Showrunner Todd Helbing says Superman & Lois like Friday Night Lights in Smallville. The upcoming CW show will be the latest addition to the network’s Arrowverse shows and is a unique take on the iconic couple. The titular pair were first introduced in Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths, but now they are set to take on their series when Superman & Lois premieres this month.
Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch are reprising their roles in the series. Early looks have shown off domestic drama in store for the series, blending the heroics of the Arrowverse with the more grounded drama of network television. Friday Night Lights, which aired on NBC for five seasons, has become a prime example of how to pull off small-town drama. The series follows a high school football team in the rural Texas town of Dillon and all the strife that comes with that time in students’ lives.
Superman & Lois looks to be doing something similar, albeit with a big twist. Helbing told Deadline that he and executive producer Greg Berlanti looked to many shows for inspiration for their domestic take on Superman. Their prime goal was to create a family drama with Superman in it, rather than a show revolving around the Man of Steel’s life itself. Friday Night Lights became a significant source of inspiration for the pair as they looked to depict small-town life both in the story and onscreen.
We talked a lot about shows like Everwood and Friday Night Lights. Whenever you do any of these shows, you want to make them slightly different. We just approached this as much as we could like a feature — from the aspect ratio to the cinematography to the look to the design of the house and farm. We are competing with shows on cable and streamers…we wanted to be able to do that and offer audiences something of equal quality.
Superman & Lois represents a drastic departure for the Arrowverse. The cinematic quality of the series is apparent in Superman & Lois‘ first trailer. The show’s more grounded approach to its storytelling allows the crew behind the scenes to create a more intimate drama that will be unlike anything in the Arrowverse. Now that Superman is permanently on Earth-Prime (and has two sons), Clark and Lois will have a ton on their hands.
With no shortage of superhero content in both television and movies, Superman & Lois will be a welcome change. The domestic side of superheroes is one we rarely see depicted, and it’s an area that is ripe with the potential story. With so much focus on massive hero team-ups and world breaking conflict, Superman & Lois will bring a refreshing perspective to The CW. The network is confident in Helbing and Berlanti’s vision, as The CW just extended the first season order for the show, tacking on an additional two episodes ahead of a decision about season two. It’s becoming more and more likely that we will see more of Clark and Lois Kent as they navigate raising two teenage boys in Smallville.
Source: Deadline
Originally from https://screenrant.com/superman-lois-show-tone-friday-night-lights-comparison/