Remembering: The Spectacular Spider-Man

Ever since 1967, every generation has had their own childhood defining Spider-Man cartoon. The one cartoon that when you reach the heady heights if adulthood, they become the one constant in your life that you crave for the moments that you hark back to, like those long forgotten summers that Bryan Adams used to sing about.

Mine was that already mentioned '67' series, I'd sit there waiting for it to come on. admittedly i was watching it on Uk television some 11 years after it had originally aired in the US. it's the little things in life you end up clinging to you know.

After all it was watching that series at the age of five that shaped me into the man I am today. and yet in all the years that followed there have only been two other Spider-Man Cartoon series' that made me feel they way that '67'cartoon did. The first being the much acclaimed mid-nineties series' Spider-Man The animated series that show, under the guidance of producer and show runner John Semper Jr, was the most Spider-Man like from the comics in fact that was the charm of that series' that, the storylines were adapted from actual story arcs of the books. It saw Peter at college having to juggle studies with Spider-Man duties and for the first time for Spider-Man cartoon's had a wide and varied supporting cast, giving Tv debuts to characters such as Mary Jane Watson, Felica Hardy, Robbie Robertson. The style of the series was also a step forward from previous cartoons of the character, in the sense that each episode wasn't a self contained story, each played a significant role in a season long arc giving the viewer more of a soap-opera affinity to the show. 

It was that aspect that helped the show to grow and in most people eye's the 90's animated series is in many lists as being the best Spider-Man cartoon created , due to the feel the look and the brilliant writing and thinking into adapting previous or current storyline into episodes. For many people it was their first introduction to Spider-Man and one that got them into the comics. Even if it was only to find out more about characters such as Venom and Carnage.



That was the other innovative aspect to the 90's show. As previous Spider-Man cartoon shows would have one or two of the fan-favourite villains appear but fill the rest of the season out with non-entities like Video Man from Spider-Man And his Amazing Friends. or over-rely on using Doctor Doom. from the 1981 Series 'Spider-Man. 

The 90's animated series was a ground-breaker in the sense that that show paved the way for the Spider-Man cartoons that followed, including the much maligned and derided Spider-Man Unlimited Which ran for 13 episodes before being cancelled. 

But the show that most benefited from  the steps taken by the 90's series was the 2008-2009 incarnation of Spidey that aired on the kids network CW. The Spectacular Spider-Man. The fresh inventive look followed a similar format to the 90's series, although taken it one step further back and bringing us a Peter Parker recently endowed with his Spider-Powers. whilst still attending High School, and again adapting story arc's first penned by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. 
  
The Spectacular Spider-Man was announced by Kids' WB Senior Vice President and General Manager Betsy McGowen and Sony Pictures Television Co-President Zack Van Amburg in March 2007. The show was planned by the producers for 65 episodes, mirroring the 90's animated series which to date is still the longest running Spider-Man animated show. However The Spectacular Spider-Man only ran for 26 episodes

The thing that made this series so good was we followed Peter Parker through a year of School, over two seasons of the show. There was indeed intended to be a third season where a darker turn was to be taken, including an adaptation of the storyline "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" although, whether or not that has any truth to the rumour will forever remain in Executive Producer and show runner Greg Weismann's head. 

Weismann has stated though that in any third season, the villains that were set to feature had been set up previously in season two and Hydro-Man, Hobgoblin, Scorpion were set to make their bow. there would also had been introductions to characters such as Jean DeWolffe and Stan Carter. The latter being later revealed as "The SIn-Eater" 

Since the cancellation on the show which much like its 1990's counter-part also ended on a cliff-hanger. there have been a number of calls for the show to somehow been brought back to air. Especially as a lot of fans aren't too enamored with the show's replacement the childish and outright inferior Ultimate Spider-Man.

Which came about after Sony sold the animation rights back to Marvel studio's in 2009, but managed to retain the rights to some of the show's elements. This, in the words of Greg Weismann makes it highly unlikely that The Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon could return in some form later down the line. 

Therefore we the fans may have to just make do in the time being with the Dvd's and the odd clip or episode on Youtube. whilst hoping, along with the cast and crew. That maybe this series. could yet one day return to our screens. 

Until that time I'll leave you with this. Enjoy.

Have you any memories you'd like to share regarding the Spectacular Spider-Man?  why not comment below. or click the button to follow on google+ or follow on twitter @TelFirth for blog updates or additionally Join our Facebook Page The Man who Collects Spider-Man

Thanks For Reading.