Spider-Man TV (1977) (Introduction)

In: TV Shows

Title Level: SM Core Title

AKA: Spider-Man: Live Action TV Series

AKA: Spider-Man TV (1970s)

AKA: Spider-Man TV (1970s) Series

Introduction

1: Season 1

2: Season 2

The Spider-Man TV series consisted of a pilot, and thirteen subsequent episodes which aired haphazardly over two seasons on CBS between 1977 and 1979. Several of the shows were edited to make three movies, as indicated. The story was only loosely based on the comics. The villains were all newly created, and most of the cast was re-invented.

Apparently, CBS was reluctant to commit to a regular time-slot, as they didn't want to become known as "The Super-Hero Channel", since they were running a glut of Super-Hero movies and TV series at the time. The program wasn't pulling good numbers, and it was canned before it really hit its stride.

Stan Lee himself is on the record as having said he did not like the show, finding it boring and one-dimensional.

Cast Information

The core cast was was rather small compared to the comic cast from which it was taken. Aunt May didn't feature heavily. Jonah Jameson didn't appear in the pilot. Judy Tyler was added as a fellow reporter for romantic interest, and had no real equivalent in the comics.

      Peter Parker/Spider Man   - Nicholas Hammond
      Judy Tyler                - Lisa Elibacher
      Julie Masters             - Ellen Bry
      Major Collins             - Ted Danson
      Captain Barbera           - Michael Pataki
      J. Jonah Jameson          - Robert F. Simon
      Aunt May                  - Irene Tedrow
      Rita Conway               - Chip Fields
      Executive Producer        - Charles W. Fries
      Executive Producer        - Daniel R. Goodman
      Producer                  - Robert Janes
      Producer                  - Ron Satlof
      Original Music            - Dana Kaproff
      Original Music            - Stu Phillips (also theme)
      Original Music            - Johnnie Spence
      Written by                - Alvin Boretz