventh or eighth year, spun off a new series titled Stargate: Atlantis.

Spin-offs happen for a number of reasons. One could be to cash in on the main show’s popularity by trying to get the fans to watch two shows rather than one. In a lot of cases (Angel, Laverne & Shirley, Family Matters, A Different World) it worked. In some cases, like with the Gilmore Girls Jess spin-off that never even aired, it didn’t. Sometimes a character is so popular people want to see more of him or her. FOX surely thought The Lone Gunmen were spin-off material; even though the ratings revealed that maybe those three were best left as supporting characters.

"Spin-off" is something Smallville fans might be hearing in the near future as well, with the coming of Bart Allen, also known as The Flash, to the show. When asked if there was an intention to spin the character off into his own series, in a September 2004 interview with KryptonSite, Executive Producer Alfred Gough said "That’s completely up to the network. It certainly wasn’t done with that in mind, but the episode looks terrific, and we plan to bring the Flash back later this season."

Hrm. So it wasn’t done with a spin-off in mind, although being "up to the network" it could be a possibility. We find it curiously interesting that most of The Powers That Be were especially quiet when it came to the "Run" episode. Perhaps, like Clark, they were hiding something from us? Or are we jumping to conclusions? No one from Smallville would tell us either way, except for that quote from Mr. Gough that said it wasn’t the intention...

Adding to the speculation, though - the WB did want to launch a Flash series last year (information at this page). It even made the front page of Variety, and until KryptonSite broke the news that it wasn’t happening, it was imagined that it was still a go. With the Bart concept and background from "Run," paired with using Smallville as a launching pad, doesn’t it seem like a much better idea than the "time-traveling Gothamite" proposal? And who better than the folks who made Smallville a hit for the network, to bring the Flash to life?

Basically it goes like this - if you all would be interested in a spin-off series featuring the Flash, be sure to watch the October 20 episode. Tell your friends to watch, particularly those with ratings boxes. If the ratings are big, and fan reaction is good, then, don’t be surprised if there’s a companion series in the world of Smallville next year. Should Kyle Gallner turn out to be a great Bart, and "Run" a great episode, then it would be the perfect companion for Smallville on the WB schedule - or, perhaps something for the network to show while Smallville is in repeats!

Either way, the writer of this column, at least, would love a companion series to the Smallville universe. The WB probably does, too, as none of its new series are what you would call hits. (Although Jack & Bobby is quality TV and has been ordered for a full season, it’s got horrendous competition in Desperate Housewives and recent ratings have been less than super)

(And if not the Flash, then how about Lois Lane? Maybe call it Metropolis? With Erica Durance? Please? - Craig)

Note: The views of Craig Byrne don’t necessarily represent the thoughts and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite. No one from or associated with Smallville or the WB has confirmed or denied that there will be a Flash spin-off, and this is purely the speculation of this site’s webmaster.