All 10 Superman TV Shows, Ranked

With the recent release of Superman in theaters, everyone is looking for more Superman content to enjoy and feed their hunger for the Big Blue Boy Scout. There are a few Superman movies that one can watch, but if someone is looking for a long-running story surrounding this iconic DC herothere are a good handful of shows following the character, too.

Whether it be a Justice League show with Superman in the core cast or a solo Superman series, the episodic adventures of the DC icon have always been a ton of fun and worth a watch or two. With each one bringing something different to the table, there’s something to love about pretty much every adventure of Superman.

10

‘Adventures of Superman’ (1952)

George Reeves is one of the most legendary Superman actors of all time, being the first live-action iteration of the character. It’s a landmark in history for not only the hero but television in general. Adventures of Superman found itself airing its first two seasons in black and white before making the switch to color for the rest of the series.

It not only marked the time television as a whole made the transition to color film, but this show also proved that the Big Blue Boy Scout could work in live-action, as it pulled off everything it needed to with quality (for the ’50s, that is). Adventures of Superman ran for six seasons, and while it may be a tad held back by the time of the 50sit’s still an enjoyable watch that is incredibly important for the character’s history in film.

9

‘Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’ (1993)

Image via ABC

Despite the horrific and mightily deserved reputation for the main actor, Dean Cain, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman still finds itself being an enjoyable series, should people be able to look past Cain’s involvement and half-hearted performance. The highlight of the series remains its Lois Lane actor, Teri Hatcherand the way in which the show was able to bring Superman to life in comparison to Adventures of Superman.

Rather than being a superhero-centric story, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman decided to focus on the developing love triangle between Superman, his secret identity of Clark Kent, and Lois Lane. This helps it stand apart from the rest of the Superman television content, aside from having such a problematic protagonist performer.

8

‘Super Friends’ (1973)

Image via ABC

Superman may be popular in live-action, but he’s also had an incredible career in the animation realm. The likes of Super Friends decided to surround primarily the DC Trinity of Superman (Danny Dark), Batman (Soule), and Wonder Woman (Shannon Farnon). It also featured many DC heroes outside of thatbut these three led the charge and made the success of the show possible.

Frankly, Superman has almost always translated better to animation than live-action, given the nature of his expansive and extraordinary power set. It is also always a treat to see Supes have a team-up with his fellow DC heroes, and one of the first shows to do so was Super Friends. This series is a ton of cute fun and worth a watch on a Saturday morning.

7

‘Justice League Action’ (2016)

Image via Cartoon Network

One of the more recent animated adaptations of the Justice League is 2016’s kid-friendly Justice League Action. The series features the classic formula of Batman (Kevin Conroy), Superman (Jason J. Lewis), and Wonder Woman (Rachel Nobody) leading an iteration of the Justice League into numerous adventures throughout the DC universe.

Justice League Action is a pretty simple series that, while not taking a ton of risks, is astoundingly enjoyable. It’s far more comedy-centric than other iterations of the DC universe, which makes it a joy to watch. Superman especially has some wonderful comedic moments in the show, and this makes him one of, if not the funniest, versions of Superman.

6

‘My Adventures with Superman’ (2023)

Image via Adult Swim

My Adventures with Superman finds itself being the only iteration of the character that is anime-inspired. With Jack Quaid‘s wonderful performance and some great animation to pair with it, this show is incredibly fun to watch, along with containing some of the best Superman storytelling in recent years. The reviews for My Adventures of Superman have been quite good since its debut in 2023, and it continues to receive critical acclaim.

Despite being known for The BoysJack Quaid is one of the best voice actors for Superman in the last decade. He brings a youthful and fun air to the character that helps him not only stand apart but also fit this version of the hero very well. Much like James Gunn‘s Superman, My Adventures with Superman follows a much younger Big Blue Boy Scout than other iterations, and it works exceptionally well.

5

‘Superman: The Animated Series’ (1996)

Image via Warner Bros

Before he hit the screens in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the DC Animated Universe version of Superman (Tim Daly) made his big debut in his own series titled Superman: The Animated Series. This show is one of the most faithful adaptations of the hero and is a cult classic to audiences everywhere.

What makes Superman: The Animated Series so special (much like the two series that would come after) is the fact that, to this very day, it holds its own against modern adaptations (live-action and animation) and is extremely enjoyable. This animated Superman iteration is very close to the comic books and feels faithful in every way.

4

‘Smallville’ (2001)

Image via The CW

The Superman television series that does something that no other does, and is phenomenal in so many different facets, is none other than the CW’s original superhero show, Smallville. The fact that it follows a teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as he grows up and starts developing his powers before creating his Superman persona makes Smallville special.

Smallville does something that literally no other piece of Superman content does: it spends its entire run covering Clark’s high school years. Every other Superman story in television and film media pretty much exclusively covers his adult years as the Man of Steel, so Smallville showcasing this era of his life makes it feel unique and notable among the others.

3

‘Superman & Lois’ (2024)

Image via The CW

Twenty-three years after Smallville first aired, the CW and HBO crafted a whole new Superman show that, once again, did something that no other Superman television and movie media did: it gave Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) two sons. Making Clark a father and having him juggle the likes of super problems, growing pains, and — when his son, Jordan (Alex Garfin), gets powers of his own — super growing pains.

Superman & Lois is special in so many different ways, not to mention underrated. Not only does it bring Superman back to Smallville with his wife and kids, make him a father, and face villains he has never faced before in television and film, but it also has some of the best character writing and work in the hero’s past media. This is many people’s favorite adaptation of the Last Son of Krypton, and it’s clear to see why.

2

‘Justice League’ (2001)

Image via Cartoon Network

It’s no secret that the DCAU is one of the best iterations of the DC universe in television and film ever made. This compliment also applies to the characters themselves, especially Superman (George Newbern). The writers managed to write a version of the hero that makes him the big ‘ol boy scout that he’s known to be, while also giving him complexity and layers so that he doesn’t feel boring in any way.

There’s always been an assumption that Superman isn’t a good character because he’s “unrelatable” because of how strong he is. How do you make a near-invincible guy easy to connect with? Justice League (and the whole DCAU) managed to make this possible. Not to mention, getting to see him interact with other Justice League members is wonderful as always.

1

‘Justice League Unlimited’ (2004)

Image via Cartoon Network

As if Justice League wasn’t already great, Justice League Unlimited took everything amazing about the first version of the show and characters and built upon them exponentially. Therefore, this makes Justice League Unlimited not only one of the best Superman series, but one of the best DC shows ever made.

The generation of kids who grew up on Justice League Unlimited got a wonderful iteration of the DC universe (and Superman specifically). It took the things that made Justice League great and added more heroes to the fray, giving the core members of the team more chances and avenues to grow as characters and go on new adventures.

NEXT: 10 Lessons the DCU Must Learn From DC’s Animated Shows