Television Reviews : Superman Special Due on Channel 2

Faster than a Henny Youngman joke. More powerful than a 12-episode mini-series. Able to leap from comedy to history in a single bound. That’s “Superman’s 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel,” an absolutely super show airing tonight on CBS (8 p.m., Channels 2 and 8).

Based on the fact that the big guy in the silly suit first appeared in a Feb. 29, 1938 issue of a comic book, this special could have wound up looking like an hourlong commercial for various Superman products, including those big-budget ‘80s movies/videos.

Instead “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Productions has created a delightful and frequently irreverent 60 minutes of nostalgia and nonsense.

This is a very entertaining mock-serious tribute that cleverly strings together scenes from every one of Superman’s star vehicles and frames them with terrific comedy turns from “citizens of Metropolis,” fellow super-heroes and others.

Among those taking part in the fun are host Dana Carvey, Hal Holbrook (doing a one-man show about Superman, natch), Peter Boyle, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Ellen Greene, Brian Doyle Murray, Lou Reed, Fred Willard, Ralph Nader (warning criminals who want to sap Superman’s powers to look out for “fraudulent” Kryptonite).

You may still not believe a man can fly after watching “Superman’s 50th Anniversary,” but you’ll be sure he can laugh.