Sunday, September 12, 1993: Lois & Clark premiered as a pilot movie on ABC. It was followed by episode 3 ("Strange Visitor"), then episode 2 ("Neverending Battle"). I guess you could say it got off to a strange start. Pre-empted almost straight away by an awards show, the show's ratings were pretty lame that year. It was up against good ol' Murder She Wrote on CBS and the new sci-fi series SeaQuest: DSV on NBC. Plus it was created as an adult romantic comedy, yet it aired in the family-friendly 8:00 timeslot.
And yet it managed to stick around for four years... outlasting both of its abovementioned competitors. Four wasn't the perfect number, exactly -- L&C had actually been slated for a fifth season, but ratings went kaput in season 4 and it got canceled; the final episode aired in June of 1997. But from 1993-1997 TV audiences had a great show to watch nearly every week -- it was my favorite show. And I really can't believe it's been 20 years since...
My mom and my brother wanted to watch the pilot. I'd been seeing commercials for the show all summer and wasn't impressed. But they turned it on and I stuck around. And then that dang snake had to come on and get into a staring contest with Lex Luthor, and I was out of there. I mean literally. I fled.
But I was back for more as the season went on, and by the end of season 1, I was a bigger fan than any of my family members. By season 3, I could recite the names of all the episodes and give you a description of each of their plots, the names of the guest stars, and the titles of any songs used within. By season 4, I was paying (out of my allowance) for internet access just so I could go online and discuss the show with fans around the world.
After L&C ended, I started an online fan club for the show, and I may say it was one of the longer-lasting clubs of its kind. But after several years, it, too, came to an end. My passion faded a bit, though I never forgot the show. I'd watch it when I felt like it. I kept the posters and photos up. I never found another show I liked quite so much.
And it all started one Sunday night, twenty years ago. More than half a lifetime ago...
I made new friends because of L&C. Friends who also loved the show. Just last January, one of those friends & I went to meet Dean Cain at a convention here in town. We giggled like 13-year-olds and squealed happily after we got a photo taken with him. We had a great time and were probably grinning for days. That friend and I would never have been friends if not for L&C.
TV looks a lot different these days. Commercial breaks are longer; shows are more mature. The 8:00 hour is rarely "family-friendly" anymore, and no one seems to care.
We've seen two other Superman TV shows and two Superman movies in the last 20 years. And while I've seen them all, none compares to that sweet, funny, exciting, wonderful show.
Happy Anniversary, Lois & Clark.
