NBC Passes on Wonder Woman Pilot

Do you see that Invisible Jet? Yeah...neither do we.

After initially being turned down by NBC, and later greenlit by the network's new governing body, David E. Kelley's much-talked-about Wonder Woman television series has not been picked up.

Planned as a serious, real-world take on the life and times of DC's Amazon princess, Kelley's pilot gained a lot of attention from the fan community after the release of the first costume photo. Photos from the set followed, featuring a revamped costume and showing actress Adrianne Palicki in action.

With the hype (and costume controversy) that has surrounded this project, it is likely that the pilot might see the light of day, even if the series will not.  This assumption is based on the precedent set by the 2007 Aquaman pilot, starring Smallville's Green Arrow, Justin Hartley. That fully-produced pilot was released through iTunes and sold as a Best Buy exclusive.

So, there is still hope, fanboys.  You may get to see Adrianne Palicki kicking ass in her skinny jeans after all!

First Look at Adrienne Palicki as Wonder Woman

Great Hera!  I don't know if I should shield my eyes or stare uncontrollably...

Entertainment Weekly has posted the first image of actress Adrianne Palicki in the retooled costume for David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot.    

The good news is it finally answers any questions anyone had about the style of costume we would see on this show.  No one knew if they would go with the classic costume, or the newer design that appeared in Wonder Woman comics last year.  From this photo, it appears that they stuck close to the new design, sans the jacket.

The bad news is it looks like an ad for a Halloween costume.  Yes, Adrianne Palicki is a lovely woman, but even she looks less than thrilled to be wearing those bright blue latex pants and plastic-looking belt and bracelets.

We'll just have to see what the future holds for this production...

The New Face of Wonder Woman!

And what a lovely face it is.

Not even one month after NBC gave the green light to David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman television reboot, the pilot has its leading lady.  Adrianne Palicki ("Friday Night Lights") has been cast in the role of DC's Amazon Princess and her alter ego, Diana Prince.

Known primarily for her role in the "Friday Night Lights" TV series, Palicki is the first actress since Lynda Carter to portray Wonder Woman (in live action) on screen.  (Actresses such as Keri Russell, Lucy Lawless, and Susan Eisenberg have lent their voice to the character for several animated features). Lynda Carter embodied the role on TV from 1975 to 1979, and despite the valiant effort by Joss Whedon a few years ago, the character has not been seen on screen since.  

It is also not the first time Adrianne Palicki has ventured into the DC Universe either.  She appeared on "Smallville" in the 2004 episode, "Covenant", in which she played a character very similar to Kara Zor-El/Supergirl.

David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot is still in the early stages of production. You can see Adrianne Palicki in the upcoming remake of Red Dawn, due in theaters later this year.

NBC Opts to Reboot Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman's invisible jet may fly again after all!

NBC, a network that originally passed on David E. Kelley's proposed Wonder Woman TV series, has picked up the pilot from the prolific producer.

The second chance was a result of the new regime change at NBC, due to the recent Comcast merger.  Robert Greenblatt, the new chairman of primetime programming, was the one to give the pilot the green light.  Originally, the pilot was rejected by NBC on the grounds that the cost was too high, due mainly to the licensing fee that would be paid to Warner Brothers/DC to secure the rights to the superheroine.  With the new suits in place at NBC, money seems to be no object.

According to Entertainment Weekly, David E. Kelley's new take on Wonder Woman would maintain a serious tone, probably something along the lines of the CW's Smallville. It has also been stated that Kelley will not leave out such iconic elements as the Lasso of Truth, bullet-proof bracelets, and invisible jet.

Two questions still remain.  First, will Wonder Woman appear in her classic costume, or the new suit that debuted in comics in June of 2010?  And second, who will portray the Amazonian princess?  The second question has plagued fans since Joss Whedon was set to write and direct the Wonder Woman feature film a few years back.  

The NEW New Adventures of Wonder Woman

Sorry Xena, the original warrior princess may be looking to reclaim her status on TV.

According to Deadline.com, a new television series featuring DC's first lady is in the works, and the accomplished David E. Kelley is the brains behind the project.  Kelley is well-known for ventures into the worlds of the courtroom and the hospital, but taking on a superhero would be a new challenge for the writer/producer.  His notable successes include "Boston Legal", "The Practice", "Chicago Hope", and "Ally McBeal", so there's no question about his credentials.  "Ally McBeal" gives him an advantage since that show proved that Kelley can bring to life a strong, female character who can carry a series.

Wonder Woman has had her share of troubles in the mainstream media in the last few years, so hopefully this project will breathe new life into the superheroine.  Joss Whedon attempted to bring her to the big screen a few years ago, but after rejecting several script drafts, Warner Brothers shelved the project.  Apparently (according to the suits) a female superhero can't carry her own franchise.  Thank you Catwoman and Elektra...  However, in 2009, DC's animation studios produced an excellent direct-to-DVD movie that showcased Wonder Woman as the prominent hero she has always been.  I was among man fanboys who's review was a simple "That's how they should do a live action movie!"  But, the revelry was short-lived since low sales of the DVD once again took lady heroes out of the spotlight.  According to an April 2010 interview with producer Bruce Timm...

We had originally planned to do sequels for Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, but Wonder Woman’s sales started out extremely slow and then over time were eventually able to catch up to probably Justice League Frontier. The Exec’s decided because it wasn’t able to sell quickly right away, where as Justice League was, that there wouldn’t be any more female super hero films right now. We were developing and hoping to get started on a Batgirl film based on Year One, but because of Wonder Woman’s slow sales start, that won’t be happening now.

It's a shame that prominent characters and potential female role models are being overlooked because of financial decisions.

Wonder Woman came under fire once again only a few months ago.  With "Wonder Woman #600" hitting shelves back in June, her classic red, blue, and gold costume had been completely replaced by a new look, courtesy of artist Jim Lee.  Sporting a leather jacket and a new form-fitting suit, Wonder Woman now looks like she should be riding a motorcycle alongside The Huntress in the next issue of "Birds of Prey."  Will this be the costume we can expect to see in David E. Kelley's proposed series?  We'll just have to wait and see. 

While featured in animated form in the "Superfriends" cartoons from 1973 to 1986 and again in "Justice League/Justice League: Unlimited" from 2001 to 2004, the only other notable appearance of the character on TV was the series starring Lynda Carter, which aired from 1975 to 1979 on network television.  To this day, Lynda Carter's portrayal of the character is considered to be iconic, just as Christopher Reeve's was for Superman.  Since "Smallville" has engaged in the practice of featuring actors who have previously played DC characters in other media (Christopher Reeve, Helen Slater, Teri Hatcher), perhaps Lynda Carter will be offered a chance to appear in the new series.  (Yes, I know she was already on "Smallville" as Chole's mom, Moira, but I'd like to think Warner Brothers wouldn't mind having her on the new series.)

With "Smallville" ending its ten-year run at the end of this season, Warner Brothers might jump at the opportunity to maintain a superhero presence on television.  The void left by "Smallville" should definitely be filled by a show that focuses one of DC's prominent heroes, unlike the failed "Birds of Prey" in 2002 or the rumored "The Graysons" in 2008.