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Wonder Woman

A Wonder Woman-esque cast member of *Pre-School Musical* on *Sesame Street*

Wonder Woman is an iconic superheroine from the DC Comics universe who first appeared in December of 1941. She was created by William "Charles" Moulton Marston (the inventor of the "lie detector") and Elizabeth "Sadie" Holloway Marston, a husband and wife team. Diana, Princess of Paradise Island, has appeared in comic book stories consistently since her debut, but her most popular venture into pop culture is the 1970s television series starring Lynda Carter.

ReferencesEdit

The Muppet Show episode 419 pays tribute to the superhero genre in homage to guest star Lynda Carter, most famous for her portrayal of Wonder Woman in the television series of the same name. Miss Piggy appears in this episode as "Wonder Pig," a direct spoof of Carter's television persona. Carter's television persona of Wonder Woman is played up throughout the episode, including Kermit's audience introductions, and the Muppets all take a course on how to be a superhero in honor of her appearance. Miss Piggy even asks Carter if she's sorry she didn't bring her costume.

A direct reference to the Lynda Carter series is made as Super Sheep makes his superhero transformation in an ode to the sequence used in the series when Carter changes from Diana Prince into Wonder Woman. Also, while reading lesson two of his superhero manual, Fozzie learns about the basics of deflecting bullets with magic bracelets: another reference to the canon of Wonder Woman's abilities often shown in the series.

A picture of Wonder Woman is hung on the wall in a Sesame Street News Flash sketch.

When Eliot Shag is on the lookout for a new female role model for Rosie O'Gravy in the Dog City episode "Springer Fever," he turns to the Wonder Woman-inspired Wonder Whippet.

The "spinning" motif would later be used by Super Grover in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, again referencing a distinct trait made popular in the 1970s Wonder Woman television series.

During Elmo's 2001 appearance on Hollywood Squares, he fields a question about a comic book character's chocolate gobbling sidekick, Etta Candy. He answers Captain America, but Etta Candy had been featured in Wonder Woman comics since the 1940s.

In the Pre-School Musical segment from Sesame Street's 39th season, a girl named Mariella sings about playing in dress-up corner. One of the costumes she puts on is a Wonder Woman-esque outfit including a tiara, golden girdle and bracelets. She places emphasis on her "superhero cape" in song, and remains in this persona throughout the remainder of the number.

Miss Piggy again uses the spinning trick to quickly change her clothes in a Studio DC television special. Making an additional reference to the Wonder Twins from the cartoon Super Friends, she announces just before her spin: "Wonder wardrobe powers... activate!"

Miss Piggy is seen wearing her Wonder Woman costume in a variant cover of The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion.

ConnectionsEdit

Wonder Woman, TV series

Red Buttons played Ashley Norman in the pilot
Barry Dennen played Adolf Hitler in the second season Wonder Woman episode "Auschlass '77"
Cloris Leachman played Queen Hippolyte in the pilot
Shields and Yarnell played Doug and Formicida in "Formicida"
Brian Tochi played Darrel in the third season episode "The Deadly Dolphin"
Fritz Weaver played Dr. Solano in "The Return of Wonder Woman"
Harris Yulin played Mark Bremer in "Wonder Woman in Hollywood"

The 1982 book-and-tape set Wonder Woman: Cheetah On the Prowl

Produced and Directed by Christopher Cerf
Narrated by Michael Kingsbury Frith
Frederick R. Newman as Colonel Steve Trevor
Sonia Manzano as The Cheetah and Woman of Paradise Island
Kathy Mullen as Aphrodite, Goddess of Love
Christopher Cerf as Soldier
Christina Frith (Michael Frith's daughter^[1]) as Woman of Paradise Island and Princess Diana's Friend
Music by David Conner
Engineering by Doug Epstein (sound engineer on several Sesame projects)
Special Thanks: Jonathan Frith, Sharon Lerner

Other

Dakota Fanning voiced young Wonder Woman in the 2004 Justice League animated series
Tippi Hedren voiced Hippolyta in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Triumvirate of Terror"
Virginia Madsen voiced Hippolyta in the 2009 animated movie
Allan Neuwirth wrote Realworlds: Wonder Woman for DC Comics