As we’ve seen with Star Trek and Twilight Zone Blu-ray releases, old TV shows that shot on 35mm film can now look really great in HD. Wonder Woman is the latest series to get the upgrade, and its three seasons provide a visual treat you couldn’t have imagined on 19” TVs in the ‘70s.
The nuanced shadows probably didn’t come through on broadcast, but it shows these old shows were shot like films. Especially in Wonder Woman’s first season, a WWII era period piece, they keep Nazi villains in the dark with bright red flags poking out of the shadows. Contrast that with the pastel costumes on Paradise Island and Wonder Woman’s Americana uniform, blue and red with gold sparkling plates and crown.
They filmed a lot on the Warner Bros. backlot so it’s lovely to see my backyard studio in vivid detail dressed up for a period costume drama. The interior sets are fully designed too, except for the War Department. That’s plain and minimal. When they build an interior just for an episode it’s full of color and detail.
The modern day (modern in the ‘70s) seasons have a lot more blue denim, and Diana Prince (Lynda Carter) wears a lot more fashionable wardrobe when she’s incognito. They can also do a lot more location work, since they wouldn’t have to dress it in period. So the later seasons give you a lot more bright daylight exterior, and they sure found a lot of empty roads and hills for car chases. The two part finale lets you see Magic Mountain back in the day.
The Blu-ray keeps all the bonus features from the DVD releases of the previous seasons. However, it’s the new transfers that let you see the classic TV adventures of Wonder Woman in a brand new light.
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