I remember speaking to John Schneider about Cynthia Ettinger at a convention last year; he was very surprised I even knew about it. I asked him about the differences, working with her and Annette O'Toole. He said that Cynthia was much more of what Alfred Gough & Miles Millar originally had in mind: a "blonde farmgirl" type, who was more likely to be swayed upon learning about Clark's abilities. He said it was purely his opinion, that WB probably wanted Martha to be more of a pillar in the Kent family, as a contrast to Jonathan's emotional side. He described Annette's portrayal as being more resolute around the strange occurrences, that would affect the family and the farm.
Marcello Capone she seems out of place because we watched Annette for so long. It’s hard to look at it subjectively. I do agree that Annette is the better actress though. The delivery here (especially with the “he didn’t find us, we found him” line) is just all wrong.
Chris Rowe Jesse Eisenberg was playing A young Lex. After prison he became the Lex we all know and love. People don’t tend to like change. I dig change. I’m tired of the same old same old. Probably why I’m in the minority when it comes to the BvS. 🤷🏼♂️
As beautiful as Cynthia Ettinger was, Annette O'Toole was best suited for the role as an actress and her her Superman movie connection. She helped make Smallville's pilot and series classic Americana!
Cynthia works as your average WB/CW mom-of-a-teenager... but not as the mom to the greatest superhero of all time... Annette O'Toole=Martha Kent! She and John Schneider (for me) are the definitive Ma and Pa Kent.
To be fair to Cynthia Ettinger, the Smallville version of Martha Kent's background was that she's a city girl born in Metropolis who chose to be a farmer's wife. Jonathan and Martha had first met in college at Metropolis University. Given that info, when you simply look at Cynthia in these scenes, it seems reasonable.
Annette plays it with great energy and sincerity. The chemistry between her and John is great from the first part. That moment in the car just proves how great the marital chemistry is between Johnathan and Martha. Annette and John are more natural and more contact, also emotions are more intense . Cynthie is an excellent and beautiful actress, but Annette is much better as Martha from the first moment.
It's so funny, you can see the bones of the series in there, but none of it is quite right yet! :) Even Tom Welling and the act who plays Jonathan haven't got the characters yet! hehe so cool to see it though !
Eleanor Whalley I don't know how you can say that. There were actually very few scenes with Martha. The majority of the scenes in the two pilot versions are identical, acting wise. They're the very same scenes. All that was done for the aired pilot was the few minutes here and there showing Martha were re-filmed with Annette.
Yeah, their second choice was definitely a better choice. And did you notice how different the ship looks? In the show, all the Kryptonian stuff is metallic and shining and looks advanced and cool. This ship looked like it belonged to the teenage mutant ninja turtles before Clark got hold of it.
I'm sure that in other productions Cynthia was a decent actress, but in these shots she is completely bland, there is no motherly, wholesome, farmer's wife in her portate of Martha Kent. Annette was the better selection. Also it was interesting seeing the Tom Welling and Jonathan Shynder acting differently than what I'm used to in the TV seires. Also the added coloring and lighting of the camera shots weren't there so this was an interesting experiance.
its so hard to see someone else as Martha for me having watched Annette have the role for so long xD idk, but I feel as tho she gave alot to the show. similarly I find it hard to see anyone newer as Clark instead of Tom xD
Haha, yeah, I remember I watched the whole unaired episode, and aside from the opening asteroids being far shittier CGI (obviously since it was never meant to be aired), I thought to myself "This looks like exactly the same thing as the actual first episode…" Then I saw the flower shop and I was like "Holy crap, MARTHA?!" I'm glad they went with Anette O'toole over this lady, she seems a lot more warm as a person, plus she was Lana in one of the Chris Reeve Superman movies, a neat little reference… even if that particular one sucked.
Holly Hastings Originally, I went to a site called watchseries.it, and it was episode 0. Unfortunately, that site may not work for you because several internet providers haven now blocked that website, because of copyright law (which, to be fair, it is illegally sending people to pirated series').
Holly Hastings It might still work, depending who provides your internet. Though be warned, there are some sites it sends you to that have dangerous ads that will give you a virus if you click on them, in particular one that says it wants to give you the latest flashplayer, but it's fake so just get rid of it. Or better yet, get a reliable adblocker if you don't have one :)
Wow! That is so weird to see the same scene with someone else. It's like one of those pictures where one detail is edited out and you have to figure out why the picture doesn't make sense. On one hand, yes, it looks really bad seeing her play Martha Kent, on the other hand, if it were here that was on the show for 8 seasons straight and the pilot footage would be of Miss Otoole I bet we would be saying the same things about her
I didn't know about the existence of this double version of the Pilot but I just have to say I'm happy that Annette O'Toole was cast to play Clark's Mom. I didn't like this actress at first glance. She's not suited to play Clark's Mom. Instead, she immediately gave me the impression of someone who falls in love with her beautiful and young adopted son rather than loving him with motherly love!!! I don't even see real acting from her, she's cold, aloof. I see no sweetness in her, no emotional transport, no passion, all qualities that Annette has instead. For me Annette is the best Clark's Mom. Thank you for posting this rare video because I loved seeing Tom acting in this alternate scenes also played by him perfectly, and John Schneider for me the best Clark's Dad.
Oh yah Annette O'Toole is way better. She just has Mama Kent written all over her. Annette has better chemistry with everyone and a way better actress and dare I say she is way way way HOTTER! The show wouldn't have made it with this chick good thing they got Annette.
That's a surprise! Didn't know that! But even though Cynthia Ettinger looks so sweet and beautiful, Annette O'Toole was the perfect choice to play Martha Kent (future Superman mom). It's obvious that there is much more chemistry between her and Tom Welling and Clark needed a warm, reassuring and strong mom. Annette is a brilliant actress, has perfect diction and has the tattoo of the Man of Steel since she played Lana in "Superman III". Thank you 4 sharing, I enjoyed waching.
Annette has more on screen charisma and her acting is more memorable. This actress in this unaired pilot feels amateur and generic. I can't imagine how she's going to act in later episodes of the series has she became the permanent face of Martha Kent. This lady's acting is meh, while Annette's seems more expressive.
This and Clark having a skateboard is so weird 🤣 Like istg they must've thought they'd try Clark being a skater at first, except it only hung on his backpack the whole time and never used it once and that skateboard was never seen again.
Ettinger is good for a city Martha who is halfway between Metropolis and Smallville. She has more of a young city wife in the country vibe to her. O'Toole has more of a motherly countrywoman vibe. Ultimately, Martha's character is closer to the vibe O'Toole has and it looks like some of the rewrites were influenced by O'Toole's presence. Even O'Toole's cadence for the same lines have a softer motherly quality, which makes us feel like Martha is Clark's mother.
i am with a lot of the comments I have read I am also glad they went with Annette O'Toole to play Martha not to discredit the work that Cynthia Ettinger put in to play Martha but what I think works more fitting for Annette O'Toole to play Martha is knowing that she was made for a superman role as she was the original lana in the Christopher reeves movies. so its nice for us fans to be able to have that little piece of comic history bond and explore a new more mature role and has given Annette O'Toole to give a more performance and air time then she had in the movies.
So glad they got Annette for this instead. It just wouldn't be the same, this Martha doesn't even fit with what you think Martha Kent to look and be like. Annette O'Toole FTW!!
I am go glad that Annette was cast of Martha instead of Cynthia. But if they want to have a little irony they could have cast Cynthia as Martha Kent's evil sister for just one episode.
Nothing against this martha kent. But she just didnt fit. I cam see why they changed her to annette Otoole. She def portrays a better version of martha kent. Also better on screan chemistry. She annette def was a better actress. Whoever made that call for the series. Nice job.
Cynthia Ettinger works very well. I can totally see her working in the long-term. Sucks to be in the part and then not, losing out on what would have set her up for life financially, but it's usually nothing personal. The vision simply changed and a cog in the machine was replaced. If you're an actor, you have to realize that people are just meat puppets for the story being told (the picture being painted) and it has nothing to do with you as a person or even what you could or couldn't have done.
For everyone goin she's terrible or Annette is soooo much better. You have to think. This is basically the episode that determines if the show even becomes the show, and if she stayed she may have become better when the show was picked up. Plus you're comparing her to somebody you already know mostly AS Smallville's Martha Kent. It's a bit unfair. I think Martha was great in this series, but I'm not so quick to dismiss someone just because of a pilot episode.
This reminds of the unaired pilot of buffy the vampire slayer with a different actress playing willow, who like this actress was completely wrong for the role, Annette brought charm and warmth to the character.
Annette O'Toole had better emotional range. She and John were believable as a couple, this Martha Kent seems like she should be his sister instead of his wife.
I see why they replaced her. No offence to the actress but I just wasn't feeling it. There was zero chemistry with Tom and, most importantly, with John You have the buy the Kents as the perfect parents, a couple who are crazy in love with each other and want nothing more than a family together. John and Annette sparkle together - they do that wordless communication thing that all the best couples do. When you see them in the first scene of the pilot you totaly buy it.
The difference between Ettinger and O'Toole is seen on the line "Your Father has them." In this version, Ettinger doesn't really give much away about how she feels. With O'Toole, you get the dual feeling of her being annoyed at Clark AND Jonathan, which is totally on point for how she feels conflicted at this point. It's impossible to know how Ettinger would have made this so it's unfair to compare, and she's clearly a good actress, but that line delivery for that bit showed me Ettinger needed a bit more time to fully understand Martha's relationship nuances. O'Toole felt totally authentic immediately however.
I think Cynthia would have been a good Martha for a child or infant Clark Kent, but not for a teenage Clark Kent. She looks more like his older sister than a mother here.
After watching this I’m SOOO glad they went with Annette O’ Tool. She did a much better job and Cynthia would’ve honestly distracted the hell out of me. She looks too young to be Clark’s mother.
I remember speaking to John Schneider about Cynthia Ettinger at a convention last year; he was very surprised I even knew about it. I asked him about the differences, working with her and Annette O'Toole. He said that Cynthia was much more of what Alfred Gough & Miles Millar originally had in mind: a "blonde farmgirl" type, who was more likely to be swayed upon learning about Clark's abilities. He said it was purely his opinion, that WB probably wanted Martha to be more of a pillar in the Kent family, as a contrast to Jonathan's emotional side. He described Annette's portrayal as being more resolute around the strange occurrences, that would affect the family and the farm.
+Moviefan2k4 Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing. I for one think they picked the right one. Watching this other actress now and she looks out of place.
KaraLVRogueLZ
Marcello Capone she seems out of place because we watched Annette for so long. It’s hard to look at it subjectively.
I do agree that Annette is the better actress though. The delivery here (especially with the “he didn’t find us, we found him” line) is just all wrong.
Chris Rowe Jesse Eisenberg was playing A young Lex. After prison he became the Lex we all know and love. People don’t tend to like change. I dig change. I’m tired of the same old same old. Probably why I’m in the minority when it comes to the BvS. 🤷🏼♂️
As beautiful as Cynthia Ettinger was, Annette O'Toole was best suited for the role as an actress and her her Superman movie connection. She helped make Smallville's pilot and series classic Americana!
she doesn't seem as sincere as Annette did
It's weird watching this.... I'm so glad Annette O'Toole was cast!
Cynthia works as your average WB/CW mom-of-a-teenager... but not as the mom to the greatest superhero of all time... Annette O'Toole=Martha Kent! She and John Schneider (for me) are the definitive Ma and Pa Kent.
So glad they went with Annette!
To be fair to Cynthia Ettinger, the Smallville version of Martha Kent's background was that she's a city girl born in Metropolis who chose to be a farmer's wife. Jonathan and Martha had first met in college at Metropolis University. Given that info, when you simply look at Cynthia in these scenes, it seems reasonable.
...atleast John schneider got to kiss both women....good for him
watching this feels like Bizarro Clark world...
Holy moly 😳 Cynthia was gorgeous 😍. WOWWWWWWWW!
Annette plays it with great energy and sincerity. The chemistry between her and John is great from the first part. That moment in the car just proves how great the marital chemistry is between Johnathan and Martha. Annette and John are more natural and more contact, also emotions are more intense . Cynthie is an excellent and beautiful actress, but Annette is much better as Martha from the first moment.
I can imagine the pressure John and Tom and the other cast to re-shoot these scenes.
It's so funny, you can see the bones of the series in there, but none of it is quite right yet! :) Even Tom Welling and the act who plays Jonathan haven't got the characters yet! hehe so cool to see it though !
Eleanor Whalley Almost all the scenes in the unaired pilot were used in the aired version. What are you talking about?
nakyer I simply meant that they way they play their parts is slightly different you know because of a different martha :)
Eleanor Whalley
I don't know how you can say that. There were actually very few scenes with Martha. The majority of the scenes in the two pilot versions are identical, acting wise. They're the very same scenes.
All that was done for the aired pilot was the few minutes here and there showing Martha were re-filmed with Annette.
Yeah, their second choice was definitely a better choice. And did you notice how different the ship looks? In the show, all the Kryptonian stuff is metallic and shining and looks advanced and cool. This ship looked like it belonged to the teenage mutant ninja turtles before Clark got hold of it.
I'm sure that in other productions Cynthia was a decent actress, but in these shots she is completely bland, there is no motherly, wholesome, farmer's wife in her portate of Martha Kent. Annette was the better selection. Also it was interesting seeing the Tom Welling and Jonathan Shynder acting differently than what I'm used to in the TV seires. Also the added coloring and lighting of the camera shots weren't there so this was an interesting experiance.
Annette much better
its so hard to see someone else as Martha for me having watched Annette have the role for so long xD idk, but I feel as tho she gave alot to the show. similarly I find it hard to see anyone newer as Clark instead of Tom xD
The theme music sounds like an 80's soap opera O_O
I’ve always been curious about this after hearing Annette O’Toole wasn’t the original Martha. Thanks for sharing
Haha, yeah, I remember I watched the whole unaired episode, and aside from the opening asteroids being far shittier CGI (obviously since it was never meant to be aired), I thought to myself "This looks like exactly the same thing as the actual first episode…" Then I saw the flower shop and I was like "Holy crap, MARTHA?!"
I'm glad they went with Anette O'toole over this lady, she seems a lot more warm as a person, plus she was Lana in one of the Chris Reeve Superman movies, a neat little reference… even if that particular one sucked.
I agree with you in that Annette was always a warmer Martha.
Where did you find the unaired pilot? I can't find it anywhere
Holly Hastings Originally, I went to a site called watchseries.it, and it was episode 0. Unfortunately, that site may not work for you because several internet providers haven now blocked that website, because of copyright law (which, to be fair, it is illegally sending people to pirated series').
Okay :) Thanks so much!
Holly Hastings It might still work, depending who provides your internet. Though be warned, there are some sites it sends you to that have dangerous ads that will give you a virus if you click on them, in particular one that says it wants to give you the latest flashplayer, but it's fake so just get rid of it. Or better yet, get a reliable adblocker if you don't have one :)
where can I see the unaired pilot?
Wow! That is so weird to see the same scene with someone else. It's like one of those pictures where one detail is edited out and you have to figure out why the picture doesn't make sense.
On one hand, yes, it looks really bad seeing her play Martha Kent, on the other hand, if it were here that was on the show for 8 seasons straight and the pilot footage would be of Miss Otoole I bet we would be saying the same things about her
EVERYTHING IS SO DIFFERENT! I like the way it is now SO much better
Any1 watching in 2021? No, okay! Carry on
meeeeee
2024✌🏻
This lady doesn't act, she just sits there. No disrespect, I just love Annette O'toole.
I didn't know about the existence of this double version of the Pilot but I just have to say I'm happy that Annette O'Toole was cast to play Clark's Mom.
I didn't like this actress at first glance. She's not suited to play Clark's Mom. Instead, she immediately gave me the impression of someone who falls in love with her beautiful and young adopted son rather than loving him with motherly love!!!
I don't even see real acting from her, she's cold, aloof. I see no sweetness in her, no emotional transport, no passion, all qualities that Annette has instead.
For me Annette is the best Clark's Mom.
Thank you for posting this rare video because I loved seeing Tom acting in this alternate scenes also played by him perfectly, and John Schneider for me the best Clark's Dad.
Oh yah Annette O'Toole is way better. She just has Mama Kent written all over her. Annette has better chemistry with everyone and a way better actress and dare I say she is way way way HOTTER! The show wouldn't have made it with this chick good thing they got Annette.
That's a surprise! Didn't know that! But even though Cynthia Ettinger looks so sweet and beautiful, Annette O'Toole was the perfect choice to play Martha Kent (future Superman mom).
It's obvious that there is much more chemistry between her and Tom Welling and Clark needed a warm, reassuring and strong mom.
Annette is a brilliant actress, has perfect diction and has the tattoo of the Man of Steel since she played Lana in "Superman III".
Thank you 4 sharing, I enjoyed waching.
End of The Innocence!! Had no idea they considered this for the score, wow this was amazing!!
The music playing when Martha makes her "wish" is from the movie Contact...
+letumexamor Oh. My. God. It is.
Annette has more on screen charisma and her acting is more memorable. This actress in this unaired pilot feels amateur and generic. I can't imagine how she's going to act in later episodes of the series has she became the permanent face of Martha Kent. This lady's acting is meh, while Annette's seems more expressive.
This and Clark having a skateboard is so weird 🤣
Like istg they must've thought they'd try Clark being a skater at first, except it only hung on his backpack the whole time and never used it once and that skateboard was never seen again.
The spaceship is even different
I am glad they changed it. It does look more alien than the smooth ship, but the smooth ship they used later seemed more advanced.
Annette O'Toole is definitely the right choice. Even the way Tom and John deliver their lines is better in the final version.
The house looks nice.....But I am glad that the choose the right martha :)
Mybe this is a different Smallville universe crisis on infinite earths 🤔🤔🤔😉
@Cer El I tip my imaginary fedora to you. That was good. 😂
A friend obtained a tape of the Pilot and knowing what a Superman-fan I am, gave me a copy.
im glad they went with annette because this just seems boring and she bought life to the kent farm
Looks more like clarks older sister then mom
Ettinger is good for a city Martha who is halfway between Metropolis and Smallville. She has more of a young city wife in the country vibe to her. O'Toole has more of a motherly countrywoman vibe. Ultimately, Martha's character is closer to the vibe O'Toole has and it looks like some of the rewrites were influenced by O'Toole's presence. Even O'Toole's cadence for the same lines have a softer motherly quality, which makes us feel like Martha is Clark's mother.
wow, this show could have been COMPLETELY different if they went with her instead
i am with a lot of the comments I have read I am also glad they went with Annette O'Toole to play Martha not to discredit the work that Cynthia Ettinger put in to play Martha but what I think works more fitting for Annette O'Toole to play Martha is knowing that she was made for a superman role as she was the original lana in the Christopher reeves movies. so its nice for us fans to be able to have that little piece of comic history bond and explore a new more mature role and has given Annette O'Toole to give a more performance and air time then she had in the movies.
So glad they got Annette for this instead. It just wouldn't be the same, this Martha doesn't even fit with what you think Martha Kent to look and be like. Annette O'Toole FTW!!
A couple of years later she got a lead role in Carnivàle and turned out to be quite excellent in it.
Funny (and almost fitting) to open this alternate pilot with the opening chords of Don Henley's 1980's hit "End of the Innocence". :)
I prefer Annette to be honest. She nailed it.
I remember being upset cause Johnatan wouldnt let Clark have that truck. it felt little too harsh ;))
Your damn right, nell that's a surprise!
She doesnt look weathered enough to be a farmers wife. No way.
thestimp neither did Annette O’Toole...
Thanks for sharing
In my own head canon the mister miracle version of Superman in the TV show's continuity is from the unaired pilot universe
Thank goodness...
im not sure, But doesnt His Ship Look Different?
I am go glad that Annette was cast of Martha instead of Cynthia. But if they want to have a little irony they could have cast Cynthia as Martha Kent's evil sister for just one episode.
@jukio02 the truck also looks different, am i right?
Great scott
Temp music from Alan Silvestri's score to Contact
Nothing against this martha kent. But she just didnt fit. I cam see why they changed her to annette Otoole. She def portrays a better version of martha kent. Also better on screan chemistry. She annette def was a better actress. Whoever made that call for the series. Nice job.
Cynthia Ettinger works very well. I can totally see her working in the long-term. Sucks to be in the part and then not, losing out on what would have set her up for life financially, but it's usually nothing personal. The vision simply changed and a cog in the machine was replaced. If you're an actor, you have to realize that people are just meat puppets for the story being told (the picture being painted) and it has nothing to do with you as a person or even what you could or couldn't have done.
For everyone goin she's terrible or Annette is soooo much better. You have to think. This is basically the episode that determines if the show even becomes the show, and if she stayed she may have become better when the show was picked up. Plus you're comparing her to somebody you already know mostly AS Smallville's Martha Kent. It's a bit unfair. I think Martha was great in this series, but I'm not so quick to dismiss someone just because of a pilot episode.
This reminds of the unaired pilot of buffy the vampire slayer with a different actress playing willow, who like this actress was completely wrong for the role, Annette brought charm and warmth to the character.
This feels like a screen test
Clark "A car hit me and I survived."
Also Clark "I want to be normal."
So...you wanted the car to kill you???
let alone look close to the same age has Jonathan Kent >.
before annette was martha kent she was lana lang in Superman 3
Oh Clark, calling people who don't play football losers. And we wonder why bullying is a problem.
Yes, but except for these scenes it's exactly like the one that was shown on WB.
She does good too!
This is so funny hehehe, young clark
bizarre, if i didn't watch this i wouldn't have guessed.
I like it
虽然不是同一个演员 但是看得我又想重温了
Didnt they change the truck to blue for the final cut of the pilot?
Annette O'Toole had better emotional range. She and John were believable as a couple, this Martha Kent seems like she should be his sister instead of his wife.
i think the blond hair and just the over all look of this character doesn't scream wholesome, farmer's wife. Very glad they replaced her for Annette
What's wrong with her hair?
she doesnt fit. maybe cuz we are used to Annette, but Cynthia doesn't work as Clark Kent's Earth mother
yeah i just looked and They Deffinatly changed the Ships
She works on the show
where's you get the footage of this clip?
I see why they replaced her. No offence to the actress but I just wasn't feeling it. There was zero chemistry with Tom and, most importantly, with John You have the buy the Kents as the perfect parents, a couple who are crazy in love with each other and want nothing more than a family together. John and Annette sparkle together - they do that wordless communication thing that all the best couples do. When you see them in the first scene of the pilot you totaly buy it.
wow where did you find this?
Anyone know the name of the song in the scene where Clarke enters Lex Luthors castle at 33:53
I think you misunderstood. I know someone else who worked on the show.
Cynthia doesnt have the motherly archetype to her, she sounds too metropolitan
Annette O'Toole is sooooooo much better
I like her... she's good with Clark :)
wow....
The difference between Ettinger and O'Toole is seen on the line "Your Father has them." In this version, Ettinger doesn't really give much away about how she feels. With O'Toole, you get the dual feeling of her being annoyed at Clark AND Jonathan, which is totally on point for how she feels conflicted at this point.
It's impossible to know how Ettinger would have made this so it's unfair to compare, and she's clearly a good actress, but that line delivery for that bit showed me Ettinger needed a bit more time to fully understand Martha's relationship nuances. O'Toole felt totally authentic immediately however.
I don't know who Cynthia Ettinger is but i can't even imagine her as Martha in the later seasons. Annette all the way!
I think Cynthia would have been a good Martha for a child or infant Clark Kent, but not for a teenage Clark Kent. She looks more like his older sister than a mother here.
I’ve got nothing against the other actress. I just think Annette added more weight to the role
I don't know why but when I look at Cynthia Ettinger I get the feeling as if she plays someone who acts nice but in truth is a manipulative witch.
Where can I see the entire episode?
Watch the first episode of the series. It's exactly the same, except for these scenes.
Annette is so Martha Kent, this lady doesn't have any chemistry with Tom or John.
SHE IS EFFING SMOKING HOT!
omg THIS is what it's like with cynthia in it, before they put in annette??
Maybe is a different earth
Cynthia would be too hot to be Clark's mom. I'm glad it worked out.
After watching this I’m SOOO glad they went with Annette O’ Tool. She did a much better job and Cynthia would’ve honestly distracted the hell out of me. She looks too young to be Clark’s mother.
"I'd give anything to be Normal" 🤔🤔😏😏 Mhmmm. Now, he is.
I like this Martha. She's got great chemistry with John and Tom. ☺
😮