Adrianne Palicki is Wonder Woman

I was just commenting the other day about Eric Palicki’s writing for comics, particularly his new work, “Barefoot.” And now we get the big news from “The Hollywood Reporter” that his sister has been chosen to star in the new Wonder Woman TV show on NBC. There are no two ways about it, Adrianne Palicki is a hottie. She also happens to have developed an impressive career on TV which includes superhero street cred: Adrianne played Supergirl on “Smallville” and had a role on the CW’s short-lived “Aquaman.” But is this just shortsighted typecasting? Some might agree. Then again, this is supposed to be a different Wonder Woman, based out of LA, so let’s roll with it.

Here is some info from the press release:

The series pilot is a reinvention of the iconic DC Comics title in which Wonder Woman – a.k.a. Diana Prince – is a vigilante crime fighter in Los Angeles but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life. Kelley and Bill D’Elia (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice”) are the executive producers. The pilot was written by Kelley and will be directed by Jeffrey Reiner(NBC’s “The Event”).  “Wonder Woman” is from David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

So, what does this mean to you, or to me? Well, I’m just a guy. I scratch when I itch. I will lay about with a beer and watch a game now and then. I don’t keep up with all the shows on TV unless it’s something that really calls out to me, otherwise I may be tone deaf to something that apparently is popular. For instance, Adrianne Palicki is currently the star of “Friday Night Lights.” I have no idea what that is. She plays the role of Tyra Collete. Maybe I’ll look it up.

What I initally found interesting was all the newfound interest in Wonder Woman. This is one of those shows that I’m interested to follow as the publicity ramps up. I am not a wild fan of too many actors. You’d have to go back to Jack Lemmon for someone I really liked and cared about. Or, for someone more recent, Drew Barrymore, but on a different level. And on an even more different level, Russell Brand comes to mind. What do Jack Lemmon, Drew Barrymore and Russell Brand have in common? They all come across as real human beings. Smart, talented and human. That’s a great combination.  

Anyway, back to Wonder Woman, based on what fans seem to want, it really looked like the best choice would have been Bridget Regan. She was on ABC’s “Legend of the Seeker.” Again, that does not register with me but, from what I can tell, it looks good. And, from what I see, Adrianne Palicki should do quite well as Wonder Woman. This could very well be her Lynda Carter moment. She may become a truly household name, although audiences are definitely not what they were in Carter’s day. Everything is now scattered and random. Audiences can be more fickle. Corporations can be less patient. Although  there are always exceptions. Did anyone predict that “Big Bang Theory” would become a hit? No, of course not. Some shows take time and are worth sticking with. And some shows get dropped for no good reason other than low ratings. 

Whatever the case, Adrianne Palicki will become better known because of the fact she’s now Wonder Woman and then, after that, her career may go downhill unless she’s really good on this show, so good that she actually transcends it. Now, that’s a tall order. We’ll wait and see.