Throwback Thursday: 1988 CBS Superman 50th Anniversary TV Special

[monitor_ep]

Superman 50th Anniversary is a 1988 CBS television special celebrating Superman. Some segments are in-universe interviews with characters, while there are also real-world interviews with actors, as well as many clips from the various Superman series. The film has a satirical tone, while still seriously paying homage to Superman's history. With interviews of Christopher Reeve, Kirk Alyn, & Jack Larson.

DC Universe character Brainwave, Green Lantern (Hal Jordon), The Flash (Barry Allen) make a live action appearance along with Dana Carvey, Fred Willard, Hal Holbrook & Al Franken.

[Earth 2 Chris]

i have a weird relationship with this one. I was so psyched for it, because there had been anniversary specials for Bugs Bunny, Hanna-Barbara and other things I loved. I was NOT prepared for the Lorne Michaels production we got, with lots of SNL cast and other comedians yucking it up. It seemed kind of schizophrenic, in that the reminisces of the actors and creators involved in past productions were heartfelt and sincere, but the rest could be summed up in Jan Hooks asking her supposed Super-Love Child to "Lift the Nova, honey!"

I taped it, and watched it over and over, mostly skipping the comedy bits over the years. In hindsight, I've lightened up about it, but its still odd.

I do love that opening montage of clips from all Super-productions, set to the music and narration of the Adventures of Superman theme.

Oh, and you very briefly see Aquaman getting out of the cab after Flash and GL. You can see his trident and his arm, as I recall. Plus, the Brainwave!

Chris

[Mr.Marion]

1988 was a big year for Superman we got the Ruby Spears cartoon and Superboy started. All 3 don't have much traction with fans today but Superman and comic fans got their fix back then.

I'm far more nostalgic for the hype, merch, and news spots of Batman in 1989.

[phil]

The tone that special took was very strange.

[palitoy]

Yeah I remember being a little disenchanted with it's cynical tone.

[palitoy]

Forgot about all the Mego figures in that Museum.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, the museum piece was cool, even if the bit with the lady from Little Shop of Horrors was a bit...meh.

I think this special is on the big Superman movie box set as a bonus feature.

Chris

[monitor_ep]

I still remember watching this when it aired. It was a very confusing show. You had the documentary mixed with the SNL parts. I keep this for a very long time. I was really happy when it got the dvd release on the Superman collocters 8 disc special, I have it but packed away somewhere.

[monitor_ep]

As many times that I have watched this I never noticed Aquaman in the background.


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[Falstaff13]

I loved this when it aired because it was so surreal. This was one of only two things I remember being run for the 50th. The first was actually summer of 1987, supposedly kicking off a year celebration with an episode of Entertainment This Week (the hour long version of Entertainment Tonight). That one had behind the scenes of Superman IV, interviews with Kirk Alyn, Leonard Maltin on the Fleischer cartoons and George Reeves, and a visit with a collector showing off merchandise. Since it was a very basic rundown of the history (at least of Superman in other media), I thought this was then a fun change of pace. I remember liking some of the tongue-in-cheek comments (such as Jimmy Breslin's analysis of the Daily Planet and how a major metropolitan newspaper could thrive with only two reporters and one photographer/cub reporter) and while much of the comedy wasn't amazing, it was in league with the SNL of its day (and that was a good time for the show). (It was always odd to me that CBS had Lorne Michaels and his crew do it, given the long history for Michaels with NBC). Franken & Davis were pretty good as rival superheroes to Superman, Jan Hooks had the love child long before Superman Returns, and you got Brainwave (Robert Smigel), who only finally made his "true" appearance in Stargirl. And my favorite part--Hal Holbrook talking about his one-man show "An Evening with Superman," where you have Holbrook backstage in a cheap costume, bragging at the acting he does. "Whereas, when I'm playing Mark Twain, I can use a quip or witticism, here I convey x-ray vision or super breath with a subtle raising of the eyebrows or a lowering of my voice." It was silly and sophomoric, but, hey, I also have a soft spot for those Legends specials in 1979.

[ODBJBG]

One wonders how DC ever signed off on this.

"Hey Superman is turning 50! What should we do?"

"How about a primetime TV special!"

"Excellent, should we highlight his history, relevance on pop culture, entertainment and morals for society?"

"No way, let's yuck it up. Remember those funny SNL skits with all the superheroes having a party? Let's do that, but for an HOUR... And present it straight so no one knows what to think!"

"Perfect! This will undoubtedly increase profits for future Superman comics, movies, TV shows and merchandise because we'll point out how silly it all is!"

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Well said.

I would guess CBS got this over NBC, because CBS was soon to start airing the Ruby-Spears Superman animated series, and that was their anchor for their Saturday morning block.

Chris

[MRP]

This was also around the time Superman (as drawn by John Byrne) was on the cover of Time to celebrate the 50th anniversary...



-M

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Byrne reportedly HATED their use of "supernatural" to describe his powers (which was indeed erroneous) and that was another thing that pushed him to leaving the books when he did, shortly thereafter.

I still have this issue somewhere...

Chris

[palitoy]

Yeah, I remember that Time article being the final straw somehow. Byrne is a complicated dude but I do truly love his take on Superman, it was very well done.