Adventures of Superman (TV Series) Mr. Zero (1957) User Reviews

Stupid, but it works!

[sssuperman-dot-com · 6/10 · 22 August 2015]

You can probably tell from the other reviews (and the premise) that this episode is dumb on many levels. On the basis of making sense or being even remotely well-written, this may be one of the series' weakest offerings. But what can I say? It may pale in comparison to the black-and-white eps or even the better colored ones that at least made an attempt at being realistic and making a modicum of sense, but it's clearly not TRYING to do the same thing, so it's hard for me to judge it by the same standard.

It may be dumb, but it's still fairly funny and even kind of cute, and I'm sure kids in the 1950s lapped it up. My writing teacher actually told me it was her favorite episode. And overall, I just find it pretty inoffensive.

...Of course, even being what it is, there are several things that they could've done better. For one thing, half the time the Martian's green hair just doesn't look that green. I mean, come on, it's pretty lame to not be able to get even THAT right. Plus, I found it kind of weird that NO one EVER brought up the fact that Superman is an alien. Of course, it's also fairly typical for this show - they almost never mention the fact that Superman is an E.T. outside of the opening. For the most part, I don't mind that and even kind of like it, but here it just seems a little strange.

Overall, obviously not a great episode, but in a sense it's "not that bad" by the virtue of the fact that it's just so silly and it's clearly not trying to be anything else. Plus, it's fairly humorous and even endearing in some ways.

Good Episode

[gwoodams-68934 · 8/10 · 11 January 2021]

Mister Zero is a Lovable Character Showing how bad Martians can be.

So Incredibly Bad, It's Great!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 27 December 2006]

The Department of Defense calls Perry White at the Daily Planet, asking to see if Perry can get a hold of Superman. He's needed to help find a UFO that looks a rocket and has disappeared.

The next thing we know Jimmy Olsen is lounging all alone in Clark Kent's office when a little man in a flying saucer outfit appears at Kent's desk. The little guy says to Olsen - I'm not kidding here - "Take me to your leader!"

A minute later, Kent enters the room. The spaceman tells him he's from Mars. "It's a best place there ever could be," he says to Clark. He explains that he's been banished from Mars because he was considered "measely" and kind of useless. He also was too short. Everyone in Mars is 5 feet, 2, he said, and he's 5 feet, one and three-quarters," so he was booted off the planet. His name is "Mr. Zero-Zero-Zero-Minus One."

Need I go on?

It gets a lot crazier, believe it or not. This might be the goofiest and dumbest episode ever in the six-year history of the program. It IS funny, however, with genuinely funny lines and scenes. That's the charm of it - it's so bad, it's good! You just can't believe what you're was watching! On an intelligence scale this would be like the title - a big zero - but on the entertainment level, it rates a 10. It's hilariously bad.

Great Under-Rated Episode!

[dweilermg-1 · 10/10 · 20 May 2020]

I consider Mister Zero a wonderful heart-warming episode that I enjoyed as a child. TAOS was aimed at the kiddy audience. I cannot understand why so many despise this episode. ☺

A low point for the series

[Scott351w2001 · 1/10 · 18 November 2006]

This episode was the worst of the entire series. In fact, it's so bad, it's embarrassing to watch. The story is about a martian, "Mr. Zero", who is banished from Mars for being a quarter inch shorter than the other martians. His rocket crash lands on earth,presumably in the American west. Next thing we know, he's standing in The Daily Planet office. (How did this naive martian know to go there? Mr. Zero inadvertently helps the bad guys with his "paralyzing finger". When he realizes he's been helping the crooks, he uses his power to help catch them. He is then allowed to return to Mars, for doing his good deed.

This episode was obviously aimed at kids, but even from a kids perspective, its awful. The dialog is terrible...when Mr. Zero appears out of nowhere at the Planet, he says to Jimmy "take me to your leader" This episode is also one of the most cartoonish of the series, with the bad guys named "Georgie Gleep", and "Slouchy McGoon", and the dumbest special effect of all time...people freezing still when he points at them.(Bet that was real expensive to do)

How sad that this great series had deteriorated into a cartoonish kiddy show by the time it went to color. I only wish that George Reeves, who I've read was not happy with the change in tone of the later episodes, would have demanded the return of Jackson Gillis, Ben Peter Freeman, and the other writers responsible for those great scripts of the first two seasons. After all, they already had the best Superman/Clark Kent(Reeves), Lois Lane(Phyllis Coates), Jimmy Olsen(Jack Larson)and perry White(John Hamilton) If only the writing would have kept pace.

...........Being a Tribute and a Landmark on the Roadmap of 1950's Sci-Fi, Humor and Pop Culture!

[redryan64 · 5/10 · 28 January 2009]

PORTRAYAL of characters from outside of our Mother Earth's boundaries and her normal areas of life, human or otherwise, has long been a staple of the Comic Book story. Strictly speaking, the whole SUPERMAN Feature falls into this category; when one considers that Superman's origin is being a man from another world, the doomed Planet Krypton.

REMEMBERING that this last survivor of the doomed world is the heroic centerpiece of the story, we can grant both Superman as well as the entire Comics Feature/Comic Strip a waiver on this classification.

MOVING on to find some examples of this category, we cite the Comics stories that feature the character of Mr. Mxyzptlk. For anyone not familiar with the impish little man from the 5th Dimension, let's try to get you up to speed.

IN a nutshell, Mr. Mxyzptlk comes to our world more or less at will; but can be made to return to his own world by saying or even spelling his name backwards. The character has been around the Superman stories from nearly the beginning. He is strictly magical in a science fiction/fantasy world. He is said to have been inspired by both Bugs Bunny as well as that Joe Btfsplk, 'World's Worst Jinx' character from Al Capp's LIL ABNER Comic Strip.

ALTHOUGH he is an enemy for the Man of Steel to deal with; albeit an obviously non-lethal opponent whose very existence was always intended as what the guys who make the movies call "Comic Relief." MXYZPTLK made multiple appearances in the Saturday Morning cartoons' entry THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (National Comics-D.C./Filmation Associates/CBS, 1966); as well as SUPERBOY (Alexander Salkind/Cantharus/Lowry Productions/Viacom, 1988-92), where he was portrayed most handily by talented actor of the Stage and Screen, Mr. Michael J. Pollard. (He portrayed "C.W. Moss in BONNIE AND CLYDE (Warner Brothers-7 Arts, 1967)

ALTHOUGH this little pixie-like, extra-worldly Superman Antagonist was never portrayed on the original SUPERMAN Show, we offer evidence that many a story could easily have been of comic books derivation. With a little tune-up or tweaking in the right direction, today's subject, 'Mr. Zero', could have easily been the first on a TV screen adaptation of a Superman foe from the printed page.*

IN a variation on the Hans Christian Anderson UGLY DUCKLING fable, the story has the diminutive Martian with the long serial number coming to Earth after feeling himself to be a failure among his own people on our neighboring Red Planet, Mars.

DUBBED "Mr. Zero" by the Daily Planet staff, he displays a fascination with Miss Lois Lane (Noel Neill of course). After Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Jimmy Olsen leave the little guy alone, he is soon encountered by criminal gang boss, Georgie Gleep (Herb Vigran), who manipulates the Martian into using his power of pointing gesture, which renders a subject paralyzed, as a weapon for pulling off Bank Jobs without the use of gunplay.

THE GLEEP Gang has fed the Alien the lie that the Banks have Miss Lane's personal fortune and that the gangsters were aiding her; sort of like being a damsel in distress.

IN the end, there is of course, an old fashioned happy ending; with Mr. Zero having been reinstated with the folks back home.

THE 'Mr. Zero' episode was another one of those more 'child friendly' installments of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. It will surely be appreciated by the youngsters in the audience and give some Chuckles to the grown-ups. (No, Schultz! These Chuckles are little laughs, not the Candy! **)

NOTE: * One of the true shortcomings of this original SUPERMAN TV Series is it's lack of adaptation of his Comic Book foes from page to screen; which was the mainstay of the later BATMAN Series (Greenway/20th Century-Fox, 1966-68). In addition to Mr. Mxyzptlk, Superman had the likes of Prankster, Puzzler, Toyman and the evil scientific genius, Luthor. Luthor had been featured in the Movie Serial ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN (Columbia, 1950). He was portrayed by screen veteran and former Leading Man, Lyle Talbot.

NOTE ** Remember the old commercial for those brightly colored orange, green, black, red and yellow jellied candies that wenta somethin lika thisa: " ….Five Chuckles, Five Flavors, Five Cents!" A nickel was a nickel in those days!

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

My Least Favorite Martian

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 13 February 2015]

A Martian is banished to earth because he is a quarter inch shorter than others on his planet. He wanders into the Daily Planet offices, asking to see their leader. He is a naive little guy (actually a little person with green hair) and he is sent down the lane by a couple of crooks. He is attracted to Lois and the guys use his affection toward her to manipulate him. He has one talent; if he point his finger at someone, they totally freeze. He helps rob banks, pointing at the tellers, thinking they have their hands on Lois's money (he's afraid she won't be able to afford food). It's an education for the little guy, but we know that eventually Superman is going to get his hooks on these guys. The episode is another sad effort put together for a lowest common denominator.