Spider-Man: The New Animated Series

For the original animated series, see Spider-Man (1994 TV series).
Spider-Man
Genre Superhero fiction
Action/Adventure
Drama
Created by Stan Lee
Steve Ditko
(characters)
Based on Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Voices of Neil Patrick Harris
Lisa Loeb
Ian Ziering
Angelle Brooks
Keith Carradine
Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris
Composer(s) John Digweed
Nick Muir
William Kevin Anderson
Country of origin United States
Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13
Production
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) Mainframe Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment
Adelaide Productions
Sony Pictures Television
Release
Original network MTV
Original release July 11 – September 12, 2003 (2003-09-12)
Chronology
Preceded by Spider-Man Unlimited
Followed by The Spectacular Spider-Man
External links
Website

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (also known as MTV Spider-Man) is an American animated television series based on the Marvel comic book superhero character Spider-Man. It ran for only one season of 13 episodes, starting on July 11, 2003. It is a loose continuation of 2002's Spider-Man film directed by Sam Raimi.[1] The show was made using computer generated imagery (CGI) rendered in cel shading and was broadcast on MTV, and YTV. Eight months later after the series finale, episodes aired in reruns on ABC Family as part of the Jetix television programming block.

Series overview

The story follows the events of the first Spider-Man film.[2] Norman Osborn is dead. Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, and Harry Osborn attend Empire State University. Peter and Mary Jane try to establish a relationship without success. Peter's superhero duties, and later his involvement with Indira Daimonji, interfere with his romance with Mary Jane. Harry craves revenge on Spider-Man, whom he blames for the death of his father. Peter faces an assortment of other villains including Lizard, Kraven the Hunter and Electro while trying to maintain a job and his studies. He faces two psychic twins that ruin everything in the wallcrawler's life, causing Peter to give up being Spider-Man and try to live a normal life.

Cast and characters

Main voice talents

Recurring voice talents

Guest voice talents

Production

Development

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series was initially supposed to be an adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. However, after the success of 2002's Spider-Man film, the show was reworked to follow that continuity.[2] The series was produced by Brian Michael Bendis, who wrote on Ultimate Spider-Man comics, for Sony Pictures Television, who had purchased the film and television rights to the character. The computer-generated imagery (CGI) was produced by Mainframe Entertainment.[3]

Peter Parker was originally supposed to wear baggier clothes to hide his superhero musculature, but cost-effective difficulties with the CG format prevented folds from being put into his everyday attire. As a result, Peter's street clothes were redesigned to be close-fitting and contemporary, while still managing to hide his physique (and the costume he wore under his clothes) as Spider-Man.[2] The character of Aunt May was not included in the series (except for a photograph in Peter's bedroom), because MTV executives feared that the appearance of any old people would deter their target youth audience from watching.[4]

The producers found that the more relaxed standards of MTV allowed them more creative freedom than usually allowed for a Saturday morning cartoon show.[5]

Cancellation

MTV decided that the ratings for the series were insufficient to warrant a second season, leaving the series to end on a cliffhanger. Director Brandon Vietti stated that had the series gone on he would have used the villains Mysterio, Vulture, and more of Kraven.[2]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Heroes and Villains"Tim EldredMorgan GendelJuly 11, 2003 (2003-07-11)
Spider-Man battles Turbo Jet, a modern-day Robin Hood armed with a homemade propulsion system, who steals from the wealthy and gives to the poor. Spidey's life gets even harder as the public rallies around Turbo Jet – and against Spider-Man.
2"The Sword of Shikata"Brandon ViettiTodd Felderstein & Morgan GendelJuly 18, 2003 (2003-07-18)
The master martial artist/swordswoman Shikata is sent to capture Spider-Man for a wealthy man's collection of rare animals. Shikata determines that Spider-Man is too noble a foe to simply capture and they must fight to the death!
3"Keeping Secrets"Alan CaldwellMarsha GriffinJuly 25, 2003 (2003-07-25)
Spider-Man is out to catch Talon, a female thief who's behind a series of high-risk robberies in the city. Things get complicated when Spidey learns Talon's true identity – she's his best friend Harry's new girlfriend!
4"Tight Squeeze"Vincent EdwardsMorgan GendelAugust 8, 2003 (2003-08-08)
Three ex-KGB agents – now a team of mercenaries called Pterodax – take a group of people hostage, including Peter and his new crush Indy. Their demand is simple: they want Spider-Man! Peter will need to use his cunning and cleverness to figure out a way to appease Pterodax without revealing his alter ego.
5"Law of the Jungle"Audu PadenGreg JohnsonAugust 15, 2003 (2003-08-15)
Peter's professor, Doc Connors, injects himself with reptilian DNA, which slowly changes him into the angry, vengeful Lizard. As the serum affects Doc Connors' brain, Spider-Man must stop his beloved professor as he begins seeking revenge on those who have harmed him – including Harry!
6"Head Over Heels"Brandon ViettiTracey ForbesAugust 22, 2003 (2003-08-22)
Peter Parker's lab partner Christina reads his mind with her new invention: an ESP crown. The crown malfunctions, jolting her own brain with electricity and altering her reality. No longer able to distinguish fantasy from reality, Christina attempts to kill M.J. in order to limit the competition for Spider-Man's eternal affection.
7"Spider-Man Dis-Sabled"Alan CaldwellMorgan Gendel & Rick SuvalleAugust 29, 2003 (2003-08-29)
Peter covers a press conference and inadvertently videotapes incriminating evidence against Silver Sable, an Eastern European assassin for hire. Now she will stop at nothing — including killing Mary Jane, Harry, and Indy — to get the tape back.
8"When Sparks Fly"Vincent EdwardsMorgan GendelSeptember 6, 2003 (2003-09-06)
Electro returns from his seeming death and tries to make Sally, a girl he has a crush on, become an electrical being just like him.And Turn his Best Friend Cole Into An Alien Just Like Him.
9"Royal Scam"Vincent EdwardsRick SuvalleSeptember 13, 2003 (2003-09-13)
Spider-Man is duped by the infamous Kingpin into stealing the TX-1 super-chip, designed to decrypt the confidential satellite transmissions that drive the world's financial markets. Now he must find a way to get it back.
10"The Party"Audu PadenStory by Brian Michael Bendis, Teleplay by Brian Michael Bendis, Morgan Gendel & Marsha GriffinSeptember 20, 2003 (2003-09-20)

Peter Parker's nerdy high-school friend Max is hazed in a deadly fraternity prank that turns him into Electro, a high-voltage villain and mysterio and alien that threatens the campus. Only Spider-Man can stop him from exacting his revenge on the students.

Note: This episode takes place before When Sparks Fly.
11"Flash Memory"Tim EldredWhip Lipsey & Scott LipseySeptember 27, 2003 (2003-09-27)
Dr. Zellner tests his "smart drug" on Peter Parker foe Flash Thompson, and Flash immediately displays dramatic spikes in intellect. However, along with the IQ boost comes a potentially fatal side effect. With only minutes to find an antidote, Zellner takes Flash's suggestion that he experiment on an already intelligent candidate: Peter Parker.
12"Mind Games, Part One"Alan Caldwell, Vincent Edwards, Audu PadenMorgan GendelOctober 3, 2003 (2003-10-03)
The Gaines Twins, a brother and sister with uncanny telepathy, escape from an armored transport convoy, but Spider-Man apprehends them by overcoming their brain blasts with his own superhuman will power. Later, just as Spider-Man reveals to MJ that he's really Peter Parker, Kraven the Hunter confronts Spider-Man. As payback for the years he spent in jail, Kraven attacks MJ with one of his poison darts. Spider-Man rushes to her side too late, as her life slowly slips away. Now, Peter is out for revenge.
13"Mind Games, Part Two"Tim Eldred, Brandon ViettiSteven KriozereOctober 10, 2003 (2003-10-10)
Spider-Man realizes that the diabolical Gaines Twins have brain-blasted him into believing that MJ has died at the hands of Kraven the Hunter. He corners the Twins – but things take a turn for the worse when they once again use their telepathy to trick Spider-Man. This time Indy is seriously wounded. Will guilt cause Peter to hang up his Spider-Man suit forever?

Reception

The series received favorable reviews from critics. In 2004, the series was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production while "Keeping Secrets" got a nomination in Outstanding Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production.[6]

Home video

The complete series was released on DVD as Spider-Man: The New Animated Series: Special Edition on January 13, 2004. Four separate DVD volumes containing three episodes each were also released from 2004 to 2005. The entire series was licensed by Marvel and Sony to DigiKids/Sentimental Journeys, who re-edited the footage from many episodes into one feature, which is sold as a personalized DVD in which the purchaser's face is revealed under Spider-Man's mask.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Spider-Man on TV". IGN. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Spider-Man: the NEW Animated Series episode #1-Heroes and Villains". Spider-Man Crawlspace. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
  3. ↑ Mainframe Animates New Spider-Man TV Series
  4. ↑ "Aunt May". Comic Vine. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
  5. ↑ "Brandon Vietti – Marvel Animation Age". Retrieved 2010-09-09.
  6. ↑ "Animated Award Nominations".
  7. ↑ "Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (Special Edition) (2003)". Imdb. Retrieved 2010-09-09.

External links

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