There has been a surge in TV shows based on DC Comics in recent years with "Supergirl," "Arrow," "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow." But that hasn't always been then case. DC struggled for decades to get TV shows featuring their costumed characters on the air.
Only Superman has been able to sustain any success, starting with "The Adventures of Superman," which ran from 1952-1958. Since then there have been several TV shows starring the Man of Steel, including "Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman."
If you couple the TV shows with Superman feature films, there has been a lot of different actors playing roles familiar to comic book readers. One of the best, Noel Neill, died July 3 at the age of 95.
Neill took on the role of Lois Lane in "The Adventures of Superman" when Phyllis Coates left after the first season.
Her Lois Lane was always getting in trouble, just as character was being written in the '40s and '50s. But Neill brought spunk and energy to the role that kept the character from feeling like a damsel in distress. Neill will always be the perfect Lois Lane because she showed a strength and fighting spirit with the role that has not been matched.
A lot of actors have taken on the role of Lois Lane on TV and film. Here are how all the others stack up.
_Erica Durance "Smallville": Her Lois Lane had the same kind of fire as the one played by Noel Neill. She was just a little young because of the nature of the show to be the top Lois in the group.
_Margot Kidder "Superman": The launch of the Superman film franchise in 1978 got a lot of help from Kidder.
_Teri Hatcher "Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman": A good Lois Lane, but a little too giddy at times.
_Kate Bosworth "Superman Returns": The added duties of playing a mom took away from her openings to play the tough reporter.
_Phyllis Coates "The Adventures of Superman": Didn't bring the strength needed and left after only a year.
_Amy Adams "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice": Her Lois Lane is the blandest of them all.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Showtime series "Roadies" offers a behind-the-scenes look at the music world from the viewpoint of the people who keep the tour machinery running. The series, starring Luke Wilson and Carla Gugino, mines comedy out of the music scene's unsung heroes.
Series creator Cameron Crowe knows a lot about the music industry.
"I love music, and I love stories where music is a character. I think over time, I was really struck by the fact that 'Almost Famous' spoke pretty loudly to people. It was a very personal movie that I didn't expect would kind of touch people in that way," Crowe says. "I wanted to revisit the world of writing about music, but from a slightly different perspective, and also in a contemporary setting."
Crowe is joined by J.J. Abrams as an executive producer on the series. Abrams jokes now that when he finished with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," he was looking for work.
The truth is the pair have been talking about doing a series like "Roadies" since 2007.
"It's a family show. I mean, it's about this family, and whereas most family stories, the family is bound by blood, this family is bound by the love of music," Abrams says. "I think that's something that, in hearing the stories that are coming, I think you will see that, that it's just this kind of constant thread throughout everything but really it is a show as much as it is about music, it's about these people who populate this world who is part of this family."
"Roadies" airs 10 p.m. Sundays on Showtime.
