Superhero Films – The Amazing Spider-Man (1977)
A look at the 1977 television pilot The Amazing Spider-Man that began the tv series about the adventures of Marvel’s famous superhero
Marvel Comics’ famous wall-crawler gets his first live-action television series!
Brainy college student Peter Parker (Nicholas Hammond) has his world turn upside down when a radioactive spider bites him. What a nuisance. Gradually Peter discovers that bite has given him super powers.
Before long he lands a photographer job at the Daily Bugle, is climbing up walls, swinging from some durable webbing he’s concocted and catching bad guys. Yep, sounds like the good old Spider-Man we all know and love.
Kicking off with a two-hour origin movie, The Amazing Spider-Man continued to air for the next two television seasons, mainly consisting of one-hour episodes. Unfortunately, Spidey wouldn’t get a chance to face any of his major villains from the comics during his time on the tube.
A limited budget and some hokey special effects didn’t alienate young fans from tuning in to see their hero swing around town. In comparison with today, 1977’s Spidey might look quaint and cheesy, but back in the day he was ‘Must See TV’ for any young superhero fan.
Here I take a look at the TV movie pilot that started things off. Hammond stars with a supporting cast that would be replaced one the series began.
Superhero Films – Chap. 7 The Amazing Spider-Man (1977) from HaphazardStuff on Vimeo.
While not an embarassment to the Spider-Man legacy, this show was definitely a half hearted attempt. Budget restrictions aside, this show never even TRIED to capture the feel of the comics. It wasn't that the producers couldn't afford to do it up big so much as it seems they just didn't grasp the concept.