Smallville creators are splitsville
By Tim Surette - TV.com"It is time for us to move on," say Al Gough and Miles Millar; duo will be done effective at the end of the season.
The Smallville universe is certainly living up to its name a little better with each passing month. In early March, reports surfaced that Smallville mainstays Michael Rosenbaum and Kristin Kreuk, who play Lex Luthor and Lana Lang, respectively, were intending to downsize their roles on the show and begin their post-Smallville careers.
Both actors have reportedly worked out deals to spend less time on the show next season, appearing in a fraction of the episodes they typically act in. This happens to coincide with what is almost certainly Smallville's final season--its eighth.
While the loss of Lex and Lana would seem to be a deathblow for the drama about young Superman, things got even a bit worse yesterday. The creative duo who started the show, Al Gough and Miles Millar, announced that they are leaving Smallville at the conclusion of this season.
The news came via an open letter on Smallville superfan site Kryptonsite.com.
"After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on," reads the letter, which is virtually signed by both Gough and Millar. There is no explanation for the departure, but dissecting the letter cultivates some interesting theories.
While thanking their crew, the two mention "when the knives were out, you always had our backs," which some are taking to mean there was internal drama behind closed doors. They also stress the show's success and are quick to point out that "[they] never compromised [their] vision." Could network pressure be at the core?
Or do they simply just want to work on other things? The two say, "We can finally focus on features now," giving a clue as to what direction they're headed (both have plenty of writing credits on movies such as Herbie Fully Loaded, Spider-Man 2, and the forthcoming The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor).
It's currently unclear who will take over the vacated posts, but TVGuide.com says that Smallville writers Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Todd Slavkin, and Darren Swimmer will plug the holes. [UPDATE below]
Requests for comment from the CW were unanswered as of press time. Smallville returns with new episodes later this month.
What do you think, Smallville fans? Is there hope for season eight without all the familiar names?
[UPDATE] Shortly after this article was posted, the CW contacted TV.com with this official statement on the matter:
"Al Gough and Miles Millar have been great partners and instrumental in the development and success of Smallville. While we are sad to see them go, we are very excited to announce that Executive Producers Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will helm the show next season. Todd, Darren, Kelly, and Brian have been writing for the show for the past six seasons, and as producers for the last four years, they have played an integral role in the ongoing creative evolution of the series. As showrunners, they will continue to deliver the compelling storytelling that Smallville fans have come to expect and love."

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