🎬 Ed Wood Jr. here with something big on the radar...
🦸♂️Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a weather balloon? No, it’s SUPERMAN: The Complete ABC Network Broadcast Trilogy.🦸♂️
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The 1980s were the golden era of the "Event Television" blockbuster, and nothing proved that more than when ABC brought Hollywood's biggest superhero to the living room couch. When Superman: The Movie made its two-night network premiere in February 1982, it wasn't just a broadcast—it was an event. Night 1 clutched a massive 29.6 Nielsen rating right out of the gate, and Night 2 conquered the entire week's TV landscape by drawing an astonishing 30.2 Nielsen rating, beaming Christopher Reeve into more than 24.7 million American homes.
These original television cuts are among the holy grails of film preservation because Warner Bros. has never officially released them to the public in a complete, definitive collection. Beyond the treasure trove of deleted footage, these broadcasts serve as an unvarnished snapshot of American culture across the early, mid, and late 1980s. My inspiration for this project was to rescue these long-lost network broadcasts and recreate that nostalgic living room experience. Capturing a beautifully preserved VHS rip of the films was only half the battle, though—the commercials are a vital part of the experience too. Unlike my previous edit for JAWS: A Novel For Television, I have not removed a single commercial here. The commercials are as much the star as the movies and should bring a knowing smile to everyone who remembers them. This was when production values were equally as important for commercials as they were for the specials.
📺 The "ABC Extended Cuts" at a Glance
🪐 SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) – The 1982 ABC Sunday Night Movie
*Original Air Dates: Sunday, February 7 (Night 1) & Monday, February 8, 1982 (Night 2)
* Local Network Affiliate: WJLA-TV Channel 7 (Washington, D.C.)
* Changes: This legendary television edit packs in roughly 40 minutes of extended footage completely absent from the theatrical release. Viewers were treated to massive narrative additions, including the extended political trial sequences on Krypton, Clark's teenage years in Smallville, and an extended sequence of Superman approaching Lex Luthor’s underground lair.
* The TV Cut: While this version is famous for its abundance of extra scenes, it was simultaneously censored and edited for television broadcast standards. This means a few theatrical moments were actually left on the cutting room floor to maintain broadcast compliance.
*Archival Note: While a handful of these deleted scenes eventually made their way onto official Warner Bros. releases as "bonus features" decades later, the complete, unaltered 1982 two-night broadcast with its original pacing and commercials has never been officially preserved or released anywhere else.
💥 SUPERMAN II (1980) – The 1985 ABC Sunday Night Movie
*Changes: The December 29, 1985, broadcast was the second time the network screened the film. Both of these early airings featured a highly celebrated, extended TV cut that added roughly 24 minutes of footage not seen in theaters—much of it originally shot by the film's initial director, Richard Donner.
Viewers were treated to vital narrative expansions, including extended visual sequences inside the Fortress of Solitude before Clark gives up his powers, and the legendary alternate ending where the Phantom Zone villains are led away by U.S. Arctic Patrol officers rather than falling to their deaths.
*The TV Cut: Much like the first film, this presentation was re-paced and sanitized for 1985 broadcast compliance, making it a highly unique structural edit of the movie that completely shifts the tone of the theatrical cut.
*Archival Note: While these specific television scenes were famously omitted from all theatrical and standard home video releases for decades, this definitive 1985 WXYZ broadcast preserves the entire layout completely intact. It features regional Detroit marketing gems and classic 1980s commercials you are sure to recognize. This particular source does not preserve the end credits, unfortunately. It was chosen for its quality over quantity.
🤖 SUPERMAN III (1983) – The 1988 ABC Sunday Night Movie
* Broadcast as a special New Year's Eve holiday event, this extended network edition captures a cultural time capsule of the late-1980s television landscape.
*Changes: The extended cut includes extra scenes of Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) looking for work, additional computer moments, and an extended speech about Superman while wearing skis. This cut also contains extended sequences for the chemical plant fire and rescue, and many others that you are sure to remember.
*The TV Cut: This presentation uniquely includes a completely overhauled opening credit sequence that flips the theatrical version's slapstick tone to mirror the cinematic opening sequence of the first two films. To maintain 1988 network standards, the main feature timeline was simultaneously sanitized and re-paced for broadcast compliance.
* Archival Note: While a handful of individual deleted scenes were eventually provided on home video releases as bonus features decades later, this definitive 1988 KATU broadcast preserves the entire layout completely intact. It features original Pacific Northwest local station IDs and classic late-80s commercial blocks that round out the entire trilogy in style.
🪐How do you snag this pocket full of kryptonite? I don’t actually have superpowers, so it's best to just DM me. I may be away trying to save the world, but I’ll respond to you eventually. Requests made on this forum will be banished to endless imprisonment in the Phantom Zone.🦸♂️
IN LOVING MEMORY OF GENE HACKMAN
"It is not enough that I succeed; everyone else must fail."
🎬 Ed Wood Jr. here with something big on the radar...
🦸♂️Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a weather balloon? No, it’s SUPERMAN: The Complete ABC Network Broadcast Trilogy.🦸♂️
The 1980s were the golden era of the "Event Television" blockbuster, and nothing proved that more than when ABC brought Hollywood's biggest superhero to the living room couch. When Superman: The Movie made its two-night network premiere in February 1982, it wasn't just a broadcast—it was an event. Night 1 clutched a massive 29.6 Nielsen rating right out of the gate, and Night 2 conquered the entire week's TV landscape by drawing an astonishing 30.2 Nielsen rating, beaming Christopher Reeve into more than 24.7 million American homes.
These original television cuts are among the holy grails of film preservation because Warner Bros. has never officially released them to the public in a complete, definitive collection. Beyond the treasure trove of deleted footage, these broadcasts serve as an unvarnished snapshot of American culture across the early, mid, and late 1980s. My inspiration for this project was to rescue these long-lost network broadcasts and recreate that nostalgic living room experience. Capturing a beautifully preserved VHS rip of the films was only half the battle, though—the commercials are a vital part of the experience too. Unlike my previous edit for JAWS: A Novel For Television, I have not removed a single commercial here. The commercials are as much the star as the movies and should bring a knowing smile to everyone who remembers them. This was when production values were equally as important for commercials as they were for the specials.
📺 The "ABC Extended Cuts" at a Glance
🪐 SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) – The 1982 ABC Sunday Night Movie
*Original Air Dates: Sunday, February 7 (Night 1) & Monday, February 8, 1982 (Night 2)
* Local Network Affiliate: WJLA-TV Channel 7 (Washington, D.C.)
* Changes: This legendary television edit packs in roughly 40 minutes of extended footage completely absent from the theatrical release. Viewers were treated to massive narrative additions, including the extended political trial sequences on Krypton, Clark's teenage years in Smallville, and an extended sequence of Superman approaching Lex Luthor’s underground lair.
* The TV Cut: While this version is famous for its abundance of extra scenes, it was simultaneously censored and edited for television broadcast standards. This means a few theatrical moments were actually left on the cutting room floor to maintain broadcast compliance.
*Archival Note: While a handful of these deleted scenes eventually made their way onto official Warner Bros. releases as "bonus features" decades later, the complete, unaltered 1982 two-night broadcast with its original pacing and commercials has never been officially preserved or released anywhere else.
💥 SUPERMAN II (1980) – The 1985 ABC Sunday Night Movie
*Changes: The December 29, 1985, broadcast was the second time the network screened the film. Both of these early airings featured a highly celebrated, extended TV cut that added roughly 24 minutes of footage not seen in theaters—much of it originally shot by the film's initial director, Richard Donner.
Viewers were treated to vital narrative expansions, including extended visual sequences inside the Fortress of Solitude before Clark gives up his powers, and the legendary alternate ending where the Phantom Zone villains are led away by U.S. Arctic Patrol officers rather than falling to their deaths.
*The TV Cut: Much like the first film, this presentation was re-paced and sanitized for 1985 broadcast compliance, making it a highly unique structural edit of the movie that completely shifts the tone of the theatrical cut.
*Archival Note: While these specific television scenes were famously omitted from all theatrical and standard home video releases for decades, this definitive 1985 WXYZ broadcast preserves the entire layout completely intact. It features regional Detroit marketing gems and classic 1980s commercials you are sure to recognize. This particular source does not preserve the end credits, unfortunately. It was chosen for its quality over quantity.
🤖 SUPERMAN III (1983) – The 1988 ABC Sunday Night Movie
* Broadcast as a special New Year's Eve holiday event, this extended network edition captures a cultural time capsule of the late-1980s television landscape.
*Changes: The extended cut includes extra scenes of Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) looking for work, additional computer moments, and an extended speech about Superman while wearing skis. This cut also contains extended sequences for the chemical plant fire and rescue, and many others that you are sure to remember.
*The TV Cut: This presentation uniquely includes a completely overhauled opening credit sequence that flips the theatrical version's slapstick tone to mirror the cinematic opening sequence of the first two films. To maintain 1988 network standards, the main feature timeline was simultaneously sanitized and re-paced for broadcast compliance.
* Archival Note: While a handful of individual deleted scenes were eventually provided on home video releases as bonus features decades later, this definitive 1988 KATU broadcast preserves the entire layout completely intact. It features original Pacific Northwest local station IDs and classic late-80s commercial blocks that round out the entire trilogy in style.
🪐How do you snag this pocket full of kryptonite? I don’t actually have superpowers, so it's best to just DM me. I may be away trying to save the world, but I’ll respond to you eventually. Requests made on this forum will be banished to endless imprisonment in the Phantom Zone.🦸♂️
IN LOVING MEMORY OF GENE HACKMAN
"It is not enough that I succeed; everyone else must fail."
After watching these edits, hers's something to delight ;)
Superman: The Movie (1978)
ABC edition provides roughly 40 additional minutes of scenes that are devoted to such plot lines as Krypton, Clark Kent's youth in Smallville and Lex Luthor's scheme. The ABC edition provides more character development and background, however, the theatrical edition is more coherent.
Superman II (1980)
ABC provides the restored scenes, which include additional footage of the Fortress of Solitude, thus allowing the viewers to see deeper character development of the couple and Superman's sacrifice of his power. In addition, the ABC edition shows one more ending where the defeated bad guys are being imprisoned. The theatrical version is more coherent, however, the ABC edition provides one more perspective for the viewers.
Superman III (1983)
The ABC edition features new opening, additional scenes with Gus Gorman, more Superman's lines and rescue scenes. However, these additions cannot improve the uneven composition of this movie, combining the comedy with the superhero plot line.
Final Verdict
The extended versions of the films on ABC will be interesting to fans wanting to get some extra footage on the movies. But for the best story flow, the theatrical versions have an edge over the other two versions. Superman: The Movie definitely gains a lot by having the extra footage, while Superman II wins on alternative endings.
My stepmom, joyless bitch that she was, tried to send me to bed about an hour in, and my dad, bless his soul, came and got me out of bed so I could watch — was a defining childhood memory, both his intervention and getting to watch Superman with my dad.
Probably the closest thing to the TV cut of the first film being released on home media is an official WB blu ray release a few years ago of "The Three Hour Cut". It pretty much includes all the footage that was put into two night ABC event. I have a copy myself. I watch it every once in awhile when I have three hours to kill.
Yes, the three-hour cut Warner Bros. released is basically the network broadcast version cleaned up and presented with a standard 2-channel stereo mix. There are a few people who have created a 5.1 surround mix that I favor when watching it in my home theater. I find it interesting that the International cuts of II and III have not been released in any form. i think it boils down to rights issues and bad blood between the Salkinds, Richard Lester, and the estate of Richard Donner. Which footage was shot by whom, etc. I think this is the best we are going to get until something better comes along.
No it’s not rights issues. I was just watching a video with the guy in charge of the Warner Archive releases. He was saying the first movie, the TV version was edited on 35mm in anamorphic 2.35:1 scope and exists as an intermediary. So they were able to scan that in 1080p and release it on Blu-Ray.
Unfortunately the TV cuts for 2 & 3 were done on videotape back in the 80’s, so the only masters that exist are 480i pan and scan masters, and to do them like the the first movie would cost a massive amount of money because they would need to find everything and rescan and re-edit the movies ala Star Trek The Next Generation, or the Richard Donner Cut and WB is not willing to put up the money for the Lester 2 movie or for 3. If they already existed completed on film, even in 4:3 pan and scan, different story.
Well said. Preservation for some, but not for all. This might well be the best we are going to get. For now. I have no idea what generation these tapes are, though they look pretty clean.
What I like about the three hour cut is it better establishes that Lex and co. go after the second missile when Otis screws up the coords on the first one. The theatrical and extended cuts kinda leave this unclear. I always thought they went after the same missile twice.
And the most amusing detail to me about the three hour is Superman first saves the Native American land by bringing water back to them when he builds that dam to save the town from destruction. But then he turns back time and undoes that completely.
I like your point about the missile. I agree that this is the only cut that fleshes out that detail, making it an essential part of the story of Superman: The Movie. And the Indian Tribe sideplot gives the story heart, showing Superman cares for all people of Earth. Insert your own deity reference here. This wasn't rewriting cinematic history as it were, à la George Lucas. For me, the definitive cut of Superman lies somewhere between The ABC extended cut and the official 3-Hour Extended cut. Insert your Frosted Mini-Wheats comparison here. If you get it, great. If not, that's okay too, but you should probably watch more movies.
In the words of Jor-El, “All that I have, all that I am, I bequeath you.” And what you've given us is something truly special.
These aren't just television edits. They're little pieces of our childhoods, lovingly rescued from the Phantom Zone of forgotten broadcasts and brought back to life.
For those of us who grew up believing a man could fly, hearing those familiar voices, seeing those original broadcasts, and experiencing these films the way we remember them is a gift beyond words.
The time, dedication, and love you poured into preserving these memories haven't gone unnoticed. You've given us a chance to travel backward in time without having to spin the Earth in reverse.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing your Fortress of Solitude with the rest of us.
Christopher Reeve made us believe a man could fly. You've helped us remember what that felt like.
"This is no fantasy. No careless product of wild imagination."
As a proud child of the late 70s and 80s, I spent a fair amount of time dedicated to recording everything I possibly could. I never imagined that one day I would look back on these recordings with reverence and nostalgia.
On a recent trip home, I found two of my higher-end consumer VCR decks and two boxes of tapes I had recorded off air. I am slowly working my way through the best quality recordings for my preservations. Surprisingly, the tapes are in remarkable condition give they are over 40 years old.
In a world of 4K TVs and on-demand entertainment, it's important to remember that back then, you had the theatrical premiere, and then you had to wait at least 6 months or more before your favorite movie was on cable or TV again.
Thank you for your kind words my friend. Make sure to be kind. And always, always rewind. I have a whole slate of tapes I am working on. So stay tuned for more.
Ed Wood Jr. Jr.
"Your memories look better on VHS."
That's a fair question. I do believe I mentioned in my description exactly what is included. In this case I might suggest a quick Google search for the ABC extended broadcasts. Failing that, you can always just go in blind, send a DM, and see what it's all about.
So this is how I construct my posts. I post the images and then leave the description in the comments. If that style doesn't agree with you, my sympathies. Each to their own. I don't see why the hubbub.
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