Now I've never actually read a Wonder Woman story, unless you count the Justice League, DC Event stories, or casual crossovers, and am not usually the obsessive, "They're doing it wrong!" kind of fan anyway, but I did smile at this development (or lack thereof).
Not because I was concerned about the costume, or the casting, or the lukewarm script reports I had read, but because now I get to submit my ideas for a Wonder Woman TV show. And since this is the Internet, where everybody is equally important, I have outlined my proposal below.
Attention, television-making people: You have my full permission to use any of this treatment in future and I will take no action.
Series Treatment
Outline
Across the globe, several acts of terrorism and natural disasters have been attended to by a mysterious figure calling herself Wonder Woman. Rather than remain a reclusive enigma, she has been quite vocal and media-friendly, yet still elusive as to her origins.
Given her powers and her level of "interference" Wonder Woman is demanded by several governments to answer for her actions. She is only to happy to oblige, and speaks before the U.N. Security Council.
Wonder Woman is in fact Princess Diana of Themyscira, the mythical island of the Amazons. Her people have remained hidden from "Man's World" for millennia, but have now decided to intervene for the better. Diana was selected as their ambassador with the simple mission of world peace.
Needless to say, the nature and scope of Diana's statements elicits much doubt from those in power. But she has the skills and intelligence to back up her claims, and everybody soon starts taking her seriously; with a little bit of fear too.
Diana is clear that she wants to make the world a better place, but knows that might alone does not make right. She will work alongside the governments of the Earth to create peace, truth and freedom in all nations, but she will not allow herself to be restrained by petty disputes and regulations. Diana knows that her mission will be a long, delicate one, but she will not stand by when innocents are in danger, regardless of the political consequences.
Wonder Woman naturally gains herself a lot of paranoia, jealousy and suspicion from both politicians and the public. There are many who do not want to see the world change, even for the better, and these are the enemies she will face.
Agreeing to co-operate with the United Nations, Diana is based in New York City, but tends to global problems. Her U.N. contacts are civilian aide Loretta "Etta" Candy and military liaison Lt. Col. Steve Trevor. The trio soon become fast friends.
Amidst the ethical debates, humanitarian work and superheroics, Diana still finds time to acquire adversaries. Most notably, Paula Gunter, a German member of the U.N. Security Council and Wonder Woman's most vocal critic, fostering a distrust of the Amazon at every opportunity, and Priscilla Rich, a spoiled media socialite who wants to rival Wonder Woman's popularity by donning her own superhero identity -- the Cheetah.
This series will have a dramatic weight to it, and deal with realistic political and global problems that do not always have an easy solution, and good-old-fashioned superhero action which does. Wonder Woman's mythical background would be toned down for the first season, to develop more of the character herself, her supporting cast, and the tone of the series as a whole.
Main Characters
DIANA
Unable to return to her home, her friends, or her mother until her mission is complete, Diana feels like something of an outcast, but buries this under her drive and ambition. Her compassion for all life is matched only by her opposing passion for combat.
Blessed by the gods, she knows she must use her gifts to better herself and the world around her, but often finds this at odds with her Amazonian warrior upbringing.
At first unable to relate to Man's World, viewing us all as simple children (in a loving sense), Diana is frequently surprised by our own wonders, as well as genuinely shocked by our capacity for cruelty and violence without honour. Rather than making her horribly unrelatable, this larger-than-life persona would make her admirable, while still retaining subtle nuances to connect with. Just because she's above average doesn't make her inhuman or boring.
Likewise, Diana is uncomfortable with the labels everybody keeps trying to apply to her. People see her as either threatening or symbolic and she doesn't know how to deal with the complexities of P.R. She'd much rather just get the work done.
Diana possesses superhuman strength, speed and stamina, as well as the ability to fly and divine truth. This last skill is further honed by her legendary magic lasso. Although a formidable hand-to-hand fighter, Diana is also an accomplished diplomat and negotiator, but does not see talking out problems any lesser than fighting them out. She's not just a female action hero -- she's goddam Wonder Woman.
Age: Early to mid 30s (in appearance).
STEVE TREVOR
Shockingly, our show will be unafraid of having a strong, independent female lead who *gasp* has a love interest. And Steve is that love interest. But it's not some stupid, "love at first sight" romantic mush, despite Steve's charm, nor is it a "clever" reversal of the damsel in distress trope. This is something that will be developed over the course of the series, but still tantalisingly apparent in every episode.
Steve is a skilled U.S. Army officer, and has seen his share of action and bloodshed. To begin with, he seems the "good soldier" type; just following orders. But Diana, and her mission, will awaken within him the reason he joined the Army in the first place: To make a difference.
Like too many people, Steve had given up believing that the world could change, and had become comfortable with maintaining a satisfactory status quo. With Diana, he realises he may be able to finally help make the world a better place. This selflessness often pits him at odds with his superiors.
His feelings for Diana will go unrealised for a long time, due to the fact that he sees her as an icon rather than a person. He will be unaware of this perception himself, and thus unaware of his feelings for her.
Age: Early to mid 30s.
ETTA CANDY
Providing the role of best friend and comic relief, Loretta "Etta" Candy is a full-figured woman who is constantly outgoing and optimistic. She is the only person who neither looks up nor down at Diana, but rather sees her as an equal, and so Wonder Woman takes an instant liking to her.
However, despite her apparent disorganisation and clumsiness, Etta is an absolute professional in her role as Diana's aide. She often has to find some clever loophole to excuse Wonder Woman's border-free actions.
Along similar lines, Etta will be funny, but her "antics" will not comprise the integrity of the show. The mild comedy she provides will be entirely in-context and realistic. There will not be a "zany" episode where we follow Etta on some goofy, slapstick adventure.
She also has a loving husband and three kids, whom she adores and is always talking about.
Age: Late 30s to early 40s.
PAULA GUNTER
Coming from a long line of old world German nobility, Paula Gunter eschewed such titles and honours in favour of a more modern position of power, entering into politics and now sitting on the U.N. Security Council, which monitors Wonder Woman's activities closely.
Far from a "villain" character, Paula is genuinely suspicious of Diana, believing her too good to be true. She has become jaded and cynical in her long career as an ambassador. She has seen too much gone wrong.
The fact that Diana remains vague and secretive about her Amazonian origins just makes Paula more curious about them.
A cold and ruthless woman, the tragedy is that she and Diana are quite alike, if not for the fact that Paula is too comfortable with the way the world is. She is scared of the change Wonder Woman represents.
Age: Late 40s/Early 50s.
Recurring Characters
PRISCILLA RICH
As Wonder Woman's traditional "nemesis", Priscilla would be used sparingly on the show, so as to make her appearances have more impact.
A typical spoiled socialite, Priscilla sees Wonder Woman as a new trend. A rival for her media attention. This simplistic, immature view leads her to create her own "secret identity" as Cheetah.
Dressing in a skin-tight, cheetah-print outfit, Priscilla also cries to get her own reality TV show out of her idea. She shows up in this ridiculous costume, camera crew in tow, as Diana deals with a genuine crisis to "help."
Getting in her way, Diana becomes angry at Priscilla's ignorance and stupidity. Priscilla is so incapable of grasping the gravity of the situation (or any situation) she sees this outrage as nothing more than a nightclub slap-fight, and declares Wonder Woman her "enemy."
At first, Priscilla's only threat to Diana is making her look foolish in front of the media; constantly "attacking" her and threatening her work. But Priscilla will grow more amoral and insane as the series goes on, eventually becoming a major threat to the Amazon.
Age: Mid to late 20s.
GENERAL PHIL DARNELL
Steve's immediate superior and a U.N. peacekeeping officer. He sides with Paula Gunter in terms of the potential threat Wonder Woman represents as a rogue agent, and often forces Steve to make difficult decisions regarding her. He is particularly interested in Themyscira's military power, much to Diana's concern.
Age: Early to mid 50s.
DR. EDGAR CIZKO
A prominent psychologist, Dr. Cizko has written several notable self-help books and appeared on various talk shows, regarding his controversial opinions on women. Teased for his appearance as a child (he is a dwarf) and spurned by girls, Cizko is now a notorious misogynist and sexist.
But he also possesses a remarkable way with words, and can talk his way out of anything, making anyone who debates against him look wrong.
Cizko frequently speaks out against Wonder Woman, belittling her because of her gender. Of course, deep down, Edgar is just shallow and cruel, and hates all women for rejecting him.
He secretly possesses mind-control powers, and uses them for lewd purposes. He longs to use them on Diana, but her mystical origins prevent this. This just makes him hate her more.
At first, Cizko will be nothing more than an annoying nuisance to Wonder Woman, but as his power and arrogance grows, so too will his threat.
Age: Mid to late 30s.
I genuniely want to watch this. After Chris Nolan is done with Batman, his mantle (cowl?) should be passed to you.
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