Spider-Man Through the Ages will take you across Spider-Man on TV. Each of the 10 TV series will be looked at in-deep detail ranging fron 1967 to 2008.
Be here every Monday as the Soothsayer Never Sleeps goes Spidey crazy!
THE CLASSIC TV SERIES
SPIDER-MAN (1967) (aka The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man)
Lifespan: 1967-1970
Number of episodes: 52
Who played Spider-Man: Paul Soles
Review: This was an epic undertaking to accomplish in 1967. The series went through tons of delay a hectic schedule. But underneath all that and tons of reused B-Roll the series still created some classic Spider-Man moments and not to mention that iconic theme song.
Best episode: Menace from the Bottom of the World (directed by Ralph Bakshi)
Silliest Episode: Criminals in the Clouds
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
ELECTRIC COMPANY (1974)
Lifespan: 1974-1977
Number of episodes: 390
Who played Spider-Man: Danny Seagren
Review: The Electric Company was always a favorite for me growing up because it was like Sesame Street except it had Spider-Man on it. Plus those thought balloons were priceless. Yes, all the episodes were extremely goofy but Spidey’s Super Stories in the Electric Company Magazine was a lot of fun. An interesting bit of trivia, who played Spider-Man the longest and for the most episodes? EC’s Danny Segren. According to IMDB, Danny disappeared from Hollywood after playing Spidey.
Best episode: Not sure.
Silliest Episode: All of them.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
SPIDER-MAN (1978) aka Supaidaman or Japanese Spider-Man
Lifespan: 1978-1979
Number of episodes: 41
Who played Spider-Man: Takuya Yamashiro
Review: This version of the Spider-Man was created by the Toei Corporation, infamous for bringng the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to North America. What is funny is that this Spider-Man show is almost a direct descendent of MMPR. Spider-Man faced off against his most lethal foe Professor Monster who would create monsters that look like MMPR’s villains. Another villain was a woman named the Amazoness. Basically the Spidey suit was the only thing Western audiences would recognize.
Best episode: Motion Accessory is a Loveful Beetle Insect Spy
Silliest Episode: All of them.
Rating: 1 out of 5
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1978)
Lifespan: 1977-1979
Number of episodes: 14
Who played Spider-Man: Nicholas Hammond
Review: For the longest time this was the only live-action version of Spider-Man that people recognized. I remember reading countless magazines of this series. How his mask was fitted with discs so you couldn’t see the actor’s eyes. How two 2-part episodes were released as two theatrical movies overseas. I saw the two-parter Chinese Web at a theatre in Singapore. My favorite was always the Night of the Clones episode because it reminded me so much of Six Million Dollar Man and since I saw the series after SMDM I found a connection to that episode. The delays in production and escalating budget kept this series from going for more than one season and various specials. But it was a good attempt even if a white rope was his webbing.
Best episode: Night of the Clones (Funny how it predates the whole Clone Saga in comics by twenty years.)
Silliest Episode: The Kirkwood Haunting
Rating: 3 out of 5
SPIDER-MAN (1981)
Lifespan: 1981-1982
Number of episodes: 26 episodes
Who played Spider-Man: Ted Schwartz
Review: This series was a prequel to Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Same animators and writers. Sadly most of these episodes never aired. This series would have focused more on Spider-Man opposed to how his Amazing Friends focuses more on co-horts. It’s wild how the opening is so close to a copy of Amazing Friends.
Best episode: Doctor Doom: Master of the World
Silliest Episode: Pied Piper of New York
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS (1981)
Lifespan: 1981 to 1983
Number of episodes: 24 episodes
Who played Spider-Man: Dan Gilvezan
Review: Fondly remembered as the 80s Spider-Man cartoon, it was actually a team based cartoon not unlike Marvel Team-Up. The series didn’t focus a lot on Spider-Man but his team members and the oodles of guest-stars. More modern versions of some Marvel characters for the very first time.
Best episode: X-Men Adventure or Quest of the Red Skull
Silliest Episode: Spidey Goes Hollywood
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
