LOIS \& CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN

   US tv series (1993-). December 3rd Productions/Warner Bros. Developed for television by DeborahJoy LeVine. Exec prods David Jacobs, Robert Singer; co-exec prods Deborah Joy LeVine, Jim Crocker; co-prods Philip J.Sgriucia, Jim Michaels, John McNamara; supervising prods Randall Zisk, Tony Blake \& Paul Jackson.Two-hour pilot Sep 1993 written by LeVine and dir Robert Butler. Other writers include Crocker, Bryce Zabel, Robert Killebrew, Thania St. John, Dan Levine; other directors include Zisk, GeneReynolds, Mark Sobel, Robert Singer, James R. Bagdonas. Starring Dean Cain as Clark Kent and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane; also starring Lane Smith as Perry White, Michael Landes (first season) and Justin Whalen (secondseason) as Jimmy Olsen, Tracy Scoggins as Cat Grant, K Callan as Martha Kent, Eddie Jones as Jonathan Kent and John Shea as Lex Luthor. Twoseasons to date, 1993-1995, one-hour episodes, Colour.

   This is the third live-action tv spin-off from the comic SUPERMAN, the first being The Adventures of Superman (1953-7), and the second being SUPERBOY (1988-91).This is not a particularly revisionist version except perhaps for Superman's outfit being made by his mother. In a formulaic manner each week sees Superman battling against a villain (often a superscientist of some sort), and normally an sf element such as invisibility or a cyborg criminal. The main ongoing suspense is provided, traditionally enough, by the never quite consummated love triangle between Clark Kent, Lois Lane (Hatcher is beautiful but waspish) and Clark's alter ego Superman. Theseries, which appears slanted towards a teenage audience, has enjoyed mild success in the ratings, and in the US is screened on the ABC network.

   PN