Television series

Wonder Woman

Name: Wonder Woman
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Released: 1975
Cast: Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, Richard Eastham, John Randolph, Lyle Waggoner

A gloriously earnest slice of 1970s network television: Lynda Carter's Amazon princess deflects bullets, spins into a bustier, and takes down Nazis (season one) or Cold War crooks (later seasons) with a smile that never curdles into irony. It's colourful, wholesome, unapologetically silly in the costuming department, and carried entirely by Carter's warmth and physical conviction. Comfort viewing for anyone who wants heroism without grimdark baggage.

TVMaze rating

6.5

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Superman1978

The big-screen cousin from the very same moment in superhero history — Christopher Reeve plays it with the same guileless sincerity Carter brings to Diana, and the results are just as charming.

But Nearly two and a half hours is a big ask for something this gentle-paced by modern standards.

Batman1966

Adam West's Caped Crusader is the campy godfather of this whole genre-with-a-wink approach — bright colours, corny puns, villains chewing scenery, and not a shred of shame about any of it.

But The camp is turned up so high it can read as parody rather than adventure if you're not in the mood.

The Incredible Hulk1977

Same era, same network sensibility, but a moodier, more wandering-loner take on the superhero premise — Bill Bixby's quiet sadness is a nice contrast to Diana's sunniness.

But It's slower and more melancholy — closer to a drifter drama than an action romp most weeks.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women2017no page yet

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The strange, true story of the psychologist who invented Wonder Woman, his wife, and the woman they both loved — the ideas about bondage, feminism and power baked into the original comics come from somewhere genuinely startling.

But It's a serious, sexually frank biographical drama with nothing of the show's cheerful pulp energy.

The Bionic Woman1976

Jaime Sommers is Diana's contemporary in spirit — a superpowered woman doing government-sanctioned good deeds with 70s hair and unshakeable decency.

But The sci-fi trappings and spy plots feel a bit dated and repetitive if you binge more than a few episodes.

Charlie's Angels1976no page yet

Three women, glamorous outfits, righteous fistfights — this is Wonder Woman's ensemble cousin, all disguise capers and breezy confidence.

But It leans harder into fashion-show pacing than actual peril; plots are thin excuses for set pieces.

Xena: Warrior Princess1995

A mythic warrior woman with a code of honour, a wink at the camera, and no interest in being subtle — the spiritual heir to Diana's Amazon swagger.

But The mythology gets tangled and increasingly bizarre across six seasons; commitment required.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman1993no page yet

Superhero adventure with a genuine romantic engine at its centre, much like Diana and Steve — warm, a little goofy, easy to fall into.

But The special effects and villain-of-the-week structure show their age fast.

Wonder Woman2017

Gal Gadot's take gives the same character real emotional weight and modern blockbuster scale — worth seeing how far the character has travelled.

But It's a very different beast tonally — earnest in a heavier, more mythic way than the show's breezy charm.

Smallville2001

A decade-spanning superhero soap that shares the same DIY optimism about heroism as a slow-build identity rather than a costume change.

But Ten seasons is a genuine commitment, and the teen-drama years can feel like a slog.

A League of Their Own1992

Season one's WWII setting isn't incidental — it's the same historical moment that let a generation of women (fictional Amazon princess or real ballplayers) do things the culture wasn't ready to let them do.

Women stepping into extraordinary roles because the men are off at war — funny, warm, and quietly moving about what happens when circumstance finally lets women be exceptional.

But There's no fantasy or spectacle here at all — it's a grounded, character-driven sports comedy-drama.

Marvel's Jessica Jones2015

Take the exact premise — extraordinary woman, ordinary world, questions about power and consent — and run it through a cynical, adult register instead of a cheerful network one; it's the same question asked in a much darker room.

A superpowered woman uses her strength to survive a world that keeps trying to control her — same basic engine as Diana, but rewired for trauma, noir shadows and hard language.

But It is grim, R-rated and emotionally heavy in ways that couldn't be further from Diana's sunny confidence.