THEY'RE ALL COMING BACK
'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
A 'Wonder Woman' Show? Sure! Just Maybe Not David E. Kelley's
by Chris Harnick, posted Jan 25th 2011 4:00PM
The world needs 'Wonder Woman.' Don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of butt-kicking women as part of ensemble casts and in legal and police dramas. But the TV landscape needs a star-spangled, bullet-deflecting warrior both to inspire viewers and create a rich fantasy world -- the best kind of TV show.Do we need NBC and David E. Kelley's 'Wonder Woman,' though? Probably not.
As a big W.W. fan -- dating back to an obsession with the FX reruns of the Lynda Carter series and keeping current with the comic books -- a new show was a thrilling/terrifying idea. Then, I read Deadline Hollywood's description:
"[A] reinvention of the iconic DC comic in which Wonder Woman -- aka Diana Prince -- is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life."
After my mind shut down in shock for the entire weekend, I've collected my thoughts and present them below.
The character has had many failed movie attempts, the latest with Joss Whedon at the helm. It was looking like Wondy wouldn't be gracing any screens soon, and there are a few reasons why.
First, she's a character with a lot of back story, one that's been written and rewritten numerous times. That leads many -- both viewers and writers -- to be afraid of playing with the character. The current comic story has rebooted Wonder Woman and made her a street-tough, no-nonsense, leather-clad hero. That's not the Wonder Woman mainstream audiences know.
Audiences are typically lukewarm toward female-driven action flicks / TV shows ... unless there's a huge name attached. Even that doesn't always work -- look at 'Salt.' 'Nikita' has been doing well for the CW, but that's by CW standards. Two million viewers won't cut it for a big-budget 'Wonder Woman' on NBC, especially with the hefty character-licensing fees.
A few weeks ago it looked like Kelley's project was stalled, which let fanboys and girls breathe a sigh of relief. The old 1970s series worked because of its campiness, and Kelley's TV sensibilities -- including but not limited to putting a quirky female into absurd situations and surrounding the lead with over-the-top scene-eating characters -- don't align well with the Wonder Woman fans have come to know and love, even if she's the 'All-New Wonder Woman' of the current comic stories.
Another problem: Neither Wonder Woman nor Diana Prince would be a corporate executive. Having a secret identity was almost always an after-thought for W.W. In almost all of her incarnations, her mission has been to bring peace to the outside world. A better idea: She could be the head of a nonprofit organization to help women.
Finally, there was no mention of anything Amazon in the breakdown. Wonder Woman has to have the Amazonian connection. Her abilities come from the Greek gods! Kelley brings a certain amount of quirk to each project he does, but putting Diana Prince into kitschy board meetings after a night of busting crime rings? No thanks.
A few tweaks that would make a "reinvented" Wonder Woman show work:
• Involve an origin story. Don't talk down to the current fans, but make the show accessible to the casual viewer.
• Set it at an embassy for the Amazon island of Themyscira, not some corporation. Viewers get political drama and funny/weird culture clashes. Best of both worlds! Think Greg Rucka's run on the comic series -- it had action and political intrigue.
• Don't overplay the romance. Wonder Woman is much more than a character in love with "Man's World" and Steve Trevor. Much, much, much more.
• Have Lynda Carter involved. It'll be a way to bridge the gap between the cult classic and the new show. She'd be ideal as Hippolyta, Diana's mother.
• Don't make Wonder Woman rely on a man to save her. Let her get into her own dangerous messes and let her get out of them on her own, using her wits and strength. Let her be the strong woman and role model TV needs.
However, Kelley's 'Wonder Woman' could surprise us and my whole rant can be rendered null. Here's hoping.
Tell us: Are you looking forward to the potential new 'Wonder Woman' series?
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