John Hamilton

Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California. Sponsored by cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s, the syndicated show’s first, and last, air dates are disputed but generally accepted as September 19, 1952 and April 28, 1958. The show’s first two seasons were filmed in black-and-white; seasons three through six were filmed in color but originally telecast monochromatically in first-run syndication. Television viewers would not see Superman in color until the series was syndicated to local stations in 1965.

George Reeves plays Clark Kent/Superman with Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, John Hamilton as Perry White, and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson. Phyllis Coates plays Lois Lane in the first season with Noel Neill stepping into the role in the second season. Stories follow Superman as he battles crooks, gangsters, and other villains in the fictional city of Metropolis while masquerading “off-duty” as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Clark’s colleagues at the office, often find themselves in dangerous situations which can only be resolved with Superman’s timely intervention.