Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman

[mattbib]

Just noticed this on tonight's TV listings...

Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (http://www.aetv.com/listings/episode_details.do?episodeid=169141)

Upcoming Airings:
Monday, June 12 @ 8pm/7C
Tuesday, June 13 @ 12am/11C

Here's the story behind the phenomenon of Superman, the most merchandised and imitated superhero of them all. Through interviews with the key creative talents responsible for seven decades of thrilling Superman adventures, we'll follow the Man of Steel's path from Depression-era comic book hero to George Reeves's TV portrayal in the 50s, Christopher Reeve's movies in the 70s and 80s, and the TV shows Lois and Clark and Smallville. There'll even be a sneak preview of the new film, Superman Returns, to be released this summer.

[rick]

I'm watching it right now and it's so far very good but very basic.

I'd also like to point out that I just saw our own Gail Simone being interviewed.

Go Gail.

[LtMarvel]

I didn't know about the Super-Pup pilot..... but it was fun, nonetheless..

[Buzz Dixon]

Minor quibble: How many times was "America brought to its knees?" The writers used that phrase two or three times during the show to describe events like the Depression, WWII, 911, etc.

[KenK]

Minor quibble: How many times was "America brought to its knees?" The writers used that phrase two or three times during the show to describe events like the Depression, WWII, 911, etc.

Can't really blame 'em. That's a lot of times to be brought to your knees in a century.

[Ontir]

As disturbing as the description is, I think the three examples really do sum up "brought to its knees."

[kalorama]

Minor quibble: How many times was "America brought to its knees?" The writers used that phrase two or three times during the show to describe events like the Depression, WWII, 911, etc.

Why do we fall Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.

It was a good show, informative and entertaining. (I loved the Superpup footage). I found it interesting, however, that they interviewed Dean Cain, Brandon Routh, and Gerard Christopher, but no Tom Welling. I also hadn't realized that many of the elements/characters that are considered part of the canon today (The Daily Planet, Perry White) actually originated on the radio show.

[Buzz Dixon]

As disturbing as the description is, I think the three examples really do sum up "brought to its knees."
Yeah, but "brought to your knees" once is already a cliche', why three times? Couldn't they have said something less hackneyed?
The show had very, very little on the comics and an awful lot about the TV shows and movies, which makes sense since film clips look far more dynamic that still images. Still, it would have been nice to have actually touched on the books and their creators past the 1940s.

[kalorama]

Yeah, but "brought to your knees" once is already a cliche', why three times? Couldn't they have said something less hackneyed?
The show had very, very little on the comics and an awful lot about the TV shows and movies, which makes sense since film clips look far more dynamic that still images.

It's not surprising that it focused on the TV shows and movies since (A) the majority of viewers are more familiar with them than the comics and (B) it was pretty clearly positioned as a way to stir up viewer interest in Superman Returns.

[DDM]

The Superman biography is just a stealth infomercial for the upcoming Superman movie.

[Lord of Denial]

The Superman biography is just a stealth infomercial for the upcoming Superman movie.


What's your point?

[kalorama]

It's going to be released on DVD on June 20th.

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0606/11/index.htm

[davids]

http://television.aol.com/in2tv/superman-tv

INCLUDING THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN[PANIC IN THE SKY] MAX FLETCHER CARTOONS, SUPERBOY, LOIS AND CLARK AND MANY OTHER TV SHOWS FOR FREE. CHECK OUT THE ABOVE LINK!:)

[Ravenheart]

Did anyone catch this documentary on A&E the other night?I knew alot of the stuff that was mentioned but there was also quite alot that I never knew.During the whole segment about Christopher Reeve and the Superman movies,I couldn't help but get choked up.The end of the documentary was about the new movie and it just made me more excited to see it.I know it comes out on DVD June 20th so I'll definately be making it part of my collection.

[CaptainAwesome]

I watched this at about 2:00am and I kept getting chills when the John William's score played, so I didnt sleep at all. I actually almost cried at the parts about Chris Reeve and his problems. Almost. But I thought that this was a very well done documentary, even though I was surprised that with all the stuff about the comics they didnt mention Crisis, or the "depowering" of Superman in "Man of Steel."

[Aggie]

Can't really blame 'em. That's a lot of times to be brought to your knees in a century.


unless you're a fellatious woman...or dude??...;)

i'm not a supes fan...but i thought it was cool to see a cimic character get some attention...even if it was an orgy of merchandising excess...was i the only one going "huh??" when gene simmons popped up??

[EZMOHR]

You know, I did not realize how much I missed Christopher Reeve until I saw the doc. the other night. WEIRD.

[Jared]

Minor quibble: How many times was "America brought to its knees?" The writers used that phrase two or three times during the show to describe events like the Depression, WWII, 911, etc.

And let's not forget General Zod forcing the president to kneel before him.

[Ravenheart]

I see theres a special on the Discovery Channel Sunday night at 9PM called the Science of Superman.

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/science/science_of_superman/

[SteelTownr]

I thought that it was weird that Annette O'Toole didn't even realize that there was a fourth Superman Film with Christopher Reeves, also the folks from Smallville had no idea that she had played Lana Lang in Superman III.

Mark B.

[kalorama]

I didn't remember she played Lana in SIII until it was mentioned in a magazine article about the show that came out sometime during season 4. As for Superman IV, she wasn't in it, so there's really no reason for her to have any specific memory of it. There was certainly no reason for her (or anyone else) to see it.

[SteelTownr]

I didn't remember she played Lana in SIII until it was mentioned in a magazine article about the show that came out sometime during season 4. As for Superman IV, she wasn't in it, so there's really no reason for her to have any specific memory of it. There was certainly no reason for her (or anyone else) to see it.

You're not professionally involved in any Superman projects, are you?

Annette O'Toole made a big deal on the DVD about what an impact Christopher Reeves had on her at the time. One would think that she would have at least heard about the fourth installment of the series, no matter how cruddy it was.

And the producers of Smallville, I would think, would be more aware of the History of one of the major characters on the show.

Mark B.

[smartalek]

You're not professionally involved in any Superman projects, are you?

Annette O'Toole made a big deal on the DVD about what an impact Christopher Reeves had on her at the time. One would think that she would have at least heard about the fourth installment of the series, no matter how cruddy it was.

And the producers of Smallville, I would think, would be more aware of the History of one of the major characters on the show.

Mark B.
It could have possibly been casting directors that were first auditioning her and not the producers.

[kalorama]

You're not professionally involved in any Superman projects, are you?

Annette O'Toole made a big deal on the DVD about what an impact Christopher Reeves had on her at the time. One would think that she would have at least heard about the fourth installment of the series, no matter how cruddy it was..

Only if one thinks of everything from the skewed insular POV of a fan.

O'Toole is a professional actress. It's highly unrealistic to expect her to obsessively follow and commit to memory every Superman related project in the 14 or so years between her appearance Superman III and the beginning of Smallville. And it's entirely possible she had heard of it at the time, never saw it, and then (like most everyone else who wasn't a fan) promptly forgot about it because she had more important uses for that space in her cerebral cortex.

The fact that she didn't immediately recall a decade and a half old film that she probably never saw (and likely would have hated had she saw it) really isn't that surprising.

[SteelTownr]

It could have possibly been casting directors that were first auditioning her and not the producers.

Yeah, you are right about that, but still, it was a major motion picture and she had a big role in it.

I don't expect these guys to be living in their Mom's Basements or to necessarily know the effects of Red Kryptonite on Superman, but I still find it surprising that these guys had no idea that she played Lana Lang.

Mark B.

[SteelTownr]

Only if one thinks of everything from the skewed insular POV of a fan.

O'Toole is a professional actress. It's highly unrealistic to expect her to obsessively follow and commit to memory every Superman related project in the 14 or so years between her appearance Superman III and the beginning of Smallville. And it's entirely possible she had heard of it at the time, never saw it, and then (like most everyone else who wasn't a fan) promptly forgot about it because she had more important uses for that space in her cerebral cortex.

The fact that she didn't immediately recall a decade and a half old film that she probably never saw (and likely would have hated had she saw it) really isn't that surprising.

If she didn't know anything about the Superboy show or was too busy to have ever watched Lois & Clark, OK, but it isn't like Superman IV was some obscure art house project that only played in New York and LA.

I have the skewed, insular POV of a fan and I was never aware of Superpup or the Superman Musical with Lesley Anne Warren, but one of them took place before I was born and the other was on a channel that I didn't get as a kid.

O'Toole claims to have been a fan of the Lana Lang Character growing up. She had at least a passing interest in Superman and was involved in one of the movies. I would think that she would at least of asked her agent why there wasn't a part for Lana in the movie.

Either she is fibbing about not being aware of Superman IV or it is interesting that she has never heard of it.

Mark B.

[drwho]

Pretty good for instance I never knew there was an actual Superman broadway musical done in the past. Too bad A&E didnt have the nerve to make sure the film was right. While watching it the show just froze on one scene and the dialogue kept going on.