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This was one of the first collaborations between the Krypton Club and SuperFoLCs, a short-lived fan club run by some of the younger "L&C" fans, as SuperFoLCs founder Jacob Soboroff interviewed "L&C" composer Jay Gruska.
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KRYPTON CLUB NEWSLETTER**ISSUE #157**MARCH 16, 1997
**THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOIS & CLARK KRYPTON CLUB**
"THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE..." "OUT THERE?"
"OH SAVE THAT DRIVEL FOR YOUR OVERRATED NOVELS!"
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WELCOME!
Welcome to issue #157 of the Krypton Club Newsletter... there's a
lot in this issue so we'll go straight to the index... hope you
like it!
1: KRYPTON CLUB INTERVIEW #10: JAY GRUSKA
With news of the forthcoming soundtrack!
2: KRYPTON CLUB REVIEWS OF "LOIS AND CLARKS"
Herb and Clark-2 are back! What did you think?
3: KRYPTON CLUB BIRTHDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy birthday to you!
4: TIMESLOT CHANGE REMARKS
Opinions of the move to Saturday nights!
5: UPDATES
Bits o' random news!
6: ASSIGNMENT: DAILY PLANET
More responses to Assignment #3!
7: WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?!?
Why didn't Tempus disappear?
8: THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA!
Who was the magician?
9: AIRING TONIGHT: "A.K.A. SUPERMAN"
Hello! Duh! Jimmy Olsen is Superman! Hey, waitaminute,
what's wrong with this picture?
10: NEXT ISSUE....
Reviews of "A.K.A. Superman!"
*****************************************************************************
KRYPTON CLUB INTERVIEW #10: JAY GRUSKA
By Jacob Soboroff
Since September, 1993, when "Lois & Clark" began,
Jay Gruska has been there, writing the music for each and every
scene our favorite show. Try to picture a "Lois &
Clark" scene without the music. Try thinking of the montage
scene from "Lois & Clarks" without Jay's
"Simple Truth". You can't, can you. Jay Gruska adds
that little "umph" to every scene of "Lois &
Clark" that needs it. What would the opening sequence of
"L&C" be without Jay's Emmy nominated theme? Try
and picture it. You can't- it just wouldn't be the same. Jay
Gruska is the person that makes "Lois & Clark"
shine. In the minds of the fans of "Lois & Clark",
Jay Gruska should receive the same amount of praise that the on
screen stars of the show get. Simply put by Eddie Jones, one of
those on screen stars regarding Jay's music, "it
works."
I recently had a chance to talk with Jay about many of the
questions that the FoLCs are dying to know about the soundtrack
that is due out in August. So, without further adieu, here's Jay!
JACOB: Ok Jay, I think this is the number one most asked question
that the FoLCs are asking: what is the status on the proposed
"Lois & Clark" soundtrack? What can we expect to
hear on it?
JAY: I don't know all the songs yet, but of my music it will be
"Simple Truth" performed by Celeste Prince [from
"Lois & Clarks"]-The main title theme with some new
surprises and possibly a song I wrote with Bob Singer [Executive
Producer] called "Windtossed" and we think, Teri
Hatcher singing "Nobody Loves You When You're Down &
Out."
JACOB: Your Song, 'Simple Truth', played during the montage scene
in "Lois & Clarks" was a huge hit with the fans.
Can you tell us a little bit about this piece?
JAY: I wrote "Simple Truth" with my songwriting
collaborator Paul Gordon. We had a feeling it would work great
for the show, but when Celeste Prince sang it we we're even more
pleased with it. Glad you guys liked it.
JACOB: We're glad you wrote it. <G> Did the John Williams
"Superman Theme" and the theme from "The
Adventures of Superman" in the 50's inspire you at all? If
so, how?
JAY: Although the Superman theme from the 50's was great, the
John Williams score from Superman the motion picture is one of
the great film scores of all time. It was inspiring to me 15 or
16 years before I ever thought I might have to write something
for the same character. As much as I'm pleased with my piece it's
hard to compare it to the sheer inspiration of the Williams
themes. It took me a while to find my approach to the theme
because John Williams casts such a long shadow.
JACOB: How long before the first episode aired did you know that
your theme would be used in "Lois & Clark"?
JAY: I knew my theme would be used on L&C several months
before the 1st episode aired. It felt great.
JACOB: What other projects besides Lois & Clark have you
worked on, and which was your favorite?
JAY: I've worked on a few motion pictures: "The
Principal", "Mo Money", a few dozen movies of the
week for television and TV series like:
"Thirtysomething", "Sisters", "Against
the Law", "Courthouse" and "Beverly Hills
90210". "Lois & Clark" has definitely been one
of my favorites.
JACOB: Was your first draft of the theme much different from the
current version?
JAY: The first draft of the theme was almost exactly like the
current version... except for 3 or 4 melody notes.
JACOB: What is your favorite piece that you've done for
"Lois & Clark"?
JAY: Hard to pick a favorite L&C piece, but I'm pretty fond
of the love theme from the beginning of this season and the
"Mothership" and "Nor" themes from the first
2 episodes of this season.
JACOB: What is the hardest piece you've worked on for Lois &
Clark?
JAY: Hardest piece was the main title theme. I didn't know what
to do for weeks.
JACOB: Can you tell us about a typical day in your recording
studio? (I.E. what is the process you go about recording a song?)
JAY: There really is no typical day in my studio, but I spend an
enormous amount of time in there by myself- writing.
JACOB: Do you have much interaction with the cast and crew on the
set of "L&C"?
JAY: Not a lot of interaction but I know most of them and like
them a lot. Everybody is pretty busy working hard on the show,
and since I'm in post production I don't see them that much. I'm
a lonely guy. Dean is a buddy and though I don't know Teri that
well she has been wonderful every time we've been around each
other.
JACOB: What's it like during a day at Warner Brothers?
JAY: I'm only at Warner Brothers once a week for two hours- so I
don't really have a typical day, but it's always exciting. Happy
to be part of the team.
JACOB: What's your favorite part about working on Lois &
Clark?
JAY: Working with the producers and other creative behind the
scenes people.
*****************************************************************************
KRYPTON CLUB REVIEWS OF "LOIS & CLARKS"
We'll start off with some full-length reviews of the episode and
then we'll go into some fan opinions... enjoy! And remember to
send your reviews of "A.K.A. Superman" this way!
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CLARK-2 IS BACK!
By Craig Byrne
Krypton Club President
I have to say before I begin that bringing back Clark-2 (the
Clark of the other dimension) was a fantastic idea, and I hope to
see him again. With that said let me get to my review.
Except for a few rare overdone scenes (like when Lois kept
telling Tempus that Clark would be back), this was one of the
best episodes of the season and by far the most romantic. And
now, you may ask, how can it be romantic if the real Clark wasn't
even in it?
I don't know how to explain it; I just think the scenes between
Clark-2 and Lois were touching. They seemed to have a special
something that has been absent from the show since before Lois
and Clark were officially engaged. Think of the latter half of
second season and the first seven episodes of Season Three;
that's what I'm talking about. Their scenes weren't wishy-washy,
they were just... right. I don't know how I would have responded
if Lois and Clark-2 had kissed... part of me was rooting for him,
but part of me knows it would have been wrong. I guess the
"simple truth" of the matter is that I'm just not sure.
Likewise, the interaction between Clark-2 and his parents, and
the bit with calling Jimmy "Mr. Olsen" were fantastic
touches to a great episode.
I also really hope the producers pick up on the idea that this
2-parter should be followed up on sometime next year. An episode
with Clark-2 searching for his Lois would be fantastic. I also
think it was an excellent idea to leave open the possibility of
Lois-2 being alive. Very good.
I liked Tempus as usual this week, and he had some great
scenes... especially those with Hamilton Camp as H.G. Wells.
While most people can choose their favorites in the multiple
actor category, be it Whalin or Landes as Jimmy, Barondes or Zal
as Lucy, Arndt or Presnell as Sam, etc., Hamilton Camp and Terry
Kiser run very close in likability. The only thing I saw that was
missing from Camp was the "yes, quites"... I don't know
why, but I think that's funny.
Besides the Clark-2 subplot and Tempus, there were two other
things that really stood out in this episode as being good... one
was the flashback video full of memories. I REALLY wish we'd get
an entire flashback episode; maybe next season. I still find it
disheartening, though, that when we see flashbacks, no one ever
seems to remember as far back as first season. Was first season
evil? Not quite... but you have to tell the truth, playing
Monopoly with Clark in "Honeymoon in Metropolis" or
even the "I said nine... I thought you'd be naked" from
the Pilot would be among her fondest moments. Also puzzling was
the fact that half of the fond memories of "her" Clark
were flashbacks to "Tempus, Anyone"... flying with
*Clark-2*. Duh! I also thought the special effects in this
episode were fantastic... way to go!
My only other, very minor complaint with this episode was that
yet again, someone publicly accused Clark of being Superman.
You'd think after being exposed so many times the people of
Metropolis would catch on. I mean, duh! Other questions to think
about... is Metropolis the capital of the Superman universe's
United States? I wonder because all of the political action took
place there.
In conclusion, a sign that this episode was a "good
episode" was the fact that even my mother, who has virtually
hated everything since the clone wedding, liked this episode.
Let's see this level of quality keep up and the rest of the
season should be very good... especially since I'm going to give
my second A- in a row.
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"SECOND TIME'S A CHARM"
By Matt Combes
Krypton Club Vice-President
Well lookie what we have here. The best arc known to FoLC. I
guess there's no particular reason why fans *shouldn't* like this
episode...I mean, it had Tempus, it had the Alternate Clark...it
had H.G. Wells...it was a fun-fest!
Now this isn't another A+ from me as I gave MJD last week, but it
still ranks high on my list (even if my grade for this episode
doesn't make it seem like it. Episode grades and likability
sometimes differ.). I'll list some of the things I liked, then
the reason why this episode didn't go over well with me in some
areas.
First off, I thank TPTB for bringing back Alternate Clark. So
many times now we seem to lack continuity with past episodes, but
this took us back to a time when ratings were high, fan
expectations were also high *and* were being met, and everyone
was just fine and dandy. Things may have changed with ratings
now, but everything else is the same. Fan expectations were high
for these episodes, this one in particular, and from the looks of
it, they were met. Alternate Clark was just such a fun experience
the first time, back in TA?, when Lois created Superman in
another dimension. He was even more fun this time around as he
came to this world with mixed feelings towards Lois and his whole
responsibility as Superman. I thought it was a very ingenious
move to get AltClark mixed with Lois. He wasn't trying to take
Clark's place, he just did what he felt inside. After all,
wouldn't you want to get rid of loneliness too if you were stuck
in a world where you had no love, you had no friends, and
everyone knew that you were Superman? I wouldn't mind finding
refuge in a world where there was a Lois Lane for me, no one knew
that I had a secret identity, and I had Jimmy Olsen and Perry
White as friends. So one can only feel sympathy for AltClark.
Tempus, on the other hand, was one to be despised and laughed at.
He had some of the best parts in this episode, particularly (as
it is fresh in my mind) the ending as he prepares to launch the
nuclear missiles and as the camera cuts between scenes, we see
him nonchalantly eating a banana or focusing his attention on a
paddleball. And who couldn't love his "Duh!"s?
Hamilton Camp returned as H.G. Wells, which was great. I have now
found that I enjoy watching both versions of H.G. Wells pop into
episodes. The acting chemistry between them and Tempus simply
"works." (i.e., "I simply can't believe that
something so diabolical could be so *easy*." "Well,
that's just the Protestant in you.") Too bad we had to wait
until the second installment to see him.
The ending worked well for me. Although I could already tell what
was going to happen when Tempus blurted out that Clark = Superman
(this is news to the citizens of Metropolis? I thought they would
just sit there and laugh at him. Like this hasn't been brought to
light to the public before and been rejected?), it was funny to
watch. And yet again, Tempus is hauled off to the slammer. Tsk,
tsk, when will the 20th century learn that iron bars do not a
prison make for such a nefarious time traveler as Tempus? And as
for the hint at the end about the AltLois, well, it's only
logical that we'll soon see a follow-up episode involving this. I
mean, how could they *not* (Don't answer that.)?
Now for the bad part. While the story was good (way to go,
BB&ERL!), I found some of the...well..."action" to
be off. Scenes like Lois talking to H.G. Wells in the elevator;
they were just so awkward. They talked -- they had dialogue --
but nothing was going on. It just seemed like a very awkward
moment for me in the episode, and it happened many more times.
Sometimes I just wanted to scream at my television set "This
is so STUPID!" Not because of the plot, obviously, but
merely the way it was handled. Like something out of a bad comic
book. And while it may only be one thing to complain about, it
was just so bad that it took down the rating from me a whole
letter grade (Geez, I feel like a teacher here). And so, without
further adieu, LAC receives a B+ from me. Good episode,
but...well...bad episode. Kind of hard to understand unless
you're me. ;)
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"LOIS AND CLARKS"
Guest Review by Lois1ab
Despite the knowledge that much more eloquent, articulate posts
will be available, this week I am undaunted as I must speak with
regards to LACs ("Lois and Clarks").
As much as I enjoyed MJD, its sequel, LACs perhaps even more
satisfying. The successful completion of an episode as
outstanding as MJD must be difficult. I will admit, I was afraid
that LACs would not be able to compete. To my surprise, LACs was
every bit as strong an ep as MJD. I can't believe how well the
two pieces fit together given the fact that the scripts were
written by different people. ER-L & BB certainly did not drop
the ball. They headed down court off the fast break pass from Tim
Minear and finished with a reverse tomahawk jam ! (Sorry, so
ready for March Madness and a Univ. of Kentucky repeat!)
What made the episodes satisfying for me were the touches of
continuity and real conflict that made MJD/LACs work so well
together and the completion of this arc. (Finally, no need for
"arghh") If I may say so, both were (technically)
outstanding in every way--writing, acting, directing, editing,
special FX, etc. I will include in this discussion several
sightings of (whom I see as) the "old Lois" (from both
episodes) that many FoLCs have been calling for.
REALITY CHECK?
First, for (what I call) "realistic" continuity. Just
some glimpses of "real life stuff" from both episodes:
~CK's vulnerability/anger when Lois is concerned
~Lois calling (and relying) on her in-laws (Kents) Like how she
looked to them for support.
~Lois in her husband's shirt/bathrobe
~Lois wanting to use SM to "kick his (Tempus') scrawny
butt."
~Lois in clothes we've seen before (suit, satin shirt and black
short sleeved sweater)
~Lois in regular pj's (not always in a neglige')
~Lois attracted to alt. CK (who wouldn't be?)
~Lois filling out forms (ins., etc) *I wonder if she changed her
name on her driver's license? I think you have to change it
legally even if you don't use it.*
I am sure there is plenty more good stuff, I just wanted to name
a few.
REALISTIC THREAT?
Barring the unrealistic *idea* of interdimensional time travel, I
love the threat that Tempus presents. Like Lex, he is smart,
consumed by the need for power, and he hates Superman. Tempus is
an added bonus because he also enjoys torturing/ humiliating
Lois. He also gives the writers a wealth of possibilities, much
like Lex did. Tempus will continue to be a threat to Supes and
the "utopia" he and Lois create in the future until
somebody kills him. And maybe still after that! (In response to
JK's query, "Aren't you dead? H.G. Wells says, "Only
some of the time.")
LOOKING FOR LOIS?
She is definitely present in both of these episodes. (Of course I
think she's been here all along. She's just a "...kinder,
gentler Lois"--quoting my own post) Some examples of the
Lois we all know and love:
10. Figures out connection to "window" and makes a
beeline for the asylum to talk to Tempus' cell mate.
9. Lois with CK at Planet (& talking w/ Dr. Klein)
8. Lois in time machine *with* H.G. Wells (to get CK)
7. Wanting SM to kick Tempus' "scrawny butt"
6. Babbling extravaganza after the "almost kiss" with
alt. CK
5. Grabs Andrus by the lapels.
4. Look of death she gives Tempus following the line, "You
make an attractive widow."
3. Berating 'Benny' over the phone until he got her the lead she
needed.
2. smacking Tempus in the face.
And the #1 example of "feisty, old Lois" is:
1. "You are dirt! You are filth! You are pocket lint! You
are pocket lint in the pockets of lawyers!"
I'm done. Just hope everyone got as much pleasure out of these
two episodes as I did. Kudos to TM and ER-L&BB! As always, a
fantastic job done by the cast and crew! Looking *so* forward to
"AKA Superman" Looks like we're in for more of Justin
and Lane this time. Yea!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here are some short fan opinions of the episode... because of
space constraints we couldn't print them all, but here's a
bunch....
LNCTNAOS: "Now....... Where have I heard that storyline
before? I believe it sounded *almost* like 1 of the Fanfics
that's about this show that someone wrote (I forget who wrote it,
but it sounded good as a fanfic, & it would sound good as a
plot on LnC) However, the show would be changed if we went to the
alternate dimension to watch the alternate Clark find his Lois.
But, they could 1 day bring the alternate Clark back to say that
he found her. Or, they could do the same thing that they did in
'Tempus Anyone' or this ep & bring one or the other of them
across & then we could find out that the alternate Clark
found his Lois.--er......did that sound right? I'm not sure if
that sounded right, but I think you get the point--I think. But
anyway, I LOVED this ep and it was great to see the *great* FX! I
just *wish* ABC'd let us see the previews of the next ep. I
haven't seen a preview of the eps in *so* *long*! But anyway,
there was 1 thing that bugged me: "I anticipated that"
"well, I anticipated your anticipation," Well, I
anticipated your anticipation of my anticipation, and on and on
and on. Shesh! Anyway, B."
Marlene: "Any episode with *two* Clarks is worth watching
<bg>. I particularly enjoyed the heart to heart talks
between Lois and AltCK, seeing the two CK's together, and seeing
CK, Superman and Lois in the same scene (do you think Diana
Stride, from Top Copy, saw the pictures of this?<g>). I
wished that there had been a scene, or just a few more lines,
between AltCK and the Kents . Loved the idea of Lois dreaming of
Clark, but why was the AltCK in the dream? If I were Lois (don't
I wish ;) I'd be including scenes from Lethal Weapon and SLV in
*my* dream!"
Tee Ackerman: "After last week's very fun ep I was terribly
disappointed :( For the first time, Tempus actually annoyed me. I
don't know what it was. In Meet John Doe his laugh started
getting to me a *little* but tonight I wanted to ring his neck!
And his lines just were not that funny. Papa????? What's with
that? And a lot of the dialogue seemed kind of dumb. I often like
music montages, but the one in this ep did nothing for me. Maybe
it's because I wasn't in the mood for it. And why was Alt Clark
thrown in? I agree with many other folcs that this could be
because Lois was having conflicting feelings about him, but to
tell you the truth, I don't think that the purpose of the dream
was to demonstrate that. I think they threw AC in just for the
heck of it (boy aren't I cynical). The ep wasn't a TOTAL failure.
There were a few things I liked, and just about all those things
were AC. I like him. More accurately, I like his sadness,
vulnerability, and loneliness. I liked the almost-kiss, and I
liked his x-raying the ceiling to peep at Lois. Don't say that
was horrible of him to do, cuz Clark did it in HiM, remember? I
would also like to point out how very beautiful Teri looked in
this ep and in MJD also. Her hair looks great--I might even like
it better than her second season hair (which was like her first
season hair, only better). I also liked the Kents, as I always
do. AC meeting them was nice, though I would have liked to see
more emotion on his part. I liked the way they dealt with having
AC at the podium as Superman and Clark there as Clark to prove
Tempus wrong. It looked a heck of a lot better than the bouncy
hologram in TC :) In conclusion, I was NOT a happy camper after
watching this ep and felt very let down after such a wonderful
preceding ep. Hopefully by the end of this season and the
beginning of next, the plots and characters will be better."
Krypto29: "This episode would have been over a lot quicker
if HG Wells had just gone back to the moment before Superman
stepped into the window and prevented the accident from
happening. Logical?"
Benet Moultrie: "I liked the show a lot, but not better than
I liked MJD. The tension introduced between Lois and the
alternate Clark was great, as well as the newly deranged Tempus.
It seemed as if they were trying to get to Clark's return really
fast. All in all, I give it a A-, a good, but not perfect, ending
to the arc."
LoisKT: "I loved it! Duh! But, despite my love of the H.G.
Wells/Tempus storyline, I must say that Hamilton Camp is not my
favorite Herb. He just doesn't do it for me the way Terry Kiser
[sorry if I spelled it wrong!] does. Also, there as a small
continuity problem with the *alternate* Clark's glasses. In both
the "we almost kissed us" and "Mr. Olsen, who can
I get to do some research for me" scenes, he had the *real*
Clark's glasses on. Altogether, the idea to bring the
*alternate" Clark to the *real* world was fabulous. Do I see
a future storyline brewing somewhere?"
Christine Cheng: "I thought 'Lois & Clarks' was a great
episode, mixing humor and drama with style. I was on the floor
laughing, Tempus is that hilarious! The only problem I had was
that I missed 'Meet John Doe,' so I kind of didn't get exactly
what was going on, but "Lois & Clarks" is strong
enough to stand alone. This alternate Clark is an intriguing
character because he is what Lois' Clark Jerome Kent is when you
take a Lois or a Martha and Jonathan Kent out. He doesn't have
anyone to love, nor does he have anyone to love him back. And it
was great to finally see Superman with Clark - that should send
Diana Stride's head spinning."
Jessica Grubbs: "I think that 'Lois And Clarks' was a very
dissapointing ending for what started out to be a great two
parter. The dumbest part of the whole show had to be when they
found that Tempus' watch had stopped. How lame can you get? Why
did H.G. Wells need the exact time the explosion occurred.
Couldn't he have just gone back in time to stop Superman from
going into the tunnel in the first place? I did, however, like a
lot of this episode. I loved that collage scene set to music.
What was that song anyway?" [It was "Simple
Truth," by Jay Gruska, and you will be able to find it on
the upcoming L&C soundtrack. -- Craig]
Julyna: "I loved this ep. I loved how they tied in the
'other' Clark. And I loved Tempus's expression at the end when
everyone thought he was psycho because both Clarks were there. I
again liked Tempus's remarks during the entire show...he was
great. I also loved Lois's comment for the press, 'we are
disappointed that Tempus's mental condition has not yet improved'
or something like that....cute."
Mackteach: "Everything in this episode worked for me.
Congratulations all around to the writers, the director, the
crew, the guest stars, and of course, to Teri and
Dean.......again, you've taken us into your fantasy world and
allowed us to participate. Thank You."
Jude: "Random thoughts on LOIS AND CLARKS: adequately
completed the 2-parter; not as compelling as MJD, maybe because
Lois seemed to be speaking without energy a lot of the time; am
growing weary of "duh". Most intriguing idea: alternate
Clark searching for alternate Lois. What a terrific way to relive
the L&C courtship, with a few changes of course, and a locale
other than Metropolis. A solid B for this episode."
Veronica Angeles: "Well, as much as I loved MJD and rejoiced
for I felt once again we were on track on what has made this show
so good, the second was not so good (I have even forgotten is
name). The only part I really enjoyed was the relationship
between the alternative Clark and Lois and all that chemistry
babbling but the end, the end! was the worst I could expect after
such a brilliant beginning. I hope our authors will recover and
stay on the same track as MJD was."
Neil Ottenstein: "The alternate Superman was very nicely
played with the assorted differences between him and 'our
Superman.' On the whole, though, there seemed to be something
lacking in the episode especially in comparison to 'Meet John
Doe.' I would have liked to have seen more of a resistance
movement against Tempus. It was still a lot better than some of
the previous terrible episodes this season such as 'People vs.
Lois Lane' and 'Lord of the Flys'."
Julie: "Was it just me or did that episode have a cheesy
ending??? This could have been a great arc if the writers didn't
end it so quickly. I thought that, although the two-parter was
definitely better than the lame shows in January and February, it
could have been way better. For example, Clark should have been
trapped in time while Clark 2 stays in Metropolis and slowly
becomes more and more involved with Lois and Clark 1's parents.
Then maybe Lois and Clark 2 will have an affair only to find that
H.G. Wells has saved Clark 1. There could have been a showdown
between the two Clarks where one is returned to the alternate
earth. Then, for a while, we wouldn't be sure which Clark
remained. I personally would choose Clark 2 to replace Clark 1
because then some of the WAY TOO MUSHY stuff would be toned down.
It would have been a great end of season arc with an excellent
cliffhanger. Anyway, I hope the show gets some additional new
writers soon because I would hate to see it cancelled."
Dtroyalmh: "I loved this, everything was pretty good. The
only thing that bothered me was the ending--it was done too
quickly. I loved the 'this isn't a familly show' line, and I
really liked the part where Lois is dreaming. Some of my friends
thought that Lois would stay with AC. I'm incredibly happy that
she didn't. What would we Folcs do then? Anyway this episode
deserves an A+ with MJD deserving an A+++."
*****************************************************************************
TIMESLOT CHANGE RESPONSES
By Jacob Soboroff
Last week, we ran an article regarding the time slot change of
"Lois & Clark" to Saturdays at eight, starting in
April. Well, we asked *you*, the FoLCs to send in your opinions
of the time slot change, and here's what you thought!
SuperR95: "Moving L&C to Saturdays will be the best.
While it is one of the best shows on tv, there is too much
competion on Sundays, and I want to see it succeed any way
possible."
Thurst2: "Personally I think that Saturdays at 8:00 is
pretty good, especially for people like me with no life :-). As
it is, unless you are a Dr. Quinn fan (which I'm not) there is
nothing to watch on Saturdays. Anyhow, I don't think L&C and
Dr. Quinn have the same type of audience. And since Dr. Quinn has
been on longer that L&C, we can only hope its fans are
starting to get tired of it (which frequently happens to long
running shows), and will give L&C a look. Still, being a
Touched By An Angel and 3rd Rock fan, I think Saturday is a great
night."
KEZ: "Why does the new L and C timeslot bother me??? I'm
Australian ...!!!"
FOLCADQ: "I think that the move to Saturday night is a huge
mistake -- at least it's going to complicate my life
significantly! The only two shows I watch regularly are
L&C and Dr. Quinn -- and my satellite system renders me
incapable of watching one channel and taping another! I am not a
happy camper!"
Sandra.K.Rozyla: "I think the move to Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
is a good idea. Lois and Clark is a family show and a lot of
families are home on Saturday evenings. Also, Third Rock is too
much, even Seinfeld would have a difficult time competing against
Third Rock if they were on different networks. Sunday at 7:00
p.m. was not the answer either so I'm up to try Saturday
night."
Carol121: "What do I think re: this matter? I think that
when a network wants to dump a show they move it to Saturday or
Thursday night. Then they can cancel the show due to bad ratings
and still claim it gave the show a chance by moving it to a new
time slot. If the ratings are low it is because no one knows when
to watch it anymore. TPTB keep moving the show and use minimal
advertising to announce the move. I missed the first 10 minutes
last week because I still think of the show as being on at 8:00.
ABC should stop playing with our loyalty, stop moving the show
and try improving the show. In my opinion the first couple of
seasons were the best. These cartoon like villians are boring. I
like more intellect and less physical stupidity. C'mon a villian
that lives to destroy weddings, get real!!! It is amazing to me
that TPTB haven't figured this out yet. Haven't they read your
newsletter? It is their best opportunity to see what the fans
really want!!!"
Benet: "Personally, I thinkt the time change will be
detrimental to the show. It's going up against another
powerhouse, Dr. Quinn. At this point, its hard to say whether or
not L&C can pull it out against it, but I will find it hard
since I happen to LOVE Dr. Quinn also. Thanks ABC for making me
choose! Sheez!"
Casandra Struthers: "I think moving L&C is stupid. When
they first changed slots, most people are not home or eating
dinner (it is Sunday) which means that most people are with
family until about 7pm. Now moving it to Saturday is even worse
most people goout on Fridays and Saturdays (I do and so doesn't
everyone around here). This means it will probably lose even more
ratings. I think they should put it back to the original time. I
am always home then and so aren't my friends and I know they all
love the show."
Julyna: "I hate it....I am never going to be home, and to
have to rely on my timer for my VCR is risky....please, guys, if
any of you have connections, please, try to pull some strings to
get it back to it's Sunday time....I was mad when it was moved to
7:00 on Sundays, but this is even worse....PLEASE, DON'T PUT IT
ON SATURDAYS!!!! Try a Monday if you have to go to another
night...I hate Monday night TV, it sucks....it would give me
something to watch...."
MandaTuna: "I absolutely HATE Dr. Quinn, so Lois and Clark
is definitely my priority. I am even breaking a bet with my best
friend by watching Lois and Clark! BUT WHO CARES? For Lois and
Clark nothing matters."
aacats1@goexcel: "Just got latest messages... I think the
move to the Saturday night time slot will be very good for
L&C. Personally, I have never been able to stand Dr. Quinn,
although I like adventure stories. Maybe someone has discussed
this or knows the deal, but presonally, I haven't been able to
understand why L&C has been treated like a stepchild by ABC.
These TV people seem so out of touch. Here they have a really
great series, with everything that families and others can
"dig," and yet they don't act like they have something
wonderful. Or are WE totally out of step?? I wonder, can
individual networks decide when to run their ads? If I were an
ABC exec and could, I would space the L&C commericals at
times different from those of Dr. Quinn. (You know how all
stations usually have ads running simultaneously, so when you
channel surf, you get nothing but advertisements?!!) That way,
when Dr. Quinn viewers got to a commercial and were clicking
around with their remotes, they would no doubt stumble onto
L&C, immediately getting hooked. Again, I think Saturday
night will be OK. I can usually choose to go out Friday OR
Saturday night and if something comes up on both, there is always
my VCR."
Michelle Reecher: "Personally, I like the show on Sunday
Nights at eight. (Heck, it started about two years before I
started my job), and I liked the show so much, I had my manager
arrange my schedule so I would get off work in time to watch Lois
and Clark (I never told her why, though). So now, if we're moving
to Saturday nights (I say we, because the fans have to change to
the other night, too), I work until about 8' o'clock every
Saturday. Looks like I'll have to change my schedule for
Saturdays instead of Sundays."
Suzi: "This letter is in response to your article in the
Krypton Newsletter. As many of the other FoLC, I too, think that
moving Lois and Clark to a new time is not a very good idea!
Personally, I think that they should move it back to its original
Sunday at 8 slot. Mainly because I am not usually home on
Saturday nights, and if I am, that's when I do my homework!"
Giselle: "I think moving L&C to Saturday night at 8 is
terrible! L&C needs a *later* time slot at a time when
everyone is home, like on Monday or Tuesday nights, at 9ish.
Fridays and Saturdays are terrible times for my favorite show to
be on, because I am a Sabbath observer and do not watch or tape
TV until about an hour and a half after sunset. This means I'll
miss my *favorite show* (the only one I must see!) until
September!! I hope I can get someone at work to tape for me. Good
luck, FoLCs!"
Spedtcr: "Maybe it will be a boost. I wish that it was
changed to Friday night because nothing good is on that night,
and by the time Friday rolls around, I'm having L&C
withdrawal!"
D Care: "As far as moving L&C to Saturday night, I'm all
for it. I realize it is not a nationwide problem, but L&C
does compete for time in my area with UPN -specifically with Xena
and Hercules. Actually, if I didn't have two VCRs, I'd have had
to make a very difficult decision this time last year. Moving to
7:00 solves it sort of, but moving to Saturday is even better. My
son watches 3rd Rock, which really causes a conflict. I like 3rd
Rock, too - but for totally different reasons than L&C, so
I'd rather not have to make a choice. Lets find a way for both of
them - and if that means moving L&C to Saturday night, so be
it."
Morgan: "Well, I had enough trouble getting used to the
first time change - I'm at Youth Group during that time - but I
figured out how to program the VCR and survived. I think this
time change will be pretty good, at least for me, but I don't
think Saturday night is really the best time to put something
that needs a rating boost.
However, as a former (attn: former!) fan of Dr. Quinn, I
personally believe the show isn't worth anything anymore and
shouldn't be much competition. I mean how many times can she save
the world while delivering her own baby, anyways? :)"
Joe Morgan: "I hope the move proves successful. BUT!!! ABC
NEEDS TO REALLY ADVERTISE THE SHOW AND NEW TIME SLOT. THEY AREN'T
GIVING L&C THE COVERAGE THEY USED TO. LIKE AFTER LOIS AND
CLARKS THERE WAS NO PROMO FOR THE NEXT EPISODE. ALSO I DON'T
THINK A LOT OF FOLKS KNEW ABOUT THE 7 O'CLOCK MOVE. SO ABC
PLEEEASE BE LOYAL TO THE L&C SHOW AND FANS."
WannaBLois: "I'm so confused!!! Why can't they pick a spot
and leave it there?? Although I'm mad, I'll follow Clark to any
place, any day, and any time slot!"
*****************************************************************************
UPDATES:
TERI INTERVIEW, DEAN QUESTIONS ON E! ONLINE: Teri Hatcher is
interviewed and profiled on E! Online's website, where she talks
about "super" sex, doing "Lois & Clark,"
internet popularity, and nude scenes, among other things. Find
the Teri interview at
http://www.eonline.com/Hot/Features/Hatcher/ Also from there you
can visit an E! online message board where Dean Cain responded to
fans' questions.
"SUPERMAN: THE ESCAPE" RIDE OPENS: "Six Flags:
Magic Mountain" near Los Angeles, California opened its
"Superman: The Escape" ride on Saturday, March 15.
Among the attractions of this *super* ride include being able to
climb up, up, and away-- from zero to one hundred miles an hour
in SEVEN seconds! Drop by Six Flags and experience what it's like
to be the Man of Steel!
SUPERMAN #123 COMIC A SELL-OUT: The "new costume/new
powers" storyline in the Superman comics appears to be a
success, as issue #123 of SUPERMAN went flying off the shelves.
Don't be surprised if DC decides to reprint this issue. Also, be
on the lookout for this week's JLA #5... the "new"
Superman appears there too.
"JUSTICE LEAGUE" NEWS: Lorne Cameron and David Hoselton
will be writing the two-hour "Justice League of
America" two-hour pilot telefilm for CBS this fall.
Executive producing the telefilm, in addition to Cameron and
Hoselton, will be Scott Shepherd. Shooting for the series begins
in April, and no casting has been announced yet. More rumors have
been floating around about the pilot, and that it might also
include the Atom, Fire, and Ice from the JLA comics.
TEMPUS IS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: Lane Davies' Santa Susana
Repertory Company has put up a World Wide Web page devoted to the
sardonic villain. You can find the Tempus site at
http://members.aol.com/stager88/tempus.html.
HOWIE MANDEL ONLINE: Howie Mandel ("Mr. Mxyzptlk") will
be appearing on Friday, April 11 at Olds Celebrity Circle on
America Online (keyword: Celebrity Circle).
HELP FELLOW FANS: Chris Torsiello accidentally was unable to tape
"Lois and Clarks" on Sunday. If you could help him find
a copy send him an e-mail. Giselle also is in need of a copy, so
e-mail her, too, if you can help.
*****************************************************************************
ASSIGNMENT: DAILY PLANET: ASSIGNMENT #3!
From the offices of the Chief (PerWhite)
Welcome to "Assignment: Daily Planet," the column of
the Krypton Club Newsletter where "the Chief" hands out
his assignments and the one that is best wins a prize. Assignment
#3 asked "What would you do if you were in charge of
producing 'Lois & Clark?' Include any plot lines, new
characters you would like to see, and guest stars."
We have been, and will be running different submissions in this
and the next six issues of the Krypton Club Newsletter with the
readers selecting the author that is worthy of the prize at the
conclusion of ten weeks of essays. And what is the prize? A copy
of the December 1996 "Infinity" magazine from Great
Britain! Inside you'll find Dean Cain as Superman on the cover,
and a seven page article on "Lois & Clark" that
features cast profiles, great pictures (some of which can NOT be
found on ABC Online), and... best of all... a well laid-out
episode guide for the first three seasons of "L&C."
So, let your "What If"s go wild and send in what YOU'D
do if you were in charge... send them in! Remember, opinions in
this column are the opinions of the writers and not the Krypton
Club officers or the Krypton Club in general.
This week's response came from Kate Stanton.....
Before I say anything that the person who reads this really irked
at me, I would like to issue a statement:
I *love* this show. I want to commend all the people who work on
this show, for making this show far better than I ever could. The
following is just me being picky.
I would make L&C "must see TV" again by making it
funny to watch again. This show charmed me away from... (should I
admit it?) Sea Quest--when Sea Quest was actually a
semi-formidable opponent-- because, although it was a drama, it
had not only the charming hero-villian plot, but a *great* sense
of humor. That humor is not so easily found now since one of its
main elements--the fact that Lois was clueless about CK and Supes
being one and the same-- has been phased out. One of the main
reasons (I think) that so many fans were eager about the Mxy show
was that not only was L&C using its comic origins, but that
they hoped that Mxy would bring fun back into the show.
To make the show fun again, I would get rid of the silly,
pointless villians (like Myrtle, or those two Lex-adoring
brothers) who seem to be there simply to show how deeply Lois and
Clark are in love... again and again. I agree, the show should
incorporate this, but it doesn't have to be so overwhelming.
Definitely bring back Lex, Tempus, perhaps the Churches (any
"Evil Dead" fans out there?)--at least bring back
Intergang, or even the Prankster. Perhaps other comic book
characters could be used, such as Maxima... not a formidable
villianess, but good for her obssession with Supes.
Perhaps a cameo from Batman would be nice, since its been
established that Gotham exists. I'd like to see more of
Metropolis at night. I'm sure at least one of all those
world-dominion planners is a night owl. A continuity to the show
on the tiny details would be great, (such as keeping the mayor a
single gender, etc.). I was happy to note during the new Tempus
show (the title escapes me, sorry) that the Prez resembled the
Prez during the clone period third season.
The show runs on far different lines for the comic book angle to
work... So, what else? Definitely bring the old, fiesty Lois
back. Use characters such as Perry & Jimmy more often. Do
Clark and Lois still work? It seems to me that lately the Planet
has been used only to figure out more angles on the featured
"bad guy" of the week.
Foreshadowing--bring back the "future episode" during
the end credits, if possible. Works as a great teaser, IMHO.
With permission from the editors at DC, I might try to
incorporate one of the more recent story lines where Braniac
takes over Clark's body & Clark is forced into the body of a
young boy, Chas, who has always thought that he was Superman,
while Chas is put in Brainiac's former host's body. I liked that
story line a lot...
Anyway,
That's a tall order, and I certainly enjoy the show enough as it
is. I'm just a nit-picker who would love to see this show receive
a better time slot and the ratings it deserves. :)
*****************************************************************************
WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?!?
By Russ "The Ewok" Dimino
Lois and Clark is a good show. Otherwise we wouldn't watch it,
and no one would have gone to all the trouble of organizing a fan
club and newsletter! But, the show is not without it's flaws,
it's inconsistancies, it's own little discrepancies that tend to
irritate, annoy, and sometimes downright tick off the viewers.
Things that make no sense, or go against what we've learned or
seen in past episodes. In "What's Up With That?!?!,"
these quirks are pointed out, and the time honored question of
"what's up with that?" is asked. Best of all, if you
have any goofy ANSWERS to or explanations for these questions,
we'll do our best to print them!
Last week, we asked "If Tempus comes from Utopia, which now
doesn't exist, wouldn't he wipe himself out of existence? What's
up with that?!?!" Here's what you had to say....
Our first response to this interesting question comes from
Lunacyy: "Okay, as to why Tempus doesn't disapear. Lets
think... Um, well, the peace keeper disapears when Utopia
disapears... I can't think of a logical explination...so... I
think... WAIT!!!! I know!!!! I have it!!!! The answer is: Lex
Luthor came back to life, and he did it! Yeah, that dosn't make
any sense at all, but I figure, death is no problem to re-write,
and when in doubt, blame it on Lex Luthor!"
This comes from Elaine: "Tempus is from Utopia, yeah, but it
doesn't mean that he won't exist. I am sure that a lot of the
same people get married and have kids or just have kids as they
did before, they just did it in an evil society. Tempus just had
a different childhood, one that made him more evil than ever
before. Duh!"
Mowshnan says, "Of course not, Tempus would still exist. You
see time and space are just like a bowl of fruit loops (yes, with
many multi colored rings that float). When the peacekeeper
started to disappear notice that Tempus left the room, thus
jumping onto another temperal fruit loop just as the
disentigrating temperal continuim field made the peacekeeper
vanish, then Tempus simply jumped back onto the previous temperal
fruit loop." (In other words, he followed his nose. -- Russ)
Here's an interesting, and kinda scary, idea from Heather Snyder:
" It could be possible that he is some far off, distant
relative of Lois and Clarks. If Lois was pregnant, unknown of
course, right now then Tempus could be related to the unborn baby
and would still exist even if Superman disappeared in time. It
also could explain why he hates Superman so much, because of the
fact that he is such a distant grandchild that he completely
lacks any superpowers. Of course, if Superman was completely dead
then he wouldn't exist either, so much for my logic."
Allison gives us two theories: "I have two theories. The
first is that Tempus is not really from the future, and that the
guy we *think* is H.G. Wells is really actually *not* him at all.
They're just big fakes, and lying to Lois & Clark. Like,
maybe they're in cahoots with some other people who are either
magicians or just good with special effects (maybe they're
working with Wolcott from TPvLL and DLW) and neither Tempus nor
Wells are actually real at all... Okay, so at least my next
theory is a bit more...realistic? :D Okay, second. Just because
Utopia doesn't exist that doesn't mean that the future doesn't,
correct? So, since Tempus is evil, and not based on goodness, or
working to promote goodness and Utopia, he could still live. If
the world in the future is full of evil and bad things, then
sure. Tempus would fit right in!"
And this from Dani..."Tempus didn't disappear cuz while he
was here (L&C time) he religiously watched all the Back to
the Future movies and Bill & Ted movies. By studying these
movies he was able to correctly deduce that as long as he made a
mental note to pop into the future to make sure his parents met,
fell in love and kissed at the Under the Sea dance that he would
be born, could return to the past, and thus would be able to
continue taking over the world, delighting FoLCs everywhere with
completely delightful remarks and catch phrases. The minister
from MASH disappear cuz without law, order, peaceful harmony and
continual new episodes & reruns of Party of Five and L&C,
his mom wouldn't have fallen in love with his nerdy, completely
law-abiding dad who never said 'Duh!'. Instead she would've
fallen in love with a fat, balding guy who liked to strangle
little boys named Bart and say 'D'oh!' all the time." (We
all follow that logic, right? --Russ <G>)
And of course, the most reasonable answer of all comes from
DonnLaP: "Tempus gave the reason why himself: he's a great
dancer...OBVIOUSLY he was protected by Destiny to become the
Future's Macarena Champion!"
Now, before we get to this week's 'What's Up With That' question,
we had a special treat this time. Tim Minear, who wrote
"Meet John Doe," took some time to respond to this
troubling question himself on the USENET message boards, and he
took the time to e-mail us his response! Tim writes:
"Well, here we have your prototypical time travel story
problem. One of my favorite time travel stories is 'Time After
Time.' H.G. Wells (hey! where'd they get that idea?) invents a
time machine. He keeps it in his basement. One of his poker
buddies is Jack The Ripper. When the fuzz shows up at Wells' door
looking for The Ripper, The Ripper sneaks downstairs and steals
the time machine and escapes into the 1970's. As luck would have
it, Wells has built in a device which returns the machine back to
whomever holds the, oh, I don't know what it's called -- the
macguffin. Luckily, Wells has it around his neck. So the machine
does a boomerang thing and comes back to him. So now Wells has
his machine and heads off into the future to capture The Ripper.
So my question was always, "Hey! He's got a bloody time
machine! Why not just go back in time five minutes before The
Ripper snuck into the basement, hide behind the stairs and clunk
him on the head?" At that point my brother would generally
bury my nattering face into the jumbo tub of artificially
flavored popcorn. I sorta deserved it.
"Now that I'm older, the answer is, of course, clear -- if
Wells had stopped The Ripper five minutes into the movie, Malcolm
McDowell would never have met Mary Steenburgen. They never would
have divorced, she wouldn't have met Ted Danson, "Ink"
wouldn't have been picked up at CBS... wait a minute... who got
me started?
"Anyway, regarding the question. If Andrus vanishes,
shouldn't Tempus? Well, in my opinion -- no. Obviously. For me,
it was simple: Tempus shifted the balance of the futre, away from
good and toward evil. Andrus is good (vanishes) and Tempus is
evil (remains.)
"I assume if we are to believe that No Andrus = No Tempus,
then we're also assuming that No Andrus = No People In The Future
At All? That seems to be the chain of reasoning here. And if
we're not assuming this, if we're merely assuming that the
*order* of things in the future is affected, and that *some*
people no longer exist, then isn't it possible Tempus might be
one of those people that still exist, but Andrus isn't? And if
Tempus *might* still exist and the choice for the story was to
*have* Tempus still exist, where's the beef?
"I think there's an argument than can be made for this.
Granted, it's all a little tangential, and if the mere question
begs itself so loudly that it shouts down what I felt were the
important elements of the story, then I've failed, no matter how
well my theory might track.
"Now let me tell you how *I* viewed this question. Andrus
says to Lois and Clark, 'If it weren't for you, men of peace,
such as myself, wouldn't exist as leaders.' My view was always
that the *order* changes once Tempus is successful in banishing
Superman ('I'll be history, and Superman will be no more than a
freakish footnote.') Andrus no longer 'exists as a leader.' He's
not a peace keeper. He's probably living his life in quiet
desperation in the war torn world Tempus wrought, as, oh, I don't
know, an army chaplain or something.
"But for me, it was the *moment* that was important. On a
visceral level, we watch as Clark's nightmare comes true -- but
no longer from his subjective view point. We're pulling back,
seeing it happen in 3D. Turns out, he was only getting *his* view
of the "elephant." From his perspective, it looked as
if he was losing Lois, when in fact he was losing himself. That's
the reveal. So now we have Lois, thrown to the
floor, watching, helpless, desperate. Only one other man who
might be able to help her! She knows it! She turns to him! ...and
he vanishes before her eyes. Fade out.
"I admit, the choice for Andrus to vanish was strictly a
dramatic one. One that I think holds up and tracks with the
story. But beyond the logic-nazi thing, the larger concern for me
as a dramatist was, well, frankly -- Lois, and raising the stakes
for her any way I could. I wanted the ending to be a corker. So
there."
And now, this week's question! "How did Tempus know the
Utopian Peace Keeper would be coming at all, let alone the exact
date? What's up with that?!?!"
Send your responses to in before Thursday night, March 20!
Remember folks, the wierder, the better!
*****************************************************************************
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA!
Here is "L&C" trivia question for this week...
What did Mayson Drake whisper before she died?
The answer to #156's trivia: Penn Jillette's magician character's
name in "Illusions of Grandeur" was "Darren
Romick."
*****************************************************************************
AIRING TONIGHT: "A.K.A. SUPERMAN"
Jimmy's girlfriend thinks she knows a secret--the true identity
of Superman! Is she right? And what will this mean for Clark?
"A.K.A. Superman" guest stars Kristanna Loken (real
life girlfriend of Justin Whalin), Dwight Schultz (yes, Murdock!)
and Vito D'Ambrosio (last seen as a member of the supporting cast
of the "Flash" TV series).
*****************************************************************************
NEXT ISSUE....
We'll have reviews of "A.K.A. Superman," so remember to
send them our way!
Craig "Palpatine" Byrne
President of the L&C Krypton Club
Matt "Vader" Combes
Vice-President of the L&C Krypton Club
*****************************************************************************
The Krypton Club Newsletter is copyright (c) 1997 The L&C
Krypton Club. All rights reserved. Any material within is
property of the Krypton Club and/or respective individuals unless
otherwise noted as coming from elsewhere. Any opinions within
belong solely to the individuals who express them. Copying or any
unauthorized publication of material from the Krypton Club
newsletters without permission is illegal. This week's quote came
from "Lois and Clarks." Hey buddy, didn't we tell you
to visit that new Tempus website set up by Lane Davies' repertory
company? Didn't we?!? Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses. Drop what
you're doing and visit it right now. We don't want to hear it,
you'll go *now*! Oh yeah, and look for a little something on a
campaign for a Tempus TV show spinoff and click on the link to
help out. Hey, we don't *care* if you gotta mow the lawn, buddy.
Don't give us any lip now...
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