Why I Think "Smallville" Will Live On

There has been much conjecture as to the future of Smallville. Here are the reasons why it should continue:

1. The value of "Smallville's" commercial slots. The shows that make the most money are often the ones with the most valuable commercial slots, like the SuperBowl - either because they have an enormous number of viewers or because the viewer demographic they attract are high consumers. ("Touched by an Angel" probably couldn't charge as much for showing a beer commercial as a football game.) With DC Comics releasing movies in 2006, 2007, and 2008, not including the movies of Marvel (Spider-man, X-Men, Fantastic Four), "Smallville" and its commercial slots are looking like a great money-maker for the network.
2. The positive attention "Smallville" is receiving. Good for the network, the writers, the actors - everyone all around.
3. The future potential. Some may think that "Smallville" will run out of good plots. But you don't "run out of" good plots any more than you "run out of" good lines - you just cease to write them. Season Three plunged into an extreme world, almost Gotham-like; Season Five is more mythological. "Truth" and "Transference" dipped into comedy, "Accelerate" touched horror, many shows are sprinkled with romance. "Hidden" incorporated myth, drama, suspense, romance, family values, one scene with comedy, some twisted villains... In the ricocheting effects of Clark's secret, his relationships with the ones he loves, and his struggle to maintain the tenuous balance between human and hero, there are neverending possibilities. How many years have the comics been going?