Let’s be real. There’s a specific kind of magic in Smallville that hasn't been duplicated since. It’s that weird, wonderful blend of mid-2000s flannel, an obsession with the word "destiny," and the absolute agony of a secret identity. You aren't just looking for capes. You're looking for that feeling of a rainy Tuesday in Kansas where a kid can't tell his best friend—who is definitely going to become his worst enemy—that he's an alien.
Most people looking for TV series like Smallville get pointed toward the modern Arrowverse. And sure, The Flash is fun. But it’s not the same, is it? It lacks that slow-burn, "no flights, no tights" rule that forced Tom Welling to actually act instead of just punching things in CGI. If you want to recapture that specific flavor of teen drama mixed with high-stakes mythology, you have to look at the shows that understood the burden of power, not just the fun of it.
The DNA of a Smallville successor
What made Smallville click? It wasn't the monster-of-the-week episodes involving "meteor freaks," though those were a staple. It was the Lex and Clark dynamic. Watching a friendship erode over ten years because of paranoia and secrets is heavy stuff for a WB show.
When you’re hunting for TV series like Smallville, you’re basically looking for three things: a young protagonist struggling with a massive secret, a rich "lore" that unfolds over seasons, and a supporting cast that feels like family until they inevitably get written off or turn evil.
Roswell (1999–2002)
If you haven't seen the original Roswell, stop what you're doing. Seriously. It predates Smallville by a couple of years but shares the exact same heartbeat. It’s about three alien teenagers hiding in plain sight in New Mexico. Instead of Lex Luthor, you have a local sheriff who is suspicious but also weirdly paternal.
The stakes in Roswell are arguably more intimate. In Smallville, Clark is a god among men. In Roswell, Max, Isabel, and Michael are just scared kids who don't want to be dissected by the government. The romance between Max and Liz mirrors the early Clark and Lana years—longing glances, "I can't tell you the truth," and a whole lot of Dido playing in the background. It is peak turn-of-the-millennium television.
Superman & Lois
It might seem too obvious to suggest another Superman show, but Superman & Lois is the spiritual successor we waited a decade for. It flips the script. Instead of Clark Kent growing up, we see Clark Kent as a father to two teenage boys, one of whom is starting to manifest powers.
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It feels cinematic. The cinematography is moody and grounded, avoiding the "soap opera" lighting that plagued later seasons of The Flash. It captures the "Smallville" vibe by literally being set in Smallville again, focusing on the Kent farm and the struggle of maintaining a normal life in a town that’s dying economically. It treats the characters with a level of maturity that Tom Welling’s Clark would have appreciated.
Why we still crave the "Secret Identity" trope
There is something deeply relatable about the secret identity. We all feel like we’re hiding parts of ourselves. Smallville leaned into this by making Clark’s powers a metaphor for puberty and social isolation.
Teen Wolf (the MTV series) actually did this incredibly well. Don't let the "MTV" label scare you off. The first few seasons are a masterclass in building a supernatural mythos from the ground up. Scott McCall isn't a god; he's a clumsy kid who gets bitten by a wolf and has to figure out how to keep his heart rate down so he doesn't transform during a lacrosse game. The friendship between Scott and Stiles is the only thing that rivals the early-season Clark and Lex chemistry, though thankfully with less betrayal.
Merlin: The Smallville of Camelot
If you want the exact structure of Smallville but with swords and dragons, Merlin is the answer. It was pitched as "Smallville in Camelot," and they weren't lying.
You have Merlin (the powerful one hiding his identity) and Arthur (the future king who doesn't know his best friend is a warlock). In this world, magic is punishable by death, so the stakes are always high. The show follows the "destiny" path religiously. You know how it ends, just like you knew Clark would eventually put on the suit, but watching the journey—and the tragic bromance—is why you stay. It ran for five seasons on the BBC and hit that sweet spot of "comfort food" television.
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The gritty alternative: Heroes
Back in 2006, Heroes was the biggest thing on the planet. It took the "normal people with powers" trope and grounded it even further than Smallville did. While Smallville was limited by the Superman IP, Heroes could kill anyone.
The first season is near-perfect. You have the cheerleader, the office worker who can bend time, and the nurse who can mimic powers. It captures that sense of wonder and terror that comes with being "different." However, a word of caution: the quality drops off significantly after the writer's strike in season two. But that first season? It’s essential viewing for any Smallville fan. It treats superpowers like a virus or a mutation, something that draws people together whether they like it or not.
Looking for the vibe, not just the powers
Sometimes, you aren't looking for a superhero. You’re looking for the atmosphere. The 2000s "hometown" feel.
Friday Night Lights has zero aliens. Nobody has heat vision. But the way it treats its small-town setting and its teenage characters feels remarkably similar to the early seasons of Smallville. The sense of community, the pressure of expectations, and the "us against the world" mentality are all there. If you liked the episodes where Clark played football or the general "Middle America" aesthetic, this is the one.
The Vampire Diaries
Hear me out. Stefan Salvatore is basically Clark Kent with fangs. He’s brooding, he’s got a "hero complex," and he’s constantly trying to suppress his darker nature. His brother Damon is the Lex Luthor figure—the charming, dangerous foil who pushes the hero to his limits.
The world-building in The Vampire Diaries is relentless. By season three, the lore is so dense you need a map, much like the later seasons of Smallville with the Justice League and Brainiac. It’s fast-paced, addictive, and understands that teenage emotions are just as dangerous as a kryptonite-powered villain.
What most people get wrong about these shows
People think TV series like Smallville are just about the special effects. They aren't. They’re about the "found family" and the slow burn of a protagonist becoming who they are meant to be.
If a show starts with the hero already knowing everything, it fails the Smallville test. We want to see the mistakes. We want to see the barn fires. We want to see the awkward prom dates where someone accidentally freezes the punch bowl.
The nuance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
You can't talk about Smallville without acknowledging Buffy. It paved the way. Buffy Summers is the blueprint for the "reluctant hero" in a high school setting. While Smallville was often sincere and earnest, Buffy used snark and metaphor. Every monster was a representation of a high school problem.
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- Losing your virginity to someone who turns into a monster? (Literally).
- Feeling invisible in class? (Actually becoming invisible).
- Dealing with a controlling parent? (Evil robots).
The emotional weight of Buffy’s later seasons—specifically season five and six—reaches levels of drama that Smallville only occasionally touched. It’s a bit more "adult," but the DNA is identical.
Actionable ways to find your next binge
Don't just scroll through Netflix's "Recommended" tab. It’s a wasteland of AI-generated suggestions. Instead, look for these specific "keywords" in show descriptions to find that Smallville itch:
- Origins: Look for shows that focus on the "before" rather than the "after."
- Secret Identity: This is the core conflict. Without it, it’s just an action show.
- High School/Small Town: The setting acts as a pressure cooker for the characters.
- Ensemble Dynamics: A hero is only as good as their Chloe Sullivan or their Pete Ross.
If you’re still stuck, check out The Tomorrow People (the 2013 version). It only lasted one season, but it was basically Smallville meets X-Men. It’s got the hunk, the powers, and the shadowy government organization. It’s a quick watch and fits the vibe perfectly.
Final thoughts on the Smallville legacy
We’re probably never going to get another 22-episode-a-season network drama that lasts a decade. The industry has changed. Shows are shorter now, eight to ten episodes, and they lose that "living with the characters" feeling. Smallville was a marathon. It allowed us to watch a boy grow into a man in real-time.
When searching for TV series like Smallville, look for the heart, not just the heat vision. Look for the shows that care about the quiet moments in the barn just as much as the big fights in the city.
Start with Roswell if you want the nostalgia. Move to Superman & Lois if you want the modern polish. Dive into Merlin if you want the heartbreak. There is plenty of destiny to go around; you just have to know where to look.
Take a weekend. Pick one of these. Turn off your phone. Let the mid-2000s angst wash over you. It’s better for the soul than another gritty reboot.
Next Steps for the Smallville Fan
- Audit the Pilot: Watch the first episode of Roswell (1999) and Superman & Lois. Note which one grabs you more—the teenage mystery or the adult responsibility.
- Track the Creators: Look up shows produced by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. They created Smallville and more recently Wednesday on Netflix. You can see their fingerprints all over the "outcast with powers" trope in Wednesday.
- Physical Media Check: If you find a show you love, try to find the DVDs or Blu-rays. Streaming services are notorious for removing these longer-running shows, and you don't want to be halfway through a 218-episode journey when the license expires.
- Soundtrack Exploration: Half of Smallville's identity was its music (Remy Zero, Lifehouse, Five for Fighting). Create a playlist of early 2000s alt-rock to get into the right headspace for your next binge.