In 1967, hoping to capitalize on the success on their TV series Batman starring Adam West and Burt Ward, Greenway Productions filmed a five-minute screen test written by Stanley Ralph Ross and Larry Siegel, not even a full-length pilot episode, to pitch a comedic Wonder Woman program to the network.
Unlike Batman which treated its heroes as competent and capable, truly humble and worthy of respect within the context of their world, this Wonder Woman pilot known as “Who’s Afraid of Diana Prince?” presents its heroine as clumsy, vain, and somehow delusional. Although Ellie Wood Walker plays both Diana Prince and her alter ago Wonder Woman, Kim Harrison (best known for having played Nova in the first two Planet of the Apes movies) plays Wonder Woman’s reflection in the mirror because that’s supposedly how this ditzy heroine sees herself. You may recognize the voice of executive producer William “Bill” Dozier, who narrates as he did in Batman.
So this fell flat with the network execs and never became a TV series, sparing the world’s most successful comic book heroine this particular indignity. No, Wonder Woman’s first television appearance would be in cartoon form, in an episode of the animated Saturday morning series The Brady Kids. The first live action Wonder Woman would be played by Cathy Lee Crosby in a made-for-TV movie (1974), but the best known was Lynda Carter in the television series which ran from 1975 (pilot) to 1979.
As for why Warners Brothers can’t get their act together and produce a theatrical Wonder Woman film, well, that’s a mystery whose answer even her Lasso of Truth might not have the powerful to ferret out. Maybe, even after all these years, they’re the ones who are afraid of Diana Prince.
Related posts:
* The Batgirl That TV Never Saw
* The Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Never Saw
* Adam West (@therealadamwest) Picks Worst Superpower
Related posts:
Wow. I’m glad things have changed. I have fond memories of Lynda Carter’s double dubya performance. I think they have some tough hurdles with a movie:
The invisible jet is pretty silly, but expected.
The classic costume with its star-spangled booty is awesome, but makes it difficult to take her seriously as an ass-kicking Amazon. But the black leather body suits are sooo boring.
Something with Iron Man’s attitude- still colorful and fun, without being grimy and gritty like Batman, is what’s required.
Pingback: Rocket Llama HQ - » The Wonder Woman TV Never Saw: Who’s Afraid of Diana Prince?
So glad that never marred the Wonder Woman history.
For a long while I have wanted to do a write-up of a winning Wonder Woman movie idea over on my site. At least, it’s what I believe would appeal to fans and general audiences without making her come off as ridiculous or goofy. Guess I need to get off my duff and throw it out there. At the rate Warner Brothers is going, I’ll never see a decent Wonder Woman movie in my lifetime.
Still can’t understand how Warner could turn Joss Whedon away from involement with Woder Woman. Do they even know who Joss Whedon is? The man practically invented the modern pop-culture heroine, just think what he could do with a running start like this character.
shortened url = http://3.ly/WWtv
your site is amazing! I never about this Wonder Woman pilot. YOU would make a great Wonder Woman.
And we thought the new pilot looked bad? HA!
Linda Harrison play Nova not Kim Harrison…
Rumor Josh Whedom rumor wanted go back to the basic for Wonder Woman and Diana Prince and Steve Trevor….