MSN.com TV Justice League An X-ray vision look at television's most notable superheroes By Don Kaye
Special to MSN Entertainment
They've been protecting the world for decades, and yet superheroes themselves haven't always been saved from the low budgets and banal writing of network television. The champions of the human race were often relegated to either Saturday morning cartoons or campy live-action shows, but occasionally some maverick hits have treated men and women in capes with the same respect as doctors and cops. Even super-powered creations like "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Dark Angel" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" owe a debt to the masked marvels who leapt, flew, fought or smashed their way from the page to the screen. Here's a few notable entries from TV's very own Justice League:
'The Adventures of Superman'
(1952-58)
Arguably the first superhero TV series, "The Adventures of Superman" put the Man of Steel on the small screen for the first time, following several successful movie serials. Although its special effects were about as crude as could be, and Superman's exploits were far less cosmic than those offered in the comics and modern movies, George Reeves was a model of decency and nobility as Kal-El and his alter-ego, Clark Kent, and the supporting cast, led by Noel Neill as Lois Lane (who replaced Phyllis Coates about a year in), Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen and John Hamilton as Perry White, is still beloved.
'Batman'
(1966-68)
This is the series that many of a certain age grew up with. Initially a pop-culture success, it did damage to the "Batman" brand that was probably unequaled until the "Batman and Robin" movie came along in 1997. Comic-book diehards (that's "geeks" to the rest of the world) still go into a Joker-like homicidal rage when they think of Adam West and Burt Ward's campy performances as the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder, the often ludicrous villains (Louie the Lilac, anyone?) and the acid-trip color scheme. That wouldn't stop lots of us from buying it on DVD, though, if it ever comes out.
'The Green Hornet'
(1966-67)
Brought to you by the "Batman" television team (there was even a crossover episode featuring the Hornet) and based on a '30s radio show, "The Green Hornet" starred Van Williams as the title crime fighter, with his trusty sidekick Kato played by none other than Bruce Lee, making his American debut. Despite the presence of Lee, and the show's snazzy gimmicks (like the Hornet's souped-up car), the show, which was played much straighter than "Batman," only lasted a single season. Our guess? No buzz.
'Wonder Woman'
(1976-79)
Is there any red-blooded male out there who didn't salute at the sight of voluptuous Lynda Carter in her stars-and-stripes costume? An Amazon from a secret island sent to the U.S. to initially help fight Nazis, Wonder Woman (a.k.a. Diana Prince) stuck around to battle all sorts of assorted nasties with her bulletproof bracelets, invisible plane and truth-telling lasso. A clever blend of humor and action, "Wonder Woman" appealed to both the girls, who aspired to be her, and the guys, who just wanted to serve under her.
'The Incredible Hulk'
(1978-82)
It took a lot of liberties with the original comic book, but "The Incredible Hulk" also took its premise and character totally seriously -- even when constantly on-the-run Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby) turned into Lou Ferrigno in a bad wig and a factory's worth of green makeup. But the show's "Fugitive"-like premise was thoughtfully conceived, Banner was a truly poignant hero at times, and the Hulk action was pretty good for its time and budget. Despite his warnings, we liked the Doc when he got angry.
'The Greatest American Hero'
(1981-83)
Believe it or not, he walked on air -- or rather, flailed through it. That theme song was so infectious it actually caused a rash, but "The Greatest American Hero" was oddly endearing and even respectful of the superhero "mythos," even if played for laughs. School teacher Ralph Hinkley (William Katt) is given a superpower-packed red suit by aliens and learns, like so many of his comic-book colleagues, that with great power comes great responsibility. The series' 44 episodes showed the human side of being a hero, even if the damn theme far outlasted the series itself.
'The Flash'
(1990-91)
Police forensics expert Barry Allen is bathed in chemicals when his lab is struck by lightning, and he soon develops the ability to move faster than anyone alive, not to mention a taste for a rather loud red suit. Adapted from the DC comic, "The Flash" played fast and loose with its source material, but even he couldn't outrun bad ratings when placed up against "The Cosby Show" and "Cheers" on Thursday nights. If you blinked, you probably missed this one.
'Batman: The Animated Series'
(1992-95)
More than any other animated superhero show -- and there've been plenty of them, from "Spider-Man" to virtually the entire DC Justice League -- "Batman: The Animated Series" belongs on this list because adults could watch it too and not feel ashamed if their spouse caught them. Intelligent, dark and often lyrical, "B:TAS" was closer to the comics than the '60s series and pretty much blew away the four modern feature films as well. Just watch "Heart of Ice" -- the classic episode that reinvented the often derided Mr. Freeze -- to see a drawing out-act the current governor of California.
'Lois & Clark' (1993-97) In "Lois & Clark," Superman gets his second shot at a weekly series but with that special added ingredient that no one can resist: sex. Dean Cain's Clark and Teri Hatcher's sleek, modern Lois set off more sparks than the planet Krypton exploding, and the show itself was a smart, hip take on the most famous relationship in superhero-dom. Perhaps not the purist's take on the mythos, but an entertaining and romantic one. 'Smallville'
(2001-)
If the '50s "Superman" was a traditional view of the Man of Steel, and "Lois & Clark" reinvented him as an ordinary man graced with superhuman abilities, "Smallville" takes it a step further and turns him into a cauldron of teen angst. And with the introduction of multiple flavors of Kryptonite, the adolescent Clark has often found himself literally splitting at the seams. A mix of WB teen drama and comic-book spectacle (with some bizarre villains), "Smallville" seems to exist in an alternate universe of its own -- like something out of the comics.
Don Kaye has covered film, video, books and music for outlets like Fangoria, Revolver, Guitar World, HorrorChannel.com, VideoScope, Billboard, Alternative Press, Total Movie, Blabbermouth.net, Kerrang! and too many others he's forgotten.
