Sam Witwer

Based on the DC Comics character created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, the Supergirl WB series follows Kara Zor-El (played by Melissa Benoist), Superman's cousin, and one of the last surviving Kryptonians from the planet Krypton. At 12 years old, Kara Zor-El escapes doom on planet Krypton to find protection on Earth with the Danver family, where she grows up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex, and learns to hide the extraordinary powers she shares with her cousin, Superman.

Who would have predicted that the departure of series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough would have given Smallville a surge of super-strength in its eighth season? Give a good part of the credit to saying out with the old--series veterans Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana), whose dreary romantic coupling dragged down previous seasons--and in with the new.