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Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,
to give it its full US title, was less a run-of-the-mill rehash of the Man
of Steel's long running stories, more of an updated, light-hearted,
amusing version which captured its audience's imagination and leapt with a
single bound into BBC1's top ten programmes. During the first couple of
episodes the constant quips and links to more traditional Superman were
all part of the fun; Lex Luthor's surprised reaction to Superman's speed
when Lex is secretly testing him is to admit with eyebrow's raised in
surprise, "He's faster than...a speeding bullet!"
Lois Lane is an ambitious journalist with a romantic
streak and Clark Kent, new reporter at the Daily Planet, is a regular guy
who, once in a while, just happens to fly through the air with his
underpants outside his tights. This retelling of the story focused on the
relationship between them, a two-person love triangle that hinges on the
scarcely credible premise that Lois fails to recognise Superman as her
colleague because he's taken off his glasses. Catherine Grant provides an
extra source of entertainment with her efforts to seduce Clark in the
office, while Lois dreams of Superman. Clark himself tries his best to
avoid Grant, and keep ahead of events in his dual role. A typical example
is a scene in an early episode where he spots a light aircraft in engine
trouble over the city, and drops his pen under the desk as an excuse to
disappear for a moment. When Lois sees him seconds later, he has emerged
from outside the office and his face is smeared with oil and grease,
prompting a puzzled look from his colleague. He simply smiles and shrugs
his shoulders as if nothing is amiss.
The programme initially appeared at the very beginning
of 1994, only around six months after its first broadcast in the US. Shown
in the classic family slot of 5.30pm on Saturdays, the stories were
intelligently written and focused more on the characters than on the
adventures, the energetic and mostly unknown cast bringing with them an
element of freshness to what is by now an old story. Some of the
situations were offbeat, and at first the villains were surprisingly human
and believable. The mix worked, viewers being treated to a lively,
entertaining series which didn't take itself too seriously, a fairly rare
occurrence in an American production. Unfortunately, increasingly shoddy
scripting values made later seasons of the programme a shadow of the first
series, and it was cancelled with a dwindling audience. The episode
running order in the UK was almost the same as for the Americans, with
only episodes two and three being switched here. The hero himself, Dean
Cain, could also be seen for some years around this date in a long-running
Frosties advertisement in which he is practicing for a tough football
game.
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Superman created by: Jerry Siegel
and Joe Shuster
Developed for Television by:
Deborah Joy Levine
Executive Producers: David Jacobs
and Robert Butler (Episode 1 Only),
Robert Singer (Season 2)
Co-Executive Producers: Deborah
Joy Levine
(Season 1), Jim Crocker (Season 2)
Executive Consultant: Deborah Joy Levine
(Season 2)
Producers: Thania St John and Mel Efros
Co-Producers: Philip J Sgriccia, Jim
Michaels and John McNamara
(All Season 2)
Associate Producer: Chris Long
Supervising Producers: Randall Zisk, Tony
Blake and Paul Jackson (All Season 2)
Creative Consultant: Kathy McCormick
Music: Jay Gruska
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US Production/UK Screenings:
Season One: 21 Episodes
1992-93/8th January - 4th June 1994
Season Two: 22 Episodes
1994-95/24th February - 22nd July 1995
Season Three: 22 Episodes
1995-96/17th February - 20th July 1996
Season Four: 22 Episodes
1996-97/1st January - 25th May 1997
A December 3rd Production in
association with Warner Brothers Television
87 colour episodes, pilot 90-minutes, rest x 44-minutes
(BBC1 - Seasons 1-3/Sky One - Season 4)
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