The late 70s was an exciting time in TV production and Marvel‘s witty, angst ridden, everyman superhero was ripe for live action adaptation. With that in mind, it’s hard to understand how the producer’s took a vibrant and exciting character and turned him into a farcical, Marcel Marceau knock off.

Written by someone who had clearly never read Spiderman, the series is far removed from the well known, wisecracking, web-slinging, super villain baiting/beating comic book character. For a start he is nearly always mute whilst in costume, which lessens the impact of a well timed witticism, his web-slinging too is impeded by stunts and special effects which, even by the standards of the day, are man-on-a-fishing-wire poor. His most challenging villains are basically goons, the most memorable being a cross-dressing coin thief. In fact. generally the show’s criminals just need a good talking too, if only Spidey could be more vocal through his cheap spandex and velco mask.

The main problem seems to be, that in costume Spidermanlooks like a dispossessed tramp in an technicolor romper suit, leering from wires at passers-by, desperately trying to spread his web over them. Stan Lee reportedly hated this bastardisation of his creation…nuff said.

Dr Strange (1978)“None of us is ever alone.“