THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407150109
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
THE BIG BUZZ here this week on the Television Critics Asociation press tour wasn't created by the appearance of Fox Broadcasting boss and slightly reclusive international business mogul Rupert Murdoch, who seldom comes within a kilometer of the working press.
Or by the announcement that CBS is still negotiating with Tom Snyder to leave CNBC early next year to start a late-night talk show following David Letterman.
Or that 38-year-old Ray Combs, host of the syndicated TV game show, ``The New Family Feud,'' was injured and left paralyzed by an automobile accident on the Ventura Freeway here.
Or that Dennis Miller will be returning to Home Box Office to do another 13 shows on which he is free to say just about anything about anyone.
The big buzz: Fox announced that it will bring back to television that hero of the common folk, the one and only Spider-Man, created for a comic book that cost 12 cents 32 years ago (``Amazing Fantasy No. 15'') by Stan Lee.
``Spidey,'' as those who know and love Spider-Man call him, will be making his fifth appearance in a TV series in the fall when he joins the Fox Children's Network on Saturdays starting Sept 10 at 9 a.m. And what superhero wouldn't want to be on the FCN?
(During the last national ratings sweeps in May, Fox had the five most-watched kid shows on weekdays. Same story on Saturdays. Fox has a show for young viewers which has been a super-colossal, slam-bang hit since it signed on a year ago. You know the show I mean, kids: ``Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.'' They've Morphed the competition mornings on Fox, and this fall, the show moves to 4:30 p.m. in an attempt to overrun the opposition in the afternoon with the aid of the Dynamic Dinozords.)
Spider-Man was created in 1962 after Lee watched a fly light on a wall and then buzz off again.
``Wouldn't it be great,' I thought to myself,'' said Lee, ``If I could get around like that fly?''
He sketched out the Spider-Man figure, gave it a costume that covers every inch of its body and searched his brain for a name.
``I thought of Mosquito-Man, and didn't like that. Bug-Man sounded awful. Fly-Man was no better. It had to be Spider-Man.''
Lee, who found himself as an illustrator while doing training manuals such as ``Fiscal Freddy'' for the Army in World War II, said he has no financial interest in the Spider-Man character, which he estimates has earned $100 million in merchandising alone. Spider-Man belongs to a conglomorate along with other properties from Marvel Comics.
Lee, 72, is an executive with Marvel Productions, and will work on the new series for Fox.
Lee said the Fox ``Spider-Man'' will be true to the comic book tale of 17-year-old Peter Parker who develops unique powers after a radioactive spider bites him. He's strong! He's agile! He fights evil!
``People have asked me why the Spider-Man character has been popular for so long. One reason is that he is the superhero for everyman, a character subject to the same worries and problems as the rest of us, from dandruff to worrying about being successful with girls. And since he is totally masked, he can be anybody, any race.''
Getting back to Murdoch, the man who created an earthquake in television by outbidding CBS for the rights to National Football League telecasts, and later buying nine CBS affiliates.
In his thick Aussie accent, Murdoch told reporters he will seek to buy even more strong network affiliates tied to ABC, CBS and NBC, and convert them to Fox stations.
``We're starting on it now,'' he said. MEMO: Television Columnist Larry Bonko is in Los Angeles for the twice-yearly
TV press tour. by CNB