Wonder Woman has been brought to life on both the big and small screen thanks to Lynda Carter and director Patty Jenkins.
Born on July 24, these two helped lasso the Amazonian warrior princess of truth, peace, hope, justice, sisterhood, empowerment and love into the A-list of superheroes.
That started with Carter with the television series that aired three seasons on ABC and CBS from 1975 to 1979. Raised on Paradise Island, Princess Diana comes to the world of man to fight on the side of right and might for the good old red-white-blue USA: first against the Nazis as Yeoman Prince alongside Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) during World War II, then as a government agent in the 1970s against organized crime, corporate greed, corruption and terrorism.
“Women are the wave of the future”, Wonder Woman said in the pilot, “and sisterhood is stronger than ever”
The success and impact of the Wonder Woman television series led to The Bionic Woman and Charlie’s Angels as well as other shows such as Supergirl with Carter in a recurring role as POTUS Olivia Marsdin opposite Melissa Benoist’s titular Girl of Steel.
In 2017, Wonder Woman finally broke the female superhero curse at the box office with Jenkins directing Gal Gadot in the role. Set in World War I, the film finds her accompanying spy/soldier/pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) to stop the war to end all wars. Standing for the name of all that is good in the world, Diana of Theymscira fights for those who can’t fight for themselves as Wonder Woman, for only love can save the world. When Wonder Woman lassoed her way to the top spot, the film opened domestically with $100 million dollars: a record for a female director like Jenkins, who also directed Wonder Woman 1984, where Carter made a cameo in the sequel.
All three seasons of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman and the WW films from director Patty Jenkins can be found on HBO Max.