Now that Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is cemented in the annals of pop culture, it's safe to say that the failed Wonder Woman pilot from NBC is but a distant memory. The pilot was cancelled by NBC due to fan backlash and fears that superheroes might not be a draw.
The Wonder Woman pilot, while not really all that great, is certainly better than a lot of DC shows that have gotten picked up. Nonetheless, there are reasons for Wonder Woman fans to thank Hera that this series never saw the light of day, with one of those reasons potentially having a ripple effect into the modern day.
Great: It Was Just A Pilot
If anyone was to look back at the pilots of their favorite TV series, more often than not, it's rare that the pilot is among the best episodes. Sometimes TV shows use a pilot to get a grasp of the world they're about to delve into before making a far more polished series.
A strong possibility is that if the show got picked up, the creators would have taken the fan response to heart and made changes accordingly. Sadly, that never came to be, which is a great but an understandable shame.
Not Great: How It Uses It's Low Budget
Looking up the budget of a TV show of similar nature will show that a single episode usually costs around $2-3 Million. Though the budget of the pilot remains unknown, the show certainly used it poorly.
Though there are some visual effects in the pilot, it's nothing impressive. Working within a small budget isn't easy, but given what wonders other shows have achieved with little money, Wonder Woman had no excuse to do anything less.
Great: It Was Ahead Of It's Time
Made in 2011, the series predates shows like Arrow and The Flash, which makes it way ahead of it's time. Back then, the only big superhero series was Smallville.
In the years to come many DC series on The CW would follow suit and create a superhero TV series juggernaut, but Wonder Woman got there first.
Not Great: Those Costumes
Although the pilot displays a Wonder Woman who is proud to don a goofy suit, the suits she was given were a tad too goofy. When the initial suit was unveiled, the reaction was extremely negative, with many feeling like it was taken from an adult parody of Wonder Woman.
Despite being redesigned, the other two suits don't fare much better. The version with barely-there bottoms is an eye sore and while the version with pants is better, it still inspires little more than ridicule from the viewer.
Great: The Casting Was Solid
Though the costume she was in was garish, actress Adrianne Palicki did a pretty good job with the material she was given. While her version of Diana is extremely different from the one in the comics, she is believable as the character.
The rest of the cast do a pretty good job as well, with names such as Cary Elwes as Henry Detmer, Tracy Thoms as Etta Candy, and Elizabeth Hurley as Veronica Cale rounding out the cast. Also, the actor playing Wonder Woman's police liaison is future Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal, who'd go on to play Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984.
Not Great: The Cheese Factor Is Off The Charts
Fans who shudder at the mere thought of the Joel Schumacher Batman movies should abstain from seeking out this pilot. The pilot for Wonder Woman is cheesy, but while that could sometimes be a good thing, that isn't the case with this pilot.
Not only did the producers of this pilot think that using a Christina Aguilera song for the title theme was a good idea, but it also features cameos from Nancy Grace and Dr. Phil.
Great: Pedigree Behind The Camera
One thing that can't be denied about this failed pilot is that it had some credibility within it's crew. Writer and executive producer David E. Kelley was a veteran of television even then, so having his name attached to the project lent it some attention.
Also attached was veteran TV director Jeffery Reiner, who directed episodes for shows like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Columbo, and Friday Night Lights. Though it had talent behind the scenes, that talent sadly didn't gel with Wonder Woman.
Not Great: It Strays Too Far From The Source Material
How faithful is the Wonder Woman pilot to the comics? Not a lot. Diana Prince is famous for being an Amazon from Themyscira who travels to man's world to defend it from evil. Simple, clean, and easy to translate to a serialized show.
Unfortunately, not only is the character renamed Diana's Amazonian origin isn't showcased at all. Taking more cues from Batman than Wonder Woman, The Princess of Paradise Island is portrayed as a vigilante who in the daytime is a successful businesswoman.
Great: It Almost Got Another Chance...Kind Of
After the success of Arrow, CW President Mark Pedowitz confirmed to TV Line in 2013 that a series about Wonder Woman's origin titled Amazon was in development with Scottish actress Amy Manson considered for Diana. When The Flash took priority, the show ended up stalling before finally being cancelled.
With the being said, The Arrowverse certainly has shown Wonder Woman some love, with Batwoman confirming she exists, Lynda Carter playing President Olivia Marsdin, and a series featuring Yara Flor/ Wonder Girl being confirmed. Still, the question of what Wonder Woman standing with The Flash, Green Arrow, and Supergirl could look like is one worthy of Solomon himself.
Not Great: It Almost Cost Us Gal Gadot
NBC's Wonder Woman pilot was an utter failure, but the fallout of it potentially succeeding was even more terrifying. While audiences probably would have gotten a pretty solid Wonder Woman depiction as the show went on, it would have cost the world a near-perfect Wonder Woman on the big screen.
There's a good chance that if this pilot went to series, fans would have never gotten Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman from 2017, along with Gal Gadot's excellent portrayal. Gal Gadot probably would have become a star regardless, as her talent is undeniable, but the outcome in the current world is far less risky.