up, up and away

while the WB struggles [bugmenot login], the young man of steel show smallville has bounced back surprisingly well in a seemingly tough time slot.

a coupla years back, WB execs (sillily) moved solid ratings hit smallville to wednesday nights where it would soon get crushed by fellow genre show lost and undercut by demographic competitor america's next top model. the guys behind smallville weren't exactly thrilled when another move would lead to a face-off against ratings stalwart survivor, buzzworthy everybody hates chris and somewhat ailing alias and the oc

Instead, in a twist that has surprised the producers and challenged the conventional wisdom of the TV industry, "Smallville" has, in its fifth season, become a standout hit for the WB. The series is having its best season, up 28% compared with last year, with an average of 5.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

the move may have 'helped', but as a fan of the show the 'fortress of solitude' phase of the show deserves credit too.

WB execs appear to be looking to continue smallville's success with a partial aquaman spin-off springboarding off smallville