Spoiler Comics Book Reviews: TELEVISION: NBC kicks Wonder Woman to the curb

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Stephen Schleicher

Looks like we won’t get to see David E. Kelley’s take on Wonder Woman, as NBC has decided to pass on the show, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The drama, produced by Warner Bros. TV, is a reinvention of the iconic DC comic in which Wonder Woman (Adrianne Palicki) is a vigilante crime-fighter in Los Angeles but also a successful corporate executive trying to balance all the elements of her extraordinary life. Joining Palicki is Elizabeth Hurley, Tracie Thoms and Cary Elwes. Jeff Reiner (The Event) directed the pilot.

Part of the reason for the pass is lackluster buzz surrounding the show, which, if you’ve been reading this site for any length of time, you know that translates to utter hatred for the idea, look, and concept of the show from many of the Intardwebz people.

With Wonder Woman and Locke & Key getting let go, I guess we’ll all have to satiate ourselves with another season of Chuck.

via The Hollywood Reporter

This entry was posted in DC, NBC, Television, Wonder Woman and tagged adrianne palicki, david e. kelley, dc comics, NBC, Television, Wonder Woman. Bookmark the permalink.← REVIEW: Flashpoint #1 (of 5)VIDEO: A quick look at Green Lantern: Emerald Knights →23 Responses to

@lantis says:May 13, 2011 at 12:35 am

I think NBC is the only network actually aware of the power the internet can provide to making a show successful. They were the first to reliably have episodes of their prime time shows up on their website the next day. They have fully embraced the fact that Chuck won’t win its time slot in the ratings, but has a dedicated fan-base that uses the internet to organize. And now they are smart enough to realize that the Wonder Woman TV show was struggling before it even aired to gain support from the demographic most inclined to actually like the show. As much as I was curious to see the pilot, I think NBC made a sound business decision.

I am a little worried though of the power this gives a bunch of internet whiners though. Scream loud enough and apparently the higher-ups will indulge you.

I also like to imagine that one of the NBC execs making the decision was familiar enough with Wonder Woman to also be upset with the take David E Kelley was trying to pull off.

Arbor Day says:May 13, 2011 at 1:57 am

Don’t give them that much credit. NBC is skittish cause they’re on their last leg after throwing all their weight behind Heroes a few years ago. The only reason they’re jumping on the internet bandwagon is cause they’re desperate to get any money they can.

@lantis says:May 13, 2011 at 12:37 pm

Not really a fair assessment. NBC is not as bad off as it once was a few years ago. They’ve mostly reclaimed their “Must See TV” style dominance for Thursday nights, and Mondays are consistently acceptable ratings given that their competing against such a dominant show like “House.”

They aren’t really “jumping on the internet bandwagon” either. NBC has a history of listening to what an internet fanbase has to say when it comes to their shows. “Chuck” is still around because of internet efforts. The experienced the opposite for WW, so they cut their losses.

Arbor Day says:May 13, 2011 at 10:43 pm

Tell that to Conan O’Brien.

websnap says:May 13, 2011 at 11:43 am

“I am a little worried though of the power this gives a bunch of internet whiners though. Scream loud enough and apparently the higher-ups will indulge you.”

Yeah, this singlehandedly killed the show, I hope it surfaces online — or even better, another network, like say ScyFy picks it up instead. Most of what killed this show was rumours, early plot leeks (like those are ever any good) and fanboy/girl bias. Unfortunate, Wonder Woman needs representation. The strong, powerful warrior from the comics, not the skewed version some remember from the old show. It’s sad people got hung up on her costume, like all a female hero is what she wears.

Ricco says:May 13, 2011 at 3:20 pm

The costume wasn’t the problem this new “re-invention” was, costume was fine specialy since they changed the original shiny pants and color of the boots. Read back on the hate the show got an it started the second this re-invention by David E. Kelley’s had such scenes as WW eating a bucket of ice cream while crying in her PJs. Don’t know about you but it doesn’t scream princess of the Amazons or powerful female role model, heck they have her as a “modern woman”, which is pretty much what WW is not. She has always been depoicted as more alien to the modern world then the actual aliens…

P.S. We also see her run (not fly) in the few pics we got and no mention of any powers or Amazon origins for that matter. I approached many people, some who have knowledge of comic books other who don’t, I said a “well known DC super heroine who is a a modern business woman and a vigilante by night is getting a TV show, guess who it is” No one said WW, heck one said “the only DC heroine I know is WW, but that can’t possibly be it”. This was many things, WW however, it was not.

Joonas says:May 13, 2011 at 3:23 am

Although @lantis put it very well, but here’s my abridged version, khm, OH YES THER ACTUALLY IS A GOD!!
That is all.

Mela says:May 13, 2011 at 4:43 am

After hearing how the pilot was largely her going around killing each & every foe (which even my father found appalling), I am so damn relieved. The whole project just seemed like an unsold idea with a thin coat of Wonder Woman on it to make it sellable, and I’m glad they passed.

brenton8090 says:May 13, 2011 at 6:12 am

Good. Can we get around to that movie now? IT seems sexist that Batman and Superman get them, but Wonder Woman is continually relegated to the small screen.

Okay, maybe not actually sexist, but I want to see a thoughtful big budget version of Wonder Woman, not another Smallville or Bionic Woman.

MaximusRift says:May 13, 2011 at 7:13 am

I also think the failure of “The Cape” has something to do with this.

steviecool says:May 13, 2011 at 7:33 am

While I’d love to think that Hollywood realized “maybe we can’t pull in the fanbase without completely pissing off the fanbase”,

I hope they really walked away with
1. Bikini Briefs not spanx
2. Sexy smiling Lynda Carter Wonder Woman, not looks-like-chewing-on-rocks angry Wonder Woman

websnap says:May 13, 2011 at 11:47 am

Wonder Woman is not “sexy smiling”, at least not often. That may be your view, but not her representation in the DCU. She’s a warrior, first and foremost. Women can be that, AND attractive too…

Rob says:May 13, 2011 at 7:59 am

Way to go Internet Haters, now we’ll never know. And based on the slow-motion running scene above, I think maybe I wanted to know :(

eric says:May 13, 2011 at 8:06 am

Ummmmm thank god reason has prevailed. Anyone can look at the pictures that were released and look at the comic book and realize that the quality was not there. It was gonna be crap. If this wants to be done it needs to be done in the same vein as Xena was on TV. Now that was good storytelling and could still be done using the mythology of the comic book. Come on people, you dont have to fix something that is not broke. Your script is right there in the comic book. Executives who dont have a touch for comic books.

ClubberLang6 says:May 13, 2011 at 1:53 pm

According to yahoo news “The ongoing agita over the design of the title character’s costume — which producers attempted to quell by announcing Wonder Woman would actually alternate three different looks — probably didn’t help either.”

TaZ says:May 13, 2011 at 3:06 pm

I can’t believe that I’m saying this for the first time but: “Thank you web-nerds.” Everything I saw about it was about as attractive as a zit on the nose of a prom date. (Unless the prom date’s really stacked…then who sees a nose?)

Belmont says:May 13, 2011 at 7:25 pm

I’d be willing to say that with the end of Smallville maybe the CW would pick this show up. Who knows?

Luis Dantas says:May 13, 2011 at 9:16 pm

That costume shows _way_ too much skin for WW to be taken seriously.

Running instead of flying isn’t really a problem. George Perez’ WW was as close to a true success as the character ever had, and she didn’t fly either.

But the costume is bad enough in comics. In real life it fails completely, I’m afraid. Something that covers the elbows and does not invite one to bet on how long the chest will stay covered is an absolute need.

Unless, of course, the intent is to make a satire.

HunterDan says:May 14, 2011 at 2:22 am

Make Birds of Prey Season 2!

Rocket Rooster says:May 14, 2011 at 4:19 am

“Running instead of flying isn’t really a problem. George Perez’ WW was as close to a true success as the character ever had, and she didn’t fly either.”

IIRC, it was during the Perez run (Post-Crisis) where she actually did begin to fly instead of “glide on wind currents” like during Pre-Crisis.

Leroy Grey says:May 14, 2011 at 10:54 pm

count me among the relieved. But I think they could have gotten past Costumegate, and the corporation setting and even the presumptive ‘wacky-dramedy’ tone that’s Kelley’s forte. If they could have shown 15 seconds of someone in the Wonder Woman costume believably putting a beatdown on a couple of thugs, they could have sold the show.
The role’s not about talent or glamor; Wonder Woman needs to be played by someone physically plausible as a warrior. They’ll try again, but I’ll pay attention when they let somebody like Gina Carano or Michelle Rodriguez (or heck, Jillian Michaels) try on the tiara…

Ced says:May 15, 2011 at 11:23 am

I agree, one good action scene teaser could better sell a Wonder Woman show.

Allen says:May 15, 2011 at 12:00 am

When will they learn, pay comic properties straight. This “reinvention” sounded awful. Adrienne is a good actress and she’ll land on her feet for sure.

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