Superman is no everyman – it’s literally in his name. He’s basically invulnerable, has incredible powers, impeccable ethical certainty, a rich vein of postwar American patriotism, and a flattering ensemble of tights. He only has two weaknesses: kryptonite and loving America too much.
Recent films such as Batman v Superman and Zack Snyder’s Justice League have focused on how crazy powerful Superman is, exploring concerns that he might go out of control and turn on the very people he once protected. It’s not particularly interesting storytelling to obsess over Superman as a weapon of mass destruction or a metaphor for US imperialism, when the goofier, human side of his story is so charming.
In my opinion, only one franchise has ever understood how to tell Superman’s story well, and that’s the 90s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which reimagined the Man of Steel in a workplace romantic comedy.
Running from 1993 to 1997, Lois & Clark – as the title suggests – spends far more time focusing on the human dramas behind the superhero – namely Clark Kent’s job as a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper, and his simmering, will-they-won’t-they romance with fellow reporter Lois Lane. The titular characters are played by Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in their breakout roles in television. His gentle country bumpkin matched perfectly with her acidic, hard-bitten chutzpah; Hatcher and Cain’s easy chemistry led to much of the show’s runaway success.
Lois & Clark is an incredibly goofy show, with a tone that matches the mixture of slapstick and action that popularised similar TV of the era such as Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess. The show’s creator, Deborah Joy LeVine says she deliberately gave the show a 1940s screwball comedy feel – even down to the sets and costumes, which are anachronistic and almost ageless.
In the pilot episode, Lois returns to the office after getting a scoop by disguising herself as a vagrant to trick information out of someone – which I feel is a bit unethical even in Metropolis. But in this world, all journalists are ethically led truth seekers, with Lois even sneaking on to a shuttle and being blasted into space in pursuit of a story. She and Clark, as reporters, are the real superheroes in this show; Superman mainly provides convenient ways to wrap up loose ends and act as a handsome parachute (Lois spends four seasons falling off and out of a lot of things).
Speaking of falling off things, this is the very early days of green screens, so the effects are almost laughable; instead of soaring into the skies, Superman is kind of jerked around by a wire. But the studio put their money into the details, including the elaborate Daily Planet set and an early scene that sees Clark walk up a wall, which was done by using a rotating room. So it might look dated, but Lois & Clark still shines where it’s meant to – in the storytelling and their relationship.
The decision to make the first series a “love quadrangle” between Lois, Clark, Superman and the villainously suave Lex Luthor is genius – but it was met with significant pushback from the network, ABC, as Joy LeVine explained in this podcast. Despite having never read a comic book in her life, she became fascinated with the idea of a romance between an alien and a human, and agreed to do the show only if she could focus on that. It’s a perfect romantic comedy setup – the stakes for Clark and his secret super alter ego not only rest on averting sinister plans for global destruction, but also his chance to woo the woman he loves.
This focus on romance led to Joy LeVine and her writing staff parting ways with the show after season one, when ABC pushed for more action. They also killed off Lex Luthor, changed out some actors, and got rid of my favourite character, Cat Grant, a sexually-forward gossip columnist who makes a play for Clark’s affections. The interesting thing is that after season one, while there is more action, it quickly returns to focusing on the romance, showing that Joy LeVine’s concept was as bulletproof as Superman.
Lois & Clark is available to stream on Apple TV+ in Australia, the UK and US. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
