It seems like every generation has its own animated Spider-Man TV show, from the original Spider-Man that aired in the late 1960s, to Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the ‘90s (which still ranks as one of the best animated TV shows of all time) to both Ultimate Spider-Man and the follow-up Spider-Man keeping kids entertained in the 2010s. The latest of the bunch is Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which, in contrast with those other shows, is streaming with a Disney+ subscription rather than airing on the 2025 TV schedule on a traditional channel. It’s been a long road to getting this Spidey series in front of eyeballs, and creator Jeff Trammell shared with CinemaBlend getting to view his work with a live audience.
Our own Laura Hurley recently attended the SCAD TVfest, and Trammell was among the many people she spoke to at the event. At the start of their conversation, she asked him what it was like getting live audience feedback and reactions to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s first three episodes, and he answered:
This is a lot. I’ve been working on the show for years and I haven’t had a lot of chances to watch it with an audience. Just hearing laughs, and ‘Oh, this is the joke that we did three years ago.’ It’s just been really cool to watch them immediately have a reaction.
The public learned about the existence of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (back then titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year), but obviously Jeff Trammell has been involved with it for much longer than that, with his work stretching to earlier that year, 2020 or maybe even 2019. So yeah, it’s understandable that he would feel a bit overwhelmed at so many people finally getting to see his take on the Web-Slinger’s mythology. Fortunately, judging by what he told us, the audience enjoyed it immensely. They’re not the only ones, as Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s positive reception is reflected in the 97% Tomatometer it has on Rotten Tomatoes, and our own Erik Swann changed his mind about the show’s high school setting for the better.
As mentioned earlier, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is streaming exclusively on Disney+, and Jeff Trammell also explained during his interview with Laura why he thinks the Mouse House’s streaming platform is a good fit for the series:
Disney+ does a great job with bringing in a lot of eyes from a lot of different people. One thing that was important for us was to make a Spider-Man series very relatable, very easy to pick and watch. Whether you’re a new fan or you’re someone that’s grown up with Spider-Man, whether you’re younger or you’re older. I feel like Disney+ allows for that range. Something classic, something new, and we’re kind of a perfect mixture of that.
Originally Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was supposed to be a straightforward prequel that showed what Peter Parker (voiced here by Hudson James) was up to before he met Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War. However, Trammell and his team found this approach too restrictive, so the series is instead set in an alternate timeline where Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo) mentors Peter instead. The series also stands out for its inclusion of supporting characters like Nico Minoru and Lonnie Lincoln (who’s on his way to becoming Tombstone), and Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Doctor Octopus and Scorpion are among the many other popular Marvel characters who have appeared.
The final two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premiere next Wednesday, but fans need not worry, as the show has already been greenlit for two more seasons. With the warm welcome it’s received, I feel comfortable classifying YFNSM as one of the best Disney+ original shows.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
