Wonder Woman's journey to television stardom is a fascinating tale of missed opportunities and unexpected collaborations. While she may have been the most recognizable female superhero in DC Comics, her path to the small screen was not without its twists and turns. In this article, I'll explore the story of Wonder Woman's early television appearances, focusing on her debut in an animated spin-off of 'The Brady Bunch' and the intriguing connections it forged. I'll also delve into the broader implications of these early attempts to bring Wonder Woman to television, and reflect on what they tell us about the superhero's enduring appeal.
A Superhero's Unexpected Sitcom Debut
Wonder Woman's first television appearance was a surprising one. In 1972, she made her debut in an animated spin-off of 'The Brady Bunch' titled 'The Brady Kids'. This show, which featured the Brady children and their animal sidekicks, was a Saturday morning cartoon that reused animation from 'The Archie Show'. It was a far cry from the live-action superhero series we know today, but it marked a significant moment in Wonder Woman's television history.
What makes this debut particularly fascinating is the fact that it predates the made-for-TV movie 'Wonder Woman', which starred Cathy Lee Crosby and marked Wonder Woman's first live-action television appearance. The animated spin-off, however, was a backdoor pilot that was never picked up, and its impact was limited to a single episode. Nevertheless, it's a fun bit of superhero lore to know where Wonder Woman got her start on television.
The Brady/Wonder Woman Connection
The Brady/Wonder Woman connection didn't end with animation. In the live-action series 'The New Adventures of Wonder Woman', starring Lynda Carter, the Brady family dog, Tiger, makes an appearance as a dog (also named Tiger) in the season 2 episode 'The Girl from Ilandia'. But earlier that season, Wonder Woman crossed paths with a much bigger Brady star. In season 2, episode 6, 'The Pied Piper', Wonder Woman must defeat a villainous rock star/flutist named Hamlin Rule, played by Martin Mull. One of his female fans is a young woman named Elena, the daughter of Diana Prince's boss, and played by Jan Brady herself, Eve Plumb.
Plumb's appearance on the show brings the Brady/Wonder Woman connection full circle, as Jan is the first character to meet Wonder Woman on 'The Brady Kids'. Of all the Brady kids, Plumb went on to have the most exciting career as an actor, and her role as the connective tissue between one of TV's most famous families and the Amazing Amazon is certainly noteworthy.
Implications and Future Developments
Wonder Woman's early television appearances raise a deeper question: what does it say about the superhero's enduring appeal? The fact that she was featured in an animated spin-off of 'The Brady Bunch' and in a live-action series with connections to the Brady family suggests that Wonder Woman has always been a character that resonates with audiences across different mediums and genres. It also highlights the importance of cross-cultural and intergenerational connections in building a strong fan base.
Looking to the future, it's interesting to speculate on how Wonder Woman's television appearances might influence her future on the big screen. Will we see more animated series or live-action spin-offs? Will her connections to other iconic characters, like the Brady family, continue to shape her story? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Wonder Woman's journey to television stardom is a fascinating tale that deserves to be told.
