Carstairs Considers....: TV Show Review: Lois and Clark

Saturday, April 20, 2013

TV Show Review: Lois and Clark - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Action and romance with a superhero bent

Cons: Not enough continuity with Luthor

The Bottom Line:

90's Superman

Lots of action and romance

That's still fun today

"Superman on TV? I Don't Think So."

While I was in college, Lois and Clark was a moderate hit for ABC. And I truly wished I had the time to watch. But seriously, what college student has time for TV on Sunday nights? Thanks to DVD, I've now caught up with the first season. And it's as much fun as I thought it would be.

For this take on the classic American Superhero, things are pretty much as we'd expect. Clark Kent (Dean Cain) has moved to Metropolis and gotten a job at the Daily Planet. He is teamed with investigative reporter Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher) as they investigate stories for the newspaper under the demanding eye of editor Perry White (Lane Smith). Rounding out the newspaper staff is eager young reporter/photographer Jimmy Olsen (Michael Landes) and society (gossip) columnist Cat Grant (Tracy Scoggin).

But Clark Kent has a secret. He's not a normal human but a man with extraordinary superpowers. In order to keep that a secret, he takes on the identity of Superman, a fact that comes in handy since many of the stories he a Lois investigate seem to include lots of danger. There's the sabotage of a space station. A gang of thieves use invisibility suits to pull off their crimes. A freak heat wave sends Superman behind bars when he is blamed. An asteroid hurtling toward earth gives Superman (and Clark) amnesia. A rival newspaper keeps scooping The Planet. And the staff of The Planet becomes hostages in their own office.

Behind many of the problems is one man, Lex Luther (John Shea). And while Lois has a crush on Superman (ignoring Clark in the bargain), Lex is pursuing her. Will she discover how evil he is in time or will she fall in love with the villain?

I've heard this series described as Superman as romantic comedy, and that's actually pretty accurate. While Lois and Clark are working on a story, they are often trading barbs. It may not be the best battle of wits you've ever seen, but it is fun and adds some laughs to any episode. Lex Luther definitely adds to the romantic complications. And, in many ways we have a romantic triangle to begin with since Clark loves Lois who only has eyes for Superman. Even Cat Grant gets into the mix with her attempts to woo Clark.

But don't think this show has forgotten the action. Every episode requires something from Superman. The special effects occasionally show their age (this was 90's TV after all), but most of them still hold up pretty well.

The cast is absolutely perfect here. The chemistry between Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher is perfect. Without it, the romantic aspect of things would have died. This is their show, and they make it work. But that's not to take away from the supporting cast. Lane Smith creates a tough exteriored but fun Perry White. K Callan and Eddie Jones are warm as Clark's parents. They usually only have a scene or two, but they add so much humanity to the show. I must admit that I found Tracy Scoggins' Cat a little annoying at first, but as the season progressed I warmed to her, which is ironic since she didn't come back after this. The same is true of Michael Landes. They recast Jimmy Olsen for season two, which is a shame because Michael is perfect. John Shea makes Lex deliciously evil. Yet we believe that he loves Lois.

But my biggest problem with the season is Lex, or at least how he is used. He often is the reason behind the story that Lois and Clark on working on, yet that stays hidden from them. We know he is obsessed with destroying Superman, yet when he tries, it doesn't come from what he has done before. In other words, this season doesn't have the between episodes continuity we are used to in TV shows today. I guess I've gotten spoiled, but watching the conflict between Lex and Superman build would have been so much more satisfying.

The six disc set itself is nice. We get the feature length pilot and 20 regular episodes for a total of 21 stories. Since this is a TV show, the picture is standard and the sound is normal stereo. Still, they look and sound good. There is an audio commentary on the pilot with creator Deborah Joy LeVine, director Robert Butler, and star Dean Cain. While it does dissolve into self praise occasionally, there is plenty of interesting behind the scenes trivia here. Disc one also contains the pilot presentation Deborah Joy LeVine made at Comic Con before the show premiered. It's clips from the pilot, but her memories of that weekend before it airs are fun. The rest of the special features are on disc six. There's a brief look at the creation of the special effects, mainly the flying sequences. The highlight here is the 25 minute documentary on the creation of the show that includes interviews with most of the stars and people who were behind the scenes.

I'm glad I am getting a chance to catch up with the first season of Lois and Clark. Whether you are looking for romance or action, there is something for you in this set.

Season 1 Episodes:

1. Pilot

2. Strange Visitor (From Another Planet)

3. Neverending Battle

4. I'm Looking Through You

5. Requiem for a Superhero

6. I've Got a Crush on You

7. Smart Kids

8. The Green, Green Glow of Home

9. The Man of Steel Bars

10. Pheromone, My Lovely

11. Honeymoon in Metropolis