Modern DC TV in 2017 was dark, gritty, and desaturated. A Smallville 2017 revival would have needed to find a middle ground. Imagine the sweeping drone shots of the Kent Farm, now overgrown with wild wheat. The Daily Planet globe, rendered in hyper-realistic CGI. The Fortress of Solitude, updated with crystal-clear 4K resolution.
Of course, Smallville is a product of its time, and viewing it through a 2017 lens reveals its dated textures. The CGI of the early seasons looks like a PlayStation 2 cutscene. The “will they/won’t they” angst between Clark and Lana (Kristin Kreuk) stretches credulity to its breaking point. And the show’s predominantly white, Midwestern cast lacks the diversity that became a non-negotiable standard in the late 2010s. One can only imagine the critical backlash a 2017 version of the “red kryptonite” episodes—where Clark becomes a rebellious, ethically loose “bad boy”—would receive. Yet, these flaws also feel endearing. They are artifacts of a transitional era, a time when superheroes were still slightly embarrassed to be on television, relegated to the WB and The CW, before Daredevil and Watchmen made “prestige superhero TV” a category. Smallville 2017
However, the spirit of Smallville lived on. In 2017, the show's influence was visible in Riverdale (which borrowed its sexy, moody melodrama) and Black Lightning (which borrowed its family-first focus). Modern DC TV in 2017 was dark, gritty, and desaturated