Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman – A 90s TV Classic with Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain!
Lois & Clark: The Daily Planet newsroom may only have room for one star journalist, and that’s none other than the intrepid Lois Lane, portrayed by Teri Hatcher.
In the bustling city of Metropolis, Lois is soaring high at the leading newspaper, often going undercover for those major stories and relentlessly pursuing an exclusive interview with the influential power broker, Lex Luthor, played by John Shea.
However, things take an unexpected turn when a newcomer from Smallville named Clark Kent, portrayed by Dean Cain, manages to secure a position on the Daily Planet’s masthead. Suddenly, Lois finds herself with a rival, though Clark’s intentions are much more friendly and possibly romantic.
But amidst the budding sparks, a crisis of epic proportions emerges in this super-sized two-hour episode—a Luthor-branded space station is about to launch, with a dangerous bomb on board.
Preventing this disaster becomes a mission not only for Lois and Clark but also for a certain superhero donning a skintight red-and-blue costume, lovingly crafted by his adopted mother. You may also read Kevin Costner’s Western Career.
Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman
The television landscape on September 12 featured not just one but two super-expensive two-hour pilots. “The New Adventures of Superman” faced off against the debut of the futuristic submarine series “SeaQuest DSV” on NBC.
“SeaQuest DSV” boasted star power with Oscar nominee Roy Scheider and teen heartthrob Jonathan Brandis, not to mention an affable dolphin and the involvement of Steven Spielberg behind the scenes.
However, CBS had its own ace up its sleeve, programming the Season 10 premiere of “Murder, She Wrote” at 8 p.m., with Angela Lansbury’s super-sleuth Jessica Fletcher cracking a murder case in Hong Kong.
Her international exploits were followed by the TV movie “Sherlock Holmes Returns,” where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective emerged from suspended animation into early ’90s San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Fox kept things light and comedic with its two-hour block featuring “Martin,” “Living Single,” “Married With Children,” and “Daddy Dearest.”
Despite the superheroic efforts, the Man of Steel faced stiff competition and couldn’t outshine the Murder Solver Extraordinaire. “Murder, She Wrote” emerged as the clear victor in the Sunday-night sweepstakes, consistently outperforming both “SeaQuest” and “Lois & Clark,” which struggled to break into the Top 50.
Nevertheless, both rookie series displayed enough promise to earn network support despite their high production costs. “Lois & Clark” secured a sophomore season, undergoing creative changes to introduce more villains and intensify the central duo’s romantic storyline.
The series went on to span four seasons and concluded with Lois and Clark embarking on a new adventure: parenthood.
As for Lois and Clark’s initial interactions, Lois’s first impression of Clark at the Daily Planet was far from positive. However, her perception takes a turn when she visits Clark’s Metropolis apartment and is treated to an unexpected view of his shirtless farm boy physique.
To add to her confusion, she discovers that Clark’s diet consists primarily of junk food. Teri Hatcher’s reactions in this scene add a unique and humorous dimension to their characters’ dynamic.
On the superhero side of the story, the montage of “making the costume” is a highlight, a cherished element of superhero narratives.
“Lois & Clark” contributes to this tradition with an extended sequence featuring Clark’s mother, Martha (played by K Callan), subjecting him to various ill-advised spandex outfits.
The entire sequence is set to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” and culminates with Clark adopting Superman’s classic red underwear-over-pants look. Martha Kent’s witty remark, “One thing’s for sure—nobody’s gonna be looking at your face,” adds a touch of humor to the scene.
However, it’s important to note that the 1990s context of the show sometimes results in less progressive elements in the narrative.
Characters like Cat Grant, the Daily Planet’s sex-positive gossip columnist portrayed by Tracy Scoggins, face ridicule for her provocative attire and after-hours activities, drawing parallels to Samantha Jones from “Sex and the City,” but with a less celebratory tone.
Additionally, an awkward moment arises when the newspaper’s enthusiastic editor, Perry White (played by Lane Smith), discovers Clark hiding in a storage closet, leading to strained “coming out of the closet” jokes, which may not align with contemporary sensitivities.
Striking the right balance between Lois and Clark’s dynamic and Lois and Superman’s interactions proved to be a challenge throughout the series’ run. You should also check NSYNC Reunites with Justin Timberlake.
As an origin story, the “Lois & Clark” pilot effectively establishes what distinguishes “The New Adventures of Superman” from previous on-screen iterations of the character—the focus on the workplace relationship between the titular characters.
While the Superman-specific sequences occasionally slow down the narrative, the snappy banter between Hatcher and Cain, who share excellent chemistry, shines through.
Subsequent series like “Smallville” and “Superman & Lois” arguably navigated this balance more successfully. Nevertheless, during its time, this portrayal of DC’s iconic power couple captured the hearts of viewers and soared to popularity.
