Superman was dead, and not just the movie franchise. The Death of Superman (which itself only existed because of this series – but that’s another story) would throw the DCU for a loop, but on the small screen the Big Blue Boyscout would fly higher than ever before. Casting relative unknowns Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher the show, created by Deborah Joy Levine, took the characters out of the comics page and stuck them in a screwball dramedy centered not around Superman’s ability to save the day but the relationship between Daily Planet reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
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Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a different type of super-hero show. Keeping a balance of seriousness while always willing to plant a tongue firmly in cheek when appropriate, this show centered not only around the hero saving the day, but what he did and how he lived outside of the tights as well. The reporter took center stage over the hero.
The series followed the example of John Byrne’s relaunch of the hero post-Crisis on Infinite Earths. Although Superman would appear in every episode to save the day (and usually Lois), the character of Clark Kent and his relationship with Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and his parents is what drove the show. The series was more about Clark than Superman, and, to tell the truth, more about Lois than Clark.
In its short time on the air L&C would put its own stamp on the the characters. Perry White (Lane Smith) became an Elvis aficionado (and “Great Caesar’s Ghost” became “Great Shades of Elvis”), both of Clark’s parents would still be living (K Callan, Eddie Jones), Lex Luthor (John Shea) would have hair, Jimmy would be played by two different actors (Michael Landes, Justin Whalin), but Superman would still stand for truth, justice and the American way, and always show up just in time to save the day. The series ran for four seasons and managed to marry the pair to coincide with the marriage of Lois and Clark on the comic page as well. After 88 episodes Superman hung up his cape, but lucky for us all four seasons are available on DVD.
Season One
“Don’t fall for me farm boy. I don’t have time for it.”
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Clark Kent (Dean Cain) moves to Metropolis and starts a job at the Daily Planet alongside seasoned investigative reporter Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). Perry, Jimmy, Kat (Tracy Scroggins), and Lex Luthor will all play roles in Clark’s, and his new alter-ego Superman’s, life for years to come.
In the Pilot Ma Kent makes his famous costume in what would become a trademark moment for the series and capture a tone to find an ability to honor the the legend of Superman, but still be able to find the humor in those moments as well. It was this humor which led to several inside jokes such as Lex Luthor’s musings while testing Superman in “Neverending Battle” over whether Superman can, in fact, “leap tall buildings in a single bound” or if “he is more powerful than a locomotive.” Many similar moments throughout the series run would help give the show its unique charm.
Memorable episodes include Agent Trask (Terrence Knox) and his mission to destroy the alien invader named Superman in “Strange Visitor From Another Planet” and “The Green, Green Glow of Home,” Lois’ sultry rendition as a nightclub singer in “I’ve Got a Crush On You,” the time period flashbacks in “Fly Hard,” and the death of Lex Luthor and the Daily Planet (both of which would rise again) in the season finale “House of Luthor.”
Teri Hatcher shines as the lovable career-manic with a talent for physical humor, and Dean Cain fits well into the Superman suit, and even better into the shoes, and glasses, of Clark Kent. The show takes flight early on, and although you may get a bit tired of the number of Luthor stories and lack of other villains, there’s much here to recommend.
Season Two
“Superman, let me ask you something…why tights? Why a cape? You’re a grown man; don’t you feel ridiculous?”
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With the “death” of Lex Luthor the show moved to a varied cast of guest-starring villains in the second, and in opinion the best, season including Bronson Pinchot as the Prankster in “The Prankster” and “Return of the Prankster,” a clever take on the Toyman in “Season’s Greetings,” and the first appearance of the series best original character Tempus (Lane Davies) in “Tempus Fugitive,” a perfectly over the top villain who asks the important questions no villain should including why Superman wears tights, and just how galactically stupid is Lois Lane for not seeing Clark and Superman are the same guy? The season also wouldn’t be complete without the return of Luthor himself in “The Phoenix.” Some episodes however failed to hit their mark including “Lucky Leon,” “Chi of Steel”, the extremely underwhelming version of “Metallo,” and the reincarnated Al Capone and his merry men in “That Old Gang of Mine.” I guess they can’t all be winners.
This season is also notable for the first appearance of Red Kryptonite in “Individual Responsibility,” introducing the recurring threat of Intergang, having Superman be sued for saving a man’s life in “Whine, Whine, Whine,” the many women of Lex Luthor who include Emma Samms and Denise Crosby, the first (and only) appearance of Resplendent Man (Leslie Jordan), and including Clark and Lois’ first kiss, first date, and a proposal to end the season on a cliff-hanger in “And the Answer Is….”
The show is hitting on all cylinders here and even with drastic changes to the concept – the change from a main villain to a guest-villain of the week, and the odd recasting of Jimmy Olsen, the show takes it all in stride and soars to new heights.
Season Three
“Who’s asking, Clark or Superman?”
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Lois finally figures it out, Lex Luthor returns, and the pair deal with all kinds of obstacles to their impending wedding including Clarks’ fears, Irish Druids, Nazis, frog eating clones, Lex Luthor’s illegitimate son, a deformed Hugh Hefner knock-off, amnesia, a super-kid, and the arrival of Superman’s Kryptonian wife!
This third season is a bit of a mixed bag, partly due to the limbo of the characters forced on the writing staff by the studio and DC Comics which needed another year to get the pair together on the printed page. Yes, Clark and Lois finally get together, but the writers keep finding more and more bizarre ways to keep the pair apart. Some work better than others. The class of the season begins with Clark’s proposal and Lois admission she knows his secret in “…We Have a Lot to Talk About.” And my favorite L&C villain Tempus returns to drag Lois to an alternative dimension in “Tempus Anyone.”
Also worth mentioning are real husband and wife Jonathan Frakes and Genie Francis showing up as a sociopathic couple in “Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape,” Lois gets all spandexed-up as “Ultra-Woman,” and Lois is confronted with what appears to be Superman’s illegitimate super-son in “Chip Off the Old Clark.” The season ends with Superman leaving Earth to lead the new colony of New Krypton along with his betrothed Zara (Justine Bateman) and a new black_suit.
Season Four
“For a spaceman you are the most romantic person I know.”
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The final season starts out with a two episode conclusion involving the New Kryptonians arrival on Earth in “Lord of the Flys” and Superman’s battle with Lord Nor (Simon Templeman) for leadership of the race of Supermen in “Battleground Earth.” The pair finally tie the not in the almost too cute “Swear to God, This Time We’re Not Kidding,” and Jack Larson (who played Jimmy Olson on Adventures of Superman” guest-stars as an older version of Jimmy in “Brutal Youth. “
Lois is framed for murder in “The People vs. Lois Lane” and sentenced to death in “Dead Lois Walking,” a reporter (Terminator 3‘s Kristanna Loken) mistakes Jimmy for Superman in “AKA Superman,” Deathstroke (Antonio Sabato Jr.) comes to town in “Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark,” and Mr. Mxyzptlk (Howie Mandel) shows up for “Twas the Night Before Mxymas” (one of the best shows of the series) to remove hope from the world.
The third season also returns Tempus for one last two-part arc in “Meet John Doe” and “Lois and Clarks,” another son of Lex Luthor shows up (how many are there?), and the series ends with a bundle of surprise in “The Family Hour.” Although the series doesn’t quite go off with a bang, in this final season it gets back better stories (forgetting that awful Drew Carey episode and the well-meaning but rather lame “Soul Mates”).
I’d recommend the first two seasons to everyone. The stories and writing struggle in Season 3, but even at its worst it still manages to put out some quality episodes. The final season bounced most of the way back and is also worth a look. If you’ve forgotten about it, or never seen it, why not give Lois and Clark a chance on DVD?