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A Filmation series
The New Adventures of Superman (1966-1970)
The New Adventures of Superman
Seasons
Episodes

3
68


Aired
September 10, 1966
Original Channel
CBS
Original Run
1966 – 1970


Production
Creator(s)
Jerry Siegel
Joe Shuster (characters)
Writer(s)
Director(s)
Hal Sutherland
Producer(s)
Norm Prescott
Lou Scheimer
Executive Producer(s)
Production Company
Filmation
National Periodical Publications



The New Adventures of Superman was a series of six-minute animated Superman adventures produced by Filmation that were broadcast on CBS between 1966 and 1970.

The 68 segments appeared as part of three different programs during that time, packaged with similar shorts featuring The Adventures of Superboy and other DC Comics superheroes:

  1. Season 1 - The New Adventures of Superman (1966–1967)
  2. Season 2 - The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967–1968)
  3. Season 3 - The Batman/Superman Hour (1968–1969)
  4. Season 4 - Re-runs Only (1969–1970)


History[]

These adventures were the first time that Superman (and his guise of Clark Kent), Lois Lane and Perry White had been seen in animated form since they were immortalized in the Superman short films of the 1940s.

The series was also the first TV series produced by Filmation Associates.

Superman_Japanese_intro

Superman Japanese intro

The anime version of the intro.

The series borrowed the line "Up, up, and away!" from the old Superman radio show, and "This is a job for Superman!" from the comics. In addition, this series marked the animation debut of Jimmy Olsen and classic Superman villains such as Lex Luthor, The Toyman, and Brainiac.

Despite its success, the series raised the ire of a conservative organization called Action for Children's Television, a grassroots organization formed in 1968 and dedicated to improving the quality of television programming offered to children, due to Superman throwing punches and other action-related violence which the group found objectionable. As a result, the series was soon canceled, and future cartoons would not allow for such comic book violence.[1]

Superman subsequently appeared in ABC's long-running animated series SuperFriends (1973), produced by Hanna-Barbera, whose rights to DC Comics characters were gradually transferred from Filmation.

Cast[]

Episodes[]

Season 1 - The New Adventures of Superman (1966–1967)[]

The series premiered on September 10, 1966 as a "30-minute" program named The New Adventures of Superman, featuring two Superman segments with one The Adventures of Superboy short in between.

Thirty-six Superman segments were produced that season:

     

Season 2 - The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967–1968)[]

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure was first broadcast on September 9, 1967. This 60-minute program included new Superman segments, and adventures featuring Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad. It also comprised a rotating series of cartoons featuring The Flash and Kid Flash, the Green Lantern, Hawkman, The Atom, the Justice League of America, and the Teen Titans (Speedy, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Aqualad), and new Superboy shorts.

Sixteen Superman segments were produced that season:

     

Season 3 - The Batman/Superman Hour (1968–1969)[]

The Batman/Superman Hour premiered on September 14, 1968, featuring new two-part Superman segments alongside new Superboy shorts and the adventures of Batman, Robin and Batgirl.

Sixteen Superman segments were produced that season:

     

Season 4 - Re-runs Only (1969–1970)[]

The New Adventures of Superman returned for one last time on CBS, beginning September 13, 1969. The format was the same as before - a "30-minute" program with two Superman segments and one Superboy segment. All episodes were reruns of those that had previously aired.


Related Series[]

In 1995 a short lived TV series entitled, The Superman/Batman Adventures aired on USA Network. It was later aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

The series featured edited episodes of various seasons of the SuperFriends (including for the first time on American TV, the 1983 Shorts), as well as the Filmation series The New Adventures of Superman, The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, and The Batman/Superman Hour.


DVD releases[]

On June 26, 2007 Warner Home Video released a two-disc DVD of the first season of The New Adventures of Superman. Due to the ongoing legal battle between Warner Bros. and the estate of Jerry Siegel over the rights to the "Superboy" name, it does not include the The Adventures of Superboy segments originally broadcast in between the Superman segments. However, the opening title sequence and bumpers for the Superboy episodes are included in the set.

In 1985, Warner Home Video released eight selected episodes of the series on VHS in the "Super Powers" video collection along with Aquaman, Batman, and Superman. These videos were re-released in 1996 and are out of print.


External links[]


References[]

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