Retro TV Rewind: Wonder Woman (1976 - 1979) | Starring Lynda Carter

 Written By Ken Hulsey

Lynda Carter will forever be remembered for her four-year run as the Amazonian goddess-turned-freedom fighter known as "Wonder Woman" on prime-time American television. The tall, buxom actress of Native American and Hispanic descent was the perfect fit to portray the character who first appeared in DC comics in the 1940s. As the former Miss World-USA 1973, Carter's presence on the show seemed destined for television success.

The show's path to becoming the cult classic we remember today was anything but straightforward. During the "Batman Craze" of the late 1960s, the show's producer, Bill Dozier, had plans to produce a more comedic than action-oriented Wonder Woman series. This vision never materialized. In 1974, producer John G. Stephens created a 90-minute TV movie simply titled "Wonder Woman," starring blonde former tennis player Cathy Lee Crosby, along with Ricardo Montalban and Kaz Garas. This movie was a critical and commercial failure.

Before Lynda Carter was chosen to portray a more traditional version of the character, Linda Harrison (known for playing Nova in Planet of the Apes) was considered and used for several test shots. The pilot episode starring Carter, called "The New Original Wonder Woman," aired in November 1975 and received high ratings and critical praise. However, this did not immediately land the show a regular slot on the ABC schedule. Instead, the network ordered two one-hour specials, which also earned high ratings, but ABC remained reluctant to commit to the show's future.

During the 1976-1977 season, Wonder Woman was viewed as a potential replacement if any of ABC's regularly scheduled shows failed. As luck would have it, several of these shows did indeed fail, opening the door for Wonder Woman. Eleven one-hour episodes were quickly put into production, and the show ended up saving ABC from a programming shortage.

The World War II-era TV series followed the adventures of Wonder Woman, portrayed as the nation's champion of freedom against the evils of Nazi Germany. Disguised as military intelligence secretary Diana Prince - complete with a "Clark Kent-esque" glasses disguise - Wonder Woman would always be one step ahead of the villains, ready to spring into action and rescue the hapless Major Steve Trevor (played by Lyle Waggoner) from any perilous predicament. The show would have also featured a young Debra Winger as the buxom Wonder Girl, who would arrive just in time to lend a hand to the defenders of liberty. Striking the perfect balance of campy fun and thrilling action, the series was poised to captivate audiences and earn respectable ratings.

Fans were surprised to learn that the show had unexpectedly switched networks to CBS for the 1977-78 season. However, a change of network was not the only alteration made to the series. The show's storyline had jumped forward 30 years, and the young Wonder Girl and the Nazis were nowhere to be found. The only carryover from the ABC series was Lyle Wagner, who reprised his role as Steve Trevor.

The modern settings, teen heartthrobs, and sci-fi focused episodes failed to capture the charm of the original series. Though the network did make efforts to correct the show's flaws towards the end of season two, and the third season episodes were arguably the best of the run, the damage had already been done. By this point, the show had lost most of its initial audience. As a result, Wonder Woman languished in the ratings and eventually slid out of CBS's primetime lineup.

Several factors, including a network change and shifts in local programming, time slots, and overall philosophy, ultimately worked against the series. The mid-season debut of the rival NBC show "Diff'rent Strokes," starring Gary Coleman, forced CBS to rethink and reshuffle its schedule, leaving Wonder Woman and its star Lynda Carter on the outside.

Although the network had plans to bring the show back, Carter soon turned her attention to a popular Las Vegas club act and the release of her first album. Glowing reviews drew the actress away from acting and towards a singing career that, unfortunately, never reached the heights initially promised. As a result, the Wonder Woman series was left by the wayside.

The Wonder Woman television series, which aired from 1976 to 1979, was also known as "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" (1977) and "The New Original Wonder Woman" (1976). The series was created by William M. Marston and directed by Jack Arnold and Ray Austin. The writing team included Rod Baker, William M. Marston, and Jackson Gillis, while the producers were Wilfred Lloyd Baumes, Charles B. Fitzimons, and Douglas S. Cramer. The theme music was composed by Charles Fox. The main cast included Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Princess Diana/Diana Prince, Lyle Wagner as Major Steve Trevor, Norman Burton as Joe Atkinson, Beatrice Colen as Etta Candy, Richard Eastman as General Phil Blankenship, Tom Kratochzil as the voice of I.R.A.C., Saundra Sharp as Eve, Cloris Leachman, Carolyn Jones, and Beatrice Straight as the Queen Mother, George Lynda Day as Fausta Grabels, and Christine Belford as Paula Von Gunther.

Lynda Carter was born Linda Jean Cordova on July 24, 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona. She is of both Native American and Mexican descent. Lynda was crowned Miss Arizona and Miss World USA in 1973. She was married to Ron Samuels from 1977 to 1982, before divorcing. Lynda has been married to Robert Altman since 1984.

Check Out:

Rare Behind The Scenes Photos of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman

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