NBC WARNING: Do Not Screw up Wonder Woman

Artwork for the cover of Wonder Woman 607 (Feb 2011 DC Comics). Art by Don Kramer.

The big news in television is that NBC has ordered the pilot for David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman after passing on it earlier, along with all other major networks.   Why did they pass?  Not enough sex and violence, I suppose.  Kelley is a brilliant writer and, based on his work on Boston Legal, I’ll bet his Wonder Woman will have brains bigger than her boobs, but what about NBC’s Wonder Woman?  Will NBC tweak the script to suit the demographics of their television audience, making her just another Hollywood character or caricature that lacks grace, morals and willpower when up against a good-looking man (that she knows little about, but sleeps with on the first meeting then pines away for the rest of the episode only to find out he is actually an evil villain?)

According to Deadline.com, “The project is described as a reinvention of the iconic D.C. 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.”

Wonder Women lives in L.A., has a big corporate job and is modern = Wonder Women is a sun kissed, statuesque beauty with a high paying job and carries a smart phone.

Sounds like the perfect role model for young girls. (PS. High paying corporate jobs are rare in one’s twenties).

Ever since Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) got pregnant on Friends by her “friend” Ross, I’ve been cynical about television producers and their grasp on their audience.  I thought it was supposed to be a comedy.  Since when is finding out that you’re pregnant and not married funny?!

Using creative license to suggest single parenthood is glamorous or easy or even makes you the envy of all your unmarried, childless girlfriends is pushing the truth much too far and leaves many impressionable girls with the wrong idea of parenthood.

There are so few role models for our teen girls.  I grew up with the Brady Bunch, the Partridge Family, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.  Today, I feel certain that if Nancy Drew were resurrected on network primetime, she would dress trampy, play the guitar and sing in various episodes (provides an additional revenue stream for the creators), down cafe mochas with heavy whip and drive a Porsche convertible.

Let’s hope Kelley’s/NBC’s Wonder Woman sets a high standard that all women and girls can admire.  After all, women are responsible for 85% of all consumer purchases including everything from autos to health care, according to She-conomy.com.  Advertisers should certainly take note as well as NBC who was recently acquired by Comcast.  We buy cable, too.

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