Spider-Man television series
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Spider-Man has appeared on television numerous times, in both live-action and animated television programs.
[edit] The series
[edit] Spider-Man - 1967 animated series
The first animated series was simply titled Spider-Man, and ran on ABC from 1967 to 1970. The show's first season was produced by Grantray-Lawrence Animation, which soon went bankrupt. In 1968, animator Ralph Bakshi took over. Bakshi's episodes, which suffered from extremely low budgets, were stylized and featured dark ominous settings and pervasive background music. One episode reused complete background animation, characters, and storyline from an episode of Rocket Robin Hood. The series may be best remembered for its theme song. The background underscore is wildly popular in many circles, and a cult of fans have devoted a great deal of time to unearthing the whereabouts of the hard to find background music and exposing its virtues. [1] Spider-Man was voiced by Paul Soles. [2]
Spider-Man also made two guest appearances in the Spider-Woman animated series, where he was also voiced by Soles.
[edit] The Electric Company - Spidey Super Stories
Spider-Man was also an occasional character in the 1970s children's educational show The Electric Company which presented brief tales using a combination of animation and live action called the Spidey Super Stories. In addition, in the educational spirit of the series, Spider-Man (portrayed by Danny Seagren) communicates only in word balloons for the viewer to read. Comic book adaptations of these stories were included in a companion kids-oriented comic book, Spidey Super Stories, published by Marvel.[3]
[edit] Spider-Man - 1978 live action series
In 1977, a short-lived live action television series was produced called The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond in the title role. Although the series earned good ratings, fans complained about its low-budget production values and its writing, which neither followed the comics' spirit nor provided adventures that were distinctively appropriate for the character. It also suffered from a sporadic broadcast schedule. The CBS Television Network cancelled it, along with Wonder Woman, to avoid being called "the superhero network." Several episodes from this series were released as full-length motion pictures outside the U.S. Three movies were released overseas, including Spider-Man (the original TV-movie pilot from 1977), Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978), and The Dragon's Challenge (1981).
[edit] Spider-Man - 1978 tokusatsu series
In 1978, a Spider-Man live-action tokusatsu series was produced for Japanese television by Toei Company. Due to a request by Bandai that the show include giant robots and vehicles, it was not a faithful adaptation. Instead of Peter Parker, Spider-Man is Takuya Yamashiro (山城拓也 Yamashiro Takuya?). It was not related to the Manga Spider-Man from 1970. This show is notable for introducing the convention to use human controlled mecha or 'Giant Robot' to battle other giants, and was a predecessor of the Super Sentai series, adapted to English as Power Rangers.
[edit] Spider-Man - 1981 animated series
In 1981, with the creation of the animation studio Marvel Productions Ltd., Marvel endeavored to translate more of their comic characters to television. To garner the attention of the major networks, Marvel first created a new syndicated Spider-Man cartoon that was partially based on the old 1960s show. The strategy worked, and NBC became interested in having their own Spider-Man cartoon.
[edit] Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends - 1981 animated series
Towards this end the cartoon series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends was created for NBC featuring Spider-Man, Iceman of the X-Men, and a new character, Firestar. Actor Dan Gilvezan gave voice to this incarnation of the wall-crawler. This series also featured a number of Marvel guest stars, and shared many of its character designs with the solo Spider-Man show produced just before it.
[edit] Spider-Man - 1994 animated series
In 1994, Spider-Man: The Animated Series was made for the Fox Network, (to accompany their X-Men series) with Christopher Daniel Barnes providing the webslinger's voice. This series had a bigger budget and used a novel system of one large story arc per season developed by John Semper. As a result each of the individual 65 episodes (starting with Season 2) were called "chapters." This series more closely reflected the comic book as it focused on the personal conflict Peter Parker felt as Spider-Man, instead of following the action-oriented shows that preceded it. This was the longest Spider-Man series, with 65 episodes in five seasons. [4]
[edit] Spider-Man Unlimited - 1999 animated series
In 1999, an animated series named Spider-Man Unlimited was developed for Fox (intended to be an Expanded Universe final season of the 1994 show) in which Spider-Man is transported to an animated Counter-Earth inspired by the one created by the High Evolutionary in early 1970s comics. This series was cancelled after one season. Here Spidey was voiced by Rino Romano.[5]
[edit] Spider-Man: The New Animated Series - 2003 animated series
In 2003, another television series adaptation, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series this time using computer animation was produced by Mainframe Entertainment for Sony Pictures Television and broadcast on MTV; it featured characters and continuity from the 2002 Spider-Man film, as well as the character Kingpin as depicted in the Daredevil movie. This series lasted 13 episodes. Spider-Man was voiced by Neil Patrick Harris.
[edit] The Amazing Spider-Man - 2008 animated series
Spider-Man swings back into television action in early 2008 as an animated series from Culver Entertainment to air on Kids' WB! on The CW, it was announced by Kids' WB! Senior Vice President and General Manager Betsy McGowen and Sony Pictures Television Co-President Zack Van Amburg.
Tentatively titled "The Amazing Spider-Man", the new series is being produced by Culver Entertainment. Greg Weisman (Gargoyles, The Batman) is supervising producer, Victor Cook (Hellboy: Blood and Iron and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command) is producer/supervising director. The series will premiere on Kids' WB! on The CW, the No.1 rated Saturday morning kids broadcast slate.
"The addition of 'Spider-Man' bolsters a lineup that has proved to be the Saturday morning destination for kids seeking action and adventure in the most amped-up ways," McGowen said. "We're ecstatic to welcome 'Spider-Man' to our popular cavalcade of super heroes."
"Spider-Man is such an important brand for Sony Pictures and we're thrilled to keep the momentum going by taking it back to television with an animated series on Kids' WB!," Van Amburg said. "It's also an excellent way to launch Culver Entertainment, our newest television company."
Riding the crest of Sony's anticipated summer blockbuster Spider-Man 3, the new animated series picks up the original web-slinger's mythology at the beginning of his hero's journey - as a not-so-typical 16-year-old entering his junior year of high school. Having spent the summer engaging common criminals with his new-found powers, Peter Parker must conceal his secret identity while engaging a new level of terror - the multi-leveled pressures of teenage life at home and school while combating bigger, badder super-villains in the real world.
"Our goal is to reinterpret these great characters and concepts for our millennium," Weisman said. "We'll have plenty of resonant material for the Spider-Man fan, while engaging the Spider-Man novice with the same thrills we experienced when we were first exposed to the character. Our stories will appeal on multiple levels with plenty of eye-candy, action, humor and colorful characters for the youngest demographic balanced with extensive character development for 'tweens, teens and adults."
| Spider-Man | ||
|---|---|---|
| Publications | Main continuity: Amazing Fantasy • The Amazing Spider-Man The Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) • Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man • Astonishing Spider-Man • Spider-Man Family Other continuities: Ultimate Spider-Man • Marvel Adventures Spider-Man • Spider-Girl • Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Spider-Man: Reign |
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| Television | Spider-Man (1967) • Spidey Super Stories (1974, live action) • Amazing Spider-Man (1978, live action) • Supaidāman (1978 - Japanese) • Spider-Man (1981) •Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981) • Spider-Man (1994) •Spider-Man Unlimited (1999) • Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) • The Amazing Spider-Man (2008) | |
| Films | Spider-Man (2002) • Spider-Man 2 (2004) • Spider-Man 3 (2007) | |
| Other topics | ||
| Fictional history of Spider-Man • Spider-Man supporting characters • Spider-Man villains • Spider-Man's powers and equipment • Video games • Alternate versions of Spider-Man • Spider-Man in other media |
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