There are two shows that have been centered on a pre-Superman Clark Kent. One, "Smallville", is still running, pulls good ratings, and uses current comic book (no costume, no flying) continuity to explore this period in the character's life. The other, "Superboy" (1988-1992) is a gem of the syndication agethat period from the late eighties to the late nineties where syndicated shows like "Renegade", "Hercules", "Xena", and "Highlander" rocked the airwaves. Unfortunately, unlike these other shows, many haven't been allowed to know this one ever existed. Well, I remember watching it on Saturday afternoons in the early nineties, and, I have to say, it was a surprisingly good program with a lot of heart.
While the first season was a little rough, I'm still fond of it for copiously serving up the cheese. John Newton, no offense to the guy, was particularly amusing as the titular character that seemed to be invoking his inner Stallone whenever in the tights. I especially liked his flying pose which made it seem like he was always about to be punched in the face. As for the special effects, they were also pretty laughable. Yet, somehow, they were always good enough to propel the story. In short, while these early episodes were noticeably threadbare, they were still entertaining. However, starting with season 2, the show started becoming less unintentionally amusing and more genuinely enthralling.
First and foremost, this was due to Christopher Gerard being brought aboard to play Clark Kent/Superboy. He knew the character inside and out, bringing a spot on portrayal of the character to the small screen. The dude just looked the part and, even better, sounded it. With the bump up for the lead character, there was also an accompanying upgrade in the F/X. Gone were the days of "oh my God" what were they thinking. Hello were the days of "oh my God" I can't believe they were able to do this on such a small budget.
The story lines also became more intriguing and daring. I mean daring in the "how are they going to be able to afford this" kind of way. Let's see, there was Mr. Mxyzsptlk, Bizarro, Metallo, alternate reality Superboys, Lex Luthor, and many more. "Smallville" is a decent enough show. But even with a much larger budget, running time, and almost twenty years later, it has yet to come close to this level of energy. Of all the villains featured on "Superboy", my favorite was Mxyzsptlk. Easily as powerful as the Boy of Steel, whenever he was the featured adversary one thing was a givenintentionally, gut busting laughter. Throw in the ever bubbly eye candy known as Stacey Haiduk, playing a faithful and true to her roots Lana Lang, and you're dealing with dynamite in fuel tank.
"Superboy" went on for four years and was a genuine hit. However, just as the Salkinds were readying to negotiate terms for a fifth and sixth season, it was cancelled because of a lien put against it by Warner Bros.for reasons I can't ever hope to explain within the 1,000 word limit given by IMDb. This brings me to the point of my review.
"Superboy" was a surprisingly addictive show. But it's not "Smallville". It's an entirely different animal altogether. Therefore, Warner Bros., can't you lift the lien against it already? Is there really a reason you can't release it from the vaults, and allow it to get airtime on something like the Sci/Fi Channel, ABC Family, Spike, G-4, or even WAM? They're always on the lookout for older shows like thisand it would probably do well there, without taking anything away from "Smallville". I get that there may be some bad blood between you and the Salkinds, but it just seems like there is room for more than one Superman show at a time, especially when the two are separated by over a decade and have next to nothing to do with each other.
In the seventeen years since "Superboy" went off the air, there has been "Lois & Clark" (1993), "Superman: TAS" (1996), "Justice League" (2000), and "Smallville" (2001). These programs have done fairly well during their original runs, in syndication, and on DVD. Hell, even the old George Reeves show has seen a warmer reception from you, Warner Bros., and it's almost unwatchable. This being said, why can't "Superboy" get any of the love? Instead, you release the first and weakest season of the program on DVD and let it flounder? That's a lot like pushing a one legged man out of a wheel chair and then kicking him in the ass, while he's face down, just to watch him cry. Please let this show, which so many have fond memories of, finally get some airtime on basic cable. If the entire run of the series, from its questionable beginning to its wholly remarkable later seasons, gets the exposure it deserves, it will increase the demand for later DVD releases and most likely net you a pretty penny in the process. It would be a win-win, and isn't that what smart business is all about? As for anybody else reading this, if you remember this show, thought it was cool, and want to see it on the air again, write Warner Bros. Sooner or later, "Superboy" will probably be back on in syndication. But, if it's going to be sooner and not later, we've all got to speak up and let the W.B. know just how much we want it back now.
