Series Description

Wonder Woman was a 60 minute fantasy series on ABC for its first season and then on CBS for the 2nd and 3rd seasons. Following a dogfight with a Nazi Pilot, a United States Air Corps Major crashed on Paradise Island, mysteriously hidden in the Bermuda Triangle. The Amazon race of women there had super strength and powers so they decided to send someone back with the Major to help defeat the Nazis. Princess Diana found a way to ensure that she was the one chosen and that started the saga of Wonder Woman!

In the second and third seasons, Wonder Woman moved 30 years into the present day (1970s). Wonder Woman left Paradise Island to return to the real world. She found that there were still plenty of situations in the world that needed her help!

Wonder Woman Cast

Lynda Carter .... Diana Prince / Wonder Woman / Princess Diana
Lyle Waggoner .... Steve Trevor / Steve Trevor Jr.
Carolyn Jones .... Queen Hippolyte #1
Beatrice Straight .... Queen Hippolyte #2
Debra Winger .... Drusilla / Wonder Girl
Beatrice Colen .... Etta Candy
Richard Eastham .... General Phil Blankenship
Tom Kratochzil .... Voice of I.R.A.
Saundra Sharp .... Eve
Henry Gibson .... Nicholas
Jennifer Darling .... Violet Louise

Wonder Woman Trivia

When Wonder Woman moved from ABC to CBS in September of 1977, the title of the series was technically changed to "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" but most fans continued to refer to it as simply, "Wonder Woman".

On television, Wonder Woman lost her powers if her belt was removed. This was not true in the comics.

Amazons live a long time, but did Wonder Woman ever tell her age? Well, in the first episode on CBS, "The Return of Wonder Woman", she told Steve Trevor that she would be 2,527 years old on her next birthday.

Cloris Leachman ("Phyllis") played the role as Diana's mother, Queen Hyppolyte in the Wonder Woman pilot. Carolyn Jones (The Addams Family), and Beatrice Straight both played the role during the regular episodes.

Both pilot episodes and the 1st season of Wonder Woman took place during World War II just like in the comics. For its second season Wonder Woman moved to another network and they changed the timeline to the 1970s to update it to something more familiar to modern audiences! Wonder Woman had worked with Steve Trevor in season one and after the change, she worked with his son, Steve Trevor Jr. "Like father, Like Son" took on new meaning because both Trevors were played by Lyle Waggoner!

The reason that two pilot episodes were filmed was that the first one really stunk! That accounts for the title of the second pilot "The New Original Wonder Woman". The producers wanted to be sure that the public would know that it was different from the first pilot. Actually, there was a third Wonder Woman pilot filmed in the 1960s but it was so bad that it never aired. "The third time's the charm" though and it went on to be a big success!

In the first pilot, in addition to Cathy Lee Crosby (That's Incredible) being cast as Wonder Woman, Kaz Garas played Steve Trevor and Ricardo Montalban (Fantasy Island) appeared as Abner Smith.

In the comics, amazon bracelets were made of Amazonium. On television, they were made of Feminum.

In the comics, Diana would spin her lasso around herself to change into Wonder Woman. On the television show, she would simply spin (herself). They also added the "exploding circle of light" around her in the 3rd regular episode titled "Beauty on Parade". Before that, her "Diana" clothes seemed to dissolve off first, then her Wonder Woman costume would materialize giving the impression of brief nudity. That was considered to be a bit too much for prime time television in 1976!

In the comics, Steve Trevor had blonde hair but during the time that Lyle Waggoner (who had dark hair) was on television, they darkened the comic book charachter's hair too!

Only four people ever rode in Diana's invisible plane. They were Diana, Steve, Drusilla and a Nazi pilot. The Nazi pilot was unconcious at the time though.

Theme Song

Title: "Wonder Woman"

By: "Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox"

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
All the world is waiting for you,
and the power you possess.

In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.

Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.

Wonder Woman,
Get us out from under, Wonder Woman.
All our hopes are pinned upon you.
And the magic that you do.

Stop a bullet cold,
Make the Axis fold,
Change their minds, and change the world.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
You're a wonder, Wonder Woman.

Pilot Episodes

Wonder Woman (Starring Cathy Lee Crosby) (3/12/1974)
The New Original Wonder Woman (Starring Lynda Carter) (11/7/1975)