Wonder Woman

"Wonder Woman" is a series that is a lot of fun to watch. Lynda Carter certainly embodies the character better than anyone could, and the producers and writers put a lot of imagination in this show. Some fans prefer the first season, WWII based episodes, while others like the later, "modern dress" episodes of the latter two seasons. There is really a lot of fun to be had in all three. It is really a hoot to see Cloris Leachman as Wonder Woman's mother in the extended pilot episode. She plays the role much like her Phyllis Lindstrom character in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"! Debra Winger makes an impression as Wonder Girl in the first season, but she allegedly turned down a request from the producers to do a "Wonder Girl" spin-off. Lynda Carter is really a versatile performer. Some years ago I had the good fortune to see her perform her cabaret show here in Chicago, and she was outstanding! A terrific singer and performer. Love ya, WW!

The success of this show can be attributed largely to the casting of Lynda Carter who was believable as Wonder Woman. Without her, the show probably would never have gained the popularity that it did.

During the '70s live action show the 6 million Dollar Man, was a success due to the interesting usage of special effects. Wonder Woman might have been conceived encouraged by this cultural background.

The show's quality was par with most other top shows of the time. It was made to appeal to wide range of audiences, so the plot wasn't so complex, but prominently featured super powers of Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter was absolutely believable as Wonder Woman, and there was no other actor of the time who could have played the role asides from her.

The show is a sweet relic from the '70s along with the likes of the Incredible Hulk, Bionic Woman etc.. It was made in pre-cable TV era when science fiction type program wasn't as ubiquitous as today, and nicely filled the niche. It was an interesting and dramatic show that brought excitement to the audience.

It would probably be difficult to make another Wonder Woman series with as much believability if they can't find a second Lynda Carter to fill the role.

Wonder Woman is a somewhat forgotten show, it's not on syndication much, but it's gotten a boost from a successful release on DVD. The first season takes place in the 1940s with Wonder Woman constantly fighting to dismantle the Nazi's schemes. The following two seasons take place in the 1970s, and they will be released on DVD soon.

The show is always bordering on the level of high camp, but like most every show from the 1970s, it tells its' story in a very plain straightforward fashion. Wonder Woman comes to the aid of Steve Trevor, who can never seem to help himself (the male in distress). Someone they know turns out to be an undercover Nazi spy, who is trying to steal valuable information or hurt many Americans.

One thing that is somewhat frustrating is how many times she is taken captured. She is chloroformed too many times to count (a 70s trademark - what action show didn't over-exploit chloroform?) Of course, how the hell does Steve never recognize that Diana is Wonder Woman, even when she happens to show up in the middle of Brazil to save him? And that music while she flies the invisible airplane?...yeeeeeaassh!

The good parts of the show - Lynda Carter, first of all. She seemed to hit her stride in the part as the series continued and she is often so charming and innocent that you can't help but like her. Her values and strength of character are idealistic, but they're also missing in today's female heroes, who are so dark sometimes, they lose their charm. In many ways, watching Lynda as Wonder Woman is a breath of fresh air and of course, there still doesn't seem to be a woman other than her who could wear that outfit and pull it off. When Wonder Woman first walks on the city streets in the pilot, you don't know what to think, but Lynda plays her so innocently she's fantastic.

She is the driving force, but the innocent quality of the show (good vs. bad) is unique from today's perspective. The comic book captions at the leads of scenes give it a tie to the comics. The guest stars are often interesting and have good roles and Lyle Waggoner is consistent in a rather thankless role as Steve Trevor.

It may not hold up perfectly today, but it's a nice time capsule series and Lynda Carter does hold up well in a role she was born to play. And along with the Hulk, this was the best of the slew of comic book hero shows from the 1970s-early 80s.

Lynda Carter's portrayal of Wonder Woman was one of the best superhero performances ever. She really came across as a super-powerful female, just as Lou Ferrigno came across on The Incredible Hulk as a super-powerful green-skinned goliath. What was even better was when Debra Winger guest-starred in three episodes as WW's sister, Wonder Girl. Talk about a double dose of babeness!!!

It's too bad that "Wonder Woman" strayed from its origins after it moved from ABC to CBS. The original ABC episodes were probably some of the best efforts at bringing comic book fun to life. Once the series was moved from its WWII setting to the present, the only thing that improved was Lynda Carter's costume. "Wonder Woman" became too much of a routine type of adventure show and lost its sense of good-natured fun and camp that the WWII episodes served up (and poor Lyle Waggoner became practically non-existent as "Steve Trevor, Jr.")

Still, there is little doubt that Lynda Carter made a lasting impression as Wonder Woman. Her qualities of incredible beauty and wide-eyed innocence enabled her to make the part her own and the reason why we've never seen a big screen adapation of Wonder Woman is because Carter's portrayal still looms large even today.