Spidey Super Stories (1974)
Synopsis
A live-action, recurring skit on the PBS children's television series The Electric Company. Episodes featured the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, provided to the Children's Television Workshop free of charge, and was played by puppeteer and dancer Danny Seagren. Stories involved the masked superhero foiling mischievous characters who were involved in petty criminal activities. The cast of The Electric Company played the roles of the various characters in each story, with another serving as narrator. In many of these sketches, viewers were addressed as "true believers." Unlike other live-action and cartoon productions of Spider-Man, this version of the web-slinging hero did not speak out loud, instead communicating only with word balloons, in order to encourage young viewers to practice their reading skills because he was drawn without a mouth. He also never appeared out of his costume as Peter Parker and, given the series' budget limitations, used his web-shooters sparingly.
First Air Date: 1974-10-21
Last Air Date: 1974-11-07
Number of Seasons: 3
Number of Episodes: 29
Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Networks: PBS
Top Cast
- Danny Seagren as Spider-Man
- Skip Hinnant as Mr. Measles
- Morgan Freeman as Easy Reader
- Jim Boyd as Werewolf
- Hattie Winston as The Thumper
- Judy Graubart as Funny Bunny
- Luis Ávalos as Unnamed citizen
- Melanie Henderson as POTUS
Seasons
Season 1 (1974)
Approximately one dozen "Spidey Super Stories" segments were produced during The Electric Company's 1974–1975 season.
Episodes:
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Ep. 1: Spidey Meets the Spoiler
The first "Spidey Super Stories" segment. Spidey links clues to the Spoiler (Skip Hinnant), a mischievous villain who aims to spoil people's fun. Spidey defeats him, but the victory is bittersweet: A wall got spoiled when Spidey knocks the Spoiler through it. The opening shot cover features the Spoiler leaping at Spidey. Spider-Man also appeared in the opening sequence of the actual episode (Season 4 premiere). In the scene, Easy Reader (Morgan Freeman) announced to J. Arthur Crank (Jim Boyd) that Spider-Man would be a new recruit on The Electric Company, but Crank only found the idea to be nonsense. However, it isn’t until the real Spider-Man comes and steals Crank’s comic book behind his back, having Crank to believe that Easy stole it.
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Ep. 2: A Night at the Movies
Count Dracula (Morgan Freeman) plans to bite the neck of an unsuspecting moviegoer (Judy Graubart). Spidey is able to foil Dracula's plans. Count Dracula (based on the Bram Stoker character) was a regular character on The Electric Company, appearing in skits with the Werewolf (Jim Boyd) and Frankenstein's monster (Skip Hinnant). It was episode 9B's sketch of the day.
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Ep. 3: Spider-Man Meets the Evil Dr. Fly
Dr. Fly (Luis Avalos), a mutated half-human, half-fly plans to turn the world's inhabitants into the same type of mutant. He disguises himself as a vendor to distribute hot dogs laced with a formula of fleas, flies and other insects. Spidey saves a customer (Jim Boyd) from eating a tainted hot dog and traps Dr. Fly in his web, but gets a ticket from a police officer (Morgan Freeman) for operating Dr. Fly's pushcart without a license.
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Ep. 4: Spidey Up Against the Wall
At a New York Mets baseball game, a mutated half-human, half-wall creature (Jim Boyd) sneaks up behind outfielder "Gumbo" Grace Ivy (Skip Hinnant) and causes him to miss a routine fly ball. The umpire (Morgan Freeman) is also knocked down. Spidey catches the Wall, but is ejected from the ballpark because spectators are not allowed on the field. The opening screenshot shows the Wall bumping Spidey.
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Ep. 5: Spider-Man Meets the Can Crusher
Long ago, a young boy visited a soup factory, but lost his pet frog in a vat of tomato soup. As an adult, the Can Crusher (Jim Boyd, sporting a Don King-type hairdo, a large red nose and wearing a black jumpsuit) visits supermarkets to find the can where his beloved frog may be, smashing them with a large hammer, causing a disturbance and a food shortage whenever he destroys cans in his vain efforts. Spidey is called on to help, and the Can Crusher disguises himself as the store manager. Spider-Man initially smashes the Can Crusher into a can display, but the Can Crusher retaliates and returns the blow, knocking Spidey unconscious. After his victory, the Can Crusher tells the viewer his story as told above, then escapes. Spidey then comes to and begins to contemplate how to defeat the Can Crusher the next time.
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Ep. 6: Spidey Meets the Funny Bunny
Once an ordinary girl until a bully sat on her Easter basket, a woman dressed in an Easter Bunny costume (Judy Graubart) sets out to steal other children's Easter baskets. She plans to disrupt the annual Easter Egg roll at the White House. Spidey is tipped off and sets a trap that catches her. The role of the president is played by Melanie Henderson, who is believed to be one of the first African-American actresses to play the role of a U.S. president on television
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Ep. 7: Meet Dr. Fright
Dr. Fright (Skip Hinnant) is a monster who has a face so frighteningly ugly that he conceals it beneath an oversized stovepipe hat. He uses this to terrify victims, robbing them when they become frozen in fright. He plans to freeze Spidey, but Spidey instead freezes Dr. Fright by holding up a mirror.
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Ep. 8: Meet Mr. Measles
Mr. Measles (Skip Hinnant), armed with a large bag of measles-causing spots, plans to spread a worldwide epidemic. He infects several people, but Spidey catches him before a large-scale outbreak happens. However, Spidey becomes ill with the measles himself.
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Ep. 9: Spidey Jumps the Thumper
The Thumper (Hattie Winston) was a spoiled little rich girl who did not get a yellow pony for her birthday. Turning to a life of crime after the cake and ice cream, the Thumper fancies herself as Napoleon Bonaparte. She assaults two citizens (Luis Avalos and Skip Hinnant) with an oversized boxing glove hidden inside her coat a la Napoleon's famous pose. Spidey catches her, but he too is thumped. He regains his senses and traps her in his web. The opening screenshot shows the Thumper landing a blow on Spidey.
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Ep. 10: Spidey and the Queen Bee
A half-human, half-bee mutant named The Queen Bee (Hattie Winston) plots to rule the world. Her underlings are also mutated bee-human creatures (played by Skip Hinnant and Judy Graubart). She plans to release a deadly bee named Fang to sting and kill whomever stands in her way. Spidey tracks her down to her giant hive and foils her plans by webbing her minion, the Beekeeper (Luis Avalos), but not before Fang is released. The other mutated bee-humans sting Spidey repeatedly while she escapes. Spidey, covered with sting marks, eventually escapes the hive and is in pursuit of Queen Bee and Fang as the story ends.
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Ep. 11: Little Miss Muffett
Based on the nursery rhyme. Spidey comes to the rescue of the title character (Hattie Winston) after a large spider terrorizes her. However, Spidey recognizes the spider (a large prop) as an uncle of his, and as they become friends, Miss Muffett leaves in disgust.
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Ep. 12: The Bookworm
Easy Reader (Morgan Freeman) is helping his girlfriend, Valerie (Hattie Winston) sort books at the library, when they notice large holes in the books. They try to beat back a large bookworm (a purple and green-striped sock-puppet) by throwing books at it. Spidey arrives in time, but the Bookworm escapes his web. The opening screenshot shows Spidey attempting to stop the Bookworm from eating a book.
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