The New Adventures of Superman (TV series)
The New Adventures of Superman is a series of six-minute animated Superman adventures produced by Filmation that were broadcast Saturday mornings on CBS from September 10, 1966, to September 5, 1970.[1] The 68 segments appeared as part of three different programs during that time, packaged with similar shorts featuring The Adventures of Superboy and other DC Comics superheroes.[2]
| The New Adventures of Superman | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | Lou Scheimer |
| Directed by | Hal Sutherland |
| Voices of | |
| Narrated by | Jackson Beck |
| Theme music composer | John Gart (credited as "John Marion") |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 68 |
| Production | |
| Producers | |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 10, 1966 – September 5, 1970 |
| Related | |
History
editThese adventures were the first time that Superman (and his guise of Clark Kent), Lois Lane and Perry White had been seen in animated form since the Fleischer brothers had immortalized them in the Superman short films of the 1940s.[3]
The first TV series produced by Filmation Associates, The New Adventures of Superman was extremely popular in its Saturday morning time slot and employed the services of several DC Comics writers including George Kashdan, Leo Dorfman and Bob Haney.[4] Filmation had been approached by DC Comics to develop the new animated Superman series which was part of the broader "superhero morning" initiative for Saturday mornings spearheaded by then head of CBS' daytime programming, Fred Silverman.[5] In contrast to Hanna-Barbera who'd either buy a property outright or create a similar one free of any sort of partner, Filmation opted to do the opposite approach in their business by establishing many partnerships in their projects.[6] Many of the character designs (later based upon the artwork of Superman artist Curt Swan in the show's third season) stayed true to their comic book counterparts; iconic shirt-rip shots and related transformations from Clark Kent into Superman were incorporated into almost every episode, and such lines as "Up, up, and away!" and "This is a job for Superman!" were also borrowed from both the comics and the original Superman radio series. In addition, this series marked the animation debuts of Jimmy Olsen and classic Superman villains such as Lex Luthor, Brainiac, the Toyman, the Prankster, Titano, and Mister Mxyzptlk, as well as the inclusion of new villains like the Warlock and the Sorcerer. Due to a limited production budget, stock animation was often re-used for certain shots of Superman flying (or switching identities from Clark Kent into the Man of Steel), while character movement was often kept at a minimum; this would later become a trademark of Filmation's animated productions.
Producer Lou Scheimer also recruited Clayton "Bud" Collyer and Joan Alexander, veterans of the Superman radio show and the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons, for the voices of Clark Kent / Superman and Lois Lane respectively. Jackson Beck, who had narrated, and provided the character voice of Perry White on, the radio show, reprised those same roles for the cartoon version, while Jack Grimes, who had played Jimmy Olsen in its later years, took that part here as well. For this series, Collyer returned to the same vocal technique he had perfected on the radio show to play the Man Of Steel. While in the identity of Clark Kent, Collyer would keep his voice lighter while projecting a sense of weakness. But whenever the mild-mannered reporter would change into his true identity of Superman, Collyer's voice would deepen dramatically into a heroic baritone. Alexander departed after the first season and was replaced by Julie Bennett in later seasons.[1] The theme music for the show was composed by John Marion Gart. Mort Weisinger, editor of the Superman comics, acted as story consultant for the animated series, and made sure to include characters from his era, like Titano and Brainiac.[7]
Despite its success, the series was one of several that sparked the anger of Action for Children's Television, a grassroots organization formed in 1968 and dedicated to improving the quality of television programming offered to children, due to Superman throwing punches and other action-related violence which the group found objectionable. The series was cancelled not long thereafter with future cartoons also de-emphasizing such comic book violence. However, Silverman has said ratings for superhero cartoons in general had begun to slip by the end of the 60s and that declining ratings were a greater deciding factor than parental advocacy groups for causing these series to be phased out.[8][9]
Superman subsequently appeared in ABC's long-running animated series Super Friends (1973), produced by Hanna-Barbera, whose rights to DC Comics characters were gradually transferred from Filmation.
Episode list
editSeason 1 (1966–67)
editThe series premiered on September 10, 1966 as a "30-minute" program titled The New Adventures of Superman, featuring two Superman segments with one The Adventures of Superboy short in between.
Thirty-six Superman segments were produced that season:
| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–1 | 1 | "The Force Phantom" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | September 10, 1966 | |
|
An alien ship uses an energy creature to attack Earth. | ||||||
| 1–3 | 2 | "The Mermen of Emor" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | September 10, 1966 | |
|
Scuba divers are captured for sport by malevolent fish beings led by Triton. | ||||||
| 2–1 | 3 | "The Prehistoric Pterodactyls" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | September 17, 1966 | |
|
Two giant flying monsters are freed from frozen suspension. | ||||||
| 2–3 | 4 | "Merlin's Magic Marbles" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | September 17, 1966 | |
|
Lex Luthor uses a temporal communicator to discover magic powers. | ||||||
| 3–1 | 5 | "The Threat of the Thrutans" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | September 24, 1966 | |
|
An alien space probe trapped in Earth orbit uses force to try to return to its home galaxy. | ||||||
| 3–3 | 6 | "The Wicked Warlock" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | September 24, 1966 | |
|
A male witch called the Warlock must seize a sorcerer's ruby, a rare gem that contains powerful magic. | ||||||
| 4–1 | 7 | "The Chimp Who Made It Big" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Ross Braddock, Mort Weisinger | October 1, 1966 | |
|
The fusion of two irradiated pieces of space debris fatefully changes a chimpanzee named Toto on board a space craft. When the capsule containing the space craft lands on Earth, the chimpanzee ends up turning into Titano the Super-Ape. Despite Titano causing destruction (and grabbing Lois), Superman must convince the military not to open fire as he thinks he can revert Titano to Toto. | ||||||
| 4–3 | 8 | "The Deadly Icebergs" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | J.W. Doctor, Mort Weisinger | October 1, 1966 | |
|
Saboteurs have rigged gigantic icebergs with explosives to rob a luxury liner. | ||||||
| 5–1 | 9 | "The Robot of Riga" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | October 8, 1966 | |
|
Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are kidnapped by alien hunters whose "zoo" is protected by a giant robot. | ||||||
| 5–3 | 10 | "The Invisible Raiders" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | October 8, 1966 | |
|
The Sorcerer, a malevolent wizard, uses hirelings using an invisibility field to commit crimes. | ||||||
| 6–1 | 11 | "The Neolithic Nightmare" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | October 15, 1966 | |
|
Jimmy Olsen falls into an underground pocket populated by malevolent creatures. | ||||||
| 6–3 | 12 | "The Return of Brainiac" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | October 15, 1966 | |
|
An alien computer named Brainiac has been capturing different kinds of animals by shrinking them. Brainiac is taking the tiny animals to his dying homeworld on his spaceship a la Noah's Ark. When he also must find a man and woman for repopulation, Brainiac ends up shrinking and capturing Superman and Lois. | ||||||
| 7–1 | 13 | "The Magnetic Monster" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | October 22, 1966 | |
|
A magnetic device that melts metal objects is used by alien beings on Earth. | ||||||
| 7–3 | 14 | "The Toys of Doom" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | October 22, 1966 | |
|
Phoning in an anonymous tip to lure Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Metropolis, the Toyman captures Lois and Jimmy to help launch a wave of crime and keep Superman away. | ||||||
| 8–1 | 15 | "The Iron Eater" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | October 29, 1966 | |
|
A shape-shifting alien creature that emerged from a fallen meteorite and devours iron structures raises havoc. | ||||||
| 8–3 | 16 | "The Ape Army of the Amazon" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | October 29, 1966 | |
|
In South America, an exiled military officer named Colonel Vasta and a disgraced scientist named Dr. Rucas control apes, with the transmitter on Dr. Rucas's back, in a plot to rob an underground treasure. Lois is caught, tied to a pillar and gagged, and Rucas activates an Inca statue to crush her. | ||||||
| 9–1 | 17 | "The Fire Phantom" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | November 5, 1966 | |
|
A living flame from Earth's core appears and sets off a mammoth forest fire. | ||||||
| 9–3 | 18 | "The Deadly Dish" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | November 5, 1966 | |
|
Lex Luthor traps Lois, Jimmy, and Perry White so he can lure Superman into range of a kryptonite transmitter. | ||||||
| 10–1 | 19 | "Insect Raiders" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | November 12, 1966 | |
|
Criminals who have perfected insect powers must stop Superman from foiling their wave of crime. | ||||||
| 10–3 | 20 | "Return of Warlock" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | November 12, 1966 | |
|
The Warlock steals another sorcerer's ruby to wreak havoc on Superman's friends. | ||||||
| 11–1 | 21 | "The Abominable Iceman" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | William Woolfolk, Mort Weisinger | November 19, 1966 | |
|
An ice being freezes tropical Hawaii where Lois Lane is having her vacation. | ||||||
| 11–3 | 22 | "The Men from A.P.E." | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | November 19, 1966 | |
| 12–1 | 23 | "The Tree Man of Arbora" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | November 26, 1966 | |
|
A tree being brought to life near a meteor crater consumes enormous quantities of water. | ||||||
| 12–3 | 24 | "The Image Maker" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | November 26, 1966 | |
|
A master criminal scientist named Luna (a.k.a. Professor Leo Nula) captures Lois in order to send her into space within his 4D movie as part of his revenge on her for sending him to prison seven years ago. | ||||||
| 13–1 | 25 | "Superman's Double Trouble" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | December 3, 1966 | |
|
A mid-ocean earthquake releases a giant lobster and a giant alligator. | ||||||
| 13–3 | 26 | "The Deadly Super-Doll" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | December 3, 1966 | |
|
The Sorcerer uses a voodoo doll to stop Superman. | ||||||
| 14–1 | 27 | "Lava Men" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | William Finger | December 10, 1966 | |
|
In Mexico, a volcano creates living beings of lava. | ||||||
| 14–3 | 28 | "Luthor Strikes Again" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | December 10, 1966 | |
|
Lex Luthor uses Jimmy Olsen as bait to use kryptonite laser beam weapons against Superman in a paint factory. | ||||||
| 15–1 | 29 | "Mission to Planet Peril" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | December 17, 1966 | |
|
Alien raiders forced to Earth recruit Superman to rescue hostages on their home world. | ||||||
| 15–3 | 30 | "The Pernicious Parasite" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | December 17, 1966 | |
|
While breaking into a science lab, a petty criminal named I. C. Harris is exposed to a radioactive isotope and achieves power to drain physical strength from other men. With his new power, he aims to become a "Superman of Crime". But when he discovers the real Superman, Harris's unstoppable greed for physical power proves fatal. NOTE: Though the series pre-dated Crisis on Infinite Earths, Harris is not to be confused with the Parasite of the Pre-Crisis DC Comics, whose origin story was essentially the same. | ||||||
| 16–1 | 31 | "The Two Faces of Superman" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | December 24, 1966 | |
|
The Toyman creates a robot doppelganger of the Man of Steel. | ||||||
| 16–3 | 32 | "The Imp-Practical Joker" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | December 24, 1966 | |
|
A carnival is raided by an extra-dimensional prankster known as Mister Mxyzptlk. | ||||||
| 17–1 | 33 | "Superman Meets Brainiac" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | December 31, 1966 | |
|
Brainiac raids Earth to gather creatures to repopulate a planet devastated by atomic wars. | ||||||
| 17–3 | 34 | "Seeds of Disaster" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Arnold Drake, Mort Weisinger | December 31, 1966 | |
|
Alien seed pods grow plants that destroy other objects. | ||||||
| 18–1 | 35 | "The Malevolent Mummy" * | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | January 7, 1967 | |
|
An Egyptian sorcerer in mummified form attacks Lois and Superman. | ||||||
| 18–3 | 36 | "The Birdmen from Lost Valley" | Hal Sutherland, Anatole Kirsanoff | Mort Weisinger | January 7, 1967 | |
|
Avian beings from a lost valley must raid outside farmlands for survival because a gold raider named Trask and his henchmen hold their populace hostage. | ||||||
Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) denote episodes in which Julie Bennett voices Lois Lane.
Season 2: The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967–68)
editThe Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure was first broadcast on September 9, 1967. This 60-minute program included new Superman segments, and adventures featuring Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad. It also comprised a rotating series of cartoons featuring the Flash and Kid Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Atom, the Justice League of America, and the Teen Titans (Speedy, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Aqualad), and new Superboy shorts.
Sixteen Superman segments were produced that season:
| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19–1 | 1 | "A.P.E. Strikes Again" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 9, 1967 | |
|
Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and the Warlock come together again as A.P.E. in a plot to steal a crime-detecting computer. | ||||||
| 19–3 | 2 | "The Lethal Lightning Bug" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | September 9, 1967 | |
|
A lightning storm irradiates a lightning bug to create a gigantic energy creature. | ||||||
| 20–1 | 3 | "The Prankster" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | September 16, 1967 | |
|
A petty nuisance called the Prankster creates havoc until Superman uses some tricks of his own. | ||||||
| 20–3 | 4 | "The Saboteurs" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 16, 1967 | |
|
Lois and Clark are captured on a freighter by criminals dumping radioactive waste into Metropolis harbor. | ||||||
| 21–1 | 5 | "The Wisp of Wickedness" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 23, 1967 | |
|
The spiritual essence of an alien warlord snares innocent men on Earth. | ||||||
| 21–3 | 6 | "Superman Meets His Match" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | George Kashdan | September 23, 1967 | |
|
A kryptonite meteor crashes into the ocean and releases a giant creature with the same powers as Superman. | ||||||
| 22–1 | 7 | "Night of the Octopod" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 30, 1967 | |
|
An unmanned alien probe that resembles a metal octopus attacks Earth near Niagara Falls. After its first defeat, an electric eel reactivates it. | ||||||
| 22–3 | 8 | "Brainiac's Bubbles" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 30, 1967 | |
|
Doctor Heckla, the creator of Brainiac, creates powerful bubbles with which he can capture Earth creatures, including Lois Lane and Superman. | ||||||
| 23–1 | 9 | "War of the Bee Battalion" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 7, 1967 | |
|
Criminals force a scientist who has created a growth ray for honeybees to use the device to attack Metropolis. | ||||||
| 23–3 | 10 | "The Toyman's Super Toy" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | George Kashdan | October 7, 1967 | |
|
The Toyman and his henchman use a gigantic insect robot fitted with a kryptonite beam weapon against Superman at a nuclear facility. | ||||||
| 24–1 | 11 | "The Cage of Glass" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 14, 1967 | |
|
Brainiac shrinks Metropolis itself to minuscule size and imprisons the city in glass for return to Doctor Heckla's homeworld.[10] | ||||||
| 24–3 | 12 | "The Atomic Superman" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 14, 1967 | |
|
When Superman innocently tests a powerful liquid fuel by drinking it at the request of a scientist friend, the liquid creates an atomic fire raging inside his body that makes him blast out fire whenever he opens his mouth, forcing him into exile. | ||||||
| 25–1 | 13 | "Luthor's Loco Looking Glass" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 21, 1967 | |
|
Lex Luthor invents a mirror that can transport people to his hideout at an abandoned amusement park and with it traps Jimmy Olsen. | ||||||
| 25–3 | 14 | "The Warlock's Revenge" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 21, 1967 | |
|
The Warlock's sister frees him from prison and he launches an all-out campaign against Lois Lane. | ||||||
| 26–1 | 15 | "The Halyah of the Himalayas" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 28, 1967 | |
|
A giant ice creature in Asia assaults the mountainous regions of India and Pakistan. | ||||||
| 26–3 | 16 | "Luthor's Fatal Fireworks" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol, Mort Weisinger | October 28, 1967 | |
|
Lex Luthor captures Jimmy Olsen to lure Superman to the West Coast where he unleashes a bombardment of fireworks laced with kryptonite. | ||||||
Julie Bennett voices Lois Lane in three episodes - "The Prankster", "The Saboteurs" and "War of the Bee Battalion".
Season 3: The Batman/Superman Hour (1968–69)
editThe Batman/Superman Hour premiered on September 14, 1968, featuring new two-part Superman segments alongside new Superboy shorts and the adventures of Batman, Robin and Batgirl.
Sixteen Superman segments were produced that season:
| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27–1 | 1 | "Luthor's Lethal Laser: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 14, 1968 | |
|
Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane discover a spacecraft in a nearby canyon, but are captured by Lex Luthor, who flies to the moon to set up a giant laser cannon to attack Earth. | ||||||
| 27–3 | 2 | "Luthor's Lethal Laser: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 14, 1968 | |
|
When Superman rescues Lois and Jimmy, Lex Luthor escapes and teams up with Brainiac to set a trap. | ||||||
| 28–1 | 3 | "Can a Luthor Change His Spots?: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 21, 1968 | |
|
To the disbelief of Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor has convinced Perry White that he has gone straight, and has thus become the Daily Planet's science editor with a huge experimental lab in the Planet building. Jimmy's disbelief leads him to try and catch Luthor in a deception, but his efforts lead to disasters. | ||||||
| 28–3 | 4 | "Can a Luthor Change His Spots?: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | September 21, 1968 | |
|
Thinking he catches Lex Luthor in a bank robbery, Jimmy Olsen jumps Luthor and closes a bank vault, trapping Perry White and the Metropolis Police Chief, before a bigger disaster strikes the Planet building itself. | ||||||
| 29–1 | 5 | "The Team of Terror: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | September 28, 1968 | |
|
The exiled Queen Satana from the planet Quanta flies to Earth to drain nuclear energy for use in making plastic objects called Plasto whose molecular structure can be telepathically altered. | ||||||
| 29–3 | 6 | "The Team of Terror: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | September 28, 1968 | |
|
To shake off Superman after he thwarts her efforts, Queen Satana teams with the Warlock to destroy Superman while she unleashes nuclear warfare on Quanta. | ||||||
| 30–1 | 7 | "Rain of Iron: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | October 5, 1968 | |
|
Ostensibly on vacation, Lois Lane follows an associate of a fugitive scientist to the southwestern Pacific, while Metropolis is suddenly attacked by giant balls of solid iron plummeting from space. | ||||||
| 30–3 | 8 | "Rain of Iron: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | October 5, 1968 | |
|
The fugitive scientist has created a gigantic cannon to launch iron spheres onto Metropolis and has taken island natives hostage to thwart Superman. | ||||||
| 31–1 | 9 | "The Mysterious Mr. Mist: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 12, 1968 | |
|
A being made of a mist-like substance emerges from an old water well on Perry White's farm, and can transform into a perfect duplicate of any human by absorbing into a person's abandoned clothing. He binds and gags Lois Lane, planning to take her through a well to the Underworld. | ||||||
| 31–3 | 10 | "The Mysterious Mr. Mist: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | October 12, 1968 | |
|
The mist being repeatedly attempts to kidnap Lois Lane to make her the queen of his underground society. He puts her in a sack and again ties her up at the top of a building, but Superman uses a vacuum to catch him, then saves Lois from falling. | ||||||
| 32–1 | 11 | "Luminians on the Loose: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | October 19, 1968 | |
|
Lex Luthor has created a laser beam transmitter with which he transports two fire beings from a distant star to help him defeat Superman. | ||||||
| 32–3 | 12 | "Luminians on the Loose: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | October 19, 1968 | |
|
When the fire beings turn on him, Lex Luthor must team with Superman to stop them. Meanwhile, the Lumiaians use Lex's transmitter to get a battalion of Luminians to invade Earth. | ||||||
| 33–1 | 13 | "The Ghost of Kilbane Castle: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | October 26, 1968 | |
|
In Scotland, Lois and Jimmy run afoul of two twin brothers whose ancestors stole the castle in which they live, and the ghost of the castle's original ruler has emerged for revenge. | ||||||
| 33–3 | 14 | "The Ghost of Kilbane Castle: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Oscar Bensol | October 26, 1968 | |
|
Superman teams with the Kilbane ghost to defeat the two evil twins. They have Lois and Jimmy tied up and gagged above spikes on a tower wall, and threaten to cut them loose if Superman tries to stop them. | ||||||
| 34–1 | 15 | "The Japanese Sandman: Part 1" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | November 2, 1968 | |
|
In Yokohama, a shipping magnate's businesses are sabotaged by an explosives factory owner and the man summons a Japanese god to help him defeat the magnate. | ||||||
| 34–3 | 16 | "The Japanese Sandman: Part 2" | Hal Sutherland, Rudy Larriva, Amby Paliwoda, Don Towsley, Lou Zukor | Unknown | November 2, 1968 | |
|
Superman must defeat the Japanese Sandman when he traps the shipping magnate and Jimmy Olsen. | ||||||
Season 4 (1969–70)
editThe New Adventures of Superman returned for one last time on CBS, beginning September 13, 1969. The format was the same as before—a "30-minute" program with two Superman segments and one Superboy segment. All episodes were reruns of those that had previously aired.
Cast
edit- Bud Collyer as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman (Superman segments)
- Bob Hastings as Young Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superboy (Superboy segments)
- Jackson Beck as Narrator (Superman segments), Perry White (Superman segments) and Beany Martin (Superman segments)
- Ted Knight as Narrator (Superboy segments) and Pa Kent (Superboy segments)
- Joan Alexander as Lois Lane (Superman segments)
- Julie Bennett as Ma Kent (Superboy segments)
- Ray Owens as Warlock (Superman segments) and Lex Luthor (Superman segments)
- Jack Grimes as Jimmy Olsen (Superman segments)
- Gilbert Mack as Mr. Mxyzptlk (Superman segments) and Brainiac (Superman segments)
- Janet Waldo as Lana Lang (Superboy segments)
Production crew
edit- Directed by Hal Sutherland
- Produced by Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott
- Scripts by George Kashdan
- Based on Characters Created by Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster
- Story Consultant: Mort Weisinger
- Storyboard Artists: Harvey Toombs, Bob Maxfield
- Layouts: Don Christensen, C.L. Hartman, Wes Herschensohn, Ken Hultgren, Raymond Jacobs, Dan Noonan
- Backgrounds: Erv Kaplan, Ted Littlefield, Lorraine Marue, Takashi Masunaga, Paul Xander
- Animators: Bill Hajee, Clarke Mallory, Jack Ozark, Virgil Raddatz, Morey Reden, Len Rogers, Don Schloat, Xenia DeMattia, Lou Zukor
- Animation Checking: Renee Henning, Ann Oliphant, Jane Philippi
- Ink and Paint Manager: Martha Buckley
- Camera: Gene Gropper
- Film Editor: Joseph Simon
- Sound Supervisor: Jim Bullock
- Music Composed and Conducted by John Gart
- Music Supervised by Gordon Zahler
- Assistant Director: Anatole Kirsanoff
- Production Coordinator: Joe Lynch
- Production Assistant: Jack Boasberg
- Executive Producer: Allen Ducovny
- Superman Comics are published monthly by DC Comics
- A Filmation Associates Production In Association With Ducovny, Inc.
- Copyright(c) Filmation Associates, Inc., 1966-1970.
Home media
editIn 1985, Warner Home Video released seven selected episodes of the series on VHS in the "Super Powers" video collection along with Aquaman, Batman, and Superboy. These videos were re-released in 1996.
On June 26, 2007, Warner Bros. Home Video (via DC Comics Entertainment and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released a two-disc DVD box set of The New Adventures of Superman featuring all 36 original, uncut episodes from the first season, and was presented in its original airdate order. However, the 1960s cartoon shorts of The Adventures of Superboy were omitted from the release, due to a battle between Warner Bros. Entertainment and the estate of Jerry Siegel over the rights to the Superboy name that occurred during the time.
On June 3, 2014, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD in Region 1.[11] The 2-disc set features the remaining 32 episodes of the series.
References
edit- ^ a b Bruce Scivally (2008). Superman on Film, Television, Radio and Broadway. McFarland & Co. pp. 72, 136, 138. ISBN 978-0-7864-3166-3.
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 615. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 278–280. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 811. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2014). America Toons In: A History of Television Animation. McFarland. ISBN 9781476614885.
- ^ McCray, Mark (2015-10-26). The Best Saturdays of Our Lives. iUniverse. pp. 79–. ISBN 9781491755075. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- ^ "The New Adventures of Superman: Episode List". SupermanHomepage.com. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Sennett, Ted (October 30, 1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. Studio. ISBN 978-0670829781.
- ^ This paralleled Brainiac's having reduced the Kryptonian city of Kandor to small enough size to fit into a bottle in the comics.
- ^ Warner Announced 'Seasons 2 and 3' of the '60s Filmation Show Archived 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine