So those of you who know me — offline and on — must by now realize that I’m a bit obsessed with all things TV. From back in the day of course. Don’t get me wrong some of today’s TV is brilliant, superbly-produced, and edgy. But most of it leaves me cold.
Perhaps it’s overkill. I mean how much bad news can one person take. HOMELAND, BOARDWALK EMPIRE, GAME OF THRONES, GIRLS BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Beheadings, terrorism, mafiosos, really annoying, self-righteous, entitled twenty-somethings – I’m not sure which is worse. Give me Mary and Rhoda and Phyllis, Sabrina, Kelly, and Kris (I leave out Jill because I still haven’t forgiven Farrah – may she rest in peace – for breaking her contract and leaving CHARLIE’S ANGELS after only one season), not to mention Jaime Somers and Diana Prince. In other words, give me feel good TV!
I have enough stress in my life between work, writing, family, trying to carve out a personal life, I don’t need to be stressed when I plop on my couch and watch TV. That’s why I usually flashback to a happier time. When women were either jiggly, bionic, or wonderful.
I’ve already spoken about the Angels so I won’t go on about them – except to say that Julie Rogers – Angel #6 in season #5 – was a breath of fresh New York air! She had moxie, comic timing, and put the glee into jiggly! Not to mention an insanely flat stomach. But enough about them let’s chat about Jaime and Diana!
As the Bionic Woman, Lindsay Wagner, brought a very natural, understated quality to what was admittedly an absurd role. She even one an Emmy for it! Yes she did, go look it up! (Kate Jackson lost out to her which I’m sure didn’t make for a happy Angels set, but I digress.)
I think Lindsay, like Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, were in on the joke – they loved portraying strong women, doing their own stunts, but at the same time maintaining their femininity. It’s a very hard balance that not many women can pull off.
But truly the main difference between these two superwomen is that Jaime’s special effects were in slo-motion and Wonder Woman’s were speeded up! I must say that in retrospect I prefer the cartoonish, colorful world that Lynda Carter inhabited over the more sedate, trying-hard-to-be-cerebral world that Lindsay lived in.
Oddly enough they both crossed barriers – Wonder Woman jumped 30 years in its second season and Bionic Woman switched networks in its third. You see, I do know way too much about retro TV.
And quite a bit about women too.