Wonder Woman (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wonder Woman | |
|---|---|
 Title card from season one |
|
| Format | Fantasy Adventure |
| Created by | William Moulton Marston (characters) |
| Starring | Lynda Carter Lyle Waggoner Norman Burton Richard Eastham Beatrice Colen Saundra Sharp |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 59 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Douglas S. Cramer |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC - Season 1 CBS - Seasons 2 and 3 |
| Original run | November 7, 1975 – September 11, 1979 |
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book character Wonder Woman, created by William Moulton Marston. It starred Lynda Carter as Princess Diana/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor.
Following an abortive attempt in 1967 to create a series in the mold of the then-popular Batman television series and a pilot film in 1974 with Cathy Lee Crosby and Kaz Garas, Wonder Woman debuted in 1975 on ABC as a television movie set during Wonder Woman's early days of World War II. The success of the film led ABC to order first two more special episodes then 11 additional episodes, which aired in 1976, with the roles recast.
Despite its success on ABC, the network was hesitant about picking up the show as a regular series. The producers took the show to CBS, which did pick up the show as a regular series. Wonder Woman, now set in the present day, would air for two seasons before being removed from the CBS schedule.
Contents |
[edit] Early attempts
[edit] Who's Afraid of Diana Prince?
The first attempt to translate Wonder Woman to the small screen occurred in 1967. The success of the Batman television series led Batman producer William Dozier to commission a pilot script by Stan Hart and Larry Siegel. A portion of the pilot, under five minutes in length, was filmed under the title Who's Afraid of Diana Prince?[1] The piece starred Ellie Wood Walker as Diana Prince, Linda Harrison as Diana's Wonder Woman alter ego and Maudie Prickett as Diana's mother.
As with Batman, the reel took a comic slant on the character, although while the Batman character himself was played straight, in the proposed series Diana Prince (not Wonder Woman) would have been the focus of the comedy. Diana, an awkward and rather plain young woman, lives with her mother close to a U.S. Air Force base. Much of the film consists of her mother berating Diana about not having a boyfriend. When her mother leaves the room, Diana changes into her Wonder Woman costume and admires her reflection in a mirror. What she sees is not Diana Prince, but rather a sexy super-heroic figure (played by Linda Harrison) who proceeds to preen and pose as the song "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" plays on the soundtrack. The pilot ends with Diana climbing out a window and flying away, indicating that, despite her apparent delusions regarding her alter ego, she does have some super powers. This pilot episode was never broadcast and the project was taken no further. The pilot has been circulated on the Internet and is of interest to Planet of the Apes fans for the early appearance of Linda Harrison, who would later go on to play Nova in the first two films of that series.
[edit] Animation
Wonder Woman's first actual broadcast appearance was as a guest in an episode of The Brady Kids cartoon series in 1972, entitled "It's All Greek to Me". The Brady kids meet Wonder Woman and together they find themselves accidentally transported back to the time of the Ancient Olympic Games. The kids plan to compete in the marathon and beat the Greek athletes to qualify for the race. Wonder Woman convinces the kids to disqualify themselves, explaining that if they win the race they will change the course of history.[2]
Shortly thereafter Wonder Woman was included in the Super Friends cartoon series, which eventually enjoyed a long and successful run.
[edit] Wonder Woman (1974)
Wonder Woman's first appearance in live-action television was a television movie made in 1974 for ABC. Written by John D. F. Black, the film, a pilot prepared for the 1974 television season, resembles the Wonder Woman of the "I Ching period." Wonder Woman (Cathy Lee Crosby) did not wear the comic book costume, demonstrated no superhuman abilities and her "secret identity" of Diana Prince was not all that secret. The film follows Wonder Woman, assistant to government agent Steve Trevor (Kaz Garas) as she pursues a villain named Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalban) who has stolen a set of code books containing classified information about U.S. government field agents.[3]
The pilot aired originally on March 12, 1974[4] and was repeated on August 21 of that year.[5] Ratings were described as "respectable but not exactly wondrous."[6] ABC did not pick up the pilot, although Crosby would later claim she was offered the series that was eventually given to Lynda Carter.[7] An ABC spokesperson would later acknowledge that the decision to update the character was a mistake[6] and the pilot itself has been labeled one of the "hundred dumbest events in television."[3]
[edit] Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman
[edit] The New Original Wonder Woman
Though not successful at the first attempt, ABC still felt a Wonder Woman series had potential, and within a year another pilot was in production. Keen to make a distinction from the last pilot, the pilot was given the rather paradoxical title The New Original Wonder Woman.
Scripting duties were given to Stanley Ralph Ross, who was instructed to be more faithful to the comic book and to create a subtle "high comedy." Ross set the pilot in World War II, the era in which the original comic book began.
After an intensive talent search, a former beauty pageant winner and Bob Hope USO cast member from Arizona named Lynda Carter was chosen to play the lead role. For the role of Steve Trevor, the producers chose Lyle Waggoner, who at the time was better known as a comedic actor after several years co-starring in The Carol Burnett Show. He was also known to Ross as having been one of the leading candidates to play Batman a decade earlier. Waggoner was also considered a pin-up hunk, having done a semi-nude pictorial in the first issue of Playgirl.
Although the pilot followed the original comic book closely, in particular the aspect of Wonder Woman joining the military under the assumed name of Diana Prince, a number of elements were dropped. While the comic Diana obtains the credentials of a look-a-like nurse, in the pilot Diana Prince appears as a Navy enlisted woman (First Class Petty Officer Yeoman) without explanation. The ancient myths and legends which formed many of the early Wonder Woman comic book stories were lost too, in favour of more conventional stories involving Nazis. And, on a minor note, Steve Trevor was no longer blonde, but dark haired.
One change which was later to become synonymous with the show was the twirling transformation which dissolved Diana Prince into Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter claims to have suggested the move herself.[8]
For television, Wonder Woman also had the ability to impersonate anyone's voice, which sometimes came in handy over the phone. This ability vanishes after the first few episodes.
Unlike the earlier pilot, the comic book origins of the character were emphasized not only by the retention of the character's traditional costume and original setting but through the use of comic book elements. The series' title sequence was animated in the form of a series of comic book panels featuring Wonder Woman performing a variety of heroic feats. Within the show, location and exposition were handled through comic book-style text panels. Transitions between scenes and commercial breaks were marked by animated starburst sequences.
[edit] Pilot synopsis
During World War II, Major Steve Trevor bails out during an air battle over the Bermuda Triangle, location of Paradise Island. The island is home to the Amazons, beautiful, ageless women with great strength, agility, and intelligence. Amazon princess Diana rescues Trevor and nurses him back to health. Her mother, the Amazon queen (Cloris Leachman), decrees that games shall be held to select one Amazon to return Trevor to the United States, but she forbids Diana to participate. Diana enters the contest in disguise (a blond wig), and ties for first. The contest is decided through "Bullets and Bracelets," where each of the two take turns shooting at the other, who must try to deflect the bullets. Diana successfully deflects all the shots at her, but her opponent is injured by one of Diana's shots. Diana removes her wig and reveals her identity, and proclaims her loyalty and love to her people, her queen and mother. Her mother agrees to send her with her blessing.
Her costume is designed to feature American emblems in the hope that she will be accepted in her new home and her golden belt will be her source of strength and power. She retains her bracelets, which deflect bullets, and also receives a golden lasso which is indestructible and forces people to obey and tell the truth when bound. Diana is now known as "Wonder Woman," and flies to Washington, D.C. in an invisible plane. After dropping Trevor off at a hospital, the heroine stumbles upon a bank robbery, which she stops. A theatrical agent who sees her in action invites her to take her Bullets and Bracelets act on the road as a theatrical attraction. Diana is hesitant, but she needs money in this society, so she agrees.
Meanwhile, Trevor's civilian secretary, Marcia (Stella Stevens), is revealed as a double agent for the Nazis. She seeks to aid top spies in killing Trevor and opposing the new threat, Wonder Woman, although her first attempt — arranging for an audience member to fire a machine gun at Wonder Woman during her stage show act — backfires when the Amazon easily deflects the multiple bullets. Later, at the hospital, Diana disguises herself as a nurse in order to keep an eye on Steve. As spy activities increase, Trevor leaves the hospital and is captured, prompting his "nurse" to do a spin in the hall where she slowly peels off uniform parts and replaces them with her Wonder Woman costume, before heading off to rescue him. Wonder Woman defeats the villainess and the spies, breaking up the spy ring. The film closes as Steve meets his new secretary, Yeoman Diana Prince (Wonder Woman in disguise).
[edit] Season 1
The pilot film, aired on November 7, 1975, was a ratings success, and ABC quickly authorized the production of two one-hour specials which aired the following April. Technically speaking, these three productions were the show's first season.
These episodes scored strong enough ratings that ABC commissioned a further 11 episodes for the 1976-77 season, several of which were used to fill in for the Bionic Woman television show when production on that show had to be suspended while its star, Lindsay Wagner, recovered from a car accident. Notably, two stories (one of them a two parter) introduced Debra Winger as Wonder Girl, in one of her first on-screen roles.
Few changes were made between the pilot episode and specials and the series itself. The most memorable change, indeed what became the 'signature moment' of the show, was the introduction of an explosion effect to the twirling transformation, to change Diana Prince into her super-heroic counterpart. This magical sequence, which appeared at least once in most episodes, has been incorporated into both the comic book and animated versions of the character.
In the original pilot and specials this sequence was performed by fading between two synchronized shots, both filmed with an over-cranked camera to create a slow motion effect. A twirling Diana would gradually dissolve into Wonder Woman. But this sequence was too expensive, in time and money, to maintain. A camera would need to be 'locked off' (secured in place), and Carter's costume, make up and hair altered between shooting the two segments which made up the sequence. The "thunderclap" was added to mask the join between the two segments, allowing each segment to be shot independently, without need for a locked off camera, at more convenient points in the shooting schedule. Apparently, the sound effect is only audible to the audience and to Diana; she uses this change adjacent to a dormitory of sleeping women, in adjoining office spaces, backstage at a live show, in the woods behind a crowd of soldiers, and other locations where she would attract attention if the "boom" was heard. Additionally, there was a scene where she was explaining to Wonder Girl about her dual identity. During this scene, she started off in her "Wonder Woman" costume, then she started to spin. The camera cut to Wonder Girl for a moment, then cut back to Wonder Woman, who was now back in her Diana Prince military uniform. This transformation was not accompanied by any sound or light effects.
Another change involved the relationship between Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman. Although Carter and Waggoner had good chemistry, it was decided to play down the romantic aspects found in the comic, and, ultimately, the characters remained simply good friends. Executive producer Douglas S. Cramer noted the difficulties inherent in maintaining long-term romantic tension between leads, with the resolution of that tension often resulting in the cancellation of the series.[9]
The series began at a time when violence on television was under intense scrutiny. As a result, Wonder Woman was less frequently shown punching or kicking people the way she did in the early episodes. The character would usually be shown pushing and throwing enemies, or using creativity to get them to somehow knock themselves out (jumping high into the air causing pursuers to collde). Despite the wartime circumstances, the character never resorted to deadly force (the only exception occurs in the pilot film when she sinks a Nazi submarine with an explosive plane, although the fate of the sailors aboard is never actually specified).
Wonder Woman herself was occasionally defeated by the Nazis, but she always came back in the second half of the show to save the day. Among the things the Nazis used on her were chloroform and poison gas. Her enemies also occasionally stole away her belt (leaving her without her super strength), her lasso, and her bracelets (leaving her defenseless against gunfire), but Wonder Woman always recovered the respective stolen component by the end of the episode.
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Director | Original airdate | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | "The New Original Wonder Woman" | Written by: Stanley Ralph Ross | Directed by: Leonard Horn | November 7, 1975 | |
| Princess Diana volunteers to return Steve Trevor to Washington, D.C. after he crashes his airplane on Paradise Island. Upon arriving in Washington D.C., she establishes the secret identity of Diana Prince and begins working for Steve Trevor and getting him out of trouble over and over again. Note: This two-hour made-for-television film along with the first two episodes constituted a "mini-season." | |||||
| 1 | "Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther" | Written by:Margaret Armen | Directed by: Barry Crane | April 21, 1976 | 166532 |
| Steve is being framed for several incidents of sabotage. He suspects Baroness Paula Von Gunther (Christine Belford) an imprisoned Nazi spy. The warden's son Tommy, an avid fan of detective fiction, assists Wonder Woman. Note: This episode is based on a plot from a 1942 comic book, only the warden's son was fascinated with cowboys, and the magic lasso.[citation needed] | |||||
| 2 | "Fausta: The Nazi Wonder Woman" | Written by:Bruce Shelley & David Ketchum | Directed by: Barry Crane | April 28, 1976 | 166531 |
| Fausta Grables (Lynda Day George) captures Wonder Woman using chloroform and takes her to Germany to study her. Steve launches a mission to rescue her but is captured himself shortly after Wonder Woman orchestrates her own excape. Wonder Woman returns to Germany to rescue Steve and convince Fausta to abandon the Nazi cause. Note: Fausta Grables first appeared in Comic Cavalcade #2 Spring 1943 issue in a story entitled Wanted by Hitler, Dead or Alive.[10] This episode also marks the introduction of the red-white-and-blue, star-spangled cape that Wonder Woman adopts throughout the series for formal occasions. | |||||
| 3 | "Beauty on Parade" | Written by:Ron Friedman | Directed by: Richard Kinon | October 13, 1976 | 166601 |
| Diana enters a beauty contest to expose a sabotage ring of radar scanning equipment, which is led by the pageant's musical director. Guest stars:Anne Francis and Dick Van Patten. Note: This episode introduces of the "exploding" change sequence in place of the more expensive slow reveal. | |||||
| 4 | "The Feminum Mystique Part 1" | Teleplay by:Jimmy Sangster Story by: Barbara Avedon & Barbara Corday | Directed by: Herb Wallerstein | November 6, 1976 | 166602 |
| The American army is about to unveil their first jet fighter and the Nazis are determined to steal the plane and study it to build a jet fighter of their own. Meanwhile, Diana's younger sister Drusilla (Debra Winger) arrives from Paradise Island for a visit and gets caught up in the Nazis' plot. Nazi Captain Radl (John Saxon) also wants to find out the source of feminum, the metal used to make Wonder Woman's bracelets. He kidnaps General Blankenship, who is taking Drusilla for a drive in Washington. Drusilla discovers that she can spin into costume like her sister and turns into Wonder Girl. Wonder Girl tries to rescue the General but Captain Radl chloroforms her. Note: this was one of Debra Winger's first acting roles. Also guest stars: Carolyn Jones as Queen Hippolyta (although is never referred to by name). | |||||
| 5 | "The Feminum Mystique Part 2" | Teleplay by:Jimmy Sangster Story by: Barbara Avedon & Barbara Corday | Directed by: Herb Wallerstein | November 8, 1976 | 166603 |
| Peter Knight, an engineer secretly working for the Nazis, gains Drusilla's trust and tricks her into revealing the location of Paradise Island. The Nazis stage an invasion and force the Amazons to mine feminum ore. Wonder Girl escapes and as Drusilla exposes Peter as a Nazi spy. Learning Diana has returned home, Wonder Girl returns to the island and she and Wonder Woman engineer the capture of all of the invading Nazis. Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl then return to America to prevent the theft of the jet. Guest starring: Carolyn Jones as Queen Hippolyta | |||||
| 6 | "Wonder Woman vs. Gargantua" | Written by: David Ketchum & Tony DiMarco | Directed by: Charles R. Rondeau | December 18, 1976 | 166606 |
| Erica Belgard (Gretchen Corbett), an animal behaviour specialist and Nazi agent, kidnaps a super-strong gorilla named Gargantua from his jungle home in order to recapture a defecting Nazi agent who is in American custody. Erica decides to use the gorilla's strength to defeat and capture Wonder Woman. Also guest stars Robert Loggia as Hans Eichler. | |||||
| 7 | "The Pluto File" | Written by: Herbert Bermann | Directed by: Herb Wallerstein | December 25, 1976 | 166605 |
| Irish terrorist "The Falcon" (Robert Reed) steals a formula designed to produce man-made earthquakes in order to level Washington, DC. Wonder Woman and the formula's inventor must work together to stop him. The Falcon is also carrying the bubonic plague and must be quarantined. Also guest stars Hayden Rorke as the top scientist. | |||||
| 8 | "Last of the Two Dollar Bills" | Written by: Paul Dubov & Gwen Bagni | Directed by: Stuart Margolin | January 8, 1977 | 166604 |
| Wonder Woman and Steve investigate a Nazi plot to flood the American economy with counterfeit $2 bills in order to destabilize the American war effort. The Nazis hatch a long-range plot taking several months to implement, as plastic surgery and vocal training is used to transform two Nazi agents into the bureau chief of the US DC Mint and his fiancée, a waitress and restaurant owner. | |||||
| 9 | "Judgment From Outer Space Part 1" | Written by: Stephen Kandel | Directed by: Alan Crosland | January 15, 1977 | 166608 |
| An alien named Andros (Tim O'Connor) arrives on Earth to study it and to convince the intergalactic council that the planet should not be destroyed because of World War II. The American government first suspects Andros of being a Nazi spy and the Nazis want to use Andros's powers for world domination. Wonder Woman and Andros must work together to prove America's intentions are peaceful, as Andros at first is not sure if either side is right (mentioning the internment of "Americans of Japanese descent" in reply to Wonder Woman's charges against the Nazi racial policies). While exploring the Library of Congress, Andros is stripped of his powers and captured by the Nazis. Wonder Woman tries to save him but is defeated by poison gas, which she miraculously cures herself of. The intergalactic council decrees that if he is killed the Earth will be destroyed. | |||||
| 10 | "Judgment From Outer Space Part 2" | Written by: Stephen Kandel | Directed by: Alan Crosland | January 17, 1977 | 166609 |
| Wonder Woman journeys to Germany to rescue Andros. After seeing that she is prepared to sacrifice her life to save him, and when Steve Trevor demonstrates that the Allied cause is just, the aliens relent on their threat to destroy the planet. Andros invites Wonder Woman to accompany him in space, but she replies that she is needed on earth. Andros promises to return to see her in 50 years. | |||||
| 11 | "Formula 407" | Written by: Elroy Schwartz | Directed by: Herb Wallerstein | January 22, 1977 | 166607 |
| Diana and Steve head to Argentina to pick up a formula from a scientist. The formula can make rubber tires as strong as steel. The Nazis want to steal the formula to use it on their truck tires. A Nazi agent who is secretly involved with the scientist's assistant directs his henchmen to kidnap both the scientist's daughter (to obtain the formula) and Steve (to take him back to Germany for interrogation). Diana, witnessing the abduction, spins into costume and tries to intervene, only to be chloroformed by the Nazis. She awakens tied up in a room with Steve. Wonder Woman breaks free to find the girl before the agent takes the formula back to Germany. | |||||
| 12 | "The Bushwackers" | Written by: Skip Webster | Directed by: Stuart Margolin | January 29, 1977 | 166610 |
| Wonder Woman journeys to Texas where Nazi agents are rustling cattle being raised for the American government. The cattle rancher (Roy Rogers) and his several adopted orphan kids try to assist Wonder Woman in her efforts to stop the Nazis. Wonder Woman's magic belt is stolen by the rustlers, who lock her in an abandoned jail cell, and the orphan kids retrieve her belt and come to her rescue. Note: Roy Rogers insisted that Lynda Carter wear a light sweater and pants for the episode, uncomfortable with the idea of a grown woman wearing nothing but a bathing suit the whole time.[citation needed] This change of clothes led to the concept in seasons two and three of the wetsuit, motocross suit, and skateboard costume.[citation needed] | |||||
| 13 | "Wonder Woman in Hollywood" | Written by: Jimmy Sangster | Directed by: Bruce Bilson | February 16, 1977 | 166611 |
| Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl work together to stop a Nazi agent turned film producer from taking Steve and several other soldiers back to Germany to put them in a propaganda film that will destroy America's image as a peace-loving country. Guest starring Debra Winger, Christopher Norris and Robert Hays. | |||||
[edit] The New Adventures of Wonder Woman
Despite strong ratings, ABC stalled on commissioning a second season causing the show's frustrated production company Warner Bros. to offer Wonder Woman to CBS. While ABC dithered, CBS took the series on condition that the setting be switched to the modern day. Changing the title to The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, the series was nudged away from sophisticated humour towards a more conventional action/adventure take.
Diana Prince, ageless due to her Amazon nature, returns from Paradise Island after a 35-year absence to become an agent with the Inter-Agency Defense Command (IADC), a CIA-like organization fighting criminals and the occasional alien invasion. Infrequent references to her World War II experiences were made in early episodes.
[edit] Season 2
Changes in the first CBS season included Wonder Woman's costume being redesigned. Her invisible plane became a jet aircraft, though it only appeared a couple of times. Waggoner still appeared as Wonder Woman's friend Steve Trevor; however, he was now Steve Trevor Jr., the lookalike son of the heroine's World War II ally. The episode "The Return of Wonder Woman" revealed that Trevor Sr. had attained the rank of major general and had died some years earlier. As with the first season, the producers chose to downplay and later drop any suggestion that Steve and Wonder Woman were anything more than friends.
The theme song was re-written to remove references to the Axis, reflecting the series' new present-day setting, and the action depicted in the opening's animated comic book panels was similarly updated. Beginning with the episode "The Man Who Made Volcanoes", the opening title sequence was changed again to an instrumental and more traditional "action scenes" opening.
Trevor was promoted to a desk job midway through the season, leaving Diana to go out on missions alone in most episodes. By this time, Diana was no longer simply Trevor's assistant, but was now an accomplished solo agent.
Unlike the first season, Wonder Woman's sources of power (her belt, bracelets, and lasso) were never stolen by villains in any of the CBS episodes.
Several other changes occurred as the second season progressed. Joe Atkinson (Normann Burton), a weathered IADC agent, was dropped after the ninth episode, as was a regular segment showing Diana, Steve and Joe receiving orders from a "Charlie"-like character who is heard but never seen. Midway through the season, this was replaced with regular briefings by IRAC (or more familiarly, "Ira"), IADC's super-intelligent computer, who deduces Diana's secret identity. Saundra Sharp joined the cast as Eve, Steve's assistant (the job held by Diana at the start of the season). Near the end of the season, in the episode "IRAC is Missing," a tiny robot called Rover was added for comic relief. An offshoot of IRAC who performs duties such as delivering coffee and sorting mail, Rover speaks with a high-pitched voice, occasionally makes "Beep Beep" sounds (borrowed from the Road Runner cartoon series) and, like IRAC, is aware that Diana Prince and Wonder Woman are one and the same.
The character of Wonder Woman maintained her no-kill policy, although there were exceptions: in the episode "Anschluss '77" she destroys a clone of Adolf Hitler, and another episode made reference to a villain who was believed drowned following a previous unseen encounter with Diana/Wonder Woman.
Multiple costumes are introduced. Wonder Woman still wears the red-white-and-blue cape for special events or appearances from the first season, but without the skirt. A diving costume is introduced, a navy-blue lycra body suit with matching gloves, gold bracelets, flat boots, and a flexible tiara is featured whenever aquatic activity is necessary. The same costume, with low-heeled boots and a gold helmet, is used to ride motorcycles.
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Director | Original airdate | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 201 | "The Return of Wonder Woman" | Written by: Stephen Kandel | Directed by: Alan Crosland | September 16, 1977 | |
| Princess Diana resumes the mantle of Wonder Woman when a plane carrying Steve Trevor (son of her former associate) is landed on Paradise Island. Wonder Woman and Trevor must prevent a terrorist from stealing a nuclear power plant and destabilizing all of Latin America. Notes: 90 minute episode. The series moves from ABC to CBS and is updated to the present day. Academy Award winner Beatrice Straight guest stars as the Queen. | |||||
| 15 202 | "Anschluss '77" | Written by: Dallas L. Barnes | Directed by: Alan Crosland | September 23, 1977 | |
| Wonder Woman must stop Nazi war criminals from establishing the Fourth Reich led by a clone of Adolph Hitler. | |||||
| 16 203 | "The Man Who Could Move the World" | Written by: Judy Burns | Directed by: Bob Kelljan | September 30, 1977 | |
| A Japanese American man who had been in an internment camp during World War II blames Wonder Woman for the death there of his brother. He has developed telekinetic powers and uses them to try to exact revenge on Wonder Woman. Notes: Lew Ayres guest stars. | |||||
| 17 204 | "The Bermuda Triangle Crisis" | Written by: Calvin Clements, Jr. | Directed by: Seymour Robbie | October 7, 1977 | |
| Wonder Woman must decide between conflicting loyalties, if she does her duty as Diana Prince, she will put Paradise Island in danger of becoming a nuclear testing site. Notes:Wonder Woman displays a previously unrevealed power, communicating with Paradise Island via mirror (similar to the mental radio of the comics). She also spins up an alternate costume, a blue wetsuit including a hood with a tiara design. | |||||
| 18 205 | "Knockout" | Written by: Mark Rodgers | Directed by: Seymour Robbie | October 14, 1977 | |
| 19 206 | "The Pied Piper" | Teleplay by: David Ketchum, Tony DiMarco and Brian McKay; Story by: David Ketchum and Tony DiMarco | Directed by: Alan Crosland | October 21, 1977 | |
| Rock star Hamlin Rule (Martin Mull) hypnotizes his groupies into robbing the box offices of his concerts. When he hypnotizes the daughter (Eve Plumb) of IADC agent Joe Atkinson, Wonder Woman intervenes to free her. | |||||
| 20 207 | "The Queen & the Thief" | Written by: Bruce Shelly | Directed by: Jack Arnold | October 28, 1977 | |
| 21 208 | "I Do, I Do" | Written by: Richard Carr | Directed by: Bob Kelljan | November 11, 1977 | |
| Diana goes undercover with another agent as a married couple at a spa to investigate leaks of classified information. Diana discovers that an evil masseur is manipulating more than just spines, using his skills to entrance the wives of government officials into revealing secrets. Notes: Academy Award winner Celeste Holm guest stars. | |||||
| 22 209 | "The Man Who Made Volcanoes" | Teleplay by: Brian McKay and Dan Ullman Story by: Wilton Denmark |
Directed by: Alan Crosland | November 18, 1977 | |
| Diana races against teams of Soviet and Chinese agents to stop Arthur Chapman (Roddy McDowall), an evil scientist who has the ability to cause volcanoes to erupt. | |||||
| 23 210 | "Mind Stealers from Outer Space Part I" | Written by: Stephen Kandel | Directed by: Michael Caffey | December 2, 1977 | |
| An alien race called the Skrill come to Earth to steal the minds of humans to be sold into slavery. Andros (Dack Rambo), son of the alien visitor from the 1940s, arrives with orders to capture the Skrill. If he fails, his people will use insanity-inducement procedures upon the Earth to prevent their escape. Notes: Guest starring Vince Van Patten, whose father Dick had appeared in a season one episode. Anne Ramsey has a cameo role. | |||||
| 24 211 | "Mind Stealers from Outer Space Part II" | Written by: Stephen Kandel | Directed by: Alan Crosland | December 9, 1977 | |
| Wonder Woman and Andros continue to battle the Skrill, who are even more dangerous now that they have deduced Wonder Woman's secret identity. | |||||
| 25 212 | "The Deadly Toys" | Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: Carey Wilber |
Directed by: Dick Moder | December 30, 1977 | |
| 26 213 | "Light-Fingered Lady" | Written by: Bruce Shelly | Directed by: Alan Crosland | January 6, 1978 | |
| Diana Prince goes undercover as a burgler to infiltrate a burglary ring.Notes: Wonder Woman appears to display another new power, telepathic communication with animals, when she convinces the guard dogs to trip the alarms. | |||||
| 27 214 | "Screaming Javelin" | Written by: Brian McKay | Directed by: Michael Caffey | ||
| The ruler (Henry Gibson) of a micronation kidnaps top athletes to force them to compete for his country in the Olympics. | |||||
| 28 215 | "Diana's Disappearing Act" | Written by: | Directed by: | February 3, 1978 | |
| Wonder Woman goes up against a magician who has discovered a way to turn lead into gold. Notes: Guest-starring Ed Begley, Jr. | |||||
| 29 216 | "Death in Disguise" | Written by: S.S. Schweitzer | Directed by: Michael Caffey | February 10, 1978 | |
| Notes: Charles Pierce guest stars. Wonder Woman displays superhuman hearing. | |||||
| 30 217 | "IRAC is Missing" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Alexander Singer | February 17, 1978 | |
| Notes: First appearance of Rover. | |||||
| 31 218 | "Flight to Oblivion" | Written by: Patrick Mathews | Directed by: Alan Crosland | March 3, 1978 | |
| 32 219 | "Seance of Terror" | Written by: Bruce Shelly | Directed by: Dick Moder | March 10, 1978 | |
| A boy with astonishing psychic ability is being exploited by his aunt and uncle who have been paid to extort world leaders into continuing a bloody war. | |||||
| 33 220 | "The Man Who Wouldn't Tell" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Alan Crosland | March 31, 1978 | |
| A janitor (Gary Burghoff) accidentally mixes cleaning supplies and creates a powerful explosive. Wonder Woman must protect him from evil-doers after the secret formula. | |||||
| 34 221 | "The Girl from Ilandia" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Dick Moder | April 7, 1978 | |
| A mysterious girl arrives from a mysterious place. She shares many of the same super powers as Wonder Woman. | |||||
| 35 222 | "The Murderous Missile" | Written by: Dick Nelson | Directed by: Dick Moder | April 21, 1978 | |
| Bad guys impersonate the entire populace of a small town as part of a plot to steal a missile that can be guided by thought. Notes: Wonder Woman spins up another alternate costume, a motocross outfit. It is largely the same as her wetsuit, with the addition of a gold star-spangled crash helmet and large black goggles. She displays advanced gymnastics skills by jumping into the rafters to swing as if on uneven bars to distract and defeat her opponents | |||||
[edit] Season 3
With the beginning of the third season, further changes were made to target the show at a teenage audience. The title theme was reworked again to give it a disco beat, the use of gimmicky little robot 'Rover' was increased for comic effect and episodes began to revolve around topical subjects like skateboarding, roller coasters and the environment. Teenagers or young adults were commonly used as main characters in the plot lines. Eve disappeared from the cast although she is mentioned once or twice.
Wonder Woman was also allowed to become a bit more physical in the third season and could now be seen throwing the occasional punch or kicking. The writers also came up with several unusual ways for Diana to execute her spinning transformation, one of the most notable occurring in the episode "Stolen Faces" in which Diana makes the change while falling off a tall building.
Diana's powers were also increased, particularly in the third season episode "Deadly Dolphin" in which she is shown communicating telepathically with animals and generating "bursts" of some sort to scare away a killer shark.
The animated stars used before and after commercial breaks were dropped.
The show continued to gather a strong audience. In the final episode produced, the writers attempted a "relaunch" of sorts by having Diana reassigned to the Los Angeles bureau of IADC with a new supporting cast and Steve Trevor, whose presence had decreased throughout the season, was finally written out of the series. This new take on the format lasted for merely a single episode ("The Man Who Could Not Die"), which set up an assortment of new supporting characters, including Bryce Candall, an indestructible man (the titular character of the episode), as well as a streetwise youngster named T. Burton Phipps III who for some unexplained reason is allowed to hang out at the IADC. Also added to the cast was a chimpanzee who like Bryce, is also indestructible.
CBS ultimately decided to strengthen its sitcom offerings and Wonder Woman was suspended from the network schedule, though it was never formally cancelled.
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Director | Original airdate | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 301 | "My Teenage Idol is Missing" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Seymour Robbie | September 22, 1978 | |
| Notes: Leif Garrett guest stars in a dual role. On the DVD release of the complete third season Carter does an audio commentary for this episode. | |||||
| 37 302 | "Hot Wheels" | Written by: Dennis Landa | Directed by: Dick Moder | September 29, 1978 | |
| In order to recover a microfilm hidden in the hood ornament of a stolen car. Diana Prince teams up with an agent from another law enforcement agency to hunt down the car thief. | |||||
| 38 303 | "The Deadly Sting" | Written by: Dick Nelson | Directed by: Alan Crosland | October 6, 1978 | |
| 39 304 | "The Fine Art of Crime" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Dick Moder | October 13, 1978 | |
| Notes: Ed Begley, Jr. returns for another guest appearance. | |||||
| 40 305 | "Disco Devil" | Written by: Alan Brennert | Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson | October 20, 1978 | |
| A telepathic disco dancer is using his powers to steal information from government scientists visiting a Washington D.C. hot spot. Diana must enlist the aid of a second telepath to foil the scheme. Notes: Features Wolfman Jack guest starring as the disco's DJ. | |||||
| 41 306 | "Formicida" | Written by: Katharyn Michaelian Powers | Directed by: Alan Crosland | November 3, 1978 | |
| An environmentalist chemist (Lorene Yarnell) is determined to stop a pesticide manufacturer from marketing its latest formula. She creates a formula that gives her superhuman strength and the ability to control ants. Wonder Woman must stop her before she causes a disaster that will release clouds of toxic gas over the city. Notes: Yarnell and fellow guest star Robert Shields are the mime team Shields and Yarnell. | |||||
| 42 307 | "Time Bomb" | Written by: David Wise, Kathleen Barnes | Directed by: Seymour Robbie | November 10, 1978 | |
| An unethical scientist (Joan Van Ark) threatens to destroy history when she travels back in time from the 22nd Century with plans to accumulate great wealth in the 20th. Her fellow scientist (Ted Shackelford) teams with Wonder Woman to save the timeline. Notes: Van Ark and Shackelford would later star together on Knots Landing. This episode included special effects footage from the British science fiction series Space: 1999. | |||||
| 43 308 | "Skateboard Whiz" | Written by: Alan Brennert | Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson | November 24, 1978 | |
| Notes: Wonder Woman spins up an alternate costume, a skateboarding outfit complete with knee and elbow pads and a helmet with a tiara design. | |||||
| 44 309 | "The Deadly Dolphin" | Written by: Jackson Gillis | Directed by: Sigmund Neufeld Jr. | December 1, 1978 | |
| Wonder Woman shows off her ability to communicate with animals and displays another new power, generating unknown energy bursts which she uses to scare off sharks. | |||||
| 45 310 | "Stolen Faces" | Written by: Richard Carr, Anne Collins | Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson | December 15, 1978 | |
| A woman dressed up as Wonder Woman ends up in the hospital after wearing her costume in public. After a failed attempt on the impostor's life, Diana beefs up security, which causes them to catch a friend who reveals that the fake Wonder Woman is a model. Her modeling agency is up to no good and hire yet another girl to be Wonder Woman. Diana must stop their plans to steal millions from the rich. Notes: Guest stars Joseph Maher. | |||||
| 46 311 | "Pot of Gold" | Written by: Michael McGreevey | Directed by: GordonHessler | December 22, 1978 | |
| Diana travels to England to try to intercept counterfeit printing plates for $100 bills but fails. Meanwhile, a small-time crook is stealing gold to buy the plates and hits upon an unlikely source - a leprechaun's pot of gold. Wonder Woman and Pat the leprechaun team up to track the plates and retrieve Pat's gold. | |||||
| 47 312 | "Gault's Brain" | Written by: Arthur Weingarten | Directed by: Gordon Hessler | December 29, 1978 | |
| A billionaire (John Carradine) tries to regain his health and youth, keeping his brain alive after his death. Wonder Woman must prevent him from having his brain transplanted into the body of a young Olympic hopeful. | |||||
| 48 313 | "Going, Gone, Gone" | Written by: Anne Collins,Patrick Mathews | Directed by: Alan Crosland | January 12, 1979 | |
| 49 314 | "Spaced Out" | Written by: Bill Taylor | Directed by: Ivan Dixon | January 26, 1979 | |
| Notes: Robby the Robot makes an appearance. | |||||
| 50 315 | "The Spaceships are Coming" | Written by: Glen Olson, Rod Baker, Anne Collins | Directed by: Alan Crosland | February 2, 1979 | |
| 51 316 | "Amazon Hot Wax" | Written by: Alan Brennert | Directed by: Ray Austin | February 16, 1979 | |
| Diana goes undercover as a singer. Notes: Lynda Carter performs songs from her debut album Portrait. Judge Reinhold, Sarah Purcell and Rick Springfield guest star. | |||||
| 52 317 | "The Richest Man in the World" | Written by: Jackson Gillis, Anne Collins | Directed by: Don McDougall | February 19, 1979 | |
| 53 318 | "A Date with Doomsday" | Written by: Roland Starke, Dennis Landa | Directed by: Curtis Harrington | March 10, 1979 | |
| 54 319 | "The Girl with a Gift for Disaster" | Written by: Alan Brennert | Directed by: Alan Crosland | March 17, 1979 | |
| A young woman with the bizarre jinx-like power to cause accidents around her is exploited by her boyfriend to cover up his criminal activities. | |||||
| 55 320 | "The Boy Who Knew Her Secret Part 1" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson | May 28, 1979 | |
| Diana travels to a small town where hundreds of people have begun acting strangely under the apparent influence of pyramids from outer space. Skip (Clark Brandon), a boy trying to help Diana with her investigation discovers that Diana Prince is Wonder Woman. | |||||
| 56 321 | "The Boy Who Knew Her Secret Part 2" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson | May 29, 1979 | |
| A teenage boy has discovered Wonder Woman's secret identity after she has come to investigate strange happenings in his town. However, things are not what they appear as the aliens taking over the local citizens are actually hunting down a galactic terror. Wonder Woman uses her magic lasso to make Skip forget her secret but he rediscovers the fact later when he listens to his recorded memos to himself. Notes: Dialogue in this episode sets up Diana's move to Los Angeles. | |||||
| 57 322 | "The Man Who Could Not Die" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: John Newland | August 28, 1979 | |
| On her first day in Los Angeles, Diana encounters an indestructible chimpanzee. This leads her to a scientist who through a combination of chemicals and radiation has also made a man, Bryce Candall, indestructible. Bryce and Wonder Woman join forces to foil the scientist's plan to create an army of indestructible men to take over the country. Notes: Diana Prince relocates to Los Angeles. Wonder Woman again exhibits superhuman hearing. | |||||
| 58 323 | "The Phantom of the Roller Coaster Part I" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: John Newland | September 4, 1979 | |
| Notes: This episode and its second part were aired out of sequence within the series. Diana had relocated to Los Angeles permanently in the preceding episode but in this two-parter she was in Washington D.C. without explanation. | |||||
| 59 324 | "The Phantom of the Roller Coaster Part II" | Written by: Anne Collins | Directed by: John Newland | September 11, 1979 | |
[edit] DVD releases
Warner Home Video has released all 3 Seasons of Wonder Woman on DVD in Region 1.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete 1st Season | 14 | June 29, 2004 | All 14 episodes (including the pilot) with commentary by Lynda Carter and executive producer Douglas S. Cramer; New documentary retrospective. |
| The Complete 2nd Season | 22 | March 1, 2005 | 21 episodes plus a feature-length season premiere; Bonus documentary: "Revolutionizing a Classic: From Comic Book to Television." |
| The Complete 3rd Season | 24 | June 7, 2005 | Audio Commentary by Lynda Carter on "My Teenage Idol is Missing"; Featurette:"Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Feminist Icon." |
[edit] Behind the scenes
 |
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- The episode "The Bermuda Triangle Crisis" features special effects footage of the Seaview from the series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
- Carter performed many of her own stunts early on, including a famous shot from the second season suspended under a helicopter. Later, Carter would only perform judo or close-up, less-risky stunts, such as light diving, vaulting, or flips/throws, due to her insurance with the studio.
- Special effects noises for vaulting, super-strength, and tiara-throws were added after the first two specials, and continued, although vaulting changes to a loud screech mid-way through season two.
[edit] Merchandising
DC Direct (which creates merchandise for DC Comics) released a Wonder Woman statue in 2007 which is based upon the image created by Lynda Carter.
[edit] References
- ^ Daniels, Les; Chip Kidd (2000). Wonder Woman: The Life and Times of the Amazon Princess. Chronicle Books, 120. ISBN 0811842339.
- ^ The Brady Kids: It's All Greek to Me. TV.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
- ^ a b Hofstede, David; Tom Bergeron (contributor) (2004). What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television. Back Stage Books, 31-3. ISBN 0823084418.
- ^ "TV Staff Previews", Uniontown (PA) Morning Herald, 1974-03-12.
- ^ "TV Key Best Bets", Wisconsin State Journal, 1974-08-21.
- ^ a b Shales, Tom. "Wonder Woman Tries Comeback", Washington Post, 1975-11-7.
- ^ Joby, Tom. "Cathy Crosby turns down 'Wonder Woman' offer", Associated Press, 1980-05-12.
- ^ Carter, Lynda. The New Original Wonder Woman commentary [DVD].
- ^ Cramer, Douglas S. The New Original Wonder Woman commentary [DVD].
- ^ Schönfeld, Christiane (2007). Processes of Transposition: German Literature and Film. Rodopi, 36. ISBN 9042022841.
[edit] External links
- Wonder Woman (TV series) at the Internet Movie Database
- New Original Wonder Woman (1975 pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
- Wonder Woman (1974 pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
- Who's Afraid of Diana Prince? (1967 pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
- Wonder Woman video clips from the 1967 pilot, Lynda Carter series, and the animated incarnations.
- Whose Afraid of Diana Prince info and complete short film
- Information and 7 video clips from first Wonder Woman TV-movie
|
|||||||||||||||||
