The Adventures of Superman Series 2

1st Broadcast 1991 BBC Radio 4

Repeated 1995 BBC Radio 1

Producer

Dirk Maggs

Dramatized

Dirk Maggs

Director

Dirk Maggs

Produced for

BBC Radio Light Entertainment BBC Radio 4

Synopsis

The Adventures of Superman radio program is based on the original post-crisis DC Comics material, and features a star cast. Recorded in Dolby Surround with spectacular sound effects, the program also boasts a thrilling specially composed orchestral score.

"A supersonic passenger aircraft on its maiden flight collides with a private plane over a packed Metropolis airport - and is saved from destruction by a mysterious flying man..."

From Superman's very first deed of daring to his battle of wits with evil businessman tycoon Lex Luthor, The Adventures of Superman tells the story of The Man of Steel from the beginning - of his love affair with Lois Lane, his friendship with Jimmy Olsen, and his battle with not only Lex Luthor but also The Bizarro Superman and Metallo, the cyborg with a kryptonite heart.

Cast

Actor	Character
Stuart Milligan	Superman
Stuart Milligan	Clark Kent
William Hootkins	Lex Luthor
Lorelei King	Lois Lane
Vincent Marzello	Jimmy Olsen
Garrick Hagon	Perry White
Shelley Thompson	Lana Lang
Dick Vosburgh	Jor-El
Barbara Barnes	Lucy Lane
Jon Pertwee	Schwarz
David Graham	Fisher
Simon Treves	Metallo
Elizabeth Mansfield	Amanda McCoy
Burt Kwouk	Doctor Teng
David Bannerman	Not Known
Nigel Carrington	Not Known
Christopher Good	Not Known
Joanna Mackie	Not Known
Norman Jones	Not Known
Ronald Herdman	Not Known
Terence Edmond	Not Known
Sue Broomfield	Not Known
Vincent Brimble	Not Known
Dale Ropley	Not Known
Jane Whyttenshaw	Not Known
Andrew Wincott	Not Known

Production Crew

1990


Wilfred Acosta	Tim Sturgeon	Ian Harker

1995 Dolby Surround Mix

Paul Deeley

Recorded at

Paris Studio London England

Music composed & Arranged

Original music composed and performed by Mark Russell

Comment by Dirk Maggs

BRIEFLY SERIES ONE DEALS WITH CLARK DEVELOPING THE PERSONA OF SUPERMAN, COMING TO METROPOLIS AND LEX LUTHOR'S ATTEMPT TO BUY HIM OUT. SERIES TWO CONCERNS CLARK'S QUEST TO DISCOVER HIS TRUE IDENTITY AS KAL-EL AND THE VENGEANCE MISSION OF METALLO, THE CYBORG WITH THE KRYPTONITE HEART. THEY WERE BASED ON AND CONDENSED FROM JOHN BYRNE'S 1986 RE-TELLING OF THE SUPERMAN SAGA, WHICH WAS COMMISSIONED AFTER DC COMICS HAD THEIR 'SPRING CLEAN' OF OUTDATED CHARACTERS AND UNWANTED BAGGAGE WITH THE 'CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS' STORYLINE

Bill Hootkins was a TERRIFIC Lex Luthor and a scream to work with. No-one could say ‘Drat’ with quite the same throwaway venom! I developed lots of my favourite storytelling devices in these shows. There is input not only from the characters on the ‘stage’ but from external sources like the news media, phone calls, etc. etc. Also most episodes featured a time critical situation, at least one big sound effect (or a fight!) and a cliff hanger ending.

Sometimes what I am trying to do is so complex that the sound effects and music obscure the dialogue. People complain they can't hear the lines. Although I don’t mind occasionally losing the odd word (you can still love a Rolling Stones record without hearing everything Mick is singing), some scenes in this series - especially those mixed on analogue tape - resulted in borderline audio chaos. I like to think this happens less and less as my hearing diminishes with age!