I made my reacquaintence with this icon of my youth, (I was born in 1953 and saw it on reruns), when I purchased the second season DVD in a local store. It was interesting seeing the old show after several decades. I watched the first two Christopher Reeve films but not much after that. I was into more "adult" stuff but it's interesting what value you can find in the things you watched as a kid.
I found the old show nearly as entertaining as I did in the old days. The positive lessons were rather muted by the comic nature of the villains. One episode was memorable in this regard, however- the only one with a death in it in the second season. Two clowns are dressed in the same costume one is an imposter who has stolen some money from a telethon. They are having a fight on top of a roof. Which is which? One of the clowns gets the better of the other and pushes him off the roof. But he loses his balance as well. Superman can't catch both at once. He makes a choice and catches the "good" clown. The other, dying, wants to know how he knew. Because the good clown, even in his anger, would not have pushed his rival off the roof. Good stuff.
Due to the budget, the effects are limited but they work for the most part. The science fiction angle is limited to a few episodes. It's mostly Superman vs. Damon Runyon gangsters. The two great villains of the comic books, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, never make an appearance. The comic aspect is entertaining, particularly when Clark Kent is assailed by the crew of a ship and has no chance to change into his costume and can't give himself away by winning the fight: he addresses the audience and says "Where is Superman when you need him?" I also like the episode where he has to keep swallowing an unstable explosive and having it blow up inside of him. He finally says "Not again!" George Reeves may or may not have been the best Superman but he was certainly the best Clark Kent. Kent here is not a nerdy beginner but an ace reporter who has earned everyone's respect. Reeve's comic talents and natural charm come to the fore and yet he can be an authoritative hero when the occasion demands. All the top heroes of the shows designed to appeal to children in those days had this combination of strength and gentleness in their manner- William Boyd, Clayton Moore, Kirby Grant, etc. What's really amazing is that it's well known that Reeves was ambivalent at best about playing this role- Jack Larson says in a commentary that he'd often storm off the set and stay in his dressing room for hours. But there isn't a hint of that in any scene.
One difference between the movies and the TV show is that the movies are about Superman- he's the identity character. We follow him from birth through childhood to the Fortess of Solitude to Metropolis where he's starting a career as a journalist. Lois Lane is already an accomplished professional who is dismissive of Clark but who idolizes Superman. Can he get Lois to love him- both of them? On the TV show, it seems to me the identity characters are Lois and Jimmy. They have more scenes than Clark and Superman. They create the action, because both are trying to prove they can "make it" in their profession. Clark and Superman are there to rescue them Most of Reeves' lines as Clark are exposition- figuring out what's going on. His Superman sequences are action scenes with minimal dialog. I think the series is really about Lois and Jimmy, who know Clark Kent and Superman, in the way that the Sherlock Holmes stories are really the story of Dr. John Watson and his adventures with his great friend.
I found the old show nearly as entertaining as I did in the old days. The positive lessons were rather muted by the comic nature of the villains. One episode was memorable in this regard, however- the only one with a death in it in the second season. Two clowns are dressed in the same costume one is an imposter who has stolen some money from a telethon. They are having a fight on top of a roof. Which is which? One of the clowns gets the better of the other and pushes him off the roof. But he loses his balance as well. Superman can't catch both at once. He makes a choice and catches the "good" clown. The other, dying, wants to know how he knew. Because the good clown, even in his anger, would not have pushed his rival off the roof. Good stuff.
Due to the budget, the effects are limited but they work for the most part. The science fiction angle is limited to a few episodes. It's mostly Superman vs. Damon Runyon gangsters. The two great villains of the comic books, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, never make an appearance. The comic aspect is entertaining, particularly when Clark Kent is assailed by the crew of a ship and has no chance to change into his costume and can't give himself away by winning the fight: he addresses the audience and says "Where is Superman when you need him?" I also like the episode where he has to keep swallowing an unstable explosive and having it blow up inside of him. He finally says "Not again!" George Reeves may or may not have been the best Superman but he was certainly the best Clark Kent. Kent here is not a nerdy beginner but an ace reporter who has earned everyone's respect. Reeve's comic talents and natural charm come to the fore and yet he can be an authoritative hero when the occasion demands. All the top heroes of the shows designed to appeal to children in those days had this combination of strength and gentleness in their manner- William Boyd, Clayton Moore, Kirby Grant, etc. What's really amazing is that it's well known that Reeves was ambivalent at best about playing this role- Jack Larson says in a commentary that he'd often storm off the set and stay in his dressing room for hours. But there isn't a hint of that in any scene.
One difference between the movies and the TV show is that the movies are about Superman- he's the identity character. We follow him from birth through childhood to the Fortess of Solitude to Metropolis where he's starting a career as a journalist. Lois Lane is already an accomplished professional who is dismissive of Clark but who idolizes Superman. Can he get Lois to love him- both of them? On the TV show, it seems to me the identity characters are Lois and Jimmy. They have more scenes than Clark and Superman. They create the action, because both are trying to prove they can "make it" in their profession. Clark and Superman are there to rescue them Most of Reeves' lines as Clark are exposition- figuring out what's going on. His Superman sequences are action scenes with minimal dialog. I think the series is really about Lois and Jimmy, who know Clark Kent and Superman, in the way that the Sherlock Holmes stories are really the story of Dr. John Watson and his adventures with his great friend.