While there are some superhero-based titles on the 2026 TV schedule, there was a time, not that long ago, when The CW was literally chockablock with action-packed dramas about DC comics characters. Widely known as the Arrow-verse, the programming reached its peak with six shows on the network, and was so-named for the one that started it all: Arrow. But, wait…did that Green Arrow-focused show actually start the spate of DC titles on the network? Series star David Ramsey recently had a friendly argument with Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum about which show truly led the charge.
What Prompted Arrow’s David Ramsey And Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum To Have A Friendly Argument
Superheroes have been a big part of pop culture for decades, but TV shows that followed them had lots of trouble getting (and staying) off the ground until relatively recently. While the Stephen Amell-starring Arrow can certainly be credited with helping to change that for fans, a little 10-season series called Smallville (which focused on Clark Kent’s teen and young adult years) was, technically, first out of the gate.
David Ramsey portrayed John Diggle (Oliver Queen’s confidant and eventual non-Green Lantern partner in vigilante justice) throughout all of Arrow’s eight seasons, and with appearances on other franchise shows like The Flash. During a recent chat with Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, Ramsey revealed that he had a conversation with Smallville’s Justin Hartley not long ago, which led to the Tracker star bringing up his earlier stint as Oliver Queen. Leading Rosenbaum to add:
You know, you once said in an interview, about Arrow, ‘Well, we were sort of the flagship, and then all these shows followed.’ And I’m like, ‘Hang on a second, bro. I mean Smallville was the flagship, if there was a flagship! Then you were right there behind us.’ [Laughs] I’m not saying the show’s better; I’m saying we were before you.
While Hartley didn’t seem to push the issue of Smallville being the show that really served to kickstart the whole DC series universe, Ramsey’s story did prompt Rosenbaum to push a little harder on that note. Man, stirring the pot and trying to sound innocent is such a Lex thing to do, isn’t it? And, Ramsey couldn't really argue his point too much, as he responded:
Yup. Look, we're in your shadow. Without a doubt.
I love the fact that Hartley enjoyed his time as Oliver/Green Arrow so much that he felt the need to bring it up to Ramsey when they met not long ago. As the actor told Rosenbaum (who, of course, starred on Smallville as Lex Luthor for Seasons 1 through 7, then returned for the series finale) he met the This Is Us star while doing a guest appearance on Tracker, but Hartley’s first long-running primetime role was as Green Arrow on Smallville from 2006 through 2011, which was just about a year before Arrow began.
Listen, folks who are in the know fully realize that Smallville is legendary and was the first to really do some of the DC-based stories right on television, but Ramsey is still correct that Arrow has a special place in the comic book hero sun for directly leading to such a beloved TV franchise.
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