SPINS A WEB...."THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" - SEVENTIES STYLE!

Swinging into danger in Hong Kong, Nicholas Hammond as the 1979 version of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. Image: CBS.

Actor Andrew Garfield, Stunt Co-ordinator Vic Armstrong and Director Marc Webb (an inspired name!) may be bringing MARVEL's most popular super hero to fresh new climes of practical and CGI refined excitement and adrenaline pumping action within the streets of New York (new July 20th teaser trailer here: The Amazing Spiderman - Trailer 1 (HD)‬‏ - YouTube), but I thought it'd be nice to make a special acknowledgement to the equally inventive and enjoyable for its time, if short-lived (13 episodes over two years/seasons), CBS TV series of 1979, starring ex-SOUND OF MUSIC child star Nicholas Hammond in the duel role of photo news journalist Peter Parker, of which he gave a memorable and creditable performance with humour and some vulnerability, and in his alter-ego as the heroic, web spinning Spider-Man in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. The series telling of Peter/Spidey's origins were perfectly well done and the following stunt/wire work and hand to hand combat sequences provided by Fred Waugh, often doubling for our hero as he scaled dangerously real buildings and swung across skyscraper roofs, was pretty good for its time. In the UK and Europe the series makers (Charles Fries and Daniel R. Goodman)  released theatrical versions of the pilot episode, followed by SPIDER-MAN STRIKES BACK (TV episodes: The Deadly Dust) and SPIDER-MAN AND THE DRAGON'S CHALLENGE (TV episode: The Chinese Web), the latter having some noteworthy location filming in Hong Kong (the extra money added to the coffers kittie because they knew going into production that the episode/s were going to be released in theatres overseas, a move done with several other series of the time like UNIVERSAL's BUCK ROGERS and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series). Despite criticisms from MARVEL creator Stan Lee, the series was successful with viewers in the US and worldwide (but axed by CBS because there were too many superheroes shows at that time on the air), and the films, though dated in places nowadays, were equally fun: I always recall being much enthused by them as an ten/eleven year old at my local cinemas and in subsequent episodic airings on the UK's ITV channel every Friday night at about 7.30'ish (a popular viewing time for US TV imports in the seventies and up to the mid-eighties), where they were always talked about by me and my chums in the school playground the following Monday. Sadly, apart from bootlegs online, the series has never been properly released on DVD, so here's hoping that, with the slew of new interest in the Web-slinger next year, it may finally get the dusting down it deserves.

Nicholas Hammond as THE DAILY BUGLE's photo journalist, Peter Parker.

Against the Twin Towers backdrop, a 1977 Spider-Man gets ready for action.

Title sequence 2: The Amazing Spider-Man (1978) - OPENING 2‬‏ - YouTube

It's the same old cliche, but today's kids really have never had it so good with all the things that can be done now in films and TV with regards to stunts and effects, but I hope the new SPIDER-MAN film also delivers a half way decent plot that sustains itself well amongst the origin re-imaginings and high tech visual wonders.

The action packed UK VHS video sleeve poster for THE DRAGON'S CHALLENGE movie release of the early eighties. Image: SONY/COLUMBIA.