The Adventures of....... Clark Kent

[Aldous]

I like how Clark keeps cracking playful little jokes about his double identity, almost like he is teasing Lois and Perry, daring them to take a closer look at him. This sometimes leaves Lois glancing sideways at Kent... It's very well played by Phyllis and George. At times I'm almost sure Lois knows the secret, but it's like there's an unspoken understanding between her and Kent not to burst the bubble.

I watched a couple of the episodes from Disc 3 last night and at a newsstand where a man was selling the Planet I saw comics displayed on shelves behind him. I was able to freeze-frame and have a look at the covers. World's Finest 54, Superman 72, Batman 66, Action 160, and I think the Detective I could see was No. 175, all modern issues in 1951.

[Aldous]

I'm well into Season 2 now and I agree with Klar Ken that Superman has become more of a father figure (and less of an avenging mystery man, although he definitely still has "two fists"). Where Klar and I part company, however, is in how he sees Noel (Lois) Neill as "hot". Noel has her charms, and she is a nice-looking woman, but she doesn't come anywhere near "hot". As an actress she has none of the screen presence of Phyllis Coates. In fact, I think her portrayal throws the whole show out of balance. Her Lois is a nobody, and not captivating at all, which leaves a space George has to fill, and, I suppose, creates more opportunities for Jimmy to shine. When I say the show is out of balance, I mean the balance has changed from Season 1, but that's not to say the episodes aren't still great. They are. I am really enjoying them. I read somewhere Phyllis couldn't or wouldn't continue with the Lois role, and I am surely feeling that loss as I watch Season 2. Noel pales in comparison. With Noel, Lois drops from Clark's main foil to No. 3 supporting player behind Jimmy and Perry.

[davidelliott]

It's been YEARS since I watched this show, but I used to watch it religiously...

The first season was awesome and I agree about Phyllis Coates... she was a very strong, independent Lois and captured the flavor of what Lois was in the early comics.  The series got campier as time went on (like when Lois or Jimmy had a dream they both got super powers, the gang went back in time to the caveman era, etc.  I think Coates was probably the model for what Lois became in the future comic incarnation, BTW.

Don't get me wrong... Noel Neill IS Lois Lane, the Lois of that period.  She was the 1950's comics Lois whereas Coates was ahead of her time.

As a kid, I also hated the fact that you hardly saw Superman in a lot of the stories... as mentioned, he would typically show up at the end to wrap things up.  I would sit at the TV and say "Come on, Clark... change into Superman... do SOMETHING!!!"

I gotta invest in the series

[Gangbuster]

Noel was hot...in Superman vs. the Atom Man.* I'm not sure exactly why her role as Lois Lane changed so much between the Kirk Alyn serials and the TV show, but it did. Her TV performance was definitely the basis for Lois' silver age OMG I GOTTA MARRY SUPERMAN PERSONA!

I'm almost finished with season 4 of the series, but I'm a little disappointed in the extras with this newest set. Season 1 had Superman vs. the Mole Men and some Kellog's commercials, Season 2 had Stamp Day for Superman, but this one has nothing of any consequence. I really hope we'll see Lucy meets Superman, or the Adventures of Superboy on the next set.

* and in her cave-woman suit