Adventures of Superman

I love all 104 episodes of the Adventures of Superman. This show kept my interest with it's mix of adventure, sci fi, crime, warmth, and comedy. Only one style would have bored me, but Superman had it all and continues to entertain me. The characters were wonderful. It's still a delight to spend time with Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and Inspector Henderson. I also love both Lois Lanes. The first Lois is all business and the second Lois melts my heart with that smile of hers! George Reeves is fantastic in each and every episode. The Adventures of Superman is still a joy for me to behold in 2005. I can always count on any one of the 104 episodes to make me smile. All of them bring joy to my heart and there are very few shows that can entertain me for 104 episodes.

Growing up in the 1950's I was an avid collector of comics. One of my favorites was superhero Superman. The other was Plastic Man. For some reason few have heard of the original Plastic Man, but Superman is still very much with us and probably will be for some time to come. Before judging this series, one must remember that only televisions that showed black and white were on the market. There was no color. If an early television show was produced in color it was for other reasons, say possible release on the big screen. Some producers hoped to string two or three episodes of a popular television series together and distribute it to movie houses as one feature as was done with The Lone Ranger. Also, there were no big-screen TV's. Therefore special effects could be kept fairly primitive (and inexpensive) because the viewer wouldn't be seeing much anyway. The average TV screen was about 13". A person was uptown if he/she had a 17" screen.

There were Superman movies out at the time featuring other actors rather than "the real" Superman, George Reeves. The Superman TV shows were compact, well-written, and well-performed. For me Noel Neill will always be Lois Lane. Ditto for Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, John Hamilton as Perry White, Robert Shayne as Inspector Bill Henderson, and even though Christopher Reeves did a bang-up job as a later Superman, George Reeves will always be Superman for my generation.

Another reason I was so drawn to the Superman TV show was because a stunt man who was married to my cousin at the time appeared in one of the episodes. In the episode, "The Wedding of Superman" Doyle Brooks played Mr. Poole, one of the heavies. Brooks was born in the little hamlet of Bethesda, Arkansas, married my cousin and set out to become a movie star in Hollywood. He ended up a successful stuntman but did very little acting. His biggest success was playing the Ajax White Knight in a now famous television commercial.

Superman's may come and go but George Reeves will always be "the" Superman to all of us who were kids in the 1950's.

I remember watching several episodes of The Adventures of Superman when the BBC screened some of them during the summer school holidays around 1987/88. An episode of this usually followed Gentle Ben and Silas (these were on around two or three times a week) but Superman was on, if I remember right, everyday. So a good 90 minutes of entertainment some mornings.

Superman/Clarke Kent was played by George Reeves who is certainly no relation to the late Christopher Reeve who starred in the four Superman movies which some people seem to think so (the surnames are different). Louis Lane was played by Phyllis Coates and later Noel Neill.

We usually had a different story each episode although some episodes were two parters.

It would be nice to see some episodes of The adventures of Superman again. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

It was a different time and different era when this now legendary program was first televised. Yes some of the episodes toward the end of the series are on the hokey and corny side. However this show is a part of television history. The opening credits with the great theme music always set the mood. My favorite was the two part ` The Unknown People' episode. Although I always thought Noel Neill was a cuter and sexier Lois Lane Phyllis Coates played the part to a T. Jack Larsons Jimmy Olsen idolized Clark Kent as a father figure like the character did in the comics. John Hamilton was superb as the gruff but understanding Perry White. Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson who never solved a case by himself but did it matter? Then George Reeves. Other actors donned the costume through the years but George Reeves was and always will be Superman, and when you think about it that's not too shabby.

The general consensus seems to be that the first season of this all time classic TV show was the best and I would probably agree with that. Although, I'm a dedicated fan of the entire series.The injection of color into the closing stages of the production run gave those final episodes a special quality of their own.

George Reeves was born to play the title role. The previously inconsequential journeyman actor brought the character to life with great conviction, charm and a wonderful enthusiasm which never faltered. Of course, he had some fine support with John Hamilton as Perry White, Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson.

As for the portrayal of Lois Lane, it really depends on which approach you preferred. Phyllis Coates created a prickly, no-nonsense big city reporter. Noel Neil was more of your good natured girl next door who was always ready with a cheery word and a polite laugh whenever Clarke Kent or Jimmy made a clumsy attempt at humor (which usually backfired).

So it's all a bit corny when you look back now from our jaded perspective of life in the present day. But, who cares? It's still good, clean fun which is more than you can say for most of the vile, mind numbing garbage that spews forth out of the television these days. And there was a good spirit behind the whole thing ...obey the law, salute the flag, say "please" and "thank you", be kind to your fellow human beings, take in stray cats, brush your teeth (and the cat's teeth) twice a day.

It was a different era and a better world in some ways.