Superman Meets Desperate Housewives

Here's a not so new article, but a very interesting one to read about Superman alumni actors in Desperate Housewives starting with DH's very own star and former Lois & Clark's Teri Hatcher. This was originally posted at Superman Homepage ...

By Barry Freiman

ABC's "Desperate Housewives" returns for its fourth season on September 30th and there may not be a live-action drama with a stronger Kryptonian pedigree this side of "Smallville". "Desperate Housewives" is the story of a group of families who live in the fictional town of Fairview on the same street, Wisteria Lane. It's a soap opera with a comedic twist. The show is narrated by the off-screen voice of Mary Alice Young, whose suicide in the first episode of the show set the other girls into investigating her death.

Teri Hatcher was Lois Lane on "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" for four seasons. On "DH", Hatcher portrays Susan Meyer, the only divorcee of the group as the show begins. She's a single Mom, a bit of a klutz, always sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong, in love with the single plumber played by James Denton.

When it was time to give Susan a mother, the series cast another television Lois Lane in the role. Lesley Ann Warren played Susan's mother on a series of episodes. Warren played Lois Lane in the late-night ABC-TV adaptation of the "Superman" Broadway musical that aired in 1975. But Warren played Lois Lane one more time, sort of. Warren auditioned for the Lois Lane role that ultimately went to Margot Kidder in "Superman: The Movie" and a portion of her audition is included on the special features to the "Superman" movie DVD.

Incidentally, this is the second time a television Lois Lane was chosen to play Hatcher's TV mother. In the first season finale of "L&C", Lois's mother appears briefly at her wedding to Lex Luthor. Lois's Mom is played by Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane through the first season of TV's "The Adventures of Superman" with George Reeves.

Now "DH" is about to welcome its third former Lois Lane. Actress Dana Delany comes to Wisteria Lane this season as a woman who used to live on Wisteria Lane and moves back -- with a secret naturally. Delaney voiced Lois Lane on "Superman: The Animated Series", "Justice League Unlimited", and will soon be reprising Lois's voice in the season opener of the CW series "The Batman."
This gaggle of Lanes aren't the only members of the Superman family to have done time with the "Housewives."

Actress K Callan, Ma Kent on "L&C", played Nicolette Sheridan's Mom in the third season finale of "DH". Of course, as Ma Kent, she eventually was Lois's mother-in-law on "L&C." Don't forget that Sheridan met Superman too - in the "Static Shock" episode "Toys in the Hood" where she voiced the cybernetic Darcy who was being stalked by her creator, the villainous Toyman, in Static's hometown of Dakota. Also in the third season finale was Pa Kent -- actor Mike Farrell ("M*A*S*H") played Milton Lang, the father of the politician Eva Langoria almost marries. Farrell of course was Jonathan Kent on "STAS" and "JL."

Some super men also have participated in "DH". John Newton - Clark Kent and Superboy on the live-action "The Adventures of Superboy" - played the gay cable guy on "DH" who gets beat up by Eva Langoria's husband Carlos during the show's first season and eventually charges Carlos with a gay hate crime (though Carlos really beat him up because he thought he was having an affair with his wife). Kyle Maclachlan - who currently plays Marcia Cross's second husband on "DH" - is lending his voice to the Man of Steel in the upcoming direct-to-DVD feature "Justice League: A New Frontier."
But wait, that's not all.

Joely Fisher ("Ellen") appeared on "DH" working at Felicity Huffman's office. Fisher also provided the voice for the adult Lana Lang on "STAS". Actress Sharon Lawrence played Marcia Cross's nemesis Maisy on "DH" and she voiced Superman's nemesis Maxima on "STAS."

Source: dts

Jesse Metcalfe -- the gardener of Eva Langoria's dreams on "Housewives" -- was a freak of the week on "Smallville" - playing Van McNulty in two episodes.

"Ghostbusters" co-star Ernie Hudson played a Detective on a few episodes of "DH". He also provided the voice of Cyborg, a super friend and teammate of Superman's during the final incarnation of the "Super Friends" cartoon franchise, "The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians." Hudson also provided a handful of minor voices on "BTAS" and "STAS."

source: dts

Michael Ironside was on two episodes of the "Housewives" -- and he's the voice of Darkseid on "STAS", "JL", and "JLU." And Ironside also played Lois Lane's father, General Sam Lane, on "Smallville". Finally, William Atherton was a doctor on two episodes of "DH" and then was a doctor on "JL" - the villainous Dr. Destiny that is.

Fairview's just got to be a suburb of Metropolis.

Updated 11/14/2010 

More Smallville Alumni guest stars on Desperate Housewives' current Season 7

John Schneider, who played Clark Kent's dad Jonathan Kent in Smallville for six seasons (with recurring guest star spot in the current and final Season 10 of Smallville) now a recurring guest star on Desperate Housewives as Richard Watson, father of another Smallville alumni Brian Austin Green (who played Metallo in SV)'s character Keith Watson.

Speaking of  Brian Austin Green, he is currently guest starring in Desperate Housewives as Keith Watson in a recurring role. He was guest starred in 3 episodes of Smallville last season (9) as John Corben aka Metallo.

And most of all, the best crossover of all...

One of the main lead stars of Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher is guest starring this week on Smallville! She and John Schneider switches shows this week, except Teri's still on DH, of course...very interesting!

Smallville (The CW) 
  
Guest star as Ella Lane

Season 10, Episode 8: Abandoned 

Former Lois Lane (from the popular 90s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) Teri Hatcher guest stars Friday night (November 12) on the CW's Smallville as the current Lois Lane (Erica Durance)'s late mom, Ella Lane!

Here's the CW's spoilerish official episode description for Abandoned:

TERI HATCHER GUEST STARS AS ELLA LANE; DC COMICS' CHARACTERS GRANNY GOODNESS (CHRISTINE WILLES) AND HARRIET (GUEST STAR LINDSAY HARTLEY) APPEAR - Lois (Erica Durance) finds a video made for her by her mother, Ella Lane (Teri Hatcher), before she died. After watching the tape, Lois makes a drastic decision about her relationship with Clark (Tom Welling) that takes her to the Fortress, where she comes face to face with Jor-El and Lara... Meanwhile, Tess has a nightmare involving herself as a child and a music box. Upon awakening, she finds the music box in Luthor mansion and sets out to find out who planted it there. Clark accompanies her to an orphanage run by Granny Goodness (guest star Christine Willes) who may not have the young girls' best intentions in mind. One of the young women living there, Harriet (guest star Hartley), finds Clark snooping around and decides to take matters into her own very sharp hands.

Watch the Smallville - Teri Hatcher Preview
(source: CWtelevision)    
 
Video: Watch Erica Durance's Lois and Teri Hatcher's Ella Lane scene from Smallville's 'Abandoned' episode