TV Show Review: Wonder Woman - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Fun, decent stories

Cons: Cheesy, some stiff acting from Lynda Carter at times

The Bottom Line:

World War II era

Wonder Woman fights Nazis

Cheesy but still fun

Wonder Woman in Her World War II Glory

There is something about Wonder Woman I just can't let go. Yes, the show is cheesy and dated, especially by today's standards. But it is still so much fun. Of course, it helps that star Lynda Carter is drop dead gorgeous.

This show was created in the 1970's. But for the first season, the show tried to go with the character's roots. Which means that Wonder Woman is fighting Nazi's in World War II.

The set starts off with a pilot setting up the character and the series. While chasing a Nazi fighter over the Bermuda triangle, Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) crash lands on Paradise Island. The island is inhabited by a race of Amazon women who have lived isolated from men for years. But when they learn of the Nazi threat, they agree that one of them must venture into the outside world and help fight this evil threat. Princess Diana (Lynda Carter) wins the honor.

Back in Washington DC, Diana joins the military as Diana Prince and gets a job as Steve's secretary. That way, she is close by when help is needed and can spin her way into the action as Wonder Woman. Rounding out the cast in the first season are Beatrice Colen as fellow secretary Etta Candy Richard Eastham as Steve's boss General Phil Blankenship.

Of course, calling it the first season is a bit of a misnomer. The extended pilot and 13 hour long episodes aired over the course of two years. Yet this set contains all the episodes that aired on ABC and all the episodes set during World War II, so it works.

The other constant in this set is the villain. Every week, we were stopping some Nazi plot to destroy the US. They tried to flood the economy with phony two dollar bills. A new outbreak of the plague threatens DC. A beauty pageant isn't all it seems. When an alien lands trying to find good in humanity, the Nazi's capture him and Wonder Woman must go to the rescue. And she must return home when the Nazi's learn the secret location of Paradise Island and attempt to mine feminum, the substance that gives Wonder Woman her bullet proof bracelets.

Now let's be honest. The show is horribly cheesy. This is especially true here were they aimed for the camp factor and didn't quite get it right. The special effects are obviously 30 years old. I mean, they work, but they aren't that outstanding. And some of the acting and writing is bad.

But the show is still fun. There is something about seeing Wonder Woman go into action that thrills me. The plots are decent and can still pull me in, especially if I don't remember what is happening. And, while I do find fighting Nazi's every episode a little tedious, I find the historic setting fun.

As you watch, you can see that things were still developing. Wonder Woman's famous spin, created for the TV series, isn't quite developed yet in the first few episodes. Probably the biggest difference between this season and the later ones is Diana/Wonder Woman's personality. She really doesn't have one here. She comes across as horribly naïve at times, too. This is especially true when she is given a "woman power" or "love will solve everything" line. And, frankly, I don't think Lynda Carter was quite comfortable with the part yet, because her acting, especially in those scenes, is stiff. It works, but it isn't as confident as it would be later.

On the other hand, this season does boast an impressive list of guest stars, including Cloris Leachman, Red Buttons, Robert Reed, Dick van Patten, Debra Winger in her first credited roll, and Roy Rogers.

The set itself is good. You get fourteen adventures spread out over three double sided discs. The full frame picture looks good most of the time. The worse shots are the establishing shots, which have lots of grain. Fortunately, those only last a few seconds. The mono sound won't blow you away, but it gets the job done. There is an uneven but interesting commentary on the pilot with Lynda Carter and Executive Producer Douglas S. Cramer. Finally, we get a new 20 minute documentary on the creation of the TV series.

Wonder Woman is certainly an acquired taste, and the first season isn't the best of the series. But it overcomes its flaws to become a fun adventure show.

Season 1 Episodes:

1. The New, Original Wonder Woman

2. Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther

3. Fausta, the Nazi Wonder Woman

4. Beauty on Parade

5. The Feminum Mystique Part 1

6. The Feminum Mystique Part 2

7. Wonder Woman vs. Gargantua

8. The Pluto File

9. Last of the $2 Bills

10. Judgment from Outer Space Part 1

11. Judgment from Outer Space Part 2

12. Formula 407

13. The Bushwhackers

14. Wonder Woman in Hollywood