There’s a bias regardingSuperman. Movies about the Kryptonian always get more press than TV shows. That’s why everyone is talking about James Gunn’sSuperman,forgetting thatSuperman & Loisjust concluded a year ago. The series — which aired on The CW — has an impressive 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes, placing it only second to Richard Donner’sSupermanin critics' rankings of all live-action productions revolving around the Man of Steel. The recognition might not have been enough, but it had a strong enough fan base to last for four seasons. The grapevine says it was only given an early conclusion to prevent it from competing with the DCU’s first installment.
A few other Superman television shows have a special place in the hearts of DC fans.Smallvilledenied us the iconic flying moments, but it’s still a master class in how to do an origin story properly.Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Supermanfared well in the ’90s, too, before it was canceled. Then there’s the George Reeves show (The Adventures of Superman), which planted some live-action foundational elements that are still used today. Interestingly, no one ever talks aboutSuperboy, which aired from 1988 to 1992. But for this particular show, the obscurity is deserved.
‘Superboy’ Is a Tamer Version of ‘Smallville’
Superboy’scontinuity is separate from that of the regular DC Universe. The live-action television series reimagines the early years of Superman. Season 1 sees himattend Journalism School at Shuster University while balancing his secret life as Superboy. As everything else is unfolding, the oil-and-water pairing of Clark and Lana Lang (Stacy Haiduk) — she’s an in-your-affairs control nut, while he’s a feisty sensualist — brings the show’s themes of love and companionship into sharp relief. Our hero also gets to have a fling with Sara, a mean girl at Shuster, whose father is a crime boss, and be friends with his roommate, T.J. White (Jim Calvert), the son ofDaily Planeteditor Perry White.
In each episode, threats emerge from the unlikeliest of places, forcing Clark to use his Kryptonian powers to restore normalcy. Brace yourself for some of the weirdest plots, including one where a Superboy impersonator robs banks and jewelry stores to get a million dollars so he can marry Florida’s beauty queen. Then there’s Lex Luthor.
Charming and effervescent, the young adult leads an admirable life, attending swanky revelries and living off the largesse of his parents, keeping himself attired in designer clothes and jewelry outfits. Those with stretches of wistful loneliness are intrigued by Luthor’s lifestyle, but Clark is quick to notice dirt behind all the sophisticated facade. The episode featuring the character’s introduction has often been aired first in syndication, though it was made much later.
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In Season 2, T.J. gets written out, replaced by the trouble-prone sidekick, Andy McAlister (Ilan Mitchell-Smith). There are no signs of Jimmy Olsen anywhere.The season’s episodes frequently examine Clark’s internal dilemmasas he often wonders whether he should settle for a normal life or continue being a superhero. And it’s in these particular areas where the show deserves some major credit.
Whilst the bold ventures of superheroes who are comfortable in their skin are well documented in Hollywood and comic books, the torturous procedure of transition, from an ordinary citizen to society’s savior, is often overlooked. Thankfully, this conspicuous lacuna is filled until it’s full inSuperboy. Here, Clark isn’t the avenging angel who is always ready to sacrifice everything so that retribution may be arrived at. He has questions.
Later seasons get more complex, with parallel universes, time travel, and witchcraft emerging as some common plot points. Lex Luthor’s schemes also become more sadistic, and Lana’s relationship with Clark grows more strained.
‘Superboy’ Was Produced by the Duo Behind the Christopher Reeve Superman Movies
Superboywasdeveloped by the father-and-son duo Alexander and Ilya Salkind, who had overseen the first threeSupermanmovies starring Christopher Reeve. Although the two sold the rights to The Cannon Group after Superman III, they still possessed a license to make other productions based on different Superman-related characters. After the failure ofSupergirlin the mid-1980s, they decided to go the television route. Ironically, the show came about a year after DC Comics had removed the character of Superboy from their continuity via John Byrne’sThe Man of Steelreboot.
Despite many of its storylines being far removed from those of the source material, the series wasscripted by many actual comic-book writers. Regular Superman editors Mike Carlin and Andy Helfer wrote several episodes, including the critically acclaimed “The Alien Solution”, its follow-up “Revenge of the Alien,” and “The Bride of Bizarro”. Other comic book writers in the Writers' Room were Mark Evanier, Cary Bates, Denny O’Neil, and J. M. DeMatteis.
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Superboy’s fate was sealedin the early ‘90s when DC higher-ups began planning a new and modernSupermanshow based on John Byrne’s 1986 comic reset — a world where Clark Kent never became Superboy.A fourth and final season was thus planned, with a finale that would end on a cliffhanger, leaving Superboy’s fate unknown.
When ABC agreed to take on the new Superman series,Warner Bros. reached out to the Salkinds, informing them that their Superman licenses would be canceled. Consequently, a planned series of telefilms focusing on the young Clark Kent had to be scrapped. This angered the Salkinds, prompting them to file a lawsuit. It would take until 2005 for a settlement to be reached.
This is part of the reason whyno Superman movie came out in the ‘90s. Warner Bros. feared that pushing ahead could result in more legal squabbling.As per the new settlement, the studio was handed all rights to the past and future television series and movies, except forSuperman IV.The fourth Christopher Reeve movie was owned by Paramount Pictures after it acquired Cannon Group’s assets (the rights were later handed to Warner Bros.). As far asSuperboyis concerned, the rights are still shared between Ilya Salkind, Paramount Global, StudioCanal (after it purchased the Salkinds' production company), and Warner Bros.
This Clark Kent Is Too Weak for the Modern World
Superboywas a decent show for its time. Regrettably, itdoesn’t look too good on a rewatch. The visuals are hardly appealing, and the storylines are mostly forgettable. The first season is the hardest to watch as it lacks a superhero feel. Most of the villains are the ordinary kind (drug lords and crime bosses), and there are no spectacular action sequences. Much of this can be blamed on behind-the-scenes factors.
When the season was being made,the producers weren’t sure whether the show would be renewed, so they spent as little money as possible, a choice that reflects on the quality. It’s only after episode 13 that some of theiconic Superman villainsstart showing up. Lex Luthor and Mister Mxyzptlk are all present, but they aren’t as cool as we know them.
Superboy’shigh cast turnover, especially in the areas that mattered most, hurt the series, too. Lead actor John Haymes Newton was reportedly replaced by Gerard Christopher for Season 2 because he asked for a 20% pay rise. Who would blame him? You ought to be paid well when you are playing the most popular superhero in the world. Scott Wells was also replaced as Lex Luthor by Sherman Howard.
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By no fault of their own, Haymes and Christopher are often absent in conversations aboutthe greatest Superman actors. They never had great material to work with. Hardcore fans cared little about Shuster University and The Bureau for Extra-Normal Matters in Capitol City, Florida. They wanted Smallville, Metropolis, and The Daily Planet.
Aninconsistent toneis another irksome factor aboutSuperboy. While the first two seasons lean onteen dramaterritory (kinda likeSmallville), the third season is film-noirish. It has been suggested that the darker tone was influenced by the success of Tim Burton’sBatman. All of a sudden, it’s hinted that Clark committed a murder. In another storyline, a demon tries to acquire his soul.
The show is therefore unlikely to please modern audiences. But for those eager to see just how different superhero CGI was in the late 80s and early ‘90s, the series is available to buy or rent on Amazon and Apple TV+ in the US. It is crammed with footage of daring villains doing the most interesting things, some even dash across buildings like lightning. you’re able to’t help but be glued throughout, but Holy Metropolis! What’s with all the cartoonish elements?
As your viewing experience gets underway, you’ll find yourself sinking into a muddle of conflicting emotions and allegiances, making anger almost inevitable. Will you emerge from the rage, or will you quit watching and reclaim some sort of dignity? Hard to tell, but you’ll likely want to have a word with the person who handled the cinematography and choreography.
