Amazon.com Lois & Clark was one of the sweetest surprises of the
1993 television season, and while it certainly enjoyed a
devoted following until the series jumped the tall building
in its later years, we can probably thank the Phoenix-like
rise of
Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher's career to thank
for its arrival on DVD. The premise of Lois & Clark
is one fraught with peril, particularly for core fans. This
incarnation of the Man of Steel saga recasts Superman
as romantic comedy. One of the series creators once
described this series as "basically,
Moonlighting, only Bruce Willis can fly." This is
overstating the case by leaps and bounds. Clark Kent (Dean
Cain) has not been reinvented as a wisecracking street-wise
hipster. The chemistry between the new Metropolis arrival
and rookie Daily Planet scribe and ace investigative
reporter Lois Lane (Hatcher) is not as sexually charged as
David and Maddie, and their banter is not as sharp. But as
with Moonlighting it would be a few seasons before
the two lovelorn characters consummated their attraction.
The dramatic arc of this inaugural season
is "the fall of the house of Luthor," but at its heart is
the triangle between Clark, Lois, and the charming snake Lex
Luthor (John Shea), who, in the pilot episode, Superman vows
to bring to justice ("Let the games begin," Luthor
responds). Further complicating matters is that Superman has
literally swept Lois off her feet. But until the episode
"Barbarians at the Planet," in which Lex proposes to Lois,
Lois professes her love to Superman, and Clark confesses his
love to Lois, Lois & Clark breezily tweaks the
touchstones of Superman iconography. "I've never
noticed it before," a "drunk with love" Lois observes to a
bespectacled Clark in "Pheremone, My Lovely," "You look a
lot like Superman." Though special effects have progressed
since the 1990s, Lois & Clark has lost little of its
sparkle and panache, thanks to its super leads, whose
fledgling careers soared to dizzying new heights.
--Donald Liebenson
Product Description
Casting a fresh look on a timeless legend, this exciting,
action-packed update of the DC Comics Superman captures the
daring exploits of the mysterious visitor from another
planet and brings the city of Metropolis to life. Originally
aired in the 90's on ABC, this humorously romantic
action/adventure hour-long series puts a modern twist on the
time-honored, legendary superhero, bringing to life the
comic book characters Clark Kent (Dean Cain); his superhuman
alter-ego, Superman; and Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher), fiction's
first lady of the press, in the most unrequited romance of
all time.
DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary
on Pilot episodeDocumentaries:"From Rivals to
Romance" -retrospective documentaryEaster
Eggs:Featurette:"Taking Flight: The Visual Effects of
Lois & Clark"Introduction:
Clark Kent arrives in Metropolis and lands a
job at the Daily Planet. He meets Lois Lane, a fellow
reporter at the Daily Planet. His parents help him
create an alter-ego, Superman, as a disguise when he fights
crime. As Superman, he stops Lex Luthor from destroying the
space station, Prometheus.
2
"Strange Visitor (From Another Planet)"
Randall Zisk
Bryce Zabel
September 26, 1993
Clark learns about his alien origins, and
about a Federal agent who wants to kill Superman. The agent,
part of a secret branch of the government called Bureau 39,
interrogates Lois and Clark to learn about Superman.
Lex Luthor wants to know just how strong and
fast Superman really is, so he orchestrates a series of
emergencies around Metropolis as a test. Clark learns how
low Lois will go to get a story, when she steals Clark's
about Superman. Clark moves into his own apartment.
4
"I'm Looking Through You"
Mark Sobel
Deborah Joy LeVine
October 10, 1993
A scientist invents several suits that make
the wearer invisible, and uses them to act as a modern day
Robin Hood. Thieves steal the suits and use them for their
own gain, and Clark feels he is losing his own identity, as
he feel invisible to Lois, next to Superman.
5
"Requiem for a Superhero"
Randall Zisk
Robert Killbrew
October 17, 1993
Clark and Lois are officially made partners,
and sent to investigate why several boxers appear to have
strength beyond that of mortal men. Lois and Clark discover
that the men are cyborgs, built by Sam Lane, Lois' father.
6
"I've Got a Crush on You"
Gene Reynolds
Thania St. John
October 24, 1993
Lois and Clark compete for the same story
about arsonists setting fire to local nightclubs. Lois goes
undercover as a singer, but is upstaged by Clark, who is
posing as a bartender.
7
"Smart Kids"
Robert Singer
Daniel Levine
October 31, 1993
Lex Luthor finances a scientist to create a
drug that will grant the user super intelligence. The
scientist tests it out on a group of orphaned children. The
children escape the orphanage, and deduce that Superman is
really Clark Kent.
An EPA report goes out for Smallville, and
Lois and Clark travel to Clark's home town to investigate.
They discover that Bureau 39 is after kryptonite, wanting to
use it to kill Superman.
A heat wave in the winter causes the
citizens of Metropolis to blame Superman's powers for their
troubles. Superman promises to leave town, and leaves Lois
to discover what is really causing the problem. It turns out
that Lex Luthor is behind the heat wave.
A scientist and ex-lover of Lex Luthor's
sprays the staff of the Daily Planet with a chemical
that induces sexual attraction. Clark, not affected by the
chemical, tries to find the source while keeping Lois, who
has fallen in love with him, at bay.
Lois and Clark investigate the illegal
activity of a Congressman and an arms dealer, going
undercover as a honeymooning couple. At the same time, they
learn what it would be like to share their lives with
someone.
12
"All Shook Up"
Felix Enriquez Alcaca
Bryce Zabel and Jackson Gillis
January 2, 1994
An asteroid heads toward Earth and Superman
flies into space to stop it. The impact back on Earth causes
him to lose his memory, forgetting how to use his own
powers. Martha and Jonathan arrive to help Clark regain his
memory, so that he can become Superman and stop a fragment
of the asteroid still heading to Earth.
A scientist is killed, and Lois witnesses
everything. The murderer comes after Lois to prevent her
from writing her story. Clark and Perry work together to
protect Lois from the killer.
A magician uses his skills to kidnap
children and ransom them. Lois and Clark try and track down
the magician, but when Superman confronts the kidnapper, he
is hypnotized into thinking that "wrong" is "right".
A fugitive, who was convicted of murder,
stays at with Lois, who believes he is innocent. He also
holds the ability to stop a new computer virus plaguing
Metropolis. Jonathan moves in with Clark when he begins to
suspect Martha is cheating on him.
16
"Foundling"
Bill D'Elia
Daniel Levine
February 20, 1994
A globe that Clark took from his spaceship
[episode 11], begins to project messages from his biological
father Jor-El. The globe is attuned to Clark, and says there
will be a total of five messages explaining to him his
origins. A young thief steals the globe along with other
items from Clark's apartment. When he touches the globe back
at his hideout/home, Jor-El's second message begins to play.
Recognizing its value, he ends up selling it to Lex Luthor.
Luthor takes the globe to a vault below the Metropolis Art
Museum. Among the items in the vault are the original arms
of the Venus de Milo, Beethoven's 10th Symphony, a full
bodied version of the Mona LIsa, etc... all of which he has
acquired secretly throughout the years with the world at
large unknowing of their existence. Every time a new message
from Jor-El is played, Clark seems to telepathically view
the message as well. Meanwhile, Lois has discovered that
Clark has kept the globe secret from her and she confronts
him about lying to her. They argue, and Lois says she can
never trust Clark again. At that moment, he gets a phone
call giving him information on where to find the globe, and
he leaves Lois to go in search of it as Superman. When he
gets to the vault, penetrating Luthor's security system with
ease, Luthor activates the auto destruct sequence and
attempts to leave with the globe. The globe however begins
to levitate in the air just out of his reach, and so Luthor
leaves without it. Superman enters just missing Luthor, and
he deactivates the self-destruct by freezing the control
panel with his super breath [Not really plausible; but hey
it's a show based on the comics]. The world becomes aware of
the vault's contents, Lois and Clark make up, Luthor is seen
talking to his butler Nigel about how he now knows Superman
has an alter ego because of what he learned from the globe,
and the final shot of the episode shows Martha and Jonathon
placing the globe in Clark's old tree house which has a sign
saying "Fortress of Solitude" for safe keeping.
17
"The Rival"
Michael W. Watkins
Tony Blake and Paul Jackson
February 27, 1994
The Metropolis Star begins landing
stories before the Daily Planet, with Linda King, an
old rival of Lois', getting all the scoops. Clark
investigates and discovers that the Metropolis Star
is causing the disasters it is reporting.
18
"Vatman"
Randall Zisk
Deborah Joy LeVine
March 13, 1994
Lex Luthor creates a clone of Superman. At
first the clone is used to do Superman's job for him, but he
soon begins causing havoc around Metropolis. Superman
confronts the clone, and although he suspects Luthor, he is
unable to prove Lex created the duplicate.
19
"Fly Hard"
Philip Sgriccia
Thania St. John
March 27, 1994
A terrorist group takes over the Daily
Planet, taking everyone hostage inside, including Clark,
Lois, and Lex Luthor. Clark is unable to use his abilities
for fear that he will reveal himself as Superman and put the
others in danger.
20
"Barbarians at the Planet"
James Bagdonas
Daniel Levine and Deborah Joy LeVine
May 1, 1994
Lex Luthor buys the Daily Planet, and
proposes to Lois. Perry leaves the Planet when Lex
hires Chip, a young man fresh out of college, to be his
boss. Lois agrees to marry Lex, even after Clark tells her
that he is in love with her. An explosion at the Daily
Planet closes the paper.
21
"The House of Luthor"
Alan J. Levi
Daniel Levine
May 8, 1994
As Lois prepares for her wedding day, Clark,
Jimmy, Perry and Jack try and discover who really blew up
the Daily Planet. Lex uses a kryptonite cage to trap
Superman. Lois does not marry Lex. The police come to arrest
Lex for the explosion, but he jumps out of the window,
committing suicide.
