I know I've seen a poll like this, but being the lazy girl I am, I don't want to look it up.

Julie Stars' comment to Annie in the Lord of the Rings thread got me thinking. I've never associated L&C as being SF or fantasy. Maybe it's because they focused more on Lois and Clark as real people and not just the cool things Superman can do.

Maybe that's why I like relationship oriented stories so much more than action stories and why I am not as into Superman as I am Clark. I never got into comics or the George Reeves series, or the Superman movies and only like Christopher Reeve because of the exposure he's given spinal cord injury research.

So my question is, what genre do you think Lois and Clark belongs in?

I had a hard time deciding. In the end I picked all of the above and other. L&C has aspects of 'all of the above' but I don't think I've ever really classifed as any of them. For some reason I've never really thought of it as sci-fi or fantasy.

My instinctive thought (which I know isn't entirely accurate) is sci-fi = space/other planet/ obvious aliens (in my mind CK has never been alien Probably something to do with the fact that he looks human.) and fantasy = magic/myth type stuff. So I'm stuck when it comes to L&C.

Ofthe three choices I'd be tempted to say that 'romance' comes closest to my image of L&C, however, when I chose 'other' in the poll, it was 'drama' that came to mind as the one word to describe L&C.

Loriel

Well, as Sci-Fi and fantasy go, this is pretty lightweight stuff, but I definitely think it's part of the package here. Romance is the main element, of course. I didn't choose action, although I suppose I could have, because that's not an aspect I spend any time thinking about

PJ

I think you hit the nail on the head, Pam. Personally I chose "romance", but it's because romance is what I choose to see in Lois and Clark (granted, Lois and Clark is very much about that, but action and sci-fi also plays a part - I think Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark, for example, is a lot more about sci-fi than romance). The point is, whatever version of Superman we're watching (or whatever TV show we're watching, come to think of it), we're always more interested in one particular element, and we focus on it, which makes the other elements be eclipsed even though they might be obvious to other viewers.

Kaethel

My husband says I like it because it's a soap opera . But he'll join me for a Temus episode at the drop of a hat.

The local video store generally puts it in with sci-fi films. Hoewver, I'd agree that it's mixed.

Heh, now I feel like I have to saw it's fantasy. I said 'all of the above,' however. It's got romance, fantasy, and action. It's not that much sci-fi because there's no traveling between planets and bombing stars, really. The only thing sci-fi is Clark's background. And, well, okay, the New Krypton eps, but let's agree we can't classify an entire 4 season show based on 3 episodes.

Most science fiction published in the last 20-30 years -- certainly more than 50% -- involves neither "traveling between planets" or "bombing stars."

Near futures (stuff set less than 100 or so years in the future) is very popular, all stereotypes aside.

And don't forget comedy, guys! Years ago, we had a new fan join us after his girlfriend had made him watch the show (around the beginning of third season, as I recall), and he said, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me this show was so *funny*?" We love the emotional moments and some of us love the angst but it's certainly not dead serious all the time.

So, it's a sci-fi/fantasy, action/adventure romantic comedy Obviously.

PJ
Happy New Year, everyone!

Okay, so it is a little sci fi if you think about the time traveling and the parallel universes, plus the planet stuff. But still.

Okay, I can't resist stirring the pot here just a tad. On my site I keep a definition handy and offer it here for everyone's consideration:

The Merriam-Webster Online definition of romance is "1 a (1) : a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural (2) : a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious (3) : a love story b : a class of such literature."

Granted this is not the definition used by the romance genre nowadays for publication purposes, but IS most definitely the "classical" definition of Romance literature and it seems to me the only thing left out with regards to L&C is humor and sex. Then again I prefer to think they're implied in the above description anyway. (Well, who want's an adventure story with absolutely NO humor in it at all? And sex can simply mean great sexual tension, so don't dive into the gutter on me too fast and think that's overdoing it. )

So, let's see, that's a tale with a love story, some adventure, a little magic and mystery, a dash humor & some sex appeal. There was even a "super" and a "heroic" in there, too, to clinch it . . . yep, ROMANCE just about describes L&C, I think.

Beverly
Who's scurrying off to bed now that's she's had her fun.