Of all the comic book icons of the last hundred years, one of he most enduring has to be Superman. Ever since the early 1930’s and his first appearance in Action Comics, his endless battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way has been a symbol of hope during some of America’s darkest times. On the radio, on TV and in the movies he has been portrayed by the likes of Kirk Allyn, George Reeves and most recently Tom Welling on the WB’s “Smallville.” Of course the actor who best personified the character of Superman both on and off screen, was the late Christopher Reeve. So popular is the character that a whole new big budget film is about to be released into theatres that promises to bring Superman into the new millennium, and I’m crossing my fingers that they don’t screw it up.

Back in 1993, ABC decided to take its own shot at the Man of Steel and re-invented the myth as a modern romantic comedy with “Lois & Clark.” The role of Superman / Clark Kent was played by newcomer Dean Cain. The series opted to focus more attention on the romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, leaving just enough time in each episode for some superhero adventure. I hadn’t watched the series during its initial four season run, more out of the fact that I theorized it was probably too cheesy and I wouldn’t like it. As usual, I tend to live and learn.

Last year, Warner Brothers decided to start releasing the series, one of its most requested, and I took the opportunity to see for myself how good… or bad… the show might be. Oddly, enough I was half right. The series was a bit on the cheesy side, and the special effects were acceptable for TV at time, however as has been evident with other cheesy series (think “Xena” and “Hercules”), “Lois & Clark” was just a whole lot of fun. It was Superman ‘Lite’ and Cain did a fine job of bringing the hero to the small screen.

But what really sold me on the show, and this may on the surface seem like a sexist remark, was Teri Hatcher in the role of the feisty reporter, Lois Lane. While she was no Margot Kidder or Phyllis Coates, Hatcher brought a new and fun dimension to the character. The actress has her own inimitable style and a seemingly endless supply of charisma. Hatcher brings a lot to any role she takes on, and is probably single-handedly responsible for the success of the recent “Desperate Housewives.”

The series also boasted Lane Smith as Perry White and John Shea as Superman’s arch-rival Lex Luthor. I was really surprised with Shea’s take on Luthor, and what he did lent itself to the style of the series. The only weak member of the cast was Tracy Scoggins, who played Lane’s rival Cat. Scoggins is a pretty good actress, but for some reason I found the character to be really annoying.

When Warners released the 2nd season a few months back, I found that I was enjoying it even more than the 1st. There were several changes that made this one even better (or at least more watchable). The most noticeable change was the change of actors in the role of young Jimmy Olson. In the 1st season, he was played by Michael Landes, who didn’t really seem to fit in the role. He was a bit too worldly. In the 2nd season, he was replaced by Justin Whalen, whose younger demeanor seemed more in line with the character as he should look and act. Also, and I believe this was based on the success of the show, I believe the budget for special effects was raised just a little. The effects were still a bit on the cheesy side, but there was no doubt that a lot more work and money were poured into it.

This month, along with a slew of other Superman related shows, Warners is releasing the 3rd season of "Lois & Clark", and I was rather looking forward to it. When the set came in, I set aside time to start watching and was surprised to see the series was taking advantage of its popularity, raising its budget yet again to allow for better special effects. This new season also brought with it a whole new slew of villains, from revived Nazis to alien conspirators.

But the biggest news this was the major change in the story arc. It seems that Supes finally decides to reveal his secret identity to Lois and the pair even go so far as to become engaged. This is a huge deal, some people claiming that it was the first time it had ever happened. However, years ago there was a storyline in the comics where that happened, and you might remember that in the 2nd "Superman" film, he tells Lois who he is and gives up his powers so they can be together. Of course, unless you lived under a rock, you know how that turned out.

The new DVD set from Warner Brothers is a 6-disc affair that includes all 22 episodes from the 3rd season and quite a few special features including a brief retrospective of the relationship between Lois Lane & Clark Kent, where we hear from some of the show's creators, comic book writers and Dean Cain (sporting a God awful bleach job in his hair!!!). There is also a Trivia Challenge, hosted by Cain, but you don’t really get to answer the questions yourself. You try an answer the questions out loud before they tell you the answer. Finally, you'll find some excerpts from the documentary "Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman" which aired on TV recently and is also being released on DVD the same day.

Again, I was pleasantly surprised by “Lois & Clark” and where I had no real interest in the show to begin with I’m now very much looking forward to seeing the final season, which should be coming out later this year.

Episodes:
We Have a Lot to Talk About
Ordinary People
Contact
When Irish Eyes are Killing
Just Say Noah
Don't Tug on Superman's Cape
Ultra Woman
Chip of the Old Clark
Super Mann
Virtually Destroyed
Home is Where the Hurt Is
Never on Sunday
The Dad Who Came in from the Cold
Tempus, Anyone?
I Now Pronounce You
Double Jeopardy
Seconds
Forget Me Not
Oedipus Wrecks
It's a Small World After All
Through a Glass, Darkly
Big Girls Don't Fly

Starring: Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher, Lane Smith, Justin Whalin, Tracy Scoggins, K. Callan, Eddie Jones, John Shea
Extras: Lois & Clark - A History of Romance, The Man of Steel Trivia Challenge, "Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman" - Excerpts from the New Documentary
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital Stereo
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 6/20/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
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We'll give Lois & Clark: Season 3 a B-