The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)
The second live-action TV series featuring a Marvel character.
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American superhero television series based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It is the second live-action television series appearance of a Marvel character, following Spidey Super Stories. The series aired on CBS from September 14, 1977 to July 6, 1979.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Superhero
- Director
- Don McDougall Ron Satlof
- Creator
- Alvin Boretz
- Based on
- Spider-Man
- Stan Lee
- Steve Ditko
- Starring
- Nicholas Hammond
- Robert F. Simon
- Chip Fields
- Ellen Bry
- Theme music
- Stu Phillips; Dana Kaproff
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Cast and characters
Nicholas Hammond portrayed Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Robert F. Simon played J. Jonah Jameson, a role originated by David White in the pilot TV movie. Chip Fields appeared as Rita Conway, a renamed version of the comics character Glory Grant, possibly in tribute to writer Gerry Conway. Michael Pataki played Capt. Barbera in the first season, and Ellen Bry played Julie Masters in the second season; both characters are original to the series. Hilly Hicks played Robbie Robertson in the pilot but the character was not retained. Aunt May appeared in two episodes, played by Jeff Donnell in the pilot and by Irene Tedrow in the episode “Night of the Clones.”
Production
Marvel publisher Stan Lee sold CBS the rights to produce a prime time live-action Spider-Man series, produced by Daniel R. Goodman. Nicholas Hammond was cast as Spider-Man, with stunts performed by stunt coordinator Fred Waugh. Lee and Goodman clashed over the series' direction; Lee described it as "too juvenile." Although set in New York City, the series was mostly filmed in Los Angeles. It began as a 90-minute backdoor pilot broadcast in September 1977 and released theatrically internationally. The pilot earned CBS its highest rating of the year, but concerns about weak adult demographics led to a limited five-episode order. Those episodes debuted strongly, making the series the 19th-highest-rated show of the season, but CBS remained reluctant to commit to a regular time slot due to high production costs and continued underperformance with older audiences.
Episodes
For VHS release, several episodes were spliced into pairs: "Night of the Clones and Escort to Danger," "A Matter of State and Photo Finish," and "The Con Caper and The Curse of Rava." New bridging scenes set at the Daily Bugle were filmed to connect the unrelated stories in each release; these scenes were never broadcast. The pilot and two episode pairs were released internationally as movies by Columbia Pictures: Spider-Man, Spider-Man Strikes Back, and Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge.
Revival attempt
In a 2002 interview, Nicholas Hammond revealed plans for a 1984 reunion film teaming the cast with that of The Incredible Hulk, with Hammond in the black Spider-Man costume. Bill Bixby was to direct and reprise his role as David Banner. Universal cancelled the project; Hammond was told Lou Ferrigno was unavailable due to filming Hercules in Italy, but Ferrigno stated in his autobiography that he was never contacted and was available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)?
The Amazing Spider-Man was created by Alvin Boretz.
How many episodes of The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series) are there?
The Amazing Spider-Man has 13 episodes across 2 seasons.
More in Television Series by Sony Pictures Television
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