1975 - It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's Superman TV Special
There is not much that can be said for the ABC Network's ill-advised decision to refashion the somewhat-successful "It's A Bird..." stage production into a thrown-together, shoddy, cringe-worthy, critically-panned, low-budget and low-rated late night TV Special in 1975 that hasn't already been said. Other than the fact that it drastically shortened the theater-version for time constraints and changed the script for a more-modern then-mid-seventies motif, it took out all of the charm of the 66-67 stage production like a huge chunk of Kryptonite sucking the life out of Bob Holiday. Starring a rather doofy David Wilson, whose protruding nose would make any disguise a giant leap of a task to persuade, Wilson's Superman's put-on Kryptonian voice comes off too phony, not to mention the hard-to-swallow set pieces.
![image](https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2013/06/image39.jpg)
Neither the paltry budget nor the hippie sensibility can account for such a low-cut Superman top though, it's cape stretching the neck like so many towel-bearing kids' tees, the costume looking slapped together on perhaps the most ill-suited Superman this side of Nicolas Cage. Wilson's Superman flew through the clouds aided with some sky drawings that look to be done by a six-year-old, clearly not taking itself too seriously. Superman looks puzzled as a speeding bullet tries to catch up to him. Even for it's faults, for which there are aplenty, the "It's A Bird..." TV Special has it's appeal, if nothing else than for it's sheer campiness. The scribbled crayon backgrounds illustrate the tongue-in-cheek way that ABC approached pitching this musical Man of Steel airborne.
![image](https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2013/06/image40.jpg)
Make sure to check back later this week for Part 3! Looking at Superman's film career, hitting his cinematic stride from 1978-1987! Thanks for reading! Please share!
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