OUR FAMILIARITY WITH this series is much less intense and thorough as with our knowledge of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; which we grew up with. We were very impressed with the production values, character inclusion and the adaptation of comic book-type stories that it exemplified.
BEING THE POST Christopher Reeve entry into the long line of Superman adaptations, it appears to have benefited from the trail tat was cleared for its inception. Simply stated, it had some ready made Publicity.
IT ALSO HAD that certain look that was in evidence throughout the four Reeve SUPERMAN films. Unlike so many of our current Super Hero movies, revisionism is minimal, if not non-existent.
UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL Superman TV series, this time around, many of the villains from the Comic Books were evident on screen. In addition to Luthor*, the series showcased Bizarro and Mr. Mxyzptlk (as portrayed by Michael J. Pollard). This was a very good touch and added to the stature of the Comic Book-Movie cross pollination.
AS WE HAVE previously posited, the series centered on a "Joe College" Superoy; being more properly called a young Superman. The comics stories of Superboy had a variation of ages of young Clark Kent from boyhood to High School teenager.
ONLY SOME FEW short years later, the editorial policy called for the elimination of any stories of a young Clark Kent's being the super hero in "The Adventures of Superman when he was a Boy!"
NOTE * Luthor was the name from 1940 to circa 1960, when his given name was "revealed" as being Lex.
BEING THE POST Christopher Reeve entry into the long line of Superman adaptations, it appears to have benefited from the trail tat was cleared for its inception. Simply stated, it had some ready made Publicity.
IT ALSO HAD that certain look that was in evidence throughout the four Reeve SUPERMAN films. Unlike so many of our current Super Hero movies, revisionism is minimal, if not non-existent.
UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL Superman TV series, this time around, many of the villains from the Comic Books were evident on screen. In addition to Luthor*, the series showcased Bizarro and Mr. Mxyzptlk (as portrayed by Michael J. Pollard). This was a very good touch and added to the stature of the Comic Book-Movie cross pollination.
AS WE HAVE previously posited, the series centered on a "Joe College" Superoy; being more properly called a young Superman. The comics stories of Superboy had a variation of ages of young Clark Kent from boyhood to High School teenager.
ONLY SOME FEW short years later, the editorial policy called for the elimination of any stories of a young Clark Kent's being the super hero in "The Adventures of Superman when he was a Boy!"
NOTE * Luthor was the name from 1940 to circa 1960, when his given name was "revealed" as being Lex.