UPDATE: Al and Miles Depart Smallville
It has recently been called to our attention that Smallville series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are departing the series after the conclusion of the seventh season.
KryptonSite has posted a letter to the fans of Smallville from Al and Miles themselves, delivering this sad sad news to us.
The letter has been handed down to us and is after the jump:
UPDATE: Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Todd Slavkin, and Darren Swimmer have been named as the show runners for season 8.
As the creators of “Smallville” we look back at 7 amazing years. We look back at 152 episodes. We look back knowing that the show will continue into Season 8 without us. After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on.
Over the last 7 years we have had the honor of working with a remarkable team of people here in Los Angeles and in Vancouver. We have been blessed with a wonderful cast who we have watched mature with admiration and affection. We have been rewarded with a fan base that is as loyal as it is vocal.
We are incredibly proud of our work on this show. We achieved what we set out to do. We never compromised our vision. We leave knowing that “Smallville” is the longest-running comic book based series of all-time. The show was featured on the covers of Rolling Stone, MAD magazine, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. The pilot had the highest-rated premiere in the history of the WB. Even in its seventh year it is still the #1 scripted show on the network. “Smallville” is watched by millions of people in hundreds of countries and in dozens of languages around the world.
The show’s success is a credit to a fantastically talented group of people. We wanted to take this chance to single some of them out. Our writers – your work speaks for itself. James, Jae, Rob, David – the backbone of our team in Vancouver. Joe Davola, Chris and Shelly – remember those Friday night brainstorming sessions? Len Goldstein and Steve Pearlman – thanks for believing we could do this. David Nutter – for giving the show your magic touch. John Litvack – when the knives were out, you always had our backs. Ken Horton – our Yoda. Peter Roth – Smallville’s biggest fan. Melinda, Michael R., Paul M., Susan and Suzanne – for steering us through 152 episodes. Greg Beeman – your passion is an inspiration. Jordan, David, Garth, Carolyn, Bob & Lew – and everyone at the much-missed WB. Paul Levitz, Greg Noveck and the guys at DC Comics. Lisa Lewis – our very own soccer mom/mafia accountant. Michael Gendler – aka mega-counsel. David Lubliner – we can finally focus on features now. And last but in no way the least, Renee Kurtz – the smartest TV agent in town, we would be nowhere without you!
Finally, to the fans who have stuck with us through the highs and the lows: know this – we never stopped fighting to make this show great. Thanks for watching.
Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:01 am
well that sucks that they’re leaving, I hope that won’t effect the direction too much in where season 8 is going
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
WTF? Why are they leaving now? There must be some turmoil going on behind the scenes that we aren’t privy to. What scares me is that we may never see what Al and Miles’ vision for the conclusion of Smallville will be. Will “No Flights, No Tights” still be in effect?
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
It’s sad to see ‘em leave and all but I for one sure hell as hope that this means we’ll get to see a lot of clark flying next season.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Are you freakin’ kiddin’ us? I had to do a double-take at the date to make sure this wasn’t another horrible April Fool’s joke. After 7 years of presenting this custom story of Clark Kent to Superman, at the precipice of the seventh season and heels of the eighth and final one, they decide to “give up the ghost” and leave?! Ugh… I agree with Blue5 - something else must be happening in the background that’s not being communicated to the masses. Why in the world would you leave your own vision at what could be considered the most opportune time to have it shine and empower the last 7 years’ activity and hard work? This news is the worst news Al and Miles could have delivered to Smallville fans. I wish them the best in their next venture, but this…well, let’s not sugar-coat it…this blows. I fear Season 8 will be an incredible debacle. I think (not to add more work to Steve and Derek) that all the SHoE listeners would really appreciate hearing what the guys think of this news.
…and if by some rare chance this is some type of late April Fool’s deal, you’d better close the Mississippi border. If I get in, Derek’s on a cruise for a bruise. Steve’s already in trouble - I’m within the state lines already. :)
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Oh, and *Bababooey* *Bababooey* *Bababooey*. That is all.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
yep, makes me nervous too, but they’ve set the bible and the tone, hopefully that will hold. I note they specifically mention to thank the management of the WB not CW.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Good point - didn’t catch that before you mentioned it.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I thought this was another April fools joke too. But apparently its all over the place. Too Bad… Now that I think about it, it may have something to do with the ‘no tights, no flights’ thing, or at least part of the issue. Clark needs to fly and in Smallville he’s getting awfully close to actually jumping into it. I mean in this season alone, how many people have flown around the skies of Smallville and Metropolis? And yet Clark is STILL earth-bound? I think that Al and Miles should stay around for the final season, even though I bet the CW is hot on them about making Clark fly. I hope there was some other reason why they decided this was the right thing to do but with what the fans are given, this is my best deduction.
((( I applaud Al and Miles for what they have accomplished with my favorite show )))
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I can’t believe AlMiles are leaving Smallville… I read that this morning on K-Site and other places and not only am i sad to see them go, but i am still wondering about two things that i SHOULD wiat to say till later on after this news is known by most fans and not so talked about, but… what about the direction Season 8 will go? What about the ending they had planned? Will that still happen? And one more thing. Is it not true that the “no flights no tights” rule was signed by them only? What could this mean for Fall 2008-Spring 2009’s Season 8 of Smallville? We’ll see….
Oh, thanks Derek for posting. It always makes things seem a little better when you guys give the news.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:59 pm
they pick NOW to leave? with 1 season left? why don’t they finish the job? there’s only 1 season left! something must have happened.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:12 pm
that update is good to hear, at least it’s people that we can trust with the show
April 6th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I can’t believe they left Smallville.
At least for us, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson have done some great episodes of Smallville. I wonder if this had anything to do with The CW though…