"Wonder Woman" Classic Live-Action Television Series Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

With the release of the direct-to-video Wonder Woman animated feature (Feature Talkback, DVD/Blu-ray Talkback), there's no better time than now to look back this popular live-action series from the 1970s!

Wonder Woman
Original Television Run: November 1975 - September 1979
Network: ABC (Season One), CBS (Season Two - Three)

Synopsis: "With the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Mercury and the beauty of Aphrodite, she's Wonder Woman."

Beautiful Amazon princess Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) travels to 1940s America disguised as Diana Prince, assistant to handsome but trouble-prone Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner). Using her golden belt, which imbues her with astonishing strength, her bullet-deflecting bracelets, a golden lasso that dispels dishonesty and an invisible supersonic plane, Wonder Woman combats evil. And then, flash forward 35 years from her stirring Season-One adventures defending America in World War II. Without missing a beat, Wonder Woman leaps from the big-band era to the disco decade, still miraculously young and still using wits, wiles and astonishing powers to fight evil. Based on Charles Moulton's comic book character known to millions of fans throughout the world, this exciting series brings the strong and sexy goddess to life--Wonder Woman.

Comments on this classic series?

Related Discussion:
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Wonder Woman: The Complete Second Season DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
Wonder Woman: The Complete Third Season DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
Wonder Woman '77 (2015 Ongoing) Series Talkback (Spoilers)
Wonder Woman Week - What would you like to see in a Wonder Woman '77 animated movie?
Batman Classic Live-Action Television Series Talkback (Spoilers)

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Watching this show when I was 8 was the first time I noticed how wonderful the opposite sex is.

 

[Road to Gotham]

I like the first season the best. Setting the stories during WW2 gave it a timeless feeling that I felt was lost when it jump to modern times.

Lynda is busy these day singing in her own Cabaret Show.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_en_ot/theater_lynda_carter

 

[Knightmare]

I like the first season the best. Setting the stories during WW2 gave it a timeless feeling that I felt was lost when it jump to modern times.

Lynda is busy these day singing in her own Cabaret Show.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_en_ot/theater_lynda_carter

I just read that article, I'd really like to check out her show. I agree the first season has aged better than the "modern" seasons have. The show is still a lot of fun to watch every now and then and you can't deny the likability of Lynda Carter, and if any one wants to know the defination of aging gracefully, just look at her, it's amazing how totally awesome she still looks.

 

[AlgeaX]

I actualy watched a couple of eps on DVD recently and was pretty suprised by how straight they played it. There's still a fair bit of camp to it but no more then you'd expect from any 70s adventure show. Compared to the Adam West Batman it's practically Law & Order in tone, special kudos to Lynda Carter for being able to project a certain quite dignity in a star spangled bathing suit.

 

[Robin2099]

The show was always pretty entertaining and is the only version of WW that I've ever enjoyed. Not as good as the live action Incredible Hulk but it was still good, and Lynda Carter is to WW what Chris Reeve is to Superman.

 

[DisneyBoy]

Very glad to see a talkback thread devoted to this series. I managed to catch most of the episodes last year when they rerun on a satellite channel.

Compared to the Adam West Batman it's practically Law & Order in tone, special kudos to Lynda Carter for being able to project a certain quite dignity in a star spangled bathing suit.

True dat Lynda really did take her role seriously. It's a shame the writers didn't. Wonder Woman had a whole rogues gallery (even back in the 70s) that never got featured on this show. Cheetah, for instance, could have easily made the transition - in some form or another - to the 70s-set second and third seasons. If they could do a Bug Woman, I fail to see why Cheetah wouldn't work.

Anyone have a favorite episode? Mine would be, without a doubt "Fausta: The Nazi Wonder Woman". Not only does Diana get captured by a cool, sympathetic-yet-intimidating villain(ess) and brought to Nazi German, but she goes back to rescue Steve who made a difficult journey there to try and repay her for always coming to his aide. We get some cool period costumes, a serious storyline with believable threats, and some nice sets and on-location shooting (those woods, wherever they were, gave the episode a certain atmosphere). I especially liked how the script handled Fausta's slow development into a heroine in her own right. It wasn't some ham-fisted "I am a Wonder Woman too!" realization, but rather a desperate, last-minute change of heart designed to save her skin.

Easily the best of the series, for my money, and the closest thing we ever saw to this Wonder Woman capturing the spirit of the comics.

Plus, I absolutely adore Beatrice Colen as Etta Candy. Her campy-yet-loveable performance just stays with you

 

[RayChuang]

What I find interesting was that the first season really captured the "feel" of the original 1940's comics. It was also fortuitous that the producers found Lynda Carter for the role--her face and body build was almost a perfect match of how DC artists at the time envisioned the WW character.

Pity ABC didn't pick up a second season because they could have explored the WW mythos quite a bit more.

 

[Kenny E. McCall]

True dat, dawg. I got all three seasons on DVD. And, even through I liked the period setting of World War II (Hell, they even brought Wonder Girl to the bleeping dance!), if it was still in ABC's hands throughout its run, we may have gotten to see some easy to translate DC villains in the series with some very cool stories (Me, I would've loved to have seen Lee Meriwether do another feline villainess, this time as Priscilla Rich, the Cheetah, on the show myself).

Anybody who would put Leif Garrett and Shields and Yarnell on that show has got balls!

 

[Knightmare]

I really wish that when Warner Bros. released the complete series collection the would've added the two failed attempts to bring Wonder Woman to the world of television, and I would have loved to have heard Lynda Carter's opinions(if she had ever even heard of) "Who's afraid of Diana Prince" the campy pilot from the 60's or the Denise Crosby Wonder Woman TV movie.

I also wish they would have done more commentaries on the sets especially on Season 2's "Return of Wonder Woman" I would have loved to have her the stories behing the "updating" of the series and what Lynda thought about it.

 

[Kenny E. McCall]

I really wish that when Warner Bros. released the complete series collection the would've added the two failed attempts to bring Wonder Woman to the world of television, and I would have loved to have heard Lynda Carter's opinions(if she had ever even heard of) "Who's afraid of Diana Prince" the campy pilot from the 60's or the Denise Crosby Wonder Woman TV movie.

I also wish they would have done more commentaries on the sets especially on Season 2's "Return of Wonder Woman" I would have loved to have her the stories behing the "updating" of the series and what Lynda thought about it.

Don't you mean Cathy Lee Crosby? Denise Crosby was on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which she played Tasha Yar in 1987.

But a complete series of Wonder Woman on DVD would satisfy fans of the show who couldn't get the individual sets when they came out.

 

[DisneyBoy]

They already have a complete series set. It just doesn't have any bonuses, beyond what was on the original sets.

EDIT:

I also wish they would have done more commentaries on the sets especially on Season 2's "Return of Wonder Woman" I would have loved to have her the stories behing the "updating" of the series and what Lynda thought about it.

Yeah...I always thought the time-jump in season two was an interesting and natural progression for the series to take on, and would have really enjoyed hearing more about how they wanted to approach it. Of course, they probably just said "We need to make it different from what they did on the other network, and still save money - how about setting it in modern times? Yay! Shoot it!"

I doubt that beyond season one there was much concern from the production staff about what the lighting on the show was saying, or how the costumes related to the tone of each episode.

 

[Aquadementia]

Wonder Woman is on MeTV! Time to bump up the talkback!

Movie Pilot "The New Original Wonder Woman"
Friday December 27, 2013 @8 pm ET/ 7 CT
Original Air Date: November 7 1975

Synopses:
America wages a desperate war against Axis powers bent on world domination. It's spy vs. spy and super weapon vs. super weapon as Major Steve Trevor is shot down over the Bermuda Triangle while intercepting a plane intending to bomb the Brooklyn Naval Yard. There, on hidden Amazon Paradise Island he is rescued by a super princes who can tip the balance of man's world in favor of freedom, justice and equality. This, is the story of Wonder Woman.

Starring:
Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman a.k.a Princes Diana a.k.a. Yeoman Petty Officer First Class Diana Prince
Lyle Wagner as Major Steve Trevor
Cloris Leachman as Queen Hippolyta
Beatrice Colen as Private Etta Candy

Comments?

*Sorry I'm late getting this up for the pilot. Regular updates will be for the Saturday night broadcast.

 

[Sunnydee]

This is the first time I've seen this show. I caught the pilot movie and it was actually better than I thought it would be. And I think its cool that its set during WWII times. I think I'd like to see more of this show.

It also pairs up with up with Batman really well (On the MeTV schedule). While its not as crazy as that show, there are some campy elements.

The one thing that kinda threw me off was the invisible jet. It feels a little awkward and weird. But still, I'm excited to see more!

I'm a little nervous that the rest of the series could be of lower quality than the pilot movie, which I assume got a bigger budget than a normal episode.

 

[Aquadementia]

As Wonder Woman Lynda Carter is smiley. It feels like she is both friendly and above the petty malices of the world.
It’s underplayed but she makes for a good detective in this pilot. She roots out the spy ring, stops the theft, takes down the bomber and rescues Steve. In that short time she also takes three jobs.
And anyone that can walk around in that costume has got to have the confidence of a super hero.
She really pulls off the part.

One interesting thing is the picture of FDR that keeps popping up. It makes him look like a gangster. That long cigarette holder is more like the Penguin then a president. But at the end, once the spy is gone and replaced by the good Diana Prince, the picture on Steve Trevers wall is a saintly portrait of George Washington, signifying that they’ve gone back to decent principals of government.
Although it’s kind of silly using FDR that way.

The special effects are really campy and dated, especially the blue screen.
The fight wasn’t exactly up to Buffy the Vampire Slayer levels, but was serviceable. Lifting the car works pretty good and shows off her strength. The old lady hauling out the machine gun was a good laugh.

Paradise Island was.. Was that Baywatch Island?
It's always a kick to see Cloris Leachman turn up in old shows.
What is kind of psycho that they are testing each others skills by shooting dead center between the eyes. That has to be the biggest WTH moment of the show.

P.S. Spin Transformation!

 

[Aquadementia]

Season 1 Episode 2 "Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther"
Air Date: Saturday, December 28, 2013 @ 8 pm ET/ 7 CT on MeTV
Original Air date: April 21, 1976 on ABC

Steve is framed for charges of treason by Nazi spies and Wonder Woman finds herself in trouble when she loses her magic lasso while trying to rescue him

 

[Aquadementia]

Season 1 Episode 3 "Fausta, the Nazi Wonder Woman"
Air Date: Saturday, January 4, 2014 @ 8 pm ET/ 7 CT on MeTV
Original Air date: April 28, 1976 on ABC

A Nazi spy poses as Wonder Woman to kidnap Steve as bait to trap the real Wonder Woman and learn her secrets.

Featuring: Lynda Day George and Christopher George.

 

[hobbyfan]

I won't be watching until 1/18 due to NFL playoffs. That's just the way it is.

 

[Aquadementia]

Season 1 Episode 4 "Beauty on Parade"
Air Date: Saturday, January 11, 2014 @ 8 pm ET/ 7 CT on MeTV
Original Air date: October 13, 1976 on ABC

Diana goes undercover in the Miss Dream Girl beauty pageant held on military bases to track down a saboteur.

Featuring: Anne Francis, Dick Van Patten

 

[Aquadementia]

Season 1 Episode 5 "The Feminum Mystique: Part 1"
Air Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014 @ 8 pm ET/ 7 CT on MeTV
Original Air date: November 6, 1976 on ABC

Premier of Wonder Girl!
Diana's sister, Drusilla comes for a visit as Nazi spies plot to steal an experimental jet plane and set a trap for Wonder Woman.

Featuring: John Saxon,
Carolyn Jones as Queen Hippolyta
and Debra Winger as your Wonder Girl

Note the original air dates. Talk about a show being sabotaged by scheduling.