The ’80s Superman Series You’ve Never Heard Of

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For more than 70 years, Superman has been a well-known TV personality, appearing in over a dozen series, both live-action and animated, as well as making appearances in numerous others. One of his main roles showcased a teenage Clark Kent battling fresh versions of traditional Superman adversaries while also trying to win the affections of high school sweetheart Lana Lang. Remarkably, despite its long run and generally positive reception, this particular show is mostly forgotten by the public today. The series in question is, of course, Superboy.

Indeed, you may have presumed we’d mention Smallville, given its association with the world of Superman. However, it’s important to note that Superboy preceded the 2001 series by more than a decade. Although both shows share a similar premise and introduced some of Superman’s most formidable foes in live-action format, Superboy didn’t garner the same level of fandom as Smallville, Tom Welling’s melodrama on The WB network.

The tale that unfolds from a long-overlooked episode in Superman’s TV legacy unexpectedly traces back to his cinematic exploits.

You Will Believe a Boy Can Fly

The Movie (1978) and its sequel Superman II (1980) and the less successful Superman III.

In the 1980s, the 1984 film featuring a female lead in an action movie not related to Aliens or Terminators performed as well as could be reasonably expected for its time. This success led the duo to sell the rights to make a Superman movie to the Canon Group. However, this deal only included Superman; other properties like Supergirl and Superboy remained with the Salkinds. When Viacom, a major syndication company, showed interest in creating a series about a young Superman, plans for Superboy were initiated.

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Instead of being based in Smallville, the fictional town where Superboy transpired was a small Florida town, not Clark Kent’s (John Haymes Newton) Midwest hometown as typically portrayed. Here, key characters like Lana Lang (Stacy Haiduk) and best friend T.J. White (Jim Calvert) also resided, attending Shuster University, named after Superman co-creator Joe Shuster. The choice to situate the show in Florida stemmed primarily from the actual filming location of the series.

The very first weekly TV show was filmed at the newly built Disney/MGM Studios in Orlando. Although it stayed in Florida for the entire run, the production of seasons 2, 3, and 4 shifted to Universal Studios Florida, a competitor of Disney. It’s somewhat amusing now to consider that a DC property was partially or fully produced at Disney, which later became the owners of Marvel, their biggest rival.

A perk of the Salkinds creating the TV series “Superboy” was that the main character could don a costume almost identical to the one worn by Christopher Reeve in the Superman movies. This allowed the producers to apply the same flying techniques developed for Reeve, enhancing the authenticity of Superboy’s flights, particularly given television standards. However, the extensive special effects knowledge amassed during Superman’s Hollywood tenure wasn’t fully leveraged until halfway through the show’s first season.

Metallo, Mxyzptlk, and Bizarro, Oh My!

In the early run of 13 episodes for Superboy, the production team had to watch their budget closely due to uncertainty about future episodes. This economical approach led to a series that delved deeply into the characters, primarily focusing on Clark Kent and T.J. White, who was the nephew of Daily Planet’s editor-in-chief Perry White, as they covered stories for their college newspaper. When Superboy did appear, it was usually to confront real-life criminals such as drug traffickers and mob leaders. Lex Luthor also made an appearance, but more as a minor annoyance rather than a significant threat.

As a die-hard movie buff, when Viacom greenlit 13 extra episodes to wrap up Season 1 of my favorite show, the Salkinds ramped up the special effects and injected a dash of the fantastical into the series. This trend continued into Season 2, where we saw the first live-action portrayals of iconic Superman adversaries like Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizarro, and Metallo, along with the unique nemesis Yello Peri for Superboy. Not only did Superboy square off against some classic bad guys, but he also got his hands on a few original baddies, such as Nick Knack (Gilbert Gottfried), a trickster genius who turned toys into crime-committing tools.

In Seasons 3 and 4, the series underwent a shift in style, taking on a more mysterious, film noir atmosphere reminiscent of Tim Burton’s Batman. This period also marked a title change for the show, which was renamed The Adventures of Superboy starting from Season 3. Alongside this new moniker came other alterations, such as the introduction of the multiverse concept and the transformation of Clark and Lana from college students to interns at The Bureau for Extra-Normal Matters. From then on, the series began to resemble The X-Files, with The Bureau investigating a variety of unexplained phenomena, including Superboy himself as an alien entity.

The Death of Superboy

The unique series Superboy consistently improved with each passing season. By its fourth season, it boasted some of the most impressive visual effects on television, enjoyed strong ratings, and left the Salkinds confident that this trend would persist indefinitely. However, Warner Bros. unexpectedly filed a lien against The Adventures of Superboy, effectively canceling any plans for further seasons or TV movies.

Beyond making matters worse, the fact that ownership of the show was shared among Warner Bros., Viacom, and the Salkinds prevented it from being rebroadcast. This lack of availability made it difficult for fans to access the series, significantly contributing to its current state as largely forgotten media. Without repeat broadcasts, there were no new opportunities for fans to discover it, causing a substantial blow to the legacy of Superboy.

Warner Bros.’ decision to cancel Superboy was due to two main factors. Firstly, Superboy debuted two years after DC Comics introduced a major overhaul in their timeline through the Crisis on Infinite Earths comic book series. This event fundamentally altered the history of their prominent characters, such as Superman.

One significant modification DC introduced to the Superman lore is that the revamped Clark Kent never embarked on any youthful adventures, thereby eradicating the Superboy persona from existence. In an effort to maintain consistency across various mediums, DC found it incongruous to produce a TV series featuring a Silver Age character who was essentially deceased in the comic books.

Apart from that, Warner Bros. was also in the process of developing what would later be known as the popular ’90s series, “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” To give their new show a better chance against another live-action Superman series, Warner Bros. decided to initiate legal measures to reclaim the television and movie rights for all their Superman-related characters.

Consequently, the Salkinds decided to contest Warner Bros.’ ownership of their Superman characters, initiating a lengthy court case that wasn’t settled until 2005, more than ten years after The Adventures of Superboy was taken off air. This resolution allowed for the first season of the series to be released on DVD in harmony with the 2006 premiere of Superman Returns. Regrettably, it wasn’t until 2012 that the second season of Superboy saw a DVD release, with seasons 3 and 4 following suit in 2013.

In the end, it’s unfortunate that Superboy didn’t have a more favorable ending. We can only imagine that in some other universe, this show was given the chance to grow and reach its full potential before wrapping up on its own terms. If you’re a dedicated Superman fan or simply intrigued by lesser-known aspects of his history, we suggest seeking out Superboy on DVD. However, be aware that the seasons can only be purchased individually, and prices may differ depending on the seller. You can also buy it through Prime Video and Apple TV.

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2025-07-06 00:10