Wonder Woman: The Complete First Season

Looking back on it now, it is easy to see the attraction of this unique show that oozed '70s culture, but was set in the 1940s. While trying to stop a Nazi plane from reaching the U.S., Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) is shot down, landing on mythical Paradise Island. The uncharted island is the hidden home to the lost tribe of eternally young Amazon women. The Amazons take in the Major and nurse him back to health. During his recovery he attracts the sympathy and interest of Princess Diana (Lynda Carter, former Miss USA 1973) who is intrigued by the man from the mainland and his tales of the evil Nazis. She decides she must follow the Major back to the U.S. and join the forces of good against the tyranny of evil. So begins the saga of the beautiful Amazon Wonder Woman, armed with super strength, bulletproof bracelets, and the unbreakable, "truth-telling," golden lasso. What sets season 1 apart from the two subsequent seasons is that the pilot and each of the 13 episodes take place during World War II, corresponding to the original comic stories. In this season we see Wonder Woman battle spies, uncover Fausta the Nazi Wonder Woman, stop thieves trying to steal the secret substance of Amazonian power (Feminum), wrestle a Nazi-trained circus gorilla, and rescue an interplanetary visitor held captive by the Third Reich--all of which are priceless.

Included with the pilot episode is an extremely fun commentary track by Lynda Carter and producer Douglas C. Kramer. Also added on the DVD set is the making-of featurette "Beauty, Brawn and Bulletproof Bracelets." Yes, it is very campy, cheesy, dated, and filled with double entendres and subtle innuendos. But below the surface, there is something special that makes the show timeless and a pleasure to watch. Calling Wonder Woman: The Complete First Season a time capsule would be an understatement. But a time capsule in the most wonderful sense of the phrase. --Rob Bracco