Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

[moonshayde]

So, I finally finished this series and I have some general comments about it.



Well, I liked it. It has massive issues and is far from a perfect show, but I liked it. I felt like there was heart and soul in this show, something I can't say about a lot of shows on TV. That is what kept me watching. I knew there substance beneath the craziness.

First, the things I didn't like. OMG, the plots. What? I understand that this was a 90s show and that it played on a family channel, but really? They were insane. I know I don't have much of an argument for a show based off a comic book, but wow. Does stuff like this work better in comics? I think it does. I've read and collected comics before and I never had too many issues with the wacky. But on the TV screen I have a harder time. I think that kind of crazy doesn't translate well with live action. I mean the Superman cartoon could pull off some wild plots, but it was a cartoon and they had the ability to do so creatively and artistically.

Next, I hated the villains. Superman mythos, in my opinion, has always had a weakness with their villains and it showed in the series. I'm a huge fan of comedy. Don't get me wrong. I love it when Superman mythos is funny. Too much angst is boring. (I'm looking at you, SV.) But it wasn't the comedy that was the problem. It was how they used the comedy for the villians and the insane guest spots that were on this show. They were just bizarre and made me cringe. Many of the plots would have worked if the villians weren't so weird.

Everyone in the world in love with Lois Lane got kind of old. It's a good thing I was already desensitized from that through Lana Lang of Smallville.

Finally, I disliked the over use of schoompy talk between Lois and Clark. I know it's been done in the comics and stuff, but it just wasn't very realistic. I know they love each other. I get the point they are soulmates. But could you tone it down just a notch? I'd rather see too people very much in love investiagting crimes than see them pine for each other.

You'd think I hate the show LOL I don't. Onto the good stuff and other comments.

Dean Cain played an incredible Clark Kent. I loved his portrayal of the character. He really fleshed out Clark in a way we haven't seen before. I know it's based mainly on the revamp that happened after Infinite Crisis, but just the same, he brought a lot of spirit and fun to Clark while still keeping to the mythos and keeping Superman a separate entity. My one complaint was that he was a little too perfect and should have had more problems and flaws, but the positive really outweighed the negative. Also, Clark's progression through the series was a joy to watch.

Teri Hatcher did a decent job at Lois Lane. I'll be honest; she is not my favorite. I found her Lois to be a little too flaky/feminine to the Lois that I had always envisioned. But her chemistry with Dean Cain made up for it, imo, and it worked. I think the biggest problem is that after Lois knew the secret, they didn't let her be competitive and aggressive and funny too much. I can understand her losing some of that edge, but she didn't need to lose so much of her fire and personality. I blame that on the writers. You CAN have a spunky story with Lois married to Clark and knowing his secret. They proved it could happen in some episodes and in others they dropped the ball. It's just poor writing.

Lex Luthor wasn't my favorite, but the show suffered without him. Actually, the first season was by far the best, imo, and I know there was some massive firing at the end of S1 or something. That's too bad. Investigative reporters for the win! But even so, S2, S3, and S4 were enjoyable and every season had it's bright spot. I'm going off topic...even though he wasn't my fave Lex, he really set the bar for future Lex Luthors and I appreciated that. I really missed Lex when he was gone. I'm pretending he's still around ;)

Best Perry White ever. No other Perry will compare. Seriously. He was Perry White and he always will be.

Ma and Pa Kent and the whole Kent dynamic was truly awesome. I loved their role and how Clark relied on them and loved them. And the suit! I adore the pilot.

And finally (since I think I've gone off enough and can't really think of anything else) I loved how it was the first Superman show to show us Lois and Clark together. It's obvious I am a Lois/Clark shipper. Clark, Lois, and Lex are my fave mythos characters. To finally see them get together and function, both through the good and bad, was great. I wish more movies/shows would do that. There is so much to explore and no one ever wants to take the chance to discover it.

Anyway, those are my rambly thoughts on Lois and Clark. I enjoyed the series. It was fun and while often campy, it had the heart and soul that makes a show stick with you. Yay Superman :)

Comments

[6beforelunch.livejournal.com]

I've only watched the first season on DVD, but from what I remember from when the show was on the air, I agree with a lot of what you said. There are a lot of problems, and it could be campy, even corny, but it's still my favorite of the TV adaptations of Superman.

Also. you're right, totally the best Perry White ever. :)

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

Word. I have a considerably rosier view of the series, but I watched when I was an adolescent. Well, and I missed some of the later seasons. But I was definitely enamoured of the OMG TWU LUV ANGST! part of the series. *grins*

Perry White and the Kents were brilliant. That is all.

[syrenslure.livejournal.com]

I love this show - and just posted about it last night, too. That's weird... but anyway Lois and Clark rocks.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

Ah, I used to have L&C icons, but they're out of circulation right now.

You are pretty much dead on with your analysis. There was a heck of a lot that was corny about L&C, but it had heart, which I feel a lot of shows on right now don't. And it seemed like it was a fun show to do. And no one will do a better Perry White than Lane Smith did.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

I watched it in my teen years too. I was surprised at the amount of camp I just didn't pick up on when watching it as an adult. I still love the show though.

[lyore.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Lois and Clark. Agree, the plots and the villains were the weakest link, especially after season one. Partly, I think this is because I've always liked shows with a season-long arc (which generally - but not always - translates into the season-long villain), and the following series didn't really have that, but I can't deny the cringe factor of some of the later series villains of the week.

Also, the thing I love love love about this show is that it has the focus-on-Clark as opposed to the focus-on-Superman.

Ugh. I'm supposed to be writing an assignment, and now all I want to do is read Lois and Clark fanfic.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

I loved the Clark focus so. very. much.

It was refreshing. As a kid, I loved Superman, but the older I got, the more I wanted to know about Clark. Plus, I love that they used the updated take on the mythos and not the old way where Clark was just this bumbling disguise.

One of these days I'll probably find myself reading Lois and Clark fanfic.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Lane Smith blew me away on day one. I had never seen such a convincing portrayal of Perry before. I'm heartbroken he become ill and passed away.

More shows need heart. it might be why I am so fussy about TV.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Oh I saw your post and I meant to go back. Now I'm blanking. I know you were talking about Lex and kyrptonite.

I finally had the time to finish it. One of these days I'll probably go out hunting fanfic too. I just haven't the time right this instant.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Heh ;)

I bypassed it when I was a teen. One of my best friends was all about this show and I used to pick on her for it. But it was a lot of fun. If only she knew I was watching it now! She'd actually still like it LOL

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

The first season was the best, imo. I think it was because the focus was so much more on Lois and Clark and their invetigative reporting. S2 was good too, but it became more scifi/Superman and then by S3 and S4 they were having some writing problems.

It's too bad because I feel like with some direction the show could have lasted 5 years.

[syrenslure.livejournal.com]

No problem - I was rambling - though there is a small PWP at the end of the post.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

OMG! He died! :O

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

"Clark Kent is who I am, Superman is what I do."

Best line from the show ever.

I don't care about the silly plots and over-the-top villains, because I care about the people.

You might be interested in Zoomway's History of Lois and Clark (http://www.redboots.net/tnaos/lnc_history.htm). While you're at it, you'll probably enjoy reading through her whole site! And then there's the Lois and Clark Fanfic Message Boards (http://www.lcficmbs.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php), and of course the LnC Archive (http://www.lcfanfic.com/). Good stuff. Good times. Great show. :)

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I had heard that he was sick during the last season which is why he didn't get much screentime. :(

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

"Clark Kent is who I am, Superman is what I do."

That totally was the bets line of the show and it's really shaped how I view Clark Kent/Superman.

Thanks for the links! You know the fandom better than I. Are their fics about them reporting together? That is what I liked the most - the investigative partnership. If I am ever to write a fanfic for that show, it's probably what I would do and I know it's what I crave.

Thanks again :)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

There are lots and lots and lots of fics out there that cover just about everything! :)

Many (if not all) of the stories emphasize romance. Some concentrate on the reporter side, others on the Superman side.

I'm guessing you'd be happier with fics set before S4, or maybe even before S3 - before Lois knew that CK=S (to use the fandom's shorthand). The archive has a database that you can search by keyword - it's still in beta stage, and I haven't used it, so I can't give you exact details.

Off the top of my head, I suggest you try Nan Smith's stories (not her future series) for lots of investigative reporting. Try Kathryn Ann Kent's two futurefics for absolutely hilarious stuff, and Mobile Richard's Life in a Different World series for teh angst and great worldbuilding (and reporting, too). Carol Malo writes great mysteries with, yes, good reporting scenes. Zoomway's stories are considered classics. Also, try the two virtual seasons written after the show got cancelled: TUFS (the unaired fifth season) and S5. These both follow internally consistent continuity. I personally prefer S5, especially Phil Atcliffe's finale, but you'll have to read it for yourself and see!

And now I am going to wander over to the fanfic boards and ask for advice, because really, I've been out of the fandom for too long to advise you properly. Also, there's one author whose name I'm blanking on that I'm sure you'll love. They might help. :)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Moonshayde, I asked for recs on the LnC Fanfic forum. The name I wanted to rec before, and couldn't remember, is CC Aiken - great characterization and humor and plots.

Anyway, here's the link (http://www.lcficmbs.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=002277) to the post on the forum. You can find all the listed authors on the fanfic archive.

I also forgot to mention that LnC fandom has annual fanfic awards, called The Kerth Awards (http://www.kerthawards.com/). I suggest reading all the nominations, not just the winners, because stories need to pass a certain threshold of nominations to get on the ballot.

Hope this helps! :)

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I appreciate it :)

[clarkoholic.livejournal.com]

Hi there! I noticed we have *a lot* of shows/fandoms in common so I thought I'd friend you. *waves*

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Hi :) *checks your user info* Oh indeed we do! We have quite a few in fact.

Speaking of which, I need to finally finish Farscape one of these days for the delicious Ben Browder.

[clarkoholic.livejournal.com]

I just finished it a few weeks ago. I stopped halfway through a few years ago and just got back into it. The last season and miniseries is amazing! You'll love it!

I remembered, after I said hi the other night, how I found you... I searched the interest "cameron mitchell's pants" and you were top of the list. lol. Good way to meet people, I guess.

[seacrystal.livejournal.com]

I grew up with LnC as a kid, so I certainly didn't pick up on the campiness and the schmoopyness back then. :p But I still enjoy it a lot, for all the same reasons like yours, especially with the Kents. Having them there all the way till the end is one of the show's greatest strengths. And it's interesting what you said about Teri's portrayal, because I was totally in love with her as an onscreen Lois Lane for a long time, lol.

I wish more movies/shows would do that. There is so much to explore and no one ever wants to take the chance to discover it.

I can't agree more with this. There are just so few takes on the Superman stories these days, and what they've churned out isn't really that good IMO i.e. SR, Doomsday. Batman's the one with all the good stuff, the fantastic Nolan movie reboot, the animated series, the upcoming Gotham Knight animated movies and I believe they're currently doing a Brave & Bold series too.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Technically, I also grew up with LnC - I was in high school at the time - and my friends watched it. Heck, I think my mom watched it sometimes. But I'm this weird person where I get very attached to things and get stubborn when change is required.

As I said in another comment, I was raised on the movies. In hingsight, man were they campy, but when you're four years old and watching Superman on TV with your daddy and you think he's superhero awesome you sort of don't focus on the camp ;)

I was old enough to remember Superman III and especially Superman IV coming out. But like I said, CR and MK were my Superman and Lois. As I got older, my appreciation for Clark started to grow. I stil was too stubborn to accept LnC when it aired, however.

I was reluctant to watch the cartoon and was reluctant to watch Smallville. (How can Clark and Lex be friends in SV? OMG! So wrong!) I got hooked on Smallville fairly quickly by the end of S1 and was a fan by S2. I still was a fairly casual fan and stopped watching for a while when Jor-el was introduced in S3, watched bits of S4 (Lois???), and finally came to stay in S5 with teh airing of Reckoning. The show was always far from perfect in my mind, but enjoyable and had heart.

From there, I decided to get back to my Superman love and started watching the cartoon and loved it. Still wish it had more Clark. I started watching LnC last year and was amazed at how much heart it had like Smallville, even if it was less than perfect. I rewatched the movies and found that same heart despite the campiness. And I made it a point to eventually watch Superman Returns even if it frightens me ;)

But for me, the biggest disappointment is the inability for the franchise to sanction a reboot. We got some of thatin the cartoon and LnC, and we're seeing some kind of middle of teh road take in SV, but we've yet to see it in movies. SR was the *PERFECT* time to reboot, and they didn't. Sequeling was the worst decision they could have made. And then while I did enjoy Doomsday, I was really disappointed they had Lois and Superman involved. I just don't see Clark/Supes doing that. I did enjoy it despite the fatal flaw, though.

Seriously, Supes need a reboot and needs it now. I don't understand why DC will not go with it when they have a very very successful Bats reboot going on right now AND from the 90s

*sigh*

/end rant

[seacrystal.livejournal.com]

The Superman movies are definitely very, very fond childhood memories of mine. I think it's just awesome how you can remember watching it with your dad, in my case it was with my mom. She was even willing to break the bedtime rule just to let me watch STM on TV with her. :p

Same goes with LnC, I remember that my dad used to roll with laughter over Lois and my mom often ranted at Clark. Or vice versa. But at that time I certainly had no idea why, lol. I was too busy angsting together with those two.

But for me, the biggest disappointment is the inability for the franchise to sanction a reboot. We got some of thatin the cartoon and LnC, and we're seeing some kind of middle of teh road take in SV, but we've yet to see it in movies. SR was the *PERFECT* time to reboot, and they didn't. Sequeling was the worst decision they could have made. And then while I did enjoy Doomsday, I was really disappointed they had Lois and Superman involved. I just don't see Clark/Supes doing that. I did enjoy it despite the fatal flaw, though.

Just WORD to all this. And it's also definitely among of the reasons why I'm so disappointed with SR and Doomsday as well.