Now the world is ready for you...
I blame both havocthecat and angharad_gov for planting the idea in my head. As most of you have noticed, I've been on a Wonder Woman kick lately. I hadn't seen the old "Wonder Woman" tv series in ages. Target had the season sets really cheap. We were there on the madhouse after Christmas sale for Bones season 2 set on sale. So I picked up the first WWII era season. I watched the pilot movie last night after it was clear USC was pummeling Illinois. I think it was only 21-0 when I left...
Now I have fond memories of the tv series. Some of those memories are certainly seen through rose-tinted glasses. I'm not sure how much of the first season I ever saw. I know I never saw the pilot movie. I'd remember this. At least I hope I would...
What surprised me was how faithful the pilot was to her first appearance in Sensation #1, even the whole bank robbers and vaudeville subplot. There was even a nod to her original skirted costume.
Lynda Carter really made that series though. I'd forgotten what a stunning smile she had. Yes, of course, she's got the body, but really what makes her Diana is her Presence and that will be hard to top. And of course the girl with glasses is considered the plain jane. *readjusts her own spectacles and doesn't comment* I hadn't noticed they were tinted until this time around.
The one thing that always rankles about the DC Animated universe was how they handled Diana's backstory. I know they changed others of the founders, but compared to Batman and Superman, hers was changed wholesale. Particularly missing was the idea of the Contest of Diana winning her chance to be Wonder Woman. I realize it wasn't practical to spend too much time on her background, but it bugged me how Diana was portrayed as this rebellious teenager who steals the costume, rather than earns it outright. So seeing the Contest filmed in rather campy montage was rather heartening, all things considered.
The casting choices for the pilot were just odd. Cloris Leachman was so badly miscast as Hippolyta. For all that the pilot was written by Stanley Ross of the campy "Batman" fame, the pilot was played fairly seriously. Leachman chewed furniture liberally, draping herself over this divan or dramatically playing a full floor harp. For some reason I was reminded of Agnes Moorehead in "Bewitched", but not in a good way. I'm hoping her replacements fair better? Whereas Fannie Flagg was quite lovely as the Amazon doctor treating Steve. Stella Stevens and Red Buttons played a mismatched pair of Nazi spies. I recognized Eric Braeden's voice immediately. He's spent the last umpteen years in Genoa City as Victor Newman -- another clash of comics and soap fandom.
Lyle Waggoner is indeed the perfect damsel in distress. Poor guy, always bamboozled by some pretty girl. I'll stick to the "Savage Time" Steve Trevor or the later Earth-1 version for my Steve. I didn't think he was that bad as a love interest. *ducks a hail of bullets*
The packaging is nice, too. I especially like the use of the late 1970s comic book artwork. With all the press paid to Alex Ross and Adam Hughes, it's nice to see my understated Diana again -- beautiful and powerful.
I may have to ration these to one episode a night. I'm not sure how much more my brain can take.
Now I have fond memories of the tv series. Some of those memories are certainly seen through rose-tinted glasses. I'm not sure how much of the first season I ever saw. I know I never saw the pilot movie. I'd remember this. At least I hope I would...
What surprised me was how faithful the pilot was to her first appearance in Sensation #1, even the whole bank robbers and vaudeville subplot. There was even a nod to her original skirted costume.
Lynda Carter really made that series though. I'd forgotten what a stunning smile she had. Yes, of course, she's got the body, but really what makes her Diana is her Presence and that will be hard to top. And of course the girl with glasses is considered the plain jane. *readjusts her own spectacles and doesn't comment* I hadn't noticed they were tinted until this time around.
The one thing that always rankles about the DC Animated universe was how they handled Diana's backstory. I know they changed others of the founders, but compared to Batman and Superman, hers was changed wholesale. Particularly missing was the idea of the Contest of Diana winning her chance to be Wonder Woman. I realize it wasn't practical to spend too much time on her background, but it bugged me how Diana was portrayed as this rebellious teenager who steals the costume, rather than earns it outright. So seeing the Contest filmed in rather campy montage was rather heartening, all things considered.
The casting choices for the pilot were just odd. Cloris Leachman was so badly miscast as Hippolyta. For all that the pilot was written by Stanley Ross of the campy "Batman" fame, the pilot was played fairly seriously. Leachman chewed furniture liberally, draping herself over this divan or dramatically playing a full floor harp. For some reason I was reminded of Agnes Moorehead in "Bewitched", but not in a good way. I'm hoping her replacements fair better? Whereas Fannie Flagg was quite lovely as the Amazon doctor treating Steve. Stella Stevens and Red Buttons played a mismatched pair of Nazi spies. I recognized Eric Braeden's voice immediately. He's spent the last umpteen years in Genoa City as Victor Newman -- another clash of comics and soap fandom.
Lyle Waggoner is indeed the perfect damsel in distress. Poor guy, always bamboozled by some pretty girl. I'll stick to the "Savage Time" Steve Trevor or the later Earth-1 version for my Steve. I didn't think he was that bad as a love interest. *ducks a hail of bullets*
The packaging is nice, too. I especially like the use of the late 1970s comic book artwork. With all the press paid to Alex Ross and Adam Hughes, it's nice to see my understated Diana again -- beautiful and powerful.
I may have to ration these to one episode a night. I'm not sure how much more my brain can take.