2011 TV News Archives

February 19, 2011: The Last Superman on TV Column

Superman on TV By Barry Freiman

On June 1, 2002, the Superman Homepage published an article about the end of the very first season of "Smallville" titled simply "Smallville - Season One". The author was a young-ish attorney named Barry Freiman - it was my first article ever for the #1 ranked Superman website in the world. In the article, I suggest that a fitting end for the character Chloe Sullivan on the show's ultimate end would be her death. I wonder if I was the first writer to call for the character's demise. I recant that initial assessment somewhat. If I were to write a significant closure for Chloe today, it would be to have her sacrifice herself to save Clark while in the Fortress. Chloe's latent Krypto-freak power would suddenly kick into overdrive and combine with the Krypto-tech of the Fortress to bring Clark back to life (after, say, a knock down drag out with Darkseid). Rather than bring Chloe back to life, however, the Kryptonian tech would infuse her life force into the Fortress walls and make Chloe the eyes and ears and voice of the Fortress of Solitude, having her supplant Jor-El. This would explain why Chloe hasn't been heard of in the Legion future and why she isn't a visible part of adult Clark's and Superman's lives. It would also have Clark finally ridding himself of the spirit of his dead father. Ghosts belong in the past and, given what a jerk this one's been at times, Jor-El definitely does. In addition, it makes the point that we all know that an adult doesn't continue to need his father in the same way as when he's a kid, but he does need to hear from his best friend. Especially when that adult is a Superman.

Around April 2005, I started writing the weekly "Superman on TV" column. The weekly column has evolved slightly over the years but it's generally had some of my thoughts, the Superman shows on for the week in question, and a representative collection of shows on that week starring those who have acted in Superman movies or TV shows in the past. It's an incredible thought that, for going on six years, I've been doing this column 52 weeks a year with very few exceptions.

Even more incredible are the almost nine years in which I've been an active member and staff writer, then Associate Editor for, the Superman Homepage. In that time I reviewed comic books, cartoons, DVDs, and films. I've written in-depth articles on everything from Marlon Brando's planned role in "Superman Returns" to a listing of every Superman reference during the entire run of TV series smash "Seinfeld". I've had the amazing good fortune to interview Superman film and TV celebs like Margot Kidder, Jack O'Halloran, Sarah Douglas, Dana Delany, Stacy Haiduk, and even "Superman" film initiator Ilya Salkind. Amazingly, portions of my interview with Margot ended up reprinted in "The New York Times" and her quotes about the "Smallville" Producers wanting her to announce as Dr. Crosby the death of Chris Reeve's Dr. Swann ended up getting her character killed off. My personal hope this season was that Dr. Crosby would be revealed to still be alive and would introduce her son, Dr. Swann, Jr. to Clark, and that Dr. Swann, Jr. would be played by Brandon Routh. In another lifetime perhaps.

I'm also grateful for the opportunities I've had to interview Superman creators, including two from my youth who inspired me to become a writer and aspire to be a better person, Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates. It's their moral codes, incorporated into the Man of Steel through their writing, that shaped me into the man I've become.

My career with Superman Homepage ended up turning this geek into a renowned Superman expert and I've been interviewed by other media outlets including E! Online for my 'expert' opinions. In 2005, and leading up to the release of "Superman Returns" in 2006, I virtually lived the filming of the blockbuster participating in every aspect of the marketing machine that led to the film's release and subsequent release as part of the 14 disc "Superman: Ultimate Collection". In fact I broke the exclusive story about the 14 disc collection being prepared during an exclusive interview with Ilya Salkind. As a result of my work for Superman Homepage during the filming of "Returns", I even ended up a part of the research team for "Look Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman", the 2006 documentary narrated by Kevin Spacey. If you watch the closing credits really carefully, you'll see my name in there - though it was misspelled which led me to briefly consider adopting an easier to spell pseudonym. Thankfully I kept my name as my daughter, turning 18 this April, has plans to become a writer herself and I can think of no greater gift for her than the Freiman name already established as a writer.

After a lot of soul searching, I have recently decided to leave my position as Associate Editor for the Superman Homepage. I submitted a letter of resignation to the site owner and my friend Steve Younis this week and he graciously but reluctantly accepted it. I realized that, with the end of "Smallville" on the horizon, and the third major "Superman" film franchise about to begin pre-production, it is time for me to look up at new adventures and let some of the new kids on the block take the never-ending battle into its next phase for the Superman Homepage. As a result, it is with a very heavy heart and a gratitude you'll all never fully know that I announce this is my last "Superman on TV" column and my last piece for the Superman Homepage as a regular writer and editor.

I want to thank from the bottom of my heart Steve Younis for giving me the chance to write for his site, the best and most popular Superman site on the 'net. In doing so, Steve took a young-ish lawyer and CPA and helped him morph into a different animal altogether, a writer. Thanks to the many freedoms Steve has afforded me over the years, my style and skills have grown but I definitely have more to learn and more growth to experience. I take what I have learned on the Superman Homepage with me into the next phase of my writing career. Steve has been an amazing editor and even more amazing friend. There is no better best friend to the Man of Steel this side of Jimmy Olsen than Steve. I will miss regularly working at his side.

I would also like to thank Neal Bailey my co-Associate Editor until this past year. Neal and I worked in tandem as Steve's right-hand-men (except I'm a leftie) for virtually our entire collective tenures at Superman Homepage. Neal and I even had the chance to meet and work together at several "Wizard World Chicago" conventions when the Superman Homepage had both a reporting presence and a booth in Artist Alley. I still owe Neal one for the day DC's former President came up to him in Artist Alley at the convention and chewed him out for our using the "Superman" Homepage name at a convention where DC had a booth. I arrived late that day and missed the fun, which is probably the only reason the Superman Homepage still exists today. Of course the Superman Homepage made peace with Levitz and DC and we agreed to use our alternate URL from then on at conventions, the Superfan Homepage. One of these days, Neal, I'll pay you back for taking the heat that day.

A very special thank you goes to Steve's wife Sonia who at times must have felt like Neal and I were his mistresses given the time she gave up with him for us. Mrs. Superman you're the best.

I also would like to thank the other members of the Superman Homepage staff who've been incredible allies and friends over the years. Adam Dechanel flew in last summer from the U.K. and stayed with me in Chicago and made the long drive with me to Metropolis for the annual Superman Celebration. Adam, I agree with Laura Vandervoort, you do have a really cool accent. Thanks also to my friends, colleagues, and confidantes Michael Bailey, Jeffrey Taylor, Noah Runzo, Jeffrey Bridges, James Lantz, Jim Bowers, Craig Byrne, Jon Wilson, and Carolyn Younis plus countless others who over the years have made the job of Associate Editor a much easier one. Special thanks also have to go to the Jaime brothers, Ivan and Luis. The boys covered the "Smallville" panels for the past several years at San Diego Comic-Con and, during conveniently planned vacations by Steve and Sonia when I was left home alone with the website, helped me to, for the first time, have the Superman Homepage engage in virtual real-time reporting to break several "Smallville" exclusives including the Blur's black trench-coat look and the Geoff Johns penned episodes of the show. I will be thinking of the both of you come this year's Comic-Con when, for the first time in years, there presumably will not be any "Smallville" panel.

I also have to thank certain special friends of the Superman Homepage, who helped me at various times and became allies to the Homepage, including Kenny Richardson, Sam Rizzo, Jacob Rubinstein, Josh Boultinghouse, Jim Hambrick, and Rennie Cowan. Thanks also have to go to TIVO, DirecTV, and IMDB.com without which it would have been infinitely more difficult to compile the listings that went into this weekly column.

Finally I have to thank you, the registered members of the Superman Homepage. Without you, I would have just been a geek in a cape talking to air. Your interest in my words and my thoughts helped me build a self confidence as a writer that I will take with me forevermore no matter the writing venue. The immediacy of your feedback, your candor, even your insults at times were always appreciated. I learned a lot from your praise and criticism over the years about audience-driven writing. I hope you will follow me into the next great adventure of my life.

"Do you know where it is you're headed?" Well no, I don't quite yet Ma Kent but it isn't north not even to ski. I'd say I'm going to Disney World in my best Super Bowl speak but then I would have to give credit to those Marvel people, now a Disney subsidiary. I do know I have several book ideas in me, some Superman related and some not. As I start to figure out how to fill the void left by the absence of Superman Homepage, I will post updates on my Facebook page to keep people apprised what's on the horizon.

I will be back. With Steve's grace, I plan to periodically check in as a contributing writer for the site and I would guess that I'll have some things to say about the last episode of "Smallville" sometime after May 13th.

I ended every one of these columns the same way with exceptions here and there - by telling you to "Have a Super Week." That seems inappropriately incomplete this time so I'm going to borrow a line from the late great Dick Giordano, a giant of the DC Comics of the past who died in March 2010. Giordano ended his "Meanwhile ..." columns in the comic books of my youth, with the same tag line that I'm about to sign off with:

Thank you and good afternoon.



2011 Television News

Listed below are all the Television News items archived for 2011 organized into various categories:

“Smallville” News:

“Young Justice” Animated Series News: Other Superman Related Television News:

Back to the News Archive Contents page.

Back to the Latest News page.