NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Adventures of Superman (TV series)

Adventures of Superman was the first television series featuring the comic book superhero Superman. The series, which was syndicated rather than being tied to a network, began filming in 1951, and was first aired on September 19, 1952. The final first-run episode was broadcast on April 28, 1958. George Reeves starred as Clark Kent/Superman with Phyllis Coates as the original Lois Lane. In 1953 Noel Neill, who had previously played Lois in two serials, replaced Coates from the second season onward. Jack Larson played Jimmy Olsen and John Hamilton was Perry White. Robert Shayne played the semi-regular character Inspector Henderson of the Metropolis Police Department. Adventures of Superman is a series produced by DC Comics. ... Image File history File links The cast of the U.S. television series, The Adventures of Superman. This is a copyrighted promotional photo with a known source. ... Image File history File links The cast of the U.S. television series, The Adventures of Superman. This is a copyrighted promotional photo with a known source. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Reeves (January 5,[1] 1914 â€“ June 16, 1959) was an American actor, best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman and his controversial death at the age of 45. ... Phyllis Coates is the stage name of an actress who appeared in various films and TV shows mostly during the 1950s. ... For the Dutch girl group, see LoÃ¯s Lane. ... Noel Neill as Lois Lane on the serial version of Superman. ... Jack Edward Larson (born February 8, 1928 in Los Angeles) is an American actor, librettist, screenwriter and producer. ... Jimmy Olsen (full name James Bartholomew Olsen) is a fictional character, a photojournalist who appears in DC Comicsâ€™ Superman stories. ... Hamilton in The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Hamilton (January 16, 1886 - October 15, 1958) was an American actor that appeared in many movies and television programs. ... Perry White is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics, and is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet. ... Robert Shayne was an American actor. ... Inspector William Henderson is a supporting character in various Superman continuities. ... Metropolis Skyline, as seen in Smallville. ...

The opening narration of the show, expanded from that of the 1940s radio show and the Superman cartoons, was dramatically voiced by Bill Kennedy and framed by the show's dynamic theme music which set the stage for each program: This image of Superman appeared at the beginning of each of the cartoons. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Title

The show's title card, which imitated the three-dimensional lettering of the comic book covers, was Adventures of Superman.

Occasional confusion arises about the article "the", since it was spoken by narrators in voice-overs. Some references title the show "The Adventures of Superman"; other books (as well as TV Guide listings) simply label the show "Superman". Image File history File links Superman_Title_Cards. ... Image File history File links Superman_Title_Cards. ...

Several of the following lines were added after the program was sold to Kellogg's, and were voiced by announcer Charlie Lyons:

Series production

The show was originally syndicated. A total of 104 half-hour episodes were filmed, with the first two seasons (26 episodes each) in black and white. Reeves' Superman costume was brown (for red), grey (for blue), and white (for yellow), so that it would "read" in appropriate gray tones on black and white film. As a hedge against the eventual introduction of color TV broadcasting, the show switched to filming in color for the 1955 season onward, though it was initially broadcast monochromatically. This rendered the gray tones of Reeves' new blue and red costume nearly indistinguishable. In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ...

The budget for the series was relatively low; the series' actors were paid $200 per episode. TV historians and Jack Larson state that the cast had to make repeated requests to the show's producers before they were given a $50 raise, or else they would quit production. By the end of the run, star Reeves was making at least $2500 per episode, but the rest of the cast still made considerably less. The stars were signed to a "run of the show contract," meaning the producers could demand their services to shoot a new season within thirty days' notice. However, this clause also prohibited them from doing any long-term commitments like movies or plays.

The series was filmed like movie serials in that the principals wore the same costumes throughout the show to expedite out-of-sequence shooting schedules and save budgetary costs. For instance, all scenes that took place in the "Perry White Office" set would be filmed back to back, for future placement in various episodes, which was often confusing to the actors.

Series history

California exhibitor and B-movie producer Robert L. Lippert released a feature called Superman and the Mole Men in 1951, effectively being a pilot episode for the series. The film was a hit with audiences, prompting the first season to go into production, but the series itself remained unseen until 1952-53, when Kellogg's agreed to sponsor the show, as they had previously done with the Superman radio series. [Grossman, page 59-64; Henderson, no page cited). The "Mole Men" feature was divided to create "The Unknown People", the only two-part story of the series. Seldom seen after its initial release, the film reappeared in the 1990s on cable television and home video; it is now part of the DVD issue of the first season, and is on the 2006 DVD release of Superman: The Movie. Superman and the Mole Men is a 1951 black and white movie starring the titular Superman. ... For other things with Kellogg in the name, see Kellogg (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The first season's episodes were filmed in 1951, but major confusion has always reigned regarding the copyright dates. When the series was syndicated in the early 1960s, film editors frequently spliced the 1951 title and intro onto second-season episodes. Likewise, all the episodes from the third and fourth season frequently had opening Adventures of Superman title cards that had 1957 copyrights on them. The DVD release compounds this confusion by exclusively using the first-season titles on all of the first and second season episodes, and retaining one 1957 title card on all 52 color episodes (the actual copyright date appears at the start of each of the closing credits). The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

As a syndicated show sold separately in every market, Adventures of Superman did not have a proper "premiere" date. It was first seen in Los Angeles on KECA (now KABC-TV Channel 7) on February 9, 1953; it first showed in New York on April 1, on WABC. (Grossman, p 65). IMDB, notorious for miscalculations in dates, states that its official debut was September 19, 1952, but this date is unsourced. is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Phyllis Coates is the stage name of an actress who appeared in various films and TV shows mostly during the 1950s. ... Jack Edward Larson (born February 8, 1928 in Los Angeles) is an American actor, librettist, screenwriter and producer. ... The use of a character who, by contrast, brings out the comic qualities of another character (or of other characters). ... The Perils of Pauline was a silent movie serial which debuted in 1914. ...

Villains and Character Actors

Neither Lex Luthor, Brainiac nor any of the regular comic book villains were used in the TV scripts, although a midget Martian, "Mr. Zero" (Billy Curtis) bore a vague similarity to the comics' magical imp and recurring Superman villain Mr. Mxyzptlk. Carrying over the precedents established in previous electronic media productions of Superman, the bad guys on the TV show were usually generic thugs, evil scientists, Russian agents, crooked businessmen, or spies of fictitious foreign countries. Since the producers never expected the audience to view one episode more than once a week, character actors like Tris Coffin would often be hired as government agents one week, sleazy gangsters the next week. Herb Vigran and Ben Welden made multiple appearances over the course of the show, always as different characters. One of the most recognizable repeat performers was Sterling Holloway, the honey-throated actor best known as the voice of "Winnie the Pooh." Other players who landed a Superman episode early in their careers included Chuck Connors (later star of The Rifleman), John Beradino (long-time star of General Hospital), Billy Gray (Father Knows Best), Claude Akins (BJ and the Bear), Vic Perrin (the "Control Voice" of The Outer Limits) and Dabbs Greer (the preacher in Little House on the Prairie). Director Tommy Carr's brother Steve appeared as an unbilled extra in nearly every one of the first 26 shows (he was also the show's assistant director, and was the man pointing "up in the sky" in the black-and-white intro). In "Czar of the Underworld", he played a movie director, and was even called "Mr. Carr" by the other characters. Lex Luthor is a fictional supervillain owned by DC Comics. ... Brainiac is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and frequent opponent of Superman. ... Billy Curtis (1909-1988) was an American film and television actor. ... Mr. ... Tristram Coffin (1909â€“1990), also known as Tris Coffin, was a movie and TV actor from the late-1930s through the late-1970s, usually in westerns or other action-adventure films. ... Herbet Herb Vigran (June 5, 1910 - November 29, 1986) was a well known character actor. ... Ben Welden (1901-1997) was an American actor who starred mostly in various comedic movies and television shows. ... Sterling Price Holloway, Jr. ... Winnie-the-Pooh, commonly shortened to Pooh and once referred to as Edward Bear, is a fictional bear created by A. A. Milne. ... Chuck Connors Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors, better known by his professional name of Chuck Connors (April 10, 1921 â€“ November 10, 1992), was an American actor and professional basketball and baseball player. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... John Beradino, pictured with co-star Rachel Ames, in a still from General Hospital. ... General Hospital (commonly abbreviated GH) is the longest-running daytime American serial broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company television network. ... Billy Gray (born 1938) is an American actor best known as a child actor during the 1950s. ... Robert Young and Jean Vander Pyl on NBC Radios Father Knows Best Father Knows Best, a popular American TV and radio sitcom of the 1950s and 1960s, portrayed an idealized vision of middle-class American life of the era. ... Claude Marion Akins, an American actor (b. ... Greg Evigan and his simian cohort in . ... Vic Perrin (April 26, 1916 â€“ July 4, 1989) was an American actor and voice artist. ... The Outer Limits is an American television series. ... Robert William Dabbs Greer (April 2, 1917 â€” April 28, 2007) [1]) was an American character actor who performed many diverse supporting roles in film and television for about 50 years. ... Little House On The Prairie was an American one-hour dramatic television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1974 to March 21, 1983. ...

The final episode of the series, All That Glitters, concludes with a line that turned out to be much more darkly ironic than its writers could have anticipated. The episode features a dream sequence in which Jimmy and Lois acquire super powers. Back to reality, at the end of the show, Jimmy says to Clark, "Golly, Mr. Kent, you'll never know how wonderful it is to be like Superman!" Clark responds, "No, Jimmy, I guess I never will." One year after the episode was broadcast, the most-beloved icon of the show would leave many in shock and without a hero. All That Glitters was the 104th and final episode of the hit 1950s action adventure juveniles series Adventures of Superman, based on the popular DC Comics flagship hero Superman. ...

Visual Effects

While considered simple by today's standards, the "flying" effects on The Adventures of Superman were advanced for that day and age. In the two Superman serials of the 40s with Kirk Alyn, the flying scenes consisted of the actor Kirk Alyn jumping up and turned into a cartoon character as he flew away. This was done by the still-new techniques of rotoscoping. Many were upset that they never actually saw the actor fly, but this would be improved later for the series. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (846x1080, 122 KB) DVD Cover for Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (846x1080, 122 KB) DVD Cover for Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman. ... Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. ...

Several approaches were used to emulate the "takeoff" portion of Superman's flying. For Superman and the Mole Men, Reeves was suspended by cables while they were rigged to make it look like he was flying. This was not particularly effective, but it was regarded as a major improvement over animation. Sometimes powerful fans were used off-camera to add apparent realism to the takeoffs. Reeves often performed the stunts himself in lieu of stuntman, although stuntmen can be discerned on some of the early takeoff shots. After Reeves nearly suffered a concussion during one take of the episode "Ghost Wolf", when the wires broke, the wires were abandoned in favor of the springboard: Reeves would run into frame, hit the out-of-frame springboard (or "diving board" as Jack Larson called it) which would boost him out of frame (sometimes over the camera), and onto padding. The springboard had enough force, along with subtle camera manipulation, to make it look as though he was actually taking off. This technique was much more effective, as well as being safer, and was used through the remainder of the series.

The flying scenes were accomplished through a relatively small amount of stock footage that was used repeatedly, although the set of that footage was redone for each of the three distinctive periods of the series. The typical technique, referred to by Gary Grossman as the "swish-pan" shot, had footage of Reeves stretched out on a board, with various techniques used to make his cape appear to ripple in the breeze. That footage was matted onto various backgrounds depending on the needs of the episode: clouds, buildings, etc. that he would appear to fly by.

Techniques for the landings involved Reeves jumping off a ladder or holding a horizontal bar and swinging down into frame, landing on the floor. Because he was already an athlete, Reeves was able to perform the stunts without much "stutter-stepping" and immediately deliver his dialogue without sounding "out of breath", avoiding the need to cut to another angle or scene.

The production and special effects team mostly consisted of B-movie workers and serial cameramen, who simply treated each episode as a 25-minute B-movie. Although Reeves did many of his own stunts, there are moments in some of the early black-and-whites, in which fisticuffs were much more common than in later episodes, where a stunt man can be seen in the wider-angle shots ("No Holds Barred", for example). In the 1950s, long before large-screen TV's and recorders, that likely would have escaped the viewers' notice.

Music

The music score to the series, like other television series of the '50s and '60s, was taken from stock music libraries, often adaptations of music from B-movies. Apparently the only original music written for the series was the famous TV series march heard primarily at the main and end credits, and typically whenever Superman appeared. The theme music is conventionally listed as being composed by studio music arranger Leon Klatzin, although some experts think that this music may also have been adapted from an earlier unrelated (and now lost) musical theme.

With the exception of the title theme, the catalog of musical cues was different for each of the three major groupings (first season, second season, color seasons), and each set was used to good effect. The first group's tracks ranged from the deadly serious to the downright scary, depending on the plot line. The second group was mostly serious, and the viewer could almost predict when a particular cue was likely to turn up. The third group occasionally included some of the cues from the second group, but many more lighthearted cues were used.

The library of themes occasionally found its way into other recognizable films. For example, one of the first-season cues was used in Plan Nine From Outer Space.

The main theme centered on a triad, matching the three syllables in the character's name, as has been the case with nearly all Superman music. In the case of this program, the show would begin with a planet in the foreground, and various celestial objects in the background. The camera would track forward to a string-based "drumroll", a meteor would streak from left to right and explode just as the triad was played twice consecutively, and the title card would appear, followed by the famous narration, the gun, the train, the tall building, Superman flying, and Superman standing facing the camera, complete with waving American flag. This does not cite its references or sources. ...

The closing credits for the first group began with the music and just a series of title cards. The second and third groups including the exploding meteor, the main title card, and then the closing credits. All three versions included an extended version of the triad-based theme. John Williams later score for Superman: The Movie used a similar but not identical musical triad. This biographical article or section needs additional references for verification. ... Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, Superman Superman, also known as Superman: The Movie, is a 1978 Warner Bros. ...

Locations

The establishing shot of the "Daily Planet Building" in the first season was a single piece of footage of the E. Clem Wilson Building (at left) at 5225 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, a famous example of Streamline Moderne architecture. Entrances/exits made by "the Daily Planet staff" were filmed two blocks east at the Carnation Milk Company Building (5045 Wilshire - at right, address number partially visible). Some sources mistakenly label the Wilson Building as the Carnation Building. The Wilson Building still exists. The Carnation Building was altered or demolished some years ago. For episodes 27-104, various stock clips of the Los Angeles City Hall stood in for the Planet building, as by the time production resumed in 1953, a large billboard for General Insurance Company was wrapped around the spires of the Wilson Building. One oft-used City Hall clip showed 1950s cars streaming along the nearby Hollywood Freeway (U.S. Route 101). The actual sidewalk and doorway to the Planet then was a studio-bound "exterior." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government - Type Mayor-Council - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo - Governing body City Council Area - City 498. ... Bathers building, now a Maritime Museum at San Franciscos Aquatic Park, 1937, evokes a streamlined doubleâ€“ended ferryboat Judges tower at San Franciscos Aquatic Park The Bauhaus style, also kown as Art Moderne, the International Style or Streamline Moderne succeeded the closely related Art Deco style... Los Angeles City Hall is the center of government in the city of Los Angeles, California. ... The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California (the boundaries of which it does not leave) and one of the busiest in the United States. ... This U.S. Highway article needs to be cleaned up to conform to both a higher standard of article quality and accepted design standards outlined in the WikiProject U.S. Highways. ...

The first 26 episodes featured many exterior shots, often at the RKO Pictures backlot called "Forty Acres", the same buildings later used on The Andy Griffith Show. A coincidental connection between those two shows is that occasional Superman guest player Dick Elliot also played the mayor of Mayberry in some of its early episodes. During the first and second seasons, hillsides nearby in Culver City or residential neighborhoods of the San Fernando Valley were occasionally used for exteriors. In later seasons, the episodes tended to be filmed mostly on soundstages, with most obviously exterior shots (such as cars driving along roadways) being generic stock footage, though some later episodes contained scenes shot on Los Angeles city streets (e.g., "The Big Freeze" from 1955). This article is about the film production company. ... A 1965 aerial view of the back forty. Other names used were 40 acres and Pathe 40 Acre Ranch. ... The Andy Griffith Show is an American television series that aired on CBS from October 3rd, 1960 to April 1st, 1968. ... Richard Dick Elliot (1886-1961) was a character actor from the 1930s until the time of his death. ... Culver City sign near the intersection of the 405 and the 90. ... San Fernando Valley from its southwestern edge. ...

Another favorite Los Angeles stock-footage landmark was the Griffith Observatory, which had several different "cameos" in the series, ranging from Jor-El's Kryptonian laboratory in "Superman on Earth" to, appropriately, the Metropolis observatory. The view of the observatory was typically similar to the perspective shown here, from a walkway below the complex. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3248x2160, 2313 KB) A view of the south elevation of the Griffith Observatory, taken from the Fern Dell trail. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3248x2160, 2313 KB) A view of the south elevation of the Griffith Observatory, taken from the Fern Dell trail. ... Panorama of Los Angeles and Griffith Observatory viewed from the Hollywood Hills. ...

Aside from a few clips of New York City in "Superman on Earth", most if not all of the stock clips used to depict Metropolis are from the Los Angeles area.

Lucy Meets Superman

George Reeves made a guest appearance as Superman on an episode of I Love Lucy. In this episode (#165, on January 14, 1957 [1]), Lucy herself dresses up as Superman--which she accessorizes with a red painted 1930s style leather football helmet--in order to fulfill a promise of Superman appearing at little Ricky's birthday party. Fortunately, the real Superman arrives and rescues Lucy from a narrow window ledge. The climax to that episode was shown in the 2006 documentary, Look, Up in the Sky. With Lucy and Superman standing on the ledge, and both of them now being drenched by a loud studio-produced rainshower, Ricky proclaims this to be the craziest thing Lucy has done in their fifteen years of marriage. Reeves and Arnaz have to shout to be heard above the artificial storm: I Love Lucy is a television situation comedy starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and featuring Vivian Vance and William Frawley. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Group of men drilling in football helmets A football helmet is a protective device used primarily in American football and Canadian football which was created by Paul Brown. ...

After the series

Producers planned to continue the series in 1959 with two more years' worth of episodes, to begin airing in the 1960 season. The death of actor John Hamilton threw the plan for a loop. Actor Pierre Watkin was hired to replace Hamilton as "Perry White's brother" (Watkin had played Perry White himself in the two Columbia serials, and had guested on the series before). The death of George Reeves was not the end of the series either, in the producers' eyes. When Jack Larson returned from Europe after the death of Reeves, producers suggested the series could continue as "Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen," with more focus on Larson continuing his character, playing opposite a "Superman" who would be a composite of stock shots of George Reeves and a look-alike stunt double to be filmed from behind. Larson rejected the distasteful idea out of hand, and the series was truly over. Pierre Watkin (1889-1960) was an American actor. ...

Of the surviving players, several of them returned to the superhero world from time to time:

It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Kirk Alyn as Superman Kirk Alyn (October 8, 1910 - March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play Superman on screen, in the 1948 film serial Superman, and its 1950 sequel Atom Man Vs. ... Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, Superman Superman, also known as Superman: The Movie, is a 1978 Warner Bros. ... The Flash. ... Noel Neill as Lois Lane on the serial version of Superman. ... Jack Edward Larson (born February 8, 1928 in Los Angeles) is an American actor, librettist, screenwriter and producer. ... Superboy was a half-hour, live-action TV series based on the fictional DC Comics character. ... Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action television series based on the Superman comic books. ... Jim Beaver (born August 12, 1950) (real name James Norman Beaver, Jr. ... American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as AmEx or Amex, is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. ... Seinfeld and Superman walking in A Uniform Used to Mean Something. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Patrick J. Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American television actor and voice artist. ... Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Superman. ...

Home Video releases

The first home video releases of the series by Warner Home Video were in the mid-1980s, in a series of VHS and LaserDisc packages called "TV's Best Adventures Of Superman". Each volume contained 2 selected episodes of the series (one black & white episode & one color episode), plus a select Max Fleischer Superman short (marking the first "official" release of such as Warner subsidiary DC Comics holds the original film elements). The short film "Stamp Day For Superman" is known to be in the public domain, and has been issued on low-budget video and DVD labels. The entire series has also been known to have been bootlegged on VHS and DVD. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Laserdisc (LD) was the first commercial optical disc storage medium, and was used primarily for the presentation of movies as to be viewed at home. ... Max Fleischer (July 19, 1883â€“September 11, 1972) was an important pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon. ...

The first season "Adventures of Superman" was released on DVD in North America in a five-disc set on October 18, 2005. The set contained 6 episodes on each of the four discs. The fifth disk contains the two-part "Unknown People", and its theatrical counterpart from which it was derived, "Superman and the Mole Men". This affords the student of the show the opportunity to compare the two. The musical track is different, and there are minor edits, noticeably the excising of Lois' comment that the creatures "look like moles", as well as trimming a chase scene. The quality of the prints overall was somewhat uneven, but noticeably superior to the choppy versions often used on TV in recent decades. Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notable by its absence are extras that "could have been": the mid-show break announcement that "We'll return to the Adventures of Superman in just a moment", and the extended closing segment, "Stay tuned for the next thrill-packed episode..." The dvd creators eliminated references to Kellogg's and made the programs consistent.

The second five-disc DVD set, episodes 27-52, or "Season 2", was released on January 17, 2006. Extras include a feature on Noel Neill, commentaries on a couple of the episodes by Neill with Jack Larson, and "Stamp Day For Superman." The print quality is noticeably worse than the full episodes themselves. "Stamp Day" is one of the few films on the discs that still has its original "1954" opening (with Clark Kent standing with his hands in his pockets, rather than stiffly at attention). is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The typically truncated intros (due to chopping out the "Kellogg's" reference) appear to have been "solved" by attaching the 1952 version of the introduction, to varying degrees of success. Observant fans will note that although the entire show is normally presented (such as the radio/serial-type intro to Beware the Wrecker, often missing from TV prints), in at least one episode, Around the World, there is are key shots missing, in which Superman uses his X-ray vision to find a piece of glass lodged in the blind girl's (Judy Ann Nugent) optic nerve.

The third DVD set, episodes 53-78, or "Seasons 3 and 4", was released on June 20, 2006, the week before the release date of the new feature film, Superman Returns, and included a free pass to the film. It also included a preview of the two-hour documentary on the entire Superman saga, titled Look! Up in the Sky! The fourth and final DVD set, episodes 79-104, or "Seasons 5 and 6", was released on November 14, 2006. is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Superman. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Memorable episodes

Much of the Superman "formula", in all forms of its media presentations, involves Superman rescuing someone, either one of his colleagues or another person or persons. In those cases, success is largely a matter of Superman simply "getting there on time" to save the day. Some of the strongest episodes in the series tend to be the ones where Superman himself is in peril, either due to exposure to the time-honored bugaboo of kryptonite, external forces, or from some other daunting challenge:

Countless episodes, of course, raise the threat of exposing Superman's secret identity. The only humans to know for sure, other than Clark's adoptive mother, are villains in some episodes whose discovery leads to their deaths before they can tell anyone else. The only other conscious entity to know, apparently, is a computer. In episode 39, "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes", an early "electronic brain" built by Uncle Oscar (Sterling Holloway) and called "Mr. Kelso" is co-opted by criminals to help them compute escape routes for bank robberies. The machine seemingly develops a sense of morality, as it sends the robbers the wrong way down a one-way street, and they are arrested. The scruples of this machine are fully tested when Uncle Oscar asks it, "Mr. Kelso, Who is Superman?" Oscar pulls out the paper tape containing the machine's answer, and reads it directly into the camera: "Mr. Kelso says, quote, Wouldn't you like to know?, unquote." Superman on Earth is the first episode of the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman. ... The Stolen Costume is the thirteen episode of the hit 1950s juvenile action show Adventures of Superman, based on the DC Comics character Superman. ... Crime Wave can refer to: Crime Wave (book) by James Ellroy Crime Wave (1985 movie) aka The Big Crime Wave Crime Wave (1954 movie) starring Sterling Hayden Crime Wave (videogame) by Bryan Brandenburg and Bruce Johnson published by Access Software Crime Waves an episode of the series The Zeta Project. ... Panic in the Sky is the thirty-eight episode of the hit 1950s juvenile adventure show Adventures of Superman, based upon the DC Comics character Superman. ... Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature where nothing could be colder, and no heat energy remains in a substance. ... Sterling Price Holloway, Jr. ...

Panic in the Sky

Of the 104 episodes, the best-remembered is probably Number 38, Panic in the Sky. It is also one of the least typical, incorporating two flights into outer space, a vulnerable Superman, and a threat to the entire world, rather than the usual last-minute rescue of Lois and Jimmy from thugs. The plot is reminiscent of When Worlds Collide and similar to the much-later Armageddon and Deep Impact. Unlike the light-hearted playing in many of the episodes, the drama in "Panic" is in dead-earnest. Panic in the Sky is the thirty-eight episode of the hit 1950s juvenile adventure show Adventures of Superman, based upon the DC Comics character Superman. ... When Worlds Collide DVD cover This article is about the 1951 film. ... For other films with this name, see Armageddon (disambiguation). ... Deep Impact is a 1998 science fiction disaster film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures. ...

An asteroid is headed toward Earth, and humanity is powerless to stop it. At an observatory near Metropolis, Professor Roberts explains the situation to Superman, but warns him the planetoid may contain Kryptonite or some unknown element which could harm the Man of Steel. Grimly saying goodbye to Lois and the Professor, Superman flies into space and collides with the big rock, deflecting it into an orbit around the Earth. While the relieved world celebrates, Superman manages to fly back to Earth and instinctively change into his Clark Kent business suit. The collision has given him a severe concussion and amnesia. To make matters worse, the now-orbiting asteroid has upset Earth's climate and gravitational balance, wreaking worldwide havoc. It must be completely destroyed somehow... but Superman is nowhere to be found.

The rest of the episode has Clark/Superman trying to figure out who he is, several times coming perilously close to inadvertently revealing his secret identity to his friends and colleagues (who are baffled by Clark's strange memory loss). At the critical point in the show, and for the only time in the series, the superhero is seen wearing his Superman costume as well as Clark's horn-rimmed glasses, appearing very vulnerable. In a moment of frustration, he bangs his fist on an end table-- and obliterates it. As he removes his glasses, he realizes that he must, in fact, be this "Superman" everyone has been talking about. "Professor Roberts--!" he exclaims. "The observatory!" Again acting on instinct, he leaps out of the window and flies to the observatory. The Professor has a small but powerful atomic bomb which might utterly destroy the asteroid, but no guided missile can reach that far into space. Knowing the risks, Superman flies to the asteroid again and sets the device. "Well, no matter who I am," he says to himself, "here goes." The dangerous planetoid explodes, and Superman, with his memory intact, returns to his adopted planet in triumph.

The show contains more unique special effect shots than any of the 104 episodes, since using stock footage was out of the question. The flying effects combine Reeves "flying" against back-projected images, matte work with Superman flying through space; the glowing, fiery asteroid; and the explosive impact of Superman hitting it (done in cartoon animation). Although the quality of the composites is variable, the episode contains some of the most dynamic springboard takeoff sequences in the series. It also gives Reeves a rare chance to expand his acting range and dual characterizations beyond their usual formula.

On the DVD commentary, Neill points out that she used "Panic" on her college lecture circuit. Larson mentions that it was Superman aficionado Jerry Seinfeld's favorite episode. Also, aside from the obligatory story of the infant Kal-El's arrival on Earth, "Panic" was the sole episode re-made for future Superman series, first in the 80s-90s Live-Action Superboy (TV series) as "Superboy...Lost", and again in the 90s Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: the January 2, 1994, episode All Shook Up, an irreverent reference to what happens to the Man of Steel, and also a play on words, as that series' Perry White was obsessed with Elvis Presley, one of whose hit songs was All Shook Up. A climactic scene in Superman Returns also echoes some of the plot elements of "Panic in the Sky". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Superboy was a half-hour, live-action TV series based on the fictional DC Comics character. ... Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action television series based on the Superman comic books. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 â€“ August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... All Shook Up is one of the many hit songs of Elvis Presley. ...

Trivia

Kirk Alyn as Superman Kirk Alyn (October 8, 1910 - March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play Superman on screen, in the 1948 film serial Superman, and its 1950 sequel Atom Man Vs. ... Tommy Bond as Butch during his second Our Gang tenure. ... Pierre Watkin (1889-1960) was an American actor. ... Bud Collyer on Beat The Clock, 1957 Bud Collyer (b. ... For other uses, see Top (disambiguation). ... The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... Dreidel A dreidel (Hebrew: ×¡×‘×™×‘×•×Ÿ, ) is a four-sided top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of the Hasidic group Skullen lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (â€Ž, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

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