Adventures of Superman, season 1

Consensus is the first season of The Adventures of Superman is the best of the six. Although I enjoy the entire series I agree with that sentiment. Season one offers a darker, film noirish tone, while still remaining light hearted and fun when needed, the other seasons lack. The best and most memorable episodes of the series are found in this season and here is my personal top-five favorite episodes of season one.



#5 "No Holds Barred" original airdate: 11/28/1952
Although not one the best episodes of the seasons "No Holds Barred" is a favorite of mine because the plot deals with wrestling and it's a ball for me to see Superman delve into the wrestling world. In this episode, Superman helps a young wrestler expose a crooked promoter. Pro-Wrestling in the film noir world wasn't a new idea as it had been previously done in Jules Dassin's classic Night And the City (1950).


#4 "The Human Bomb" original airdate: 2/6/1953
"Bet-A-Million" Butler chains himself to Lois Lane while carrying a bomb in a scheme to keep Superman away from a real crime at the Metropolis Museum. "The Human Bomb" is a truly fun episode which highlights both the best TV Lois Lane Phyllis Coates and the astonished crowd during the series opening credits.


#3 "The Haunted Lighthouse" original airdate: 9/26/52
Jimmy Olsen calls on Clark Kent to help solve a mystery while on vacation visiting a distant aunt. The great Jack Larson is the star of this episode and he totally makes the most of it. Larson is hands down is the best Jimmy Olsen as he has the best mix of awkward geekiness and spot-on comic timing. "The Haunted Lighthouse" also shows the series' great mixture of light comedy and film noirish mystery.


#2 "The Evil Three” original airdate: 1/23/1953
Jimmy and Perry stop at a hotel whose other inhabitants include a crazy old woman and two murderous men. "The Evil Three" is another great Jimmy Olsen episode and also is a great spotlight for John Hamilton's Perry White. The two together have great chemistry and I personally would have loved to see a show starring these two with Superman as a supporting character saving them at the episode's end.


#1 "The Stolen Costume" original airdate: 12/12/1952
Superman's costume is stolen! I always loved the idea that Clark just put his Superman costume in the closet when it wasn't in use. "The Stolen Costume" has the best ending of any episode in the series with Superman leaving the costume-stealing crooks at the top of a mountain alone to die, which they do by falling.