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Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

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Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
File:Loisnclark.jpg
Created byDeborah Joy Levine
Starringsee below
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes88
Production
Camera setupSingle camera
Running timeapprox. 45 minutes
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 12, 1993 –
June 14, 1997

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (often called Lois & Clark or The New Adventures Of Superman) is a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books. It was advertised simply as "The New Adventures of Superman" in the United Kingdom (with the episodes having altered opening credits when aired on the BBC, though not on later Sky One or ITV2 repeats) — non-US audiences were not expected to understand the joking reference to Lewis and Clark — but should not be confused with the 1966 Filmation animated series The New Adventures of Superman.

Lois & Clark aired on ABC from September 12, 1993 to June 14, 1997, and starred Dean Cain as Superman/Clark Kent, Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane and John Shea as Lex Luthor. The series loosely followed the comic philosophy of writer John Byrne (who revamped the Superman mythos in 1986 with his six-issue series, The Man of Steel), with Clark Kent as the true personality, and Superman as a secondary disguise. As the show's title suggests, it focused as much on the relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane as on the adventures of Clark's alter-ego.

The series spawned several short tie-in books aimed at young adults, as well as one full-length novel for adults, Lois & Clark: A Superman Novel (1996), written by C. J. Cherryh.

The series was spoofed on Robot Chicken as "Lewis and Clark," with Dean Cain doing the voice of Clark. At the end of the sketch, Dean Cain mentions the sketch would have been funnier "ten years ago, when "Lois and Clark" was on.

Overview

In 1966, Jonathan and Martha Kent witness the crash-landing of a small spaceship in Shuster's Field outside of Smallville, Kansas. When they investigate the craft, they discover the baby Kal-El. The Kents decide to raise him as their own, naming him "Clark Jerome Kent". Twenty-seven years later, Clark moves to Metropolis and gets a job at the Daily Planet under the gruff editor Perry White. There, he is partnered with star reporter Lois Lane. Although Clark falls for Lois at first sight, she considers him little more than a pest. When Superman saves her, Lois falls completely in love with her partner Clark's alter ego. In addition, Lex Luthor, arch-nemisis to Superman falls in love with Lois. Although she has feelings for him, her truest love is devoted to Superman. After Luthor proposes, Clark confesses his love to Lois, who admits loving him as a best friend, but not romantically. After Superman tells Lois they can't be together, Lois accept's Lex's engagement ring. However on her wedding day, Lois flashes back to her relationship with Clark. After the Planet is re-opened, she is about to admit her feelings for Clark, but he takes back his confession of loving her, so that they can be best friends, without confusion again. In Season 2, Clark and Lois begin to date, but find are interrupted by D.A. Mayson Drake, who falls for Clark, and Agent Dan Scardino, who lusts after Lois. However to conclude Season 2, Lois and Clark choose to be together, and Clark proposes to Lois. She in turn replies "Who's asking, Clark or Superman?" Although she is very hesitant at first, Lois eventually, takes the ring Clark bought for her, and proposes to him, making the couple's engagement official. The marriage was timed to coincide with the corresponding event in the comic books, but coordination snaffus resulted in the actual on-screen marriage being postponed for a full season.

Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain

Unlike the silver age comic continuity in the comics, in which they are deceased, Jonathan and Martha are very much alive in the TV show, and frequently visit Metropolis.

Lois & Clark was the second medium (after the much ignored 1988 Superman animated series produced by Ruby-Spears for CBS) outside of comics to break tradition and mirror John Byrne's retcon of Superman, which included making Clark Kent more assertive and less of a clumsy oaf. Dean Cain's Clark gradually becomes a well-regarded and highly competent reporter, even beating out Lois for an award (much to her consternation). A few episodes directly emphasized that Clark was the unequivocal 'dominant' personality, not the superhero. Also of note are Clark Kent and Superman's traditional hairstyles, which are reversed; Here it is Superman whose hair is slicked-back, Clark whose fringe falls more naturally. Neither persona features the character's trademark spit curl.

Series history

File:Teri Hatcher is Lois Lane.jpg
Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane.
File:Luthorlex lnc.jpg
John Shea as Lex Luthor.

Season one

Season 1 Episodes

The first season (1993 - 1994) was a success; garnering the cast, especially Hatcher and Cain, critical praise for their performances. Lane Smith was a huge success, breathing life and humour into the Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White. John Shea also met with rave reviews over his portrayal of Lex Luthor, while Landes gained a cult following for his more modern-day Jimmy Olsen character trying to uncover the truth and become a reporter. Lex Luthor was killed off in the season finale, after a falling-out between Shea and the producers over the actor's strenuous commute between New York and Los Angeles. No longer a regular cast member, he only reappeared sporadically; once in season two and twice in season three.

Another big change was the replacement of Michael Landes with Justin Whalin as Jimmy Olsen in Season Two. The official reason, according to Landes, was that he looked too similar to Dean Cain. On the DVD commentary for the pilot of Lois & Clark, Dean Cain has admitted that he and Landes look like they could be related. Landes was fired and replaced with an actor to emphasize the character's youth. Another controversial move was the dismissal of Deborah Joy Levine, the series' creator, as executive producer, along with the entire first-season writing team. The new producer, Robert Singer, planned a stronger focus on "action". [1]

Season two

Season 2 Episodes The second season (1994 - 1995) focused more on the budding romance of Lois and Clark, as well as many villains from the comics like The Prankster, Metallo, the Toyman and the criminal group known as Intergang, and features new love interests for the ace reporters: D. A. Mayson Drake (Farrah Forke), who fell in love with Clark Kent, before being killed in a car explosion, and Dan Scardino (Jim Pirri), a government agent interested in Lois Lane and rival of Clark Kent. This season also featured the debut of fan-favorite villain Tempus (played by Lane Davies) and H.G. Wells, as a time-traveler. Wells' younger version was played by Terry Kiser, and the older version was played by Hamilton Camp. Season 2 ended with the cliffhanger of Clark proposing marriage to Lois, with fans waiting 4 months to learn her answer.

Season three

Season 3 Episodes

In the premiere episode of season 3 (1995 - 1996), Lois revealed that she had recently learned Clark's identity. Only later in the 7th episode of the season "Ultra Woman" did Lois finally accept Clark's proposal. The long-anticipated wedding was put off to coincide with the characters' marriage in the comics, which led to many storylines designed to delay and interrupt the wedding on the TV series. Another controversy erupted when ABC announced that the wedding would actually take place Valentine's Day weekend, even sending out heart-shaped "wedding invitations" to ABC News staff, only to present viewers with a bogus wedding in which Clark unwittingly married a clone of Lois, developed by a mad scientist whose creations were required to ingest frogs periodically. The "frog-eating clone arc" lasted five episodes and was reportedly a huge viewer turn-off. It was subsequently revealed that an actual wedding had been planned, but ABC management had forced the changes [2] in the face of an impending buyout by Michael Eisner. In effect, ABC seemed to be dumping the show.

Season four

Season 4 Episodes

Lane Smith as Perry White.

The fourth and final season (1996 - 1997) began with the resolution of a cliffhanger involving a previously unknown colony of Kryptonians. After the conclusion of this story arc, Lois & Clark finally wed in the 3rd episode of the season. The same week of the airing of this episode, DC Comics released "Superman, the Wedding Album," featuring the long awaited marriage of Lois Lane and Clark Kent, written and penciled by many of the writers and artists involved with Superman since the 1986 revamp, including some legends from the silver age, and an unpublished work of the late Curt Swan.

The series ended on a strange cliffhanger in which Lois and Clark find an infant on their doorstep, along with a note that claimed the child belonged to them. This mystery was never resolved. Earlier in the 4th season, ABC had announced and promised an additional 5th year of the show, so the show's producers and writers were caught unprepared when ABC later changed its mind and decided that no new episodes would be produced.

Cast


DVD releases

Warner Home Video has released all four seasons of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman on DVD in Regions 1, 2, and 4.

Complete Season Release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1st June 7, 2005[3] July 5, 2006[4] June 14, 2006[5]
2nd January 17, 2006[6] July 5, 2006[7] June 14, 2006[8]
3rd June 20, 2006[9] September 6, 2006[10] November 1, 2006[11]
4th November 14, 2006 [12] December 6, 2006[13] November 1, 2006[14]

References

  1. ^ History of Lois and Clark - Part 1
  2. ^ History of Lois and Clark - Part 7
  3. ^ Gord Lacey (2005-03-14). "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - It's a bird, it's a plane, it's an announcement". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Season 1 (region 2)". Amazon.fr. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  5. ^ "Season 1 (Region 4)". JB Hi-Fi Online. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  6. ^ Gord Lacey (2005-10-11). "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Season 2 news and artwork". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Season 2 (Region 2)". Amazon.fr. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  8. ^ "Season 2 (Region 4)". JB Hi-Fi Online. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  9. ^ Gord Lacey (2006-03-01). "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - "Superday" concludes with Lois & Clark, Season 3". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "Season 3 (Region 2)". Amazon.fr. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  11. ^ "Season 3 (Region 4)". JB Hi-Fi Online. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  12. ^ Gord Lacey (2006-08-16). "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - A Super Wedding Happens This November - Season 4 Announced". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Season 4 (Region 2)". Amazon.fr. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  14. ^ "Season 4 (Region 4)". JB Hi-Fi Online. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
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