The best follow-up to the release of Wonder Woman 1984 is the addition of the 1975 series to HBO Max's lineup. Running for three seasons, Wonder Woman was a massive influence on the pop culture of the time. Series star Lynda Carter has since been an enduring part of the legacy of Diana Prince in a way that would only be comparable to Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Superman in 1978. Wonder Woman's candy-bright aesthetic and peppy tone is pure '70s, and the music, especially its stand-out opening theme, is as iconic as Carter herself.
Like Patty Jenkins' take on the Amazonian heroine, the series' pilot kicks off on the secret island of the Amazons. Though the differences quickly pile up, it's still a period piece lodged in the heart of a world war. Season 1 became a smashing success despite a few hurdles that made production an occasional struggle. The late '70s saw an uptick in social pressure on pop culture media, and Wonder Woman had to work to tone back its action sequences to satisfy broadcast censors.
Wonder Woman went on to become an integral piece of 70's pop culture that is strongly reflected in the opening theme. It's no wonder why the song is so catchy, as it was composed by Charles Fox and lyricist Norman Gimbel, whose tune "Killing Me Softly With His Song" would become a Grammy-winning smash two times over.
Charles Fox's musical career is built on upbeat earworm compositions, from 1968's cult film oddity Barbarella, the comedy classic Laverne & Shirley, the goofily romantic The Love Boat and even the impossible-to-surpass gleeful catchiness of the Happy Days theme. Wonder Woman's opening tune was equally shaped to fit the tone of the production, and it became the moment kids knew something special was on the tube in an era where well-produced musical intros were integral to whether a show caught on or not.
A key figure in the decades-long elevation of a show's theme to pop culture success, Fox was well-aware of the importance of a good musical intro, and he understood that the militaristic themes of World War II needed a hopeful match in the arrival of Wonder Woman. And with Lynda Carter remaining a huge part of Diana Prince's life, it's a good time to revisit the tune that's nearly as memorable as she is.
Wonder Woman the series is streaming now on HBO Max. It stars Lynda Carter and Kyle Waggoner. Wonder Woman 1984 is also now streaming and available in theaters. The Patty Jenkins directed-film stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Natasha Rothwell.