BETTER HEROING THROUGH TV

This is a bit of a bittersweet week. Hot on the heels of the news of the cancellation of Human Target (based on a DC comic and starring Jackie Earle Haley from Watchmen, also a DC property) and the end of the Wonder Woman TV series, we also have the series finale of Smallville. Smallville is the longest-running comic book-based show in history, as well as the longest starring Superman. Let’s take a look back at some of what has come before:

THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1952-58)

Superman’s first live-action foray into TV, starring George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates, later Noel Neill, as Lois Lane. The original two seasons were serious and violent affairs, resembling movie serials more than a standard TV show. It was also noted as having advanced special effects for its day. Production demands, however, were high and strenuous for the underpaid actors, and often shortcuts ended up being used to save money wherever possible. It was during the third season when the producers felt color would dominate, and switched production towards that. The result was campier, more light-hearted episodes with goofier villains and moderate violence. For the final season, attempts were made to restore some of the serious tones from the earlier years, particularly in episodes directed by Reeves himself, but by then the show had run its course.

SUPERBOY (1988-92)

Created by the producers of the Superman movies, John Haymes Newton put on the cape for the title role, along with Stacy Haiduk as his childhood friend/love interest Lana Lang, and roommate T.J. White, played by Jim Calvert. The series focused on Clark’s time at a fictional Florida university studying journalism. Unsure of the success of the show, the producers skimped on first season production, resulting in rougher and grittier episodes than later seasons. The second season saw a new Superboy in Gerard Christopher, a new sidekick in Andy McCalister played by Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and a new Lex Luthor with Sherman Howard replacing Scott Wells. The third season took Clark and Lana out of school to work for the Bureau of Extra-Normal Matters and the show finished its run with a darker tonality. Although additional seasons and TV movies were planned, WB reclaimed all the rights to the Superman family of characters, halting further production.

LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1993-97)

As the title suggests, this series differed from the others by choosing to focus mainly on the relationship between Lois Lane (Terri Hatcher, who goes on to play Lois’ mother on Smallville) and Clark Kent (Dean Cain, who played Dr. Curtis Knox, a knockoff of Vandal Savage, on Smallville) with Superman’s adventures taking a backseat. After the first season, cast and writing changes contributed to the differing tone of the show, but was able to hold out for three more seasons until ABC suddenly cancelled it, leaving the show to end on a cliffhanger.