Look!  Up in the sky!  It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  It’s Superboy!  Yes. long forgotten amongst the latter day offerings from The Lois Lane Show with Dean Cain and the No Capes, No Thrills Show starring Tom Welling, we present The Adventures of Superboy.

A strange programme from the planet Salkind rocketed to Earth in 1988 featuring lead actors John Haymes Newton as Clark Kent – strange visitor from another planet, Stacy Haiduk – the most gorgeous Lana Lang ever to step in front of the camera, and Jim Calvert – cub photographer, T.J.White, son of Daily Planet Chief Perry White.

There’s some question over the order of episodes in this first season, but I’m starting with The Jewel of Techacal.  An actual review of the episode can be found on this site: http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Superboy_Episode:_The_Jewel_of_the_Techacal but presented here is a pictorial summary for your delight and well… whatever, really…

The opening credits.  Yes, that’s Superboy in a cape.  Before the episode begins!  Take that Smallville!

T.J.White and Clark Kent are reporting on the arrival of Lana’s father, the great archaeologist. No good will come of it if Lex Luthor and his henchman Leo are on the scene.

The landing gear won’t deploy!

…and they’re running out of fuel!

Never fear! Superboy is here! (Yeah, that thing’s called a costume, Smallville – take notes!)

Lana and T.J. marvel at the hero in action (because, according to Smallville, there’s no costume and no flying).

We’re barely passed the opening credits but already Superboy has rescued Lana’s father. Unfortunately for the beauty of Shuster College, he’s more worried about his relics than the daughter that he hasn’t seen for two years.

The jewel is placed in the museum when a sudden tornado hits. Some people might think the jewel is cursed!

Clark saves the professor’s assistant while Lana’s father just worries about the jewel. Clark’s foot is trapped by an overhead beam that almost hits the assistant. T.J. wonders if the curse is real.

Lana’s father tries to make up with his daughter but he can’t find the time. Lana is sad.

Tending to the jewel, Lana’s father collapses. At the hospital, the doctors don’t know what’s wrong with him but the assistant tells them of the curse.

The only way to lift the curse and save Lana’s father (and make her smile again!) is for someone to return the jewel. But only one man can do it in time to save the professor. Clark thinks he might know how to contact Superboy.

Superboy goes to fetch the jewel but Lex already has his greedy paws on it. Superboy grabs the lead-lined box, opens it, and is immediately knocked out by a pink swirling mass of — something.

Lana’s father is slipping away. Superboy recovers but Lex has taken the jewel. He soars after him.

Lex won’t pull over, despite Superboy’s presence, so Superboy has to stop him in his own way.

Leo is unhappy because the car belonged to his sister. Superboy pulls them clear of the river and hands them over to the police.

While Lex squirms with the police over a trunkful of stolen relics, Superboy returns the jewel to Techacal.

The episode lasts for about 20-25mins including credits and end titles.  You can’t do much in that short length of time so there isn’t an awful lot of depth here, but it flows well.  There’s no messing about with teenage angst, college kid concerns, or which power will turn up this week.

The Jewel of Techacal goes straight for a Superboy rescue scene and it’s immediately apparent what kind of TV series this is meant to be.  Made in the aftermath of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies and with the rights to Superman tied up, this series will soon be “Superboy” in name only.

This is an early episode (I’m not sure if it’s the first) and so the episode has rough edges.  Just about all of the young cast struggle to convince.  The only two who make it look easy is Jim Calvert and Stacy Haiduk.  Putting all of my jokiness aside, Stacy Haiduk is the real find here.  She’s easily the most professional actor on the show.  She has very little support in her scenes with other people, which reflects poorly on her sometimes, but she’s a star from the beginning.  No wonder she was the only actor to be in all episodes of all four seasons.

John Haymes Newton does a competent job with Clark/Superboy.  His job is the hardest of all because, with so little time, he has to make two characters convincing.  Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t.  He will get better in the role as the season progresses.

Scott James Wells as Lex Luthor doesn’t really have a handle on his character here.  He has a good scene at the museum doing a low-key “Gene Hackman” type rant and trying to blame Superboy for the car incident at the end, but he’s a little staid at the beginning.  He’s helped by the much-needed Leo, a character played a bit simple to make Lex look clever, but Lex still comes across as little more than the school bully here.

Tune in same time, same place, for another exciting episode of (quick switch to deep booming macho voice) The Adventures of Superboy.