WONDERLAND • The Ultimate Wonder Woman Site

Before Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, came on the scene the undisputed superwoman of the TV screen was Lindsay Wagner's Bionic Woman. Now families all over the United States are having their own versions of mini civil wars deciding who is truly the greater heroine. It's been a friendly fun rivalry confined to happy TV room squabbling and since the two girls are not placed opposite each other on the same night; there have been no super-anxiety attacks.

Simply on the grounds of modern-day believability, Lindsay's show may win out, for she is the epitome of super strength based upon her up-to-the-minute technology. Her skills may be masked each week by some new identity in order to trap the baddies, but in the end everyone knows she will overcome them all in a triumph of scientific achievement.

Lynda's very camp, almost direct-from-the-old-comic-book routines, have her deceiving all those who are even close to her as she throws off her spectacles, lets her hair down and relies on the kind of phenomenal strength of which only superhumans are capable.

Lindsay plays it straight as she brings the foe to justice each week. You might say she represents a very liberated Bionic Woman. Her sex appeal is taken for granted-the natural, healthy, outdoor type who just happens to have some extraordinary mechanical abilities.

Lynda on the other hand, takes advantage of the feminine physique that made her a beauty contest winner, as she dons the hot pants, and very revealing midriff top, which make her more of an overt sex symbol.

Certainly, they are both beautiful women, and certainly the competition and comparison has been in fun. This is what makes up the entertainment business. But, on another score, far away from the all-seeing TV lens, where the Tinseltown gossips are having a heyday, the word is out that the real-life Bionic Triangle, sans the Nielson race, is exploding! This competition cannot be judged in anybody's living room via the miracle of modern technology! It deals with a much more personal matter. And the word is out that Lindsay Wagner lost her man to Lynda Carter-and that's the truth! This on the heels of the fact that Lindsay Wagner has not even been married to Michael Brandon for one year, may come as quite a shock. But the man that Lindsay lost to Lynda Carter is none other than her agent, Ron Samuels, who is planning to make Wonder Woman his missus!

Again, one might speculate as to what the big deal is all about since Lindsay didn't lose her husband to Lynda, only her agent. And, in point of fact, Ron will continue to represent Lindsay in her career. So why all the fuss?

Well, the fuss is about the fact that before Ron began dating Lynda, his total energies were targeted on Lindsay's career. Ron was the "magician," if you will, who launched Lindsay from the $165-a-week contract actress into the multi-million-dollar series star she is today. A wheeler and dealer of the utmost talent, Ron not only convinced the producers, but Lindsay as well, that she could do it. And before Lindsay and Michael set the date for their wedding, Hollywood was taking bets on whether she would wed Michael or Ron! In truth, Ron was married at the time, and claimed his interest in Lindsay, was mostly professional, though he also admitted he adored his work!

In the world of show business, a good agent often doubles as a teacher, a brother, a parent and confidante. Ron must take some credit for not only landing Lindsay her coup, but for nurturing her into one of the biggest talents in the TV industry. And, before Ron announced his affections for Lynda Carter, he was working to get a special for Lindsay off the ground that would show-off the multi-musical talents of his much-adored client. Since his romance with Lynda began, however, there has been little talk of promoting Lindsay's new career.

There are some questions being raised in Hollywood as well, as to Ron's loss of influence over Lindsay recently and there are those who attribute this to the fact that he is so blinded by Lynda that he hasn't got much interest in anything else. The situation most are pointing to is what happened when Lindsay's husband Michael went off to Houston, Texas, to work on a, film for ten days. During that time, Lindsay was almost unable to function as far as her duties on the show were concerned, causing one guest star to leave the show, as well as a full round of other difficulties. Insiders were saying that the production costs caused by the delay were close to record-breaking and that Lindsay was indulging in a full-fledged blast of "star-temperament."

Her behavior was called "unprofessional" at its mildest. The scene was likened to the way Cher stopped production on her show as she took off for Buffalo to mend her marriage in the early days of the Cher/Gregg crises. Personal life is important, but the old "show must go on" attitude that distinguishes the pros is sadly lacking. Few secretaries, bookkeepers or waitresses can take time off from their jobs while they put their personal lives together. But then few can afford to do so.

In the case of Lindsay slowing down production while her husband was away, the Hollywood folks are asking why Ron couldn't talk her into being more cooperative. Other folks are saying he was just too busy with his new love.

The responsibility, in the final analysis rests with Lindsay, but it has been traditionally the role of a good and wise agent to be able to get the client into the proper focus. There have been too many stars of the past who have wondered where all their friends were when they were down and out. The truth, in most cases, is that those superstars made life so difficult for others while they were at the top and had to be tolerated, that they alienated all those who might have cared or even helped when they came tumbling down. But let's hope our new generation of stars will be a little wiser!