Smallville: Brian and Kelly talk to Jenna Busch for Newsarama
Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders discuss S10 with Jenna Busch for Newsarama.
SMALLVILLE Season 10: Mid-Season Cliffhanger, Guest Stars
By Jenna Busch, Newsarama Contributor
posted: 24 September 2010 11:06 am ET
It's the final season of Smallville and it's going to packed solid with blasts from the past, new characters and a brand new suit in full technicolor! The news just broke that Lois & Clark's Teri Hatcher will be playing the mom of Erica Durance's Lois. (Yes, we know she's dead. They wouldn't comment on that one. But remember the video tapes she found?) We're going to see Aquaman, Hawkman, Supergirl...so many old faces! And Erica Durance as Isis! We were lucky enough to have a few minutes with executive producers Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders this week and asked them all your burning questions. Will Chloe (Allison Mack) ever be happy? Will Superman (Tom Welling) make his iconic flight with Lois? Would they be up for a TV movie after the season wraps? Would they like to do a spin off or another superhero series? And who's coming back? Check out what they had to say.
Newsarama: It's a pretty rare luxury for producers to know which season is their last and to be able to wrap up the story the way they want to. So how do you guys balance taking Clark to where he is in the ongoing comics and wrapping up each individual storyline?
Peterson: Well I would say the big difference, I think between the comics and the movies and Smallville, is that in all of those it was really Superman who's alter ego is this guy who is Clark Kent, and in ours...ours has always been a show about Clark Kent who has put on the Blur as a disguise. And so I think this season will really show a balancing out of him accepting both identities equally.
Nrama: Obviously you can't reveal every single person who's coming back for the final season, but we all want to know about Lana (Kristin Kreuk) and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum). And in the premiere, Lex is “back” in a pretty interesting way. Talk a bit about who you might bring back.
Souders: We want to bring back as many people as we can. Obviously John Schneider and John Glover will be back this season. We'd love to have others back. And we're trying to make a few things concrete hopefully. But the truth is, the door is wide open to Michael and Kristin. We love both of them. They've always been great to work with and they gave such amazing performances on the show.
Nrama: I know we're going to see Aquaman (Alan Ritchson) and Braniac (James Marsters) and Supergirl (Laura Vandervoot) and Hawkman (Michael Shanks) again. I'm curious, what sort of presence will the JSA have..
Peterson: Well, unlike previous seasons where they've come back en masse, in one big tent pole episode, we've kind of sprinkled them throughout the season, so they come in different episodes. They'll each come kind of to inform part of Clark's journey. And in one case, Lois' journey. In the second episode you have a great story with Carter Hall and Lois. So we're kind of using them in that way rather than in the huge kind of Justice kind of episode.
Nrama: Everyone is talking about the news that we'd be seeing Hawkgirl. (She'll be played by Sahar Biniaz.) Can you confirm whether or not we'll be seeing her in the flesh or just in flashbacks?
Peterson: Um, I think we can confirm and say there's a quick cameo of her. I don't want to [say] she's anymore than that, probably.
Nrama: Going by the premiere, it seems like this season is about Clark balancing his personal desires and pride with the needs of the greater world. What would you guys say is the theme of Season 10?
Souders: He's kind of facing the last challenges he needs in order to live up to potential.
Peterson: And really getting over the ghosts of your past so you can move on. And we hit that pretty hard, especially at the top of the season.
Nrama: Of course we have to talk about the suit.
Peterson: [laughs]
Nrama: So exciting to see it in the premiere! Everyone wants to know when we'll see him wear it and how much we'll see him wear it. And it's kind of a special suit! (It's Brandon Routh's suit from Superman Returns.)
Souders: It's an incredibly special suit and we were thrilled to have it make an appearance. But I think, what we know is that Smallville is really about the journey to becoming Superman and that's what the season is about. So you'll get a glimpse of it at the top and to be honest, Clark's going to have to earn a few stripes before he really can put that suit on everyday.
Nrama: So is there any chance we'll see the iconic Lois and Clark flight?
Peterson: Um, I would not rule out anything. I will say we did do a wink to that in 'Crimson' a few years ago. But nothing is out of the realm of possibility.
Nrama: The premiere is very Lois and Clark-focused. Can you talk a little bit about their relationship this season?
Peterson: Well, I think what's great for us is that Clark has always had his secret from everybody in his life, and at least at the top of the season, it's Lois that has a secret from Clark. And that really changes the dynamic between them.
Nrama: Are we going to see any 'couple-y' things from them?
Souders: Oh yeah! [laughs] You know, we all know Clark and Lois, and they're not going to let a few things like major massive secrets about who your alter ego is get in the way of their relationship.
Nrama: Well, speaking of romance, I have to ask about Chloe and Oliver (Justin Hartley). Are we going to see Chloe finally happy?
Souders: Oh yeah. Brian and I are huge Chlollie fans. [laughs] Chloe obviously has had her share of bad relationships. So we would love to see her happy.
Peterson: But what is love without some hard knocks?
Souders: Yeah! [laughs]
Nrama: I want to talk to you about some of the DC characters that are coming in. We've heard a lot of announcements. How do you guys decide who you want to see?
Souders: That's a good question. Honestly we kind of...they'll just be a character that we'll be thinking about or the writing staff...is really wonderful about digging up interesting characters to bring on. And then it's really about finding a story that fits with them. It's kind of a two part process. Every once in a while we'll find a character that we want to focus on or we'll come up with a story and then be needing a character that would fit perfectly and seamlessly with it. I don't know. How do ideas form? [laughs]
Nrama: Are we going to see Lois as the ace reporter in this season's arc?
Peterson: We will, and that is definitely a part of this season, but knowing Clark's secret I think has thrown that...she has a couple more balls in the air than she's always had. So absolutely, but she has to kind of juggle everything else going on in her life.
Nrama: Tess (Cassidy Freeman) is one of my favorite characters and she's got a pretty interesting storyline in the premiere as well. Can you give us a hint about where she's going?
Souders: Well, I guarantee she's going all kinds of places I hope people are not really expecting. She's got a big story arc this season, actually.
Peterson: She's kind of the wild card as far as this year.
Nrama: There are a lot of characters and a lot of story lines to wrap up this season. Can you wrap it all up and would you consider doing a movie at the end of the season?
Souders: Sure! Sign us up! [laughs] We would love that. I mean, I think that, obviously, we're working really hard to wrap up as much as we can, but luckily for us, Superman doesn't end with Smallville. So there will still be stories that will be told for decades and decades and hopefully centuries. And there is something kind of comforting in knowing that.
Nrama: Well, the fans will demand it! After this season wraps, are you guys thinking about taking another one of the characters and doing another show?
Peterson: I think we would love to. I think right now, our focus...because we kind of have arguably the world's greatest superhero on our hands, right now we really want to give him the proper send off. Or I guess I should say a beginning, because this is really the beginning of him becoming a superhero. But we would absolutely embrace something down the road.
Nrama: Is there anyone in particular you'd like to focus on? A favorite of yours?
Peterson: There are a couple, but we'll kind of keep that to ourselves right now.
Nrama: I hope that means there are plans in the works.
Peterson: [laughs}
Nrama: Are there any fun tidbits you can throw out there for the fans?
Peterson: Lets see...what have we just locked in? Um, the one thing we can say is, mid-season there is a pretty big game changer that throws everything up in the air. We haven't really told anybody about that.
Souders: Yeah, we haven't talked about that.
Peterson: And then of course, the return of Aquaman and Supergirl, like you said. And Hawkman. And hopefully there will be a couple of familiar faces that we'll be able to announce in the next few weeks.
Nrama: Oh, and about Erica Durance playing Isis...is this going to be something like Lois in the not-quite-Wonder Woman outfit last season? Is there anything you can reveal about that?
Souders: [laughs] Well, she's fantastic and she's a very, very motivated woman when she shows up...Isis. So she sort of gets a nice grip around Lois Lane.
Nrama: Is there anything you can tease about the premiere?
Souders: Don't go and get a drink out of the refrigerator towards the end of the show! [laughs]
Smallville premieres Friday at 8/7c on the CW.
SOURCE
SMALLVILLE Season 10: Mid-Season Cliffhanger, Guest Stars
By Jenna Busch, Newsarama Contributor
posted: 24 September 2010 11:06 am ET
It's the final season of Smallville and it's going to packed solid with blasts from the past, new characters and a brand new suit in full technicolor! The news just broke that Lois & Clark's Teri Hatcher will be playing the mom of Erica Durance's Lois. (Yes, we know she's dead. They wouldn't comment on that one. But remember the video tapes she found?) We're going to see Aquaman, Hawkman, Supergirl...so many old faces! And Erica Durance as Isis! We were lucky enough to have a few minutes with executive producers Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders this week and asked them all your burning questions. Will Chloe (Allison Mack) ever be happy? Will Superman (Tom Welling) make his iconic flight with Lois? Would they be up for a TV movie after the season wraps? Would they like to do a spin off or another superhero series? And who's coming back? Check out what they had to say.
Newsarama: It's a pretty rare luxury for producers to know which season is their last and to be able to wrap up the story the way they want to. So how do you guys balance taking Clark to where he is in the ongoing comics and wrapping up each individual storyline?
Peterson: Well I would say the big difference, I think between the comics and the movies and Smallville, is that in all of those it was really Superman who's alter ego is this guy who is Clark Kent, and in ours...ours has always been a show about Clark Kent who has put on the Blur as a disguise. And so I think this season will really show a balancing out of him accepting both identities equally.
Nrama: Obviously you can't reveal every single person who's coming back for the final season, but we all want to know about Lana (Kristin Kreuk) and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum). And in the premiere, Lex is “back” in a pretty interesting way. Talk a bit about who you might bring back.
Souders: We want to bring back as many people as we can. Obviously John Schneider and John Glover will be back this season. We'd love to have others back. And we're trying to make a few things concrete hopefully. But the truth is, the door is wide open to Michael and Kristin. We love both of them. They've always been great to work with and they gave such amazing performances on the show.
Nrama: I know we're going to see Aquaman (Alan Ritchson) and Braniac (James Marsters) and Supergirl (Laura Vandervoot) and Hawkman (Michael Shanks) again. I'm curious, what sort of presence will the JSA have..
Peterson: Well, unlike previous seasons where they've come back en masse, in one big tent pole episode, we've kind of sprinkled them throughout the season, so they come in different episodes. They'll each come kind of to inform part of Clark's journey. And in one case, Lois' journey. In the second episode you have a great story with Carter Hall and Lois. So we're kind of using them in that way rather than in the huge kind of Justice kind of episode.
Nrama: Everyone is talking about the news that we'd be seeing Hawkgirl. (She'll be played by Sahar Biniaz.) Can you confirm whether or not we'll be seeing her in the flesh or just in flashbacks?
Peterson: Um, I think we can confirm and say there's a quick cameo of her. I don't want to [say] she's anymore than that, probably.
Nrama: Going by the premiere, it seems like this season is about Clark balancing his personal desires and pride with the needs of the greater world. What would you guys say is the theme of Season 10?
Souders: He's kind of facing the last challenges he needs in order to live up to potential.
Peterson: And really getting over the ghosts of your past so you can move on. And we hit that pretty hard, especially at the top of the season.
Nrama: Of course we have to talk about the suit.
Peterson: [laughs]
Nrama: So exciting to see it in the premiere! Everyone wants to know when we'll see him wear it and how much we'll see him wear it. And it's kind of a special suit! (It's Brandon Routh's suit from Superman Returns.)
Souders: It's an incredibly special suit and we were thrilled to have it make an appearance. But I think, what we know is that Smallville is really about the journey to becoming Superman and that's what the season is about. So you'll get a glimpse of it at the top and to be honest, Clark's going to have to earn a few stripes before he really can put that suit on everyday.
Nrama: So is there any chance we'll see the iconic Lois and Clark flight?
Peterson: Um, I would not rule out anything. I will say we did do a wink to that in 'Crimson' a few years ago. But nothing is out of the realm of possibility.
Nrama: The premiere is very Lois and Clark-focused. Can you talk a little bit about their relationship this season?
Peterson: Well, I think what's great for us is that Clark has always had his secret from everybody in his life, and at least at the top of the season, it's Lois that has a secret from Clark. And that really changes the dynamic between them.
Nrama: Are we going to see any 'couple-y' things from them?
Souders: Oh yeah! [laughs] You know, we all know Clark and Lois, and they're not going to let a few things like major massive secrets about who your alter ego is get in the way of their relationship.
Nrama: Well, speaking of romance, I have to ask about Chloe and Oliver (Justin Hartley). Are we going to see Chloe finally happy?
Souders: Oh yeah. Brian and I are huge Chlollie fans. [laughs] Chloe obviously has had her share of bad relationships. So we would love to see her happy.
Peterson: But what is love without some hard knocks?
Souders: Yeah! [laughs]
Nrama: I want to talk to you about some of the DC characters that are coming in. We've heard a lot of announcements. How do you guys decide who you want to see?
Souders: That's a good question. Honestly we kind of...they'll just be a character that we'll be thinking about or the writing staff...is really wonderful about digging up interesting characters to bring on. And then it's really about finding a story that fits with them. It's kind of a two part process. Every once in a while we'll find a character that we want to focus on or we'll come up with a story and then be needing a character that would fit perfectly and seamlessly with it. I don't know. How do ideas form? [laughs]
Nrama: Are we going to see Lois as the ace reporter in this season's arc?
Peterson: We will, and that is definitely a part of this season, but knowing Clark's secret I think has thrown that...she has a couple more balls in the air than she's always had. So absolutely, but she has to kind of juggle everything else going on in her life.
Nrama: Tess (Cassidy Freeman) is one of my favorite characters and she's got a pretty interesting storyline in the premiere as well. Can you give us a hint about where she's going?
Souders: Well, I guarantee she's going all kinds of places I hope people are not really expecting. She's got a big story arc this season, actually.
Peterson: She's kind of the wild card as far as this year.
Nrama: There are a lot of characters and a lot of story lines to wrap up this season. Can you wrap it all up and would you consider doing a movie at the end of the season?
Souders: Sure! Sign us up! [laughs] We would love that. I mean, I think that, obviously, we're working really hard to wrap up as much as we can, but luckily for us, Superman doesn't end with Smallville. So there will still be stories that will be told for decades and decades and hopefully centuries. And there is something kind of comforting in knowing that.
Nrama: Well, the fans will demand it! After this season wraps, are you guys thinking about taking another one of the characters and doing another show?
Peterson: I think we would love to. I think right now, our focus...because we kind of have arguably the world's greatest superhero on our hands, right now we really want to give him the proper send off. Or I guess I should say a beginning, because this is really the beginning of him becoming a superhero. But we would absolutely embrace something down the road.
Nrama: Is there anyone in particular you'd like to focus on? A favorite of yours?
Peterson: There are a couple, but we'll kind of keep that to ourselves right now.
Nrama: I hope that means there are plans in the works.
Peterson: [laughs}
Nrama: Are there any fun tidbits you can throw out there for the fans?
Peterson: Lets see...what have we just locked in? Um, the one thing we can say is, mid-season there is a pretty big game changer that throws everything up in the air. We haven't really told anybody about that.
Souders: Yeah, we haven't talked about that.
Peterson: And then of course, the return of Aquaman and Supergirl, like you said. And Hawkman. And hopefully there will be a couple of familiar faces that we'll be able to announce in the next few weeks.
Nrama: Oh, and about Erica Durance playing Isis...is this going to be something like Lois in the not-quite-Wonder Woman outfit last season? Is there anything you can reveal about that?
Souders: [laughs] Well, she's fantastic and she's a very, very motivated woman when she shows up...Isis. So she sort of gets a nice grip around Lois Lane.
Nrama: Is there anything you can tease about the premiere?
Souders: Don't go and get a drink out of the refrigerator towards the end of the show! [laughs]
Smallville premieres Friday at 8/7c on the CW.
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