Posted Feb. 15, 2003

"GILMORE GIRLS" AND "SMALLVILLE" KEEP THEIR DEMO FOCUS VS. AN IDOL AND BEAT THE BIG THREE NETWORKS

BURBANK, CA (January 22, 2003) - The WB Network's hit Tuesday tandem of GILMORE GIRLS and SMALLVILLE held up extremely well vs. the premiere of "American Idol." The WB beat the Big Three Networks on Tuesday to place #2 for the night in adults 18-34 (3.2/8), persons 12-34 (3.4/9), men 18-34 (2.9/8), women 12-34 (3.8/9), men 12-34 (2.9/8) and across the teen demos, trailing only Fox.

GILMORE GIRLS ranked behind only the reality series to place #2 in women 18-34 (3.2/8), women 12-34 (4.0/10) and in teens (4.0/11) and female teens (5.9/15). It was also #3 in adults 18-34 (2.5/7) and persons 12-34 (2.9/8).

SMALLVILLE was #2 in all 12-34, 18-34 and teen demos. Its ratings were 3.9/10 in adults 18-34, 3.8/10 in persons 12-34, 3.7/9 in women 18-34, 4.1/11 in men 18-34, 3.7/9 in women 12-34, 4.0/11 in men 12-34, 3.7/10 in teens, 3.6/9 in female teens and 3.7/11 in male teens. SMALLVILLE was also #2 in men 18-49 (3.5/9) and #3 in adults 18-49 (3.4/8) and women 18-49 (3.3/7).

Posted Jan. 15, 2003

LEGENDARY ACTOR AND ACTIVIST CHRISTOPHER REEVE REJOINS THE SUPERMAN MYTHOLOGY WITH A SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE ON "SMALLVILLE" DURING FEBRUARY SWEEPS ON THE WB

Hollywood, CA (January 8, 2003) - The extraordinary Christopher Reeve embodies the Superman spirit once again as he teams up with Tom Welling's Clark Kent in a special guest appearance on SMALLVILLE during February sweeps on The WB Network. This will mark the first time Reeve has appeared in a Superman-related series since his portrayal of the superhero in the feature film "Superman IV" in 1987.

Reeve will play a brilliant scientist, Swann, who has been using his millions to personally fund research about the planet Krypton. After Clark (Welling) learns that Swann holds the key to his origins, he makes a shocking discovery about his home planet that will change his life forever. A PSA with Reeve and Welling for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation will air at the conclusion of the episode.

"When Al and I created 'Smallville,' the first Superman film was our touchstone," said Miles Millar, executive producer. "Chris not only made us believe a man could fly, but he gave humanity to a superhero. We are tremendously honored to have him become part of 'Smallville's' mythology."

Reeve, a Juilliard-trained stage actor, became an overnight star when he appeared as the Man of Steel in 1978's "Superman." He returned for the sequels Superman II, III and IV. Other feature film credits include "Somewhere in Time," “The Bostonians," "The Aviator," "The Remains of the Day," "Morning Glory," "Village of the Damned" and "Above Suspicion."

Paralyzed in a horseback-riding accident, Reeve is continuing to fight to walk again. With his wife Dana, he continues his work as an advocate for paralysis research. Together, the Reeves opened The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, the nation's first facility devoted to teaching paralyzed people to live more independently.

With realistic portrayals and state-of-the-art special effects reinterpreting the Superman mythology from its roots, "Smallville" was written and developed by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar based on the DC Comics characters. Gough and Millar serve as executive producers, along with Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Ken Horton. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.

Posted Jan. 15, 2003

Super Power Squared in "Smallville" by Lia Haberman of eonline

Superman fans will get a double dose of the big guy next month.

Former Man of Steel Christopher Reeve will star in an episode of the WB's series Smallville during February sweeps.

The series centers around a teenage Clark Kent, played by newcomer Tom Welling, in the pre-tights-and-flights phase of Kent's superheroic life, when the boy wonder is more interested in scoring a date with Lana Lang than saving the world.

Reeve, who played Superman four times on the big screen and is reportedly a fan of the show, will play Dr. Swann, a brilliant scientist who tips Kent off to his origins and gives the teen some clues about his destiny.

The part "was written with him in mind, and we were extremely honored when he said yes," Smallville co-creator and executive producer Alfred Gough tells the Hollywood Reporter.

This may not be a one-shot deal for Dr. Swann, who was conceived as a potential recurring character. "I would love to have him back, and it would be completely up to him," says Gough.

The scene between Reeve and Welling is due to be shot next week in New York. According to TV Guide, the Vancouver-based production is relocating to Gotham to accommodate the wheelchair-bound actor, paralyzed in a horse riding accident eight years ago.

The episode will conclude with a public service announcement for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, part of the deal for his guest appearance on the Frog network.

The 50-year-old actor played nebbish Kent and his intrepid alter ego Superman in the Warner Bros. movie franchise, which bowed in 1978. Reeve reprised the role in three sequels.

In 1995, the actor was paralyzed from the neck down after he was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Reeve's subsequent recovery battle has been well documented in the media. He shocked the medical community when he regained some feeling and motor function below his shoulder two years after his accident, an accomplishment not previously believed by experts to be possible.

The actor has since become a vocal activist and fundraiser on behalf of spinal cord injury research. Despite his limited mobility he also continues to remain a presence in Hollywood, directing and starring in several TV and film projects.

Also on Tuesday, Reeve was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy for narrating his book Nothing Is Impossible. This is the second Grammy nod for Reeve, who won Best Spoken Word Album in 1999 for his inspirational tome Still Me, which spent 11 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

Posted Nov. 25, 2002

THE WB PRESENTS A WORLD PREMIERE SPECIAL: "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, RETURN TO MIDDLE-EARTH," NARRATED BY "SMALLVILLE'S" MICHAEL ROSENBAUM

BURBANK, CA (November 19, 2002) - The WB Network kicks off its holiday programming with a world premiere special: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, RETURN TO MIDDLE-EARTH on Wednesday, December 4 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET).

Narrated by actor Michael Rosenbaum, who has won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lex Luthor on The WB's hit drama "Smallville," THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, RETURN TO MIDDLE-EARTH is a uniquely detailed behind-the-scenes look at the highly anticipated central film in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The special follows the life-changing adventure shared by the young stars of the feature. Thrown together for three years in the magnificent landscape of New Zealand, the actors' real-life challenges during a rigorous production schedule mirror the challenges faced by their characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastic world of Middle-earth.

The cast, including Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Sam), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), and Billy Boyd (Pippin) relate the sometimes frightening, sometimes funny events that made this production so challenging. The actors were faced with night shoots in freezing rivers, heart-stopping bungee jumps and learning to act in costumes that included Elven ears and Hobbit feet.

New cast member Andy Serkis shares the secrets behind his portrayal of the terrifying creature Gollum and, as the film's director Peter Jackson points out, "Not all of the new characters of ‘The Two Towers' are played by human beings." Serkis' performance is enhanced with the latest motion-capture techniques, and viewers will get their first glimpse of one of Middle-earth's most unforgettable characters, Treebeard the Ent.

Viewers also get an in-depth look at the incredible sets, as well as an interview with Academy Award-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. Lesnie sums up the magic of the film and the New Zealand locations this way: "You could probably successfully argue that the whole thing could have been created digitally, (but) it's just such a glorious location. I'm sure the cast gave a performance they would never have given on a stage."

The special also gives viewers their first look at a breathtaking battle scene from the film. The battle at Helm's Deep, in which thousands of Uruk-hai soldiers storm the Rohan fortress, uses an intricate combination of live action, miniatures and the latest digital technology to give each character an amazing realism.

For the millions of fans of Tolkien's masterpiece, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, RETURN TO MIDDLE-EARTH is a not-to-be-missed television event. The film opens nation wide on Wednesday, December 18.

THE SMASH SERIES "SMALLVILLE" HITS ANOTHER HIGH NOTE WITH THE UPCOMING RELEASE OF ITS OWN SOUNDTRACK. MUSICAL GUESTS DURING NOVEMBER SWEEPS INCLUDE VONRAY AND STEADMAN

Burbank, CA (November 15, 2002) - The WB Network, Warner Bros. Television and The Elektra Entertainment group join forces to release the first soundtrack from the hit series SMALLVILLE. The CD is set to be released in February of 2003.

The soundtrack, masterfully assembled by music supervisors Jennifer Pyken, Madonna Wade-Reed and Elektra VP Soundtracks/A&R John Kirkpatrick, features an intriguing blend of several of popular music's most absorbing artists and the smash hits which are heard on SMALLVILLE each week. Some of the artists and tracks include Five for Fighting ("Superman"), Eva Cassidy (performing Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"), Lifehouse ("Everything"), Weezer ("Island in the Sun"), Ryan Adams ("Nuclear"), Remy Zero ("Save Me," SMALLVILLE'S theme song), The Hives, Flaming Lips, Sixpence None The Richer and AM Radio.

VonRay, a power rock quintet from Orlando, Florida, performed their commanding song "Inside Out" on the November 12 episode of SMALLVILLE. "Inside Out" will be the first single from the soundtrack CD. Elektra newcomer Steadman will also be appearing in an upcoming episode entitled "Skinwalker" on November 26. The group will perform their hit "Wave Goodbye."

SMALLVILLE continues to set the ratings ablaze, breaking records each week it airs. This past Tuesday, SMALLVILLE ranked #1 for the night in persons 12-34 (5.5/15), females 12-34 (5.7/15), women 18-34 (5.6/14), teens 12-17 (6.2/20) and male teens (6.5/19). Additionally, SMALLVILLE equaled its highest ratings ever in adults 18-49 (4.4/10), set a new series record in women 18-49 (4.7/10) and male teens (6.5/19), and matched its second highest ever in adults 18-34 (5.2/13).

SMALLVILLE was written and developed by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics characters. Gough and Millar serve as executive producers, along with Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Ken Horton. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.

"SMALLVILLE" RANKS #2 IN ITS TIME PERIOD ACROSS ALL 18-34 AND 12-34 DEMOS

BURBANK, CA (October 29, 2002) - The WB Network's Tuesday line-up continues to score, as GILMORE GIRLS and SMALLVILLE again coupled for a successful week in all key demos.

SMALLVILLE faced the highly-rated season premiere of "24," yet still achieved gains week-to-week in persons 12-34 (4.8/13), men 12-34 (4.8/14), teens (4.8/15, +30%) and male teens (6.0/18, which matched its all-time high, and was a +54% improvement over the previous week). SMALLVILLE ranked #2 in its time period, behind only "24" in adults 18-34 (4.8/12), persons 12-34 (4.8/13), women 18-34 (5.2/13), men 18-34 (4.3/12), women 12-34 (4.8/13) and men 12-34 (4.8/14). The episode was #1 in its time period in teens (4.8/15), male teens (6.0/18) and female teens (3.6/12).

In its stellar second campaign, SMALLVILLE continues to soar, as it is pacing well ahead of its freshman season. Compared to the parallel week last season, SMALLVILLE is up virtually across-the-board, including +41% in adults 18-34 (4.8/12), +37% in persons 12-34 (4.8/13), +46% in adults 18-49 (3.8/9), +23% in teens (4.8/15) and +35% in total viewers (8.2 million).

A repeat episode of GILMORE GIRLS scored in key demos as well. The episode was ahead of or near ratings from the parallel week last season, which was an original episode, including gains in male demos and adults 18-34 (2.9/8).

GILMORE GIRLS was #3 in its time period in adults 18-34 (2.9/8), persons 12-34 (3.0/9), women 18-34 (3.9/11), women 12-34 (4.1/12), men 12-34 (1.8/6) and was #1 for the night in female teens (4.7/15).

For the night, The WB was #2 in persons 12-34 (3.9/11), men 18-34 (3.1/9), men 12-34 (3.3/10) and #3 in adults 18-34 (3.8/10), women 18-34 (4.6/12) and women 12-34 (4.5/12). The network was also #1 in female teens (4.1/14).

Compared to the parallel week a year ago, The WB achieved impressive gains across all 18-34, 12-34 and 18-49 demos, plus total viewers. The network was up +27% year-to-year in adults 18-34 (3.8/10), +18% in persons 12-34 (3.9/11), +20% in adults 18-49 (3.0/8) and +19% in total viewers (7 million).

"GILMORE GIRLS" & "SMALLVILLE" LEAD THE WB TO ITS SECOND-MOST-WATCHED TUESDAY EVER

BURBANK, CA (October 23, 2002) - The WB Network's titanic Tuesday tandem of SMALLVILLE from Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television and Warner Bros. Television's GILMORE GIRLS led the network to its second-most-watched Tuesday (7.4 million, which was the largest Tuesday audience since January 1998) and its highest rating in history on a Tuesday among women 18-49 (4.2/10). For the night, The WB equaled its best-ever Tuesday among adults 18-49 (3.5/9).

SMALLVILLE continues its heroic efforts for The WB as it ranked #1 in its time period among women 18-34 (5.7/15) and women 12-34 (5.1/14), #2 among adults 18-34 (5.1/14), persons 12-34 (4.7/13), men 18-34 (4.6/12) and men 12-34 (4.4/12) and #3 across the 18-49 demos (adults, 4.2/10, women, 4.5/10 and men, 4.0/10). SMALLVILLE improved its time period compared to the parallel week a year ago in all 18-34, 12-34 and 18-49 demos, plus total viewers. With its greater growth in female demos, SMALLVILLE was up +24% in adults 18-34 (5.1/14), +12% in persons 12-34 (4.7/13), +24% in adults 18-49 (4.2/10) and +13% in total viewers (8.3 million).

GILMORE GIRLS was #2 in its time period among adults 18-34 (3.5/11), persons 12-34 (3.6/11), women 18-34 (4.6/13), women 12-34 (4.7/14), women 18-49 (3.9/10), #3 in men 12-34 (2.6/8) and #1 in teens (3.9/13). GILMORE GIRLS was also the #1-rated show on the night in female teens (5.0/16). GILMORE GIRLS achieved growth in many key demos compared to the parallel week last year in adults 18-34 (3.5/11, +25%), persons 12-34 (3.6/11, +6%), adults 18-49 (2.8/7, +4%) and total viewers (6.6 million, +3%).

For the night, The WB placed #1 in women 12-34 (4.9/14), teens (3.8/12) and female teens (4.2/14), #2 in persons 12-34 (4.2/12), women 18-34 (5.1/14), men 18-34 (3.5/10) and men 12-34 (3.5/10) and #3 in adults 18-34 (4.3/12). The WB achieved gains in all 18-34, 12-34 and 18-49 demos and total viewers compared to the parallel week last year. The gains included +23% in adults 18-34 (4.3/12), +13% in adults 18-49 (3.5/9), +11% in persons 12-34 (4.2/12) and +8% in total viewers (7.4 million).

BEST-EVER "SMALLVILLE" LEADS THE WB TO A #1 FINISH

BURBANK, CA (October 16, 2002) - The WB's SMALLVILLE continues to flex its super powers. The network's hit Tuesday series keeps improving on its stellar performance. SMALLVILLE, in its best-ever performance, led The WB to a #1 finish among all networks for the night in adults 18-34 (4.5/13), women 18-34 (5.3/15), men 18-34 (3.6/11), persons 12-34 (4.6/14), women 12-34 (5.4/16), men 12-34 (3.7/12), teens (4.9/16), female teens (5.7/18) and male teens (4.1/14).

Teamed with GILMORE GIRLS, SMALLVILLE also helped the network achieve its best-ever night in adults 18-49 (3.5/9) and best-ever Tuesday in adults 18-34 (4.5/13) women 18-34 (5.3/15) and women 18-49 (3.5/9).

SMALLVILLE SCORED THE NETWORK'S BEST-EVER RATING IN ADULTS 18-34 (5.4/15), the second-highest rating ever in adults 18-49 (4.4/11) and best-ever Tuesday rating in women 18-34 (5.9/16), women 18-49 (4.5/11) and total viewers (8.9 million). SMALLVILLE also set or equaled its all-time series records in persons 12-34 (5.5/16), women 12-34 (5.7/16), adults 18-49 (4.4/11), women 18-49 (4.5/11), teens (5.7/19), female teens (5.3/17) and male teens (6.0/20). The outstanding ratings made SMALLVILLE television’s #1-rated show on Tuesday in adults 18-34 (5.4/15), women 18-34 (5.9/16), men 18-34 (4.9/15), persons 12-34 (5.5/16), women 12-34 (5.7/16), men 12-34 (5.2/16), teens (5.7/19) and male teens (6.0/20). It was also #1 in its time period in female teens (5.3/17).

GILMORE GIRLS ranked #1 in its time period in women 18-34 (4.8/14), women 12-34 (5.1/15) and teens (4.1/14). The series was also #2 in its time period in persons 12-34 (3.7/12) and #3 in adults 18-34 (3.5/11), men 12-34 (2.2/8) and women 18-49 (3.5/9) and #1 for the night in female teens (6.0/20).

The WB Tuesday scored year-to-year gains over the parallel night last season, which featured the debut of SMALLVILLE, in adults 18-34 (4.5/13, +18%), persons 12-34 (4.6/14, +18%), women 18-34 (5.3/15, +33%), women 12-34 (5.4/16, +23%), men 18-34 (3.6/11, +3%), men 12-34 (3.7/12, +12%), teens (4.9/16, +20%), female teens (5.7/18, +4%), male teens (4.1/14, +46%), adults 18-49 (3.5/9, +9%), women 18-49 (4.0/10, +11%), men 18-49 (3.0/8, +11%) and total viewers (7.3 million).