Overall, I think "Smallville" did a lot of original things and wasn't just a copy of the movies. I do think that it took more from the movies than "Lois and Clark did, though.
I agree. "Smallville" is a totally different take on the characters than "LnC". SV starts out in darkness, with people dying in the meteor shower, and it remains rather "dark" throughout. To me, it's a much more serious show than LnC, which is a romantic comedy par excellence. The entire "tone" or "air" of the two shows are different.
I like them both, each in their own way. I have to agree with Sue S. that the first two seasons of LnC are the best and the banter is the best!
"Smallville" tried to recapture this in its later seasons with Erica Durance as Lois, but in my opinion, she could not measure up to the standard that Teri Hatcher set.
