By the middle 1970s, "what is left but the evolution of women in society?" Lynda Carter recalled in 1996, "At the time, there were basically no women on television except for Mary Tyler Moore, Angie Dickinson, and Carol Burnett. It was 'The Bionic Woman' and 'Wonder Woman' that really broke the ceiling for a woman to carry a show." 'Time' magazine noted at the time, "The fact that 'The Bionic Woman' consistently rated in the Top 10, was surely seen as a sign that the public was interested in seeing more strong women more prominently featured on television."
The first 7 episodes of 'Charlie's Angels' shown in 1976 attracted 59% share of the audience each week, or roughly about 23 million American households with TV sets were counted watching each week. 'Charlie's Angels' was the 4th most popular program in metropolitan areas, 7th among college graduates, 7th among viewers with incomes above $20,000 and the most watched show with all adult viewers. "'Wonder Woman' struck a chord that no one expected," Lynda believed. "Wonder Woman possessed super powers, but her special abilities did not solely define who she was. With 'Wonder Woman', people had a chance to see something that they hadn't seen before on TV - a physically able, emotionally and psychologically stable, independent woman with a fantasy element."
Lynda started singing in 1965 (at age 14). "Music is the sleeper part of my life," Lynda confessed. "I speak the songs before I sing them (meaning "say more than what they sound like"). Singing is really conversion with a different emphasis on the syllables." Lynda made known, "My mother named me Linda because it's Spanish (meaning pretty) and she is Spanish and Mexican, but I changed it in grade school."
Lynda reportedly "only had $25 dollars in her bank account" when she was hired to play Wonder Woman in 1975. "I had tested for another film and although that film was never made, they loved my screen test and the producer (Larry Gordon) showed it to another producer (Douglas S. Cramer) who was producing 'Wonder Woman'. Next, they tested me for the role of Wonder Woman, and 3 weeks later I had the part." On reflection, "I think beauty contests are great. How else can a girl of a moderate income family get a chance to meet all the interesting people and see all the things I did?" Lynda was the Miss World-USA of 1973.
Ron Samuels told the press in 1980, "On her first season (1976) as Wonder Woman, Lynda was paid $3,500 an episode. By the time she did her last season (in 1979), I had renegotiated her contract up to more than 10 times that - over $1 million a year (*) (**). That was a record for a woman in a TV series. And during the 5 years (1975-79) the show was on the air, it barely broke into the Top 30. The show needed her more than she needed it."
(*) There were 14 episodes made between April 1976 and February 1977 and a total of 46 episodes made between September 1977 and September 1979.
(**) As manager of "3 of the 4 hottest women on television in 1977 - Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner and Jaclyn Smith", Ron earned 15% in fee from each for guiding their careers.
Lynda stressed, "'Wonder Woman' gave me my start . . . The show has something of a cult following. I'm thrilled to be a cult figure." 'Wonder Woman' was shown in 140 countries. "I loved doing the series and learned an awful lot about making films, as you do when you're working on a soundstage 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. And on top of that I was paid a lot of money for apprenticing! I'm certainly not trying to shed that image at all . . . I've come a long way since the time I worked for $70 a day to wear a swimsuit and banner signing autographs in supermarkets."
By 1981, Ron recognized, "Lynda is an important person in the industry now. Any project she's in gets off the ground. You can walk into any network with an idea for Lynda, and they know the ratings, so they'll commit." The $2 million 1980 TV movie, 'The Last Song', about the perils of uncontrolled chemical pollution, attracted a 37% share of the audience when it was shown. On reflection, "I owe everything I am professionally today to the show ('Wonder Woman') . . . Nobody would know who I am today were it not for 'Wonder Woman.'"
Of 'The New Adventures' series (1977-79), "The plots have been and will be based on domestic and international problems. Some of the guest leads are 'larger than life' in terms of destructive power, and then other shows will be based on a more human interest slant. The scope is wider, from outer space to a child in trouble, perhaps." Ron Samuels pointed out at the time, "Lynda has done 13 or 14 'Wonder Woman' shows over 2 seasons (1976-77). It's like any other business. After a while, you know what will work and what won't work. That's an advantage for next season (1977-78). There has also been a lot of discussion about updating the character from the '40s to the '70s. That's the direction." Of filming, Lynda said, "On location 5 days a week and shooting at the studio one day."
Doug Cramer recounted, "Many people involved with the show were just really grown-up children. We had writers like Bruce Shelby and David Ketchum. They had never done one-hour drama shows before, and they needed the story and dramatic beats worked out for them. But they brought the humor to 'Wonder Woman' that I thought it required . . . Herbie (Wallerstein) was always a frustrated director, so we let him direct 'Wonder Woman', mostly because his particular sense of the world was right for the show. He had the passion that we all shared. We were all very clear on the show's vision, and respected that vision. We were all very particular on what Wonder Woman and Steve (Trevor) would or would not do. There were often long, detailed discussions about (whether) she, under one circumstance with one particular villain, would or would not use, for example, her magic lasso. The one thing that we didn't do, that I always wanted to do is run with more regular heavies, as on 'Batman'. But everyone was really afraid of doing that."
When 'Wonder Woman' changed channel, Ron Samuels clarified, "'Wonder Woman' was not a canceled show. ABC offered a proposal of 11 one-hour shows and 2 two-hour shows. While negotiations were still going on, CBS expressed interest in doing it as a series. That's why 'Wonder Woman' will be on another network next season (1977-78). CBS agreed to a full season - 22 shows. The point is that ABC didn't cancel. CBS made a better offer."
Lynda told fans in 1978, "Hair has always had different meaning: sexual, social and symbolic. For a woman hair is one of the most powerful weapons in her beauty arsenal. A moderate brushing is always good, it eliminates dust and dirt you get from the air and helps to stimulate the scalp. A good shampoo according to each hair type is essential and helps to keep the hair healthy. I have a natural curly hair but I use curlers anyway to keep it always fixed and I have been looking for the ideal hairdo according to my face and that one that highlights it. Sometimes I let myself go into some fantasy but I do prefer it simple."
"People think they can jump right in and do stunts, but that's just not true," stuntwoman Jeannie Coulter emphasized. "You have to be blessed with an incredible sense of timing." Jeannie Epper added, "I know how to perform in front of a camera, and that's really what it's all about. We're just out there to create the illusion. I didn't do all of Lynda's stunts. I did probably 75% of them . . . There was mainly Sandy Gross, Beth Neufer, myself, Debbie Evans, we were her basic doubles. I was on weekly contract, and these girls would come in every once in a while to do specialty stuff. I was Lynda’s height, I had the same body, and they can't expect one human being to do everything! It's like the 'Bionic Man', 'The Six Million Dollar Man'. All of a sudden they wanted poor Vince Victry to do everything, and you know, we're just not trained to do everything. Working on 'Wonder Woman' taught me so many things. We did a lot of stunts that took total precision and concentration. I would run and jump through a plate glass window, and maybe on the other side would be a desk and a plant. I had to jump totally over it, land on my feet and keep running doing everything with grace and ease. Now, that is very hard to do!"
Lynda accepted Jesus as the Son of God. Her story as a born-again Christian: "Two years ago (in 1976) my sister, Pamela (Cole), gave me an American Standard Bible for Christmas. I put it away in a drawer and didn't look at it. For more than a year that Bible lay in my bedroom dresser drawer. Then one day I figured if my sister gave me the Bible, instead of a gift of a bracelet or perfume, she must have meant for me to read it. I started to read it every day and I discovered it was slowly changing my attitudes about myself. Although I had everything, I was very unhappy with my career and my personal life. The Bible opened my eyes and gradually changed my outlook on life. I gave myself to Jesus Christ and I've gotten everything I asked for. The fears started to leave me and I found peace. This whole awakening inside me began with a Christmas gift."
Lynda continued, "I was brought up in the Catholic Church. But catechism didn't mean very much to me. There were 3 of us children, and we usually played hooky. We'd wave goodby to our parents at the front door of the church, then walk straight through to the back. But somehow you learned that there is only one way to be saved, as the Bible puts it, and that way is through Jesus Christ. When I was in High School, I began attending a group called Young Life, and I accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was 14. But I didn't know what the spirit-filled life was. So I drifted away from Him. I tried Eastern religions - all sorts of weird things to find fulfillment. I really was a mess. I was very disappointed in my Christian friends. And Satan used this as a wedge. My parents were divorced about that time, and I needed to help the family out. So I took a job singing at the Pizza Inn in Scottsdale (Arizona). My friends didn't think the entertainment field was fitting for a Christian. I rejected that. I was rebellious. If it wasn't of the Lord, how come it had all worked out for me? Then I got a job in Vegas when I was 17 (in 1968), singing in the lounge of the Sahara. They didn't like that, either. But now (in 1979) I respect what they believe. We all look at things according to our different backgrounds. And the Lord uses each of us in different ways at different times."
As Wonder Woman, "I was concerned about this ... and about the certain amount of idolatry connected with the program. But the Lord showed me that He would use the focus on me to turn the focus back to Him. For example, I would never have been interviewed so many times, if it hadn't been for my role in 'Wonder Woman'. And each time, I try to witness . . . Wonder Woman is just a fictional character, of course. There is no person who is immortal in just that way. We are immortal in spirit and will someday get a new body.
"I don't have a lot of Christian friends, so I need the fellowship of a church. I now (in 1979) go to a Jewish synagogue, led by a Messianic Rabbi. He teaches from both the Old and New Testaments. This is the first time I've ever understood the connection between the 2. It's beautiful the groundwork the Old Testament laid for the New, and the prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus."
(**) As manager of "3 of the 4 hottest women on television in 1977 - Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner and Jaclyn Smith", Ron earned 15% in fee from each for guiding their careers.
Lynda stressed, "'Wonder Woman' gave me my start . . . The show has something of a cult following. I'm thrilled to be a cult figure." 'Wonder Woman' was shown in 140 countries. "I loved doing the series and learned an awful lot about making films, as you do when you're working on a soundstage 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. And on top of that I was paid a lot of money for apprenticing! I'm certainly not trying to shed that image at all . . . I've come a long way since the time I worked for $70 a day to wear a swimsuit and banner signing autographs in supermarkets."
By 1981, Ron recognized, "Lynda is an important person in the industry now. Any project she's in gets off the ground. You can walk into any network with an idea for Lynda, and they know the ratings, so they'll commit." The $2 million 1980 TV movie, 'The Last Song', about the perils of uncontrolled chemical pollution, attracted a 37% share of the audience when it was shown. On reflection, "I owe everything I am professionally today to the show ('Wonder Woman') . . . Nobody would know who I am today were it not for 'Wonder Woman.'"
Of 'The New Adventures' series (1977-79), "The plots have been and will be based on domestic and international problems. Some of the guest leads are 'larger than life' in terms of destructive power, and then other shows will be based on a more human interest slant. The scope is wider, from outer space to a child in trouble, perhaps." Ron Samuels pointed out at the time, "Lynda has done 13 or 14 'Wonder Woman' shows over 2 seasons (1976-77). It's like any other business. After a while, you know what will work and what won't work. That's an advantage for next season (1977-78). There has also been a lot of discussion about updating the character from the '40s to the '70s. That's the direction." Of filming, Lynda said, "On location 5 days a week and shooting at the studio one day."
Doug Cramer recounted, "Many people involved with the show were just really grown-up children. We had writers like Bruce Shelby and David Ketchum. They had never done one-hour drama shows before, and they needed the story and dramatic beats worked out for them. But they brought the humor to 'Wonder Woman' that I thought it required . . . Herbie (Wallerstein) was always a frustrated director, so we let him direct 'Wonder Woman', mostly because his particular sense of the world was right for the show. He had the passion that we all shared. We were all very clear on the show's vision, and respected that vision. We were all very particular on what Wonder Woman and Steve (Trevor) would or would not do. There were often long, detailed discussions about (whether) she, under one circumstance with one particular villain, would or would not use, for example, her magic lasso. The one thing that we didn't do, that I always wanted to do is run with more regular heavies, as on 'Batman'. But everyone was really afraid of doing that."
When 'Wonder Woman' changed channel, Ron Samuels clarified, "'Wonder Woman' was not a canceled show. ABC offered a proposal of 11 one-hour shows and 2 two-hour shows. While negotiations were still going on, CBS expressed interest in doing it as a series. That's why 'Wonder Woman' will be on another network next season (1977-78). CBS agreed to a full season - 22 shows. The point is that ABC didn't cancel. CBS made a better offer."
Lynda told fans in 1978, "Hair has always had different meaning: sexual, social and symbolic. For a woman hair is one of the most powerful weapons in her beauty arsenal. A moderate brushing is always good, it eliminates dust and dirt you get from the air and helps to stimulate the scalp. A good shampoo according to each hair type is essential and helps to keep the hair healthy. I have a natural curly hair but I use curlers anyway to keep it always fixed and I have been looking for the ideal hairdo according to my face and that one that highlights it. Sometimes I let myself go into some fantasy but I do prefer it simple."
"People think they can jump right in and do stunts, but that's just not true," stuntwoman Jeannie Coulter emphasized. "You have to be blessed with an incredible sense of timing." Jeannie Epper added, "I know how to perform in front of a camera, and that's really what it's all about. We're just out there to create the illusion. I didn't do all of Lynda's stunts. I did probably 75% of them . . . There was mainly Sandy Gross, Beth Neufer, myself, Debbie Evans, we were her basic doubles. I was on weekly contract, and these girls would come in every once in a while to do specialty stuff. I was Lynda’s height, I had the same body, and they can't expect one human being to do everything! It's like the 'Bionic Man', 'The Six Million Dollar Man'. All of a sudden they wanted poor Vince Victry to do everything, and you know, we're just not trained to do everything. Working on 'Wonder Woman' taught me so many things. We did a lot of stunts that took total precision and concentration. I would run and jump through a plate glass window, and maybe on the other side would be a desk and a plant. I had to jump totally over it, land on my feet and keep running doing everything with grace and ease. Now, that is very hard to do!"
Lynda accepted Jesus as the Son of God. Her story as a born-again Christian: "Two years ago (in 1976) my sister, Pamela (Cole), gave me an American Standard Bible for Christmas. I put it away in a drawer and didn't look at it. For more than a year that Bible lay in my bedroom dresser drawer. Then one day I figured if my sister gave me the Bible, instead of a gift of a bracelet or perfume, she must have meant for me to read it. I started to read it every day and I discovered it was slowly changing my attitudes about myself. Although I had everything, I was very unhappy with my career and my personal life. The Bible opened my eyes and gradually changed my outlook on life. I gave myself to Jesus Christ and I've gotten everything I asked for. The fears started to leave me and I found peace. This whole awakening inside me began with a Christmas gift."
Lynda continued, "I was brought up in the Catholic Church. But catechism didn't mean very much to me. There were 3 of us children, and we usually played hooky. We'd wave goodby to our parents at the front door of the church, then walk straight through to the back. But somehow you learned that there is only one way to be saved, as the Bible puts it, and that way is through Jesus Christ. When I was in High School, I began attending a group called Young Life, and I accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was 14. But I didn't know what the spirit-filled life was. So I drifted away from Him. I tried Eastern religions - all sorts of weird things to find fulfillment. I really was a mess. I was very disappointed in my Christian friends. And Satan used this as a wedge. My parents were divorced about that time, and I needed to help the family out. So I took a job singing at the Pizza Inn in Scottsdale (Arizona). My friends didn't think the entertainment field was fitting for a Christian. I rejected that. I was rebellious. If it wasn't of the Lord, how come it had all worked out for me? Then I got a job in Vegas when I was 17 (in 1968), singing in the lounge of the Sahara. They didn't like that, either. But now (in 1979) I respect what they believe. We all look at things according to our different backgrounds. And the Lord uses each of us in different ways at different times."
As Wonder Woman, "I was concerned about this ... and about the certain amount of idolatry connected with the program. But the Lord showed me that He would use the focus on me to turn the focus back to Him. For example, I would never have been interviewed so many times, if it hadn't been for my role in 'Wonder Woman'. And each time, I try to witness . . . Wonder Woman is just a fictional character, of course. There is no person who is immortal in just that way. We are immortal in spirit and will someday get a new body.
"I don't have a lot of Christian friends, so I need the fellowship of a church. I now (in 1979) go to a Jewish synagogue, led by a Messianic Rabbi. He teaches from both the Old and New Testaments. This is the first time I've ever understood the connection between the 2. It's beautiful the groundwork the Old Testament laid for the New, and the prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus."
