Novelist and Wonder Woman expert Andy Mangels takes center stage in this 11 minute retrospective of the second season of Wonder Woman, when the series moved to CBS and left WWII behind for 1977. Comic book artists Phil Himinez, Adam Hughes and Alex Ross, who all grew up with the show share their insights and their love for Lynda Carter and lest we not forget producer Douglas S. Cramer and star Lynda Carter also appear.
Cramer talks about having a responsibility to the audience as well as the comic book lovers, Lynda mentions how she enjoyed adding elements to the comic book mythology (like the spinning costume change). DC even went back to telling Wartime stories when the first season was on. Jimenez notes that the TV version became noticeably more powerful after moving into the seventies. Adam Hughes, who is labeled 'cover artist' here, adds that WW's powers have changed over the years in the comic as well. Alex Ross ads that just seeing his favorite comic book babe in the flesh on his TV every Friday night was good enough for him.
But it is Andy Mangels who shares the most information concerning the differences made for the second season. These include two new costumes: the Wonder Wetsuit and the Wonder Biker outfit. And instead of those nasty Nazi's, Wonder Woman now began facing a whole new gallery of Television rogues, including his personal favorite: the Wonder Woman robot created by the Toymaker (Frank Gorshin) from the episode 'The Deadly Toys' (doesn't every TV character meet his or her double at one point, usually during the first season?).
Afterwards we go back to the comic book artist who talk about wanting to draw WW like Lynda Carter, but being mostly unable to do so because of rights. And during the brief end credits Lynda Carter reveals that she has 'taken out' her old red white and blue outfit on two occasions to participate in her child's show and tell. Note that she doesn't actually say if she put it on or not, but such is definitely implied. Oh Lynda, you'll always be the one and only Wonder Woman to us.
Still, as with the documentary on the first season boxed set, it would have been nice to hear from some more people who were actually involved in making the series, especially co-star Lyle Waggoner, who did pop up in Return to the Batcave: The misadventures of Adam and Burt (because he originally auditioned for the part of the Caped Crusader back in 1965). If only we had access to that version of Batman as seen in one of the myriad of alternate Earths out there on which surface things are just a little bit different than our reality...
7 out of 10
Cramer talks about having a responsibility to the audience as well as the comic book lovers, Lynda mentions how she enjoyed adding elements to the comic book mythology (like the spinning costume change). DC even went back to telling Wartime stories when the first season was on. Jimenez notes that the TV version became noticeably more powerful after moving into the seventies. Adam Hughes, who is labeled 'cover artist' here, adds that WW's powers have changed over the years in the comic as well. Alex Ross ads that just seeing his favorite comic book babe in the flesh on his TV every Friday night was good enough for him.
But it is Andy Mangels who shares the most information concerning the differences made for the second season. These include two new costumes: the Wonder Wetsuit and the Wonder Biker outfit. And instead of those nasty Nazi's, Wonder Woman now began facing a whole new gallery of Television rogues, including his personal favorite: the Wonder Woman robot created by the Toymaker (Frank Gorshin) from the episode 'The Deadly Toys' (doesn't every TV character meet his or her double at one point, usually during the first season?).
Afterwards we go back to the comic book artist who talk about wanting to draw WW like Lynda Carter, but being mostly unable to do so because of rights. And during the brief end credits Lynda Carter reveals that she has 'taken out' her old red white and blue outfit on two occasions to participate in her child's show and tell. Note that she doesn't actually say if she put it on or not, but such is definitely implied. Oh Lynda, you'll always be the one and only Wonder Woman to us.
Still, as with the documentary on the first season boxed set, it would have been nice to hear from some more people who were actually involved in making the series, especially co-star Lyle Waggoner, who did pop up in Return to the Batcave: The misadventures of Adam and Burt (because he originally auditioned for the part of the Caped Crusader back in 1965). If only we had access to that version of Batman as seen in one of the myriad of alternate Earths out there on which surface things are just a little bit different than our reality...
7 out of 10
