Wonder Woman: A '70s TV Success and a 2017 Big Screen Smash

By JIM PURCELL

When I was a kid, the two shows I would never miss during the week were "Charlie's Angels" and "Wonder Woman" (1975-1979). But, between the two of them, "Wonder Woman" and Linda Carter were more important than anything else. Today, the role has been inherited by Gal Gadot and the franchise is killing at the box office, deservedly so.

   With the trainwreck that was the "Justice League" in 2017, which only earned $229,024,295 domestically during November, I suppose it mens that Wonder Woman is going to have to go it alone for at least awhile until someone saves the JL universe with a new idea.

   Meanwhile, "Wonder Woman" knotted $412,563,408, released during June 2017, and garnered an additional $409,293,603 overseas. With a production budget of $149 million, it's safe to say that "Wonder Woman" won the DCU match-race.

   The next "Wonder Woman," which isn't being termed a "sequel" by the production company, will be set in 1984. The movie will reunite Gal Gadot and Chris Pine with director Patty Jenkins.

   According to USA Today, "Wonder Woman 2" (the non-sequel sequel) will be released on June 5, 2020. However, this is the third release date that has been given by the studio. Previously, "Wonder Woman 2" had been announced to release on Nov. 1, 2019 and, even later, on Dec. 13, 2019. So, count on the next Wonder Woman in June...for now.

   My question is what time travel scenario is going to allow Pine to portray "Steve Trevor" again, 70 years after his World War I heroics? Meanwhile, what happened that was so important during the 1980s? I was there and it was a lot of fun but it wasn't near as interesting as the '40s, '50s or '60s. Basically, the decade focused on cool music and big hair. But, I guess the Wonder Woman team has its finger on the pulse following its recent smash.

   I think what made "Wonder Woman" a hit on the small screen during the '70s and a hit on the big screen recently has some things in common. During the '70s, television execs read the mood in the country and gave them an authentic hero who had clear storylines and healthy heapings of action. The same can be said of the current "Wonder Woman," though her character development is more indepth and the action is both more believable and more frequent.

   So, in the battle of the Wonder Women who did it better? Well, Linda Carter was a woman of her time and fit the bill 50 years ago and perhaps the only actress who could have stunned at the role now was Gadot.