Smallville did a lot of interesting and unexpected things to the DC Universe over its long run, however one planned episode was going to do something that star Tom Welling was not willing to do, and I can't help but think that changing the episode was a mistake. Other programs, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, have done exactly the same thing as this unused Smallville idea during their runs, and found great success in doing so. This could have created one of the most rewatchable Smallville episodes, though regrettably, it never came to fruition.
While the live-action Superman show was centered around Clark, Lana, and Lex, there were many original ideas and original characters in Smallville that helped make the show into something truly memorable. The series made some significant changes to Superman's world, but most of the episodes felt standard in format for television at the time. One episode that was never made intended to change that format, and it's genuinely disappointing that its plan never actually came about during the show's run.
Tom Welling Refused To Make A Smallville Musical Episode
"Noir" Aired During Season 6 Of The Series With Some Big Changes
Smallville season 6, episode 20, was entitled "Noir", and while the story did have an unusual premise - which saw Jimmy being knocked out and having dreams of himself and his friends in a stylized 1940s - the episode was originally intended to be a musical. Tom Welling however, refused to film the episode, which led the showrunners to retool it. The episode was changed, and the musical elements were removed, resulting in an episode of the series that retained the story but changed this element considerably.
This might have been a mistake. The episode, which aired in 2007, was a compelling one, where original versions of the show's beloved characters were able to appear. However, with these stylistic shifts, which the program seemed to attribute to Jimmy watching The Big Sleep, there was room for several enormous stylistic shifts. Following this, the show could have done even more to upset the status quo, especially as there has been precedent for musical episodes being effective.
Two Great TV Shows Had Incredible Music Episodes
The Format Has Worked Well A Few Times
While some shows have disappointed with musical episodes, others have found great success in doing them. Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured an especially memorable and effective one, with the season 6 episode "Once More With Feeling". In the episode, a demon forces the people of Sunnyvale to break into song in order to express their hidden truths. The episode was written and directed by creator Joss Whedon, and is fondly remembered by fans of the series.
Other shows have also used this format to great success. Scrubs also used this format, also in season 6, where a patient found herself hearing the dialogue of the people around her as a song. The music was effective, and the episode was acclaimed, with even TV Guide ranking it among the top 100 TV episodes of all time. With these in mind, there was certainly potential for Smallville to also find success with the exploration of music at the core of one of their episodes.
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Tom Welling's time on Smallville saw the character grow from the boy, Clark Kent, into the Superman, but the show did feature some lame arcs at times.
Many shows have used musical motifs to differentiate special episodes of their shows. While some did it very well, and to great acclaim, others, like Riverdale, generally found less success. Still, it is a fresh and interesting way to stylistically depart from the norm in the run of a series, and to craft something new and unique. In the end, it's disappointing that Smallville decided to play things safe, and not to deviate from its format with a musical episode.
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