Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

[greggbray]

Actually managed to watch the entire run (thank you netflix!) recently.

You're correct.  It's Superman as a ro-co, with some action throughout.  Having said that, the first two seasons, and even the first half of the third season (including the terrific 'Never on a Sunday' episode) were actually pretty solid for the kind of approach they employed.  The end of the third season (a mult-episode arc with Lois as an amnesiac and Clark married to a frog-eating clone...ugh...) should probably be forgotten.

Season 4?  Not much of an improvement.  The wedding episode in particular was a disaster.  "I don't know Jimmy, I just wanted to walk west..."

Having said that, the first 2 and a half seasons are great fun. 

Part of enjoying the live action Superman's variations is, for me, accepting that there are different genres the core story is being filtered through.  Action serial?  The Atom. Saturday morning cheese?  Superboy.  Ro-co?  Lois and Clark.  Teen Prime Time Soap?  Smallville. Action epic? Superman I and II.  Complete misfire? Superman Returns. 

[Silver Nemesis]

Before he was Superman...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c4b0VA4C3I&app=desktop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4W4mLErw7E&app=desktop

This next one I remember from when I was a kid. It was the same year he was cast as Superman. Starts at the 0:14 second mark.

He appears briefly at the 0:16 second mark in this one.

He's still my favourite Clark Kent and my second favourite Superman after Reeve.

[Silver Nemesis]

Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the last episode of this series. How time flies.

Dean Cain recently recreated a memorable scene from the Injustice comics:

He and Teri Hatcher have been making a lot of public appearances together lately.

And Cain has been expressing a desire to make some kind of L&C reunion, either in the form of a TV movie or miniseries. I doubt it'll happen, but I'd love to see what a middle-aged Lois and Clark would be like.

[thecolorsblend]

L&C will always have a special place in my heart. I'd love to see some kind of reunion. And in today's world of micro-programming, I don't think it should be dismissed out of hand. L&C still has a fanbase and odds are they'd flock to a reunion.

Plus, WB seems less uptight these days when it comes to multiple brandings of one character going (eg, Superman in the DCEU and Superman in Supergirl, etc) simultaneously.

[The Dark Knight]

He's still my favourite Clark Kent and my second favourite Superman after Reeve.

Reeve, Cain and Cavill are the live action Superman kings as far as I am concerned.

And when it comes to Lois, I'm all about Hatcher, Durance and Adams.

I liked Hatcher and still like her a lot. She has the perfect blend of sexiness and loveable fun charm.....like this.



She's someone you'd crawl through broken glass for. Hatcher and Cain made the show what it is, and it's a show that should never be forgotten. Cain gets way too much crap thrown his way in my opinion. He's a good conservative man who has no problem being a Superman ambassador. In fact, I'd like to re-watch the series again. It's been a while.

[The Laughing Fish]

As I said in another thread, I haven't seen Lois and Clark for twenty years, but I realise that Dean Cain's portrayal was more refreshing than I ever gave him credit for, particularly for his no-nonsense, hardhitting demeanor as Clark Kent - investigative Daily Planet reporter. That aspect appears to go unappreciated in an era where people are obsessed on trivial things about Superman e.g. Superman smiling or not.

[Silver Nemesis]

L&C will always have a special place in my heart. I'd love to see some kind of reunion. And in today's world of micro-programming, I don't think it should be dismissed out of hand. L&C still has a fanbase and odds are they'd flock to a reunion.

Plus, WB seems less uptight these days when it comes to multiple brandings of one character going (eg, Superman in the DCEU and Superman in Supergirl, etc) simultaneously.

Wouldn't that be swell? I always hoped they'd bring Twin Peaks back to resolve the season 2 cliffhanger, but I never thought they'd actually do it. And yet here we are in 2017, and they've finally brought TP back (and I'm loving it). It'd be great if WB could revive Lois & Clark too, even if it was only for a miniseries. An animated film would be acceptable, but I'd prefer it was live action. Cain and Hatcher are both in great shape, so I see no reason why either of them couldn't reprise their roles. I honestly don't know anyone who likes the Supergirl TV show, yet I understand Superman's appearing in that on a regular basis now. How about bringing back an older version of Superman that many of us still love? Lois & Clark was averaging over 15 million viewers during its third season. I'm sure a lot of those fans would be curious enough to tune in for a revival. Just don't leave it too long.

Reeve, Cain and Cavill are the live action Superman kings as far as I am concerned.

And when it comes to Lois, I'm all about Hatcher, Durance and Adams.

I liked Hatcher and still like her a lot. She has the perfect blend of sexiness and loveable fun charm.....like this.



She's someone you'd crawl through broken glass for. Hatcher and Cain made the show what it is, and it's a show that should never be forgotten. Cain gets way too much crap thrown his way in my opinion. He's a good conservative man who has no problem being a Superman ambassador. In fact, I'd like to re-watch the series again. It's been a while.

I'm currently re-watching it. I love this show. I love the stylish nineties look the sets and costumes have, I love the music by Jay Gruska, I love the faultless casting, the scripts (in the early seasons) and all the nods to the comic books. It may not have the impressive level of FX wizardry that other Superman movies and TV shows have benefited from, but it's got superb characterisation, charm and tremendous heart. Every time I watch it I feel something: sometimes amusement, other times sadness, but always emotional engagement. It's tied with Batman '66 as my favourite live action DC series. Both programs were a big part of my childhood, and I think they're still amazing in 2017.

One thing I notice about Cain is that he seems a tad uncomfortable as Superman in the early episodes. Watch what he does with his hands, and you'll see him shift them around and fidget like he's not sure where to put them. I think the underwhelming special effects in some of the earlier episodes didn't help his confidence much. But his Superman definitely improves as the show goes along. As he matures into the role, you see his features become less boyish and his muscles start to fill out the suit more. He was in excellent shape in season 1 (he was a former NFL player, after all), but by seasons 3 and 4 he was really jacked. Which was just as well, since his costume didn't have any fake padding or sculpted muscles like George Reeves' had.

You can see his confidence growing too. He develops his signature pose where he folds his arms and smirks/glowers at his enemies. And his super feats become more impressive thanks to the improved special effects. By the end of the series, he'd become a really good Superman. Not quite the best, perhaps, but a very good one.

As Clark Kent though, he had it nailed from the moment he stepped off that bus in the pilot episode. His Clark displays the ideal balance of humorous mild mannered reporter, vulnerable boy-next-door from Kansas, and dispossessed alien searching for the truth about his lineage. He's the kind of guy you'd like to hang out with. You root for him and want him to win.

As Superman I'd rate Cain a 3½/5. As Clark Kent I'd rate him 5/5. Overall rating: 4/5. He's tied with Reeve as my personal favourite.

Judging from forum discussions, a lot of people seem to forget just how many comic villains Cain's Superman encountered over the years: Lex Luthor, Intergang, Dr Light, the Prankster, Metallo, Emmett Vale, Dr Gretchen Kelly, Baron Sunday, Dr Emil Hamilton, Mr Mxyzptlk and two different versions of Toyman. He also fought variations of Bizarro, General Zod, Shadow Thief and both Morgan and Vincent Edge, though they all had their names changed. I'll have to revive the L&C comic analysis thread at some point so we can go into that subject in more depth.

Cain also seems like a genuinely nice guy. There's a ton of videos of him attending conventions on YouTube, and he's brilliant with his fans. He also puts a lot of time into supporting the men and women serving in the armed forces. And of course he's a great supporter of DC in general.

It's sad how dismissive some people are of his performance (L&C currently has a 6.8 rating on the IMDb ). Ever since Chris Reeve passed away, Cain has been the elder statesman of Supermen. And I think he's lived up that role every bit as well as Adam West did as the elder statesman of Batmen.

[thecolorsblend]

Lois & Clark was averaging over 15 million viewers during its third season. I'm sure a lot of those fans would be curious enough to tune in for a revival. Just don't leave it too long.

People tend to forget that but it's true. L&C was never a top 20 show. Tastes ran differently back in those days, there's no denying it. The show struggled to find an audience.

But still, L&C usually punched its weight and then some.

Another canard is the wedding. Getting married did not wreck that show. NOT getting married is what did it; everything else was aftermath.

I'm currently re-watching it. I love this show.

I just finished my rewatch yesterday.

I love the stylish nineties look the sets and costumes have,

Ditto. For me, it's all about the visuals and aesthetics of the first season. To this day, I wonder where Levine would've gone with the show. Season 2-4 are great, don't get me wrong. But that first season really locked into something. Ejecting DLJ from the equation may have (ultimately) resulted in a more popular show. But something was lost in the process.

I also cherish that first season Daily Planet, which looks the way I'd imagine a news room really would look.

I love the music by Jay Gruska,

It took a while to realize that the "hero" theme of that movie was also the theme for Lois and Clark, separately and together. It's very clever composing on a musical level and reinforces the show's theme of Superman as the summation of Clark Kent's ability and Lois Lane's vision. She defined so much of how Clark constructed Superman without even realizing it.

In fact, come to that it's criminal how little recognition L&C gets for being a pioneer. We wouldn't have the MOS concept of Lois literally helping Clark create Superman if L&C hadn't shown Lois indirectly helping Clark create Superman. Smallville took a similar tack... and with similar (positive) results, if you ask me.

It may not have the impressive level of FX wizardry that other Superman movies and TV shows have benefited from

One of my lasting regrets with the show is the relative dearth of wire effects. The show seemed to err on the side of using green screen. A very primitive, very 90's, relatively low budget green screen. The results looked sketchy even back in 1993 and definitely haven't held up over the years.

But then, this was never an effects-driven show, now was it?

but it's got superb characterisation,

Again, true. My usual challenge to people is to go back and watch the pilot. And then recognize that literally everything said about the characters in the pilot held true all through the run of the show.

A good example is Lois having dessert with Lex. She tells him she never eats dessert. Later, in Lucky Leon from season 2, Lois casually remarks that she doesn't usually eat dessert. There's a borderline absurd attention to detail through every single one of those shows, you know?

One thing I notice about Cain is that he seems a tad uncomfortable as Superman in the early episodes.

I rather like that, actually. I mean, don't get me wrong. Intellectually, I realize that Cain was struggling to fit himself into the character. That was easier for him to do when he played Clark. But he hadn't really cracked Superman. That's the most likely real world explanation.

But oddly enough, it actually resonates with the character's arc over the course of the show. This is a guy who always regarded himself as Clark. And by becoming Superman, he's gone public and turned into a celebrity... which isn't something he necessarily accounted for and definitely wasn't comfortable with at first.

But then, by the fourth season he's doing public appearances, celebrity golf tournaments and that sort of thing. He has become more secure in his own skin (or cape) over the run of the show and that plays for me.

As Superman I'd rate Cain a 3½/5. As Clark Kent I'd rate him 5/5. Overall rating: 4/5. He's tied with Reeve as my personal favourite.

I'm a big Superman nerd. Obviously. So to me, all the actors are apples and oranges.

My favorite Superman is a never-ending battle between Tom Welling and Henry Cavill. I love Welling's character arc in Smallville but Cavill looks the part in so many ways, on so many levels... ugh, it's like pulling teeth trying to figure it out.

Cain deserves a ton of respect, not least because he was the first successor as Superman following Reeve. He had one hell of a tough act to follow and I think it says a lot about him that he ultimately settled on very different portrayals of Clark and Superman than Reeve did.

Cain also seems like a genuinely nice guy. There's a ton of videos of him attending conventions on YouTube, and he's brilliant with his fans. He also puts a lot of time into supporting the men and women serving in the armed forces. And of course he's a great supporter of DC in general.

My girlfriend met him at a con a few months back. And I'm here to say that Cain is everything you heard about. He's an incredibly cool guy on a personal level.

It's sad how dismissive some people are of his performance (L&C currently has a 6.8 rating on the IMDb ). Ever since Chris Reeve passed away, Cain has been the elder statesman of Supermen. And I think he's lived up that role every bit as well as Adam West did as the elder statesman of Batmen.

I put a lot of Cain's naysaying down to Chris Reeve Syndrome. The time came when somehow Reeve ascended to this lofty pinnacle that I think even he would've shunned. Or at least been uncomfortable with.

I put some of that down to L&C being a ligher and slightly cheesy type of show as compared to the (at times) more grounded Reeve films. Either way, it's unfair to everybody involved.

[The Dark Knight]

Reeve gave Clark a distinct secret identity with the bumbling fool routine. But I just don't like it. Superman is very much a wish fulfilment, fantasy type of character. I mean, he can do anything. He can fly, he's strong and shoots heat vision from his eyes. That's all cool stuff. But when he's not in the suit he's laughed at and thought of as an idiot? Nah man. That doesn't gel with my wish fulfilment fantasy. Cavill's Clark gets put down by Perry but stands by his convictions and isn't slipping and sliding around the place. Cavill's Clark doesn't let something go. He pursues it and stands his ground if pushed, but if he's not pushed, he's a rather chill guy. Cain's Clark is probably the coolest of the lot, and he's definitely not bumbling around. He's probably the most likeable too. Same goes for the DCAU Clark Kent. They're all just doing their job, fitting into the workplace but also excelling at the same time.

Just my two cents.

Cain and Hatcher are both in great shape, so I see no reason why either of them couldn't reprise their roles.

It seems both of them are up for it. I was thinking they could adapt the Rebirth concept of Lois and Clark as parents to young Jon. The last episode of season four was the pair discovering they are unable to have children...and we all know the loophole Rebirth provided to get around that problem. I think this dynamic would be fitting for a fast forward type of season, to see what they're both up to these days. What has changed and what has stayed the same. It would be pretty interesting. Both Cain and Hatcher still look good and the charisma hasn't gone away. Why not?

And here's a side note. I remember sending Dean Cain a letter as a child, and not long after he replied with a signed Lois and Clark postcard. I think I still have it too. I'll have a dig around and see if I can scan it.

[Silver Nemesis]

It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the 20th anniversary of this show, and later this year we'll be marking the 25th. I hope we'll have some more in-depth episode specific discussions when the time comes. But for now, here's a rare clip I stumbled across on YouTube. It's Cain making a brief appearance in character as Clark on the British TV show Noel's House Party back in 1994. From 4:00-5:25.