Lois and Clark was an attempt in the mid-1990s to revive the Superman character on network television on a major broadcast network (ABC). The 22-episode first season aired during the 1993/1994 TV season. It starred Dean Cain as Clark Kent and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane and launched both careers. The first season was an origin story for Clark's transition to Superman, beginning with Clark coming to Metropolis and trying to get a shot at The Daily Planet. The show does mix out the story as it is in the comics and was seen in the movies, for example, not using the fortress of solitude or having Clark "trained" by Jor-EL. The first season does establish Lex as the main villain (played wonderfully by John Shea). It has a great supporting cast, including Lane Smith as an Elvis-loving Perry White, Eddie Jones as Jonathan Kent, K Callan as Martha Kent, Michael Landes as Jimmy Olsen, and Tracy Scoggins as Catherine "Cat" Grant. Landes does a great job as Jimmy, and Tracy Scoggins steals nearly every scene she is in.
The season is a blend of a case-of-the-week procedural with a serial arc (basically involving Superman and Lex and who will "win" both in terms of whether Luther will be brought to justice but Lois' love. Of course, Lois is clueless as to who Clark really is, but she fawns after Superman. The season builds perfectly to what is a two-part season finale. It does not end on a cliffhanger, probably because John Shea left the show as a series regular after season one.
The extras include a commentary track on the pilot episode, a making-of documentary, a featurette on the visual effects, and a conversation with Cain and Hatcher. So, while not a ton of extras, it is still a good amount for the people who like watching the bonus material. It is weird that now years later, Dean Cain has turned out to be a right-wing nutjob (although usually not as big an asshole as some of the celebrity right-wing nutjobs are), and Terri Hatcher has a reputation for being awful to people because neither gave off that kind of vibe in their Lois and Clark days.
Overall, the show is terrific, with some great moments. Teri Hater is absolutely great as Lois (I actually preferred her take on the character over Margot Kidder's), but the writing and acting all around are excellent. The special effects were good for the time, thanks to the larger budget. This was, however, pre-matrix and the big CGI revolution that came after that, so the effects can be cheesy sometimes. The show also got a great slate of guest stars, including Ben Vereen, Elliot Gould, David Warner, Penn Jillette, and Phyllis Coates, who played Lois in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men and during Season 1 of The Adventures of Superman television series.
The season is a blend of a case-of-the-week procedural with a serial arc (basically involving Superman and Lex and who will "win" both in terms of whether Luther will be brought to justice but Lois' love. Of course, Lois is clueless as to who Clark really is, but she fawns after Superman. The season builds perfectly to what is a two-part season finale. It does not end on a cliffhanger, probably because John Shea left the show as a series regular after season one.
The extras include a commentary track on the pilot episode, a making-of documentary, a featurette on the visual effects, and a conversation with Cain and Hatcher. So, while not a ton of extras, it is still a good amount for the people who like watching the bonus material. It is weird that now years later, Dean Cain has turned out to be a right-wing nutjob (although usually not as big an asshole as some of the celebrity right-wing nutjobs are), and Terri Hatcher has a reputation for being awful to people because neither gave off that kind of vibe in their Lois and Clark days.
Overall, the show is terrific, with some great moments. Teri Hater is absolutely great as Lois (I actually preferred her take on the character over Margot Kidder's), but the writing and acting all around are excellent. The special effects were good for the time, thanks to the larger budget. This was, however, pre-matrix and the big CGI revolution that came after that, so the effects can be cheesy sometimes. The show also got a great slate of guest stars, including Ben Vereen, Elliot Gould, David Warner, Penn Jillette, and Phyllis Coates, who played Lois in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men and during Season 1 of The Adventures of Superman television series.
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