Wonder Woman Now the world is ready for... the Wonder Woman TV series thread

[Crimson]

I'm not sure, though, if the WW series didn't suffer - at least a little - by increasingly tailoring it to Lynda Carter as it went along.

I genuinely don't know how much those changes were made at Lynda's insistence versus producer driven changes around her. I've mostly assumed the later. In a 50+ year career, I haven't heard any negativity around Lynda. The decision to make Diana Prince a 70s babe, at least, seems like typical producer wrongthink. "Why make our sexy leading lady look frumpy for half the episode?" Lynda isn't the first or last TV star to be mollified by being given incongruous singing interludes.

The Steve Trevor situation is more complicated. I have no idea if Lynda was fully or partially responsible for phasing the character out, but Steve has a long history of being sidelined. He's wildly unpopular with large segments of Wonder Woman fandom and the character is often killed off in comics. "Male Lois Lane" isn't that easy to pull off, as a plucky man constantly needing to be rescued by a woman rankles a lot of norms. Once the series jumped to the 70s and the character became Steve Trevor Jr, he didn't serve much purpose. The rather vague romance was dropped entirely and no one was tuning in every week to watch The Adventures of Steve Trevor Jr. The character was more of a plot impediment than asset.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I genuinely don't know how much those changes were made at Lynda's insistence versus producer driven changes around her. I've mostly assumed the later.

Oh yes. I'd guess it was mostly producers as well. It's notable that a number of changes occurred with Bruce Lansbury's first episode, for example. IMDb reviews for that episode mention a number of the changes (which mostly seem to be viewed as favourable).

In a 50+ year career, I haven't heard any negativity around Lynda.

I think the only people I've seen or heard cited are Lyle and Debra Winger. I remember a Nineties interview with Debra (I think on Letterman) where she complained about getting a list of rules which included not being permitted to use the same shades of nail polish or lipstick as Lynda. But of course, that was one person's perspective at a particular time and yes - there's nothing else to suggest Lynda is anything but lovely.

Lynda isn't the first or last TV star to be mollified by being given incongruous singing interludes.

Indeed. I think it was the level of incongruity, though. Even though there's little in WW lore to suggest she can't sing, it still feels very much at odds with my perception of the character. Whereas I could buy the even the earlier beauty queen episode.

Once the series jumped to the 70s and the character became Steve Trevor Jr, he didn't serve much purpose. The rather vague romance was dropped entirely and no one was tuning in every week to watch The Adventures of Steve Trevor Jr.

Agreed. Certainly the Seventies episodes couldn't comfortably suggest romance, and there are only so many things that can be down with the pairing beyond that. One of Lansbury's mid-S2 changes was relegating Steve to the Norman Atkinson role and I think that was for the best overall.

It is a shame, though, that poor Lyle ended up with a far smaller role than the one he signed on for, and I also thought the character and actor deserved a more gracious exit than simply being dropped when the series was retooled a final time in anticipation of the Fourth-Season-that-wasn't.

 

[Crimson]

I remember a Nineties interview with Debra (I think on Letterman) where she complained about getting a list of rules which included not being permitted to use the same shades of nail polish or lipstick as Lynda.

I recall the interview and, then and now, it seemed petty to me -- on Debra's part. Out of the dozens -- hundreds? -- of shades of makeup, she was asked to not wear one and that was somehow onerous to her?

the Fourth-Season-that-wasn't

The Fourth Season that exists in my head! All of Wonder Woman's rogues -- Cheetah, Silver Swan, Dr. Psycho, Giganta, Ares, Circe. Oh and those guest appearances by Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder and (briefly) Gene Hackman for the sweeps episode.

Of course the real fourth season, had it happened, would have been more of the same but probably worse.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

then and now, it seemed petty to me -- on Debra's part.

Yes. I got the feeling she was embarrassed by having done it once her film career took off and it evidently haunted her in interviews. There are far worse starts to a career though.

As a side note, I did enjoy Debra "owning" the inevitable questioning about the series in that interview by stripping off to reveal a Wonder Girl costume beneath her clothes.

The Fourth Season that exists in my head! All of Wonder Woman's rogues -- Cheetah, Silver Swan, Dr. Psycho, Giganta, Ares, Circe. Oh and those guest appearances by Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder and (briefly) Gene Hackman for the sweeps episode.

That's a series I would have been up for watching (even though budget would almost certainly have made the end result more underwhelming than hoped).

TV adaptions of the era just didn't seem to want to embrace their rogues galleries. The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man series both took similar paths.

Of course the real fourth season, had it happened, would have been more of the same but probably worse.

Sadly, yes.

 

[Crimson]

(even though budget would almost certainly have made the end result more underwhelming than hoped).

I'm not much of a fan of the 60s BATMAN, but that show really nailed how to handle its villains. WONDER WOMAN should have followed a similar path, with guest stars playing over-the-top villains. (The few guest stars who tried to play colorful characters never seemed to know what tone to hit in their performance.) WW's rogues could have been played flamboyantly but still on the cheap. Sure we weren't going to get 40 ft Giganta or flying Silver Swan, but circus strong woman and non-flying would have been better than nothing.

The first season, at least, had Nazis. Hard to go wrong with them as your villains.

TV adaptions of the era just didn't seem to want to embrace their rogues galleries. The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man series both took similar paths.

Almost certainly an intentional choice to differentiate from BATMAN, which, by then, would have been viewed as campy and silly.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'm not much of a fan of the 60s BATMAN, but that show really nailed how to handle its villains.

It certainly did. The villains were often the best thing in it.

I do like a bit of Batman '66, but can appreciate it's not for everyone.

The few guest stars who tried to play colorful characters never seemed to know what tone to hit in their performance.

Yes. It was quite a waste, really.

The first season, at least, had Nazis. Hard to go wrong with them as your villains.

I think the first season was also the only one that included actual villainous WW comic book characters in Paula von Gunther and Fausta.

Almost certainly an intentional choice to differentiate from BATMAN, which, by then, would have been viewed as campy and silly.

Certainly with The Incredible Hulk I know Kenneth Johnson wasn't fond of comics and disliked a lot of the tropes (hence Bruce Banner's name was changed to one without alliteration). WW was more colourful and could have got away with it, but I'd say there was an element of squeamishness about it so it didn't get too far into Batman territory.

WW's rogues gallery isn't as iconic and well-known as Batman's, but that could have been for the benefit as the series could have put its own spin on them.

Sure we weren't going to get 40 ft Giganta or flying Silver Swan, but circus strong woman and non-flying would have been better than nothing.

Either would have been good (although, to be geeky and nitpicky, Silver Swan didn't debut until 1982).

I think Doctor Psycho or Circe may have been the villains who translated most easily within the constraints of the medium.

 

[Crimson]

to be geeky and nitpicky, Silver Swan didn't debut until 1982

I guess she wasn't appearing until S6 then.

I think Doctor Psycho or Circe may have been the villains who translated most easily within the constraints of the medium.

Yes to both, although I think Cheetah would have been the easiest of all. The superpowered were-cat was still years off ; Cheetah of those days was just a crazy lady in a catsuit. Easy to play her as a nuttier Catwoman.

 

[Seaviewer]

I'm not much of a fan of the 60s BATMAN, but that show really nailed how to handle its villains. WONDER WOMAN should have followed a similar path, with guest stars playing over-the-top villains. (The few guest stars who tried to play colorful characters never seemed to know what tone to hit in their performance.) WW's rogues could have been played flamboyantly but still on the cheap. Sure we weren't going to get 40 ft Giganta or flying Silver Swan, but circus strong woman and non-flying would have been better than nothing.

The first season, at least, had Nazis. Hard to go wrong with them as your villains.



Almost certainly an intentional choice to differentiate from BATMAN, which, by then, would have been viewed as campy and silly.

I might be wrong about this but in my memory the Wonder Woman TV series emerged from initial reports about a revival of Batman. Whether that would have involved Adam West or been a different interpretation I don't know. Perhaps the rights were unavailable, just as Dozier made Batman because he couldn't get the rights to Superman.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I guess she wasn't appearing until S6 then.

I think Cheetah would have been the easiest of all. The superpowered were-cat was still years off ; Cheetah of those days was just a crazy lady in a catsuit. Easy to play her as a nuttier Catwoman.

Oh yes. And the split personality element - Priscilla seeing her Cheetah persona in mirrors, etc. - could be easily and effectively adapted.

Towards the end of WW's run, Cheetah was also appearing in Challenge Of The Superfriends, so that visibility could have given the live action version a boost as well.

And if we're bringing in the villains, reintroducing Paradise Island (which CBS had dropped like a hot potato) would have been a nice touch. Even seeing Hippolyta once or twice a season would have satisfied me.

I might be wrong about this but in my memory the Wonder Woman TV series emerged from initial reports about a revival of Batman.

Oh. I don't remember ever reading or hearing that, but I guess there was still interest in the character enough for the '77 animated series and the Legends Of The Superheroes live specials.

Dozier made Batman because he couldn't get the rights to Superman.

I either didn't know or have completely forgotten this as well.

 

[Crimson]

Possibly discussed here before -- possibly by me! - but thoughts on Wonder Woman in BATMAN: THE BRAVE & THE BOLD? Obviously heavily inspired by the 70s WW show, I'm disappointed they didn't get Lynda to voice the character. Even still, Vicki Lewis did an admirable job in matching the stridence and slightly harsh vocals that Shannon Farnon brought to the character in SUPERFRIENDS.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Possibly discussed here before -- possibly by me! - but thoughts on Wonder Woman in BATMAN: THE BRAVE & THE BOLD?

I remember we touched on this a while back in the context of envisaging what a WW77 animated film (à la The Return Of The Caped Crusaders) might look like. As you said, this Wonder Woman is clearly heavily influenced by the Lynda Carter version.

While I've still to watch a full episode, I've watched a number of clips of the series and I adore the retro aesthetics and the balance between looking vibrant/playful and sumptuous/shadowy. Many of the characters look as they did during my early comic reading days (case in point: this version of the Huntress is clearly based visually on the Helena Wayne version).

 

[Crimson]

While I've still to watch a full episode

I liked the show, up to a point. Its basic premise seemed to be: can we make the Adam West BATMAN even more campy and cartoony? I like my superhero fiction to be light-hearted but not that light-hearted.

Wonder Woman only had 2 substantial episodes and a few cameos. The show focused heavily on obscure, C-tier characters as guest stars more than the big names.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Wonder Woman only had 2 substantial episodes and a few cameos. The show focused heavily on obscure, C-tier characters as guest stars more than the big names.

Both Hepburns were on WONDER WOMAN twice. And in various states of undress.

 

[Crimson]

The seldom seen Katherine Hepburn episode of WONDER WOMAN.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

The seldom seen Katherine Hepburn episode of WONDER WOMAN.

View attachment 58625

Reminds me of Brando and Streisand and their multiple appearances as a married couple on LOVE BOAT -- they were popular, as I recall, but Aaron Spelling had to place a guard on the studio door to keep the duo from crashing the set, as it eventually became a recurrent disruption that could no longer be tolerated.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Its basic premise seemed to be: can we make the Adam West BATMAN even more campy and cartoony? I like my superhero fiction to be light-hearted but not that light-hearted.

Oh, that's a shame. From the nods to the Batman and WW TV series as well as scenarios like that euphemistic Birds Of Prey song (which was criticised and censored for sexual double entendres, but not for the misandrist elements I would find more concerning) I'd got the sense that it was intended to appeal to adults as much as kids.

The show focused heavily on obscure, C-tier characters as guest stars more than the big names.

This would really appeal to the geek in me, and I think sets this series apart from something like Batman: TAS which would have been fresh in people's minds at this point.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Here's Lynda's June 2025 Foundation Interview which is very in-depth:

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Jesus. 7 minutes in, and I'm out.

It's too stoopyd.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Jesus. 7 minutes in, and I'm out.

It's too stoopyd.

When there are over two hours, it might have been prudent to work up to the opening claims that women are the backbone of America, that nothing would have been built without them and that men are half women.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

When there are over two hours, it might have been prudent to work up to the opening claims that women are the backbone of America, that nothing would have been built without them and that men are half women.

Oh, the X is stronger than the Y.

Goddess, they just cannot stop --- systemically oppressed, or systemically spoiled at every turn?