Lynda Carter didn't just play a superhero. She basically defined a whole decade of pop culture. When the wonder woman series 1970s first hit the small screen, nobody really knew if a female-led action show could survive the brutal network ratings wars of that era. It did. It thrived.
Honestly, the show is kind of a miracle of production. It bounced between networks, survived a massive creative overhaul after the first season, and somehow managed to make a star-spangled swimsuit look like a legitimate uniform for a warrior. Most people remember the spin—that iconic, sparkling transformation. But there’s a lot more to the story than just the costume changes and the magic lasso.
Why the Wonder Woman Series 1970s Almost Failed Before It Started
The road to the 1975 pilot was messy. DC Comics and Warner Bros. had been trying to get Diana Prince on screen for years. You might remember the 1974 TV movie starring Cathy Lee Crosby. It was weird. She didn't wear the costume, she didn't have powers, and she looked more like a government spy in a track suit than an Amazonian princess. Fans hated it. The ratings were "meh" at best.
ABC decided to try again, but they went back to the source material. They wanted the comic book look. They wanted the World War II setting. They found Lynda Carter, a former Miss World USA who had almost no acting experience. Seriously, she had about $25 in her bank account when she got the call. If she hadn't landed the role, she was going back to Arizona to live with her parents.
The Network Jump That Changed Everything
Season 1 was a period piece. Set in the 1940s, it featured Nazis, old-school espionage, and a heavy dose of "gee-whiz" patriotism. It was expensive to produce. Building 1940s sets and finding vintage cars cost a fortune. ABC, in a move that still baffles historians, hesitated on renewing it despite solid ratings.
CBS saw the opening. They snatched it up but demanded a massive change: bring the show into the present day. This led to The New Adventures of Wonder Woman. It was a smart move. It allowed the show to tackle 1970s issues like corporate greed, environmentalism, and high-tech disco-era villains. It also meant Diana Prince could wear fabulous 70s fashion, which, let's be real, was half the fun.
The Physicality and Stunts: No Green Screen Here
You've got to respect the stunt work. Back then, if Wonder Woman jumped off a building, a human being actually had to do it. Jeannie Epper, Lynda Carter’s legendary stunt double, performed feats that would make modern CGI-reliant actors sweat. There’s a famous story about the episode "Anschluss '77" where Epper had to hang from a helicopter by her hands. No harness. Just raw grip strength and a lot of guts.
Carter did a lot of her own work too. She wasn't just a face; she was an athlete. She actually came up with the "Wonder Woman Spin" herself. The producers didn't know how to handle the costume change, and Carter suggested the ballerina-style twirl. It worked so well they added a flash of light and a sound effect, and a legend was born.
The gadgets were another thing entirely. The Lasso of Truth wasn't a digital effect. It was a weighted rope that glowed thanks to some clever lighting and post-production trickery. The bracelets? They were rigged with small explosives—squibs—that Carter had to trigger herself with a hidden button in her palm. Every time she "deflected" a bullet, she was inches away from actual pyrotechnics.
💡 You might also like: Death and the Maiden: Why Ariel Dorfman’s Masterpiece Still Haunts Us
The Feminist Impact and the Steinem Connection
Gloria Steinem famously put Wonder Woman on the first cover of Ms. Magazine in 1972. This wasn't just a marketing gimmick. It was a statement. The wonder woman series 1970s leaned into this, especially in the early episodes. Diana wasn't just there to punch people; she was there to show that women were capable, intelligent, and didn't need a man to save them.
However, it wasn't perfect. The show struggled with the "damsel in distress" trope occasionally, usually to give Lyle Waggoner’s Steve Trevor something to do. But Lynda Carter fought back against scripts that made her character look weak. She insisted that Diana remain authoritative and compassionate. She played the character with a specific kind of "gentle strength" that avoided the "angry warrior" cliché. It’s why little girls—and boys—all over the world were obsessed with her.
Real-World Production Hurdles
- Costume Malfunctions: The original eagle on the bustier was made of metal and would frequently poke or scratch Carter during action scenes. They eventually switched to a more flexible material.
- The Invisible Jet: It was basically a plexiglass shell. It looked cool on screen but was a nightmare to film because of the reflections and the fact that you could see the wires if the lighting wasn't perfect.
- Location Fatigue: Like many shows of the era, "Washington D.C." was mostly just the backlots of Southern California. If you look closely at some of the "government buildings," they look suspiciously like the same ones used in The Dukes of Hazzard or The Incredible Hulk.
Beyond the Cape: The Legacy of the 1970s Wonder Woman
We often look back at 70s TV and see camp. And yeah, there’s plenty of camp here. The villains were often over-the-top, and the plots could be thin. But the wonder woman series 1970s holds up because of its sincerity. It didn't wink at the camera. It took the idea of a woman fighting for justice seriously at a time when that was still a radical concept for prime-time television.
Lynda Carter’s portrayal is the gold standard. Even Gal Gadot has credited Carter’s performance as the foundation for the modern films. The show proved that you could have a female lead who was physically dominant without losing her humanity. It paved the way for Xena, Buffy, and every female-led Marvel or DC project we see today.
If you’re looking to dive back into the series, don't just watch it for the nostalgia. Watch it for the craft. Look at how they used practical effects to sell the impossible. Observe the way Carter shifts her body language between the mousey, bespectacled Diana Prince and the regal Wonder Woman. It’s a masterclass in screen presence.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
To truly appreciate the era, focus on the transition between the ABC and CBS years. The shift in tone reflects the broader cultural change from post-WWII nostalgia to the techno-optimism of the late 70s. For collectors, the 1976 Mego dolls remain the holy grail, but keep an eye out for the original promotional stills—many of which were never actually used in the show but show the incredible detail of the hand-stitched costumes.
If you’re a filmmaker or writer, study the pacing. Each episode follows a strict act structure designed for 1970s commercial breaks, yet they managed to fit in character development that felt organic. The music, composed by Charles Fox and Artie Kane, also provides a blueprint for how to use a recurring motif (the "Wonder Woman Theme") to build brand identity before "branding" was even a buzzword in Hollywood.
Finally, acknowledge the limitations of the time. The special effects will look dated, and some of the dialogue is undeniably cheesy. But the core message—that power used without compassion is just tyranny—is as relevant now as it was in 1975.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge
- Search for the "Lost" Pilot: Locate the 1967 "Who's Afraid of Diana Prince?" short film on archival sites. It’s a five-minute comedy take on the character that shows just how badly the industry misunderstood the character before the 70s series got it right.
- Read the Ms. Magazine Archives: Look up the 1972 debut issue. Understanding the political climate of the 70s Feminist movement provides essential context for why the show resonated so deeply with audiences.
- Track the Stunt Histories: Research the careers of Jeannie Epper and Kitty O'Neil. These women were the unsung heroes of the series and their contributions to the stunt industry changed safety standards and visibility for women in Hollywood forever.