''Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' is a live action
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
children's television series
Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...
from 1976 created by
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (born April 9, 1937) are a Canadian sibling team of television creators and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they have made numerous children's television a ...
. The series aired 16 episodes in a single season as part of the umbrella series ''
The Krofft Supershow
''The Krofft Supershow'' was a Saturday morning children's variety show, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. It aired for two seasons from September 11, 1976, to September 2, 1978, on ABC.
Background
The show was composed of several live-action seg ...
.'' During the second season, it was dropped, along with ''
Dr. Shrinker''. When later syndicated in the package "Krofft Super Stars" and released on home video, the 16 segments, which were each about 12 minutes long, were combined into eight episodes.
Premise
The program followed the crime-fighting exploits of caped superhero Electra Woman (played by
Deidre Hall
Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years.
Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
) and her teen sidekick Dyna Girl (
Judy Strangis
Judy Ann Strangis (born December 23, 1949) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in two ABC television series ''Room 222'' (1969–1974) and ''Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' (1976–1977).
__TOC__
Early years
Strangis is a nat ...
), who worked in their normal lives as reporters for ''Newsmaker Magazine'' (the two's surnames were never revealed -- just their first names: Lori and Judy, respectively). In each episode, the duo dons brightly-colored
spandex
Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US.
The ge ...
costumes, in a bright flash of light called an "Electra-Change;" get into the "ElectraCar;" and use an array of technically-advanced gadgets to thwart an eclectic collection of
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
s. They were assisted by Frank Heflin (
Norman Alden
Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He p ...
), a scientist who stayed at their "ElectraBase," operating its highly sophisticated "CrimeScope" computer while keeping in continual contact with the pair through their "ElectraComs."
Cast and characters
Main
*Lori / Electra Woman was played by
Deidre Hall
Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years.
Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
*Judy / Dyna Girl was played by
Judy Strangis
Judy Ann Strangis (born December 23, 1949) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in two ABC television series ''Room 222'' (1969–1974) and ''Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' (1976–1977).
__TOC__
Early years
Strangis is a nat ...
Dyna Girl is Electra Woman's young sidekick
*Professor Frank Heflin was portrayed by
Norman Alden
Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He p ...
*
Marvin Miller
Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...
as Narrator
The "ElectraEnemies" with their henchpersons
* The Sorcerer and Miss Dazzle
* The Empress of Evil and Lucretia
* Ali Baba and the Genie
* Glitter Rock and Side Man
* The Spider-Lady with Leggs and Spinner
* The Pharaoh and Cleopatra
The ElectraComs
The ElectraComs were bulky wrist devices worn by the title characters. They could function as two-way radios with video capabilities; they also served a variety of other specialized functions, which allowed the duo to escape various traps devised by their enemies. With the addition of special cartridge attachments, the ElectraComs were additionally seen to perform the following functions on the show:
* Direct-A-Scan – navigates the title characters through buildings to the exact location of the villain.
* Electra-Change – allows the title characters to change from their civilian clothing to the costumes of their super-powered alter-egos instantaneously.
* Electra-Beam – emits a focused kinetic beam of energy that can "push" or "pull" objects much like a
tractor or pressor beam.
* Electra-Degravitate – allows the title characters to defy gravity for very short distances so that they can circumvent obstacles in their path or levitate themselves to higher ground.
* Electra-Force – apparently breaks steel bars (was not available the one time it was attempted).
* Electra-Force Shield – is essentially a force field used to detain villains once they have been caught. The shield was also used defensively as a protective barrier that can shield against physical and energy attacks.
* Electra-Freeze – lowers the temperature of the target to below freezing.
* Electra-G – increases the weight of the target.
* Electra-Split – replicates target to create a copy. Both objects are left in an unstable state and it does not work on human beings.
* Electra-Strobe – speeds the wearer's motions, thoughts, and actions 10,000 times faster than normal.
* Electra-Vibe – creates a localized sonic field that can shatter glass or disorient an opponent who is not equipped with earplugs.
* Electra-Vision – emits a blindingly bright light, turning night into day.
* Electra-X – is a portable X-ray that reveals the target's skeleton or identity beneath any disguise.
Other resources
*The ElectraCar is a shield-shaped, three-wheeled vehicle that can also convert into the "ElectraPlane" with its wheels folded under/inside it. As the ElectraPlane, the ElectraCar is capable of flying into low Earth orbit. It also has a Tracking Beam for pursuing villains.
*The ElectraBase, located beneath the duo's civilian home and accessible by a hidden elevator, not only houses Frank Heflin's lab and the ElectraCar, but also serves as the home to "CrimeScope," one of the most powerful computers ever built – much like the BatComputer, which it parodies. CrimeScope is always kept up-to-date with what is going on in the world, can analyze any data transmitted through the ElectraComs, and can also operate the ElectraCar via remote control.
Episodes
Other adaptations
Unaired WB television pilot
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bro ...
commissioned a pilot for a new version of the show in 2001 starring
Markie Post
Marky or Markie may refer to:
Nickname
* Marky Cielo (1988–2008), Filipino actor and dancer
* Marky Delgado (born 1995), American soccer player
* Markie Mark (born 1974), BBC Radio director
* Marky Markowitz (1923–1986), American jazz trumpete ...
as Electra Woman and
Anne Stedman as Dyna Girl. The new series was written in the form of a cynical parody of the original show – and the superhero genre in general. It was set 25 years after the original series, with a retired Electra Woman brought back into action by a fan who ends up becoming the new Dyna Girl.
The pilot portrayed Electra Woman as a disillusioned, bitter, sexually promiscuous,
chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finished cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not ne ...
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
, much in contrast to the character's original portrayal. In the pilot, Electra Woman had been married and divorced since the end of the original series, her husband having left her for the original Dyna Girl, taking her bank account and car and leaving her as
trailer trash
''Trailer trash'' is a derogatory North American English term for poor people living in a trailer or a mobile home. It is particularly used to denigrate white people living in such circumstances
History
In the mid-20th century, poor whites who ...
. Although the pilot was shot, the series was not picked up.
The pilot omits the character of Frank Heflin, but includes an in-joke reference to Norman Alden, who had portrayed him in the original. The university's alumni function is attended by Aquaman, whose character voice Alden had provided on the ''Super Friends'' animated series.
Film
On February 26, 2015, it was announced via various media outlets that
YouTube personalities
YouTubers are people mostly known for their work on the video sharing platform YouTube. The following is a list of YouTubers for whom Wikipedia has articles either under their own name or their YouTube channel name. This list excludes people who ...
Grace Helbig
Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedian, actress, and internet personality. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast ''This Might Get Weird'' (2018–present) alongside frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart and is the voice of Cindy Bear i ...
and
Hannah Hart
Hannah Maud Hart (born November 2, 1986) is an American internet personality, comedian, author, and actress. She is known for starring in ''My Drunk Kitchen'', a weekly series on YouTube in which she cooks something while intoxicated. She also ...
would star in a
reboot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of the series. The series, produced by Tim Carter and Tomas Harlan through their Contradiction shingle, was directed by
Chris Marrs Piliero
Chris Marrs Piliero is an American actor, writer, producer, and director of short films and music videos.
Piliero directed the 2010 music video for '' Tighten Up'' by The Black Keys, which won the 2010 MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Vide ...
and shot in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
during February and March 2015.
On April 26, 2016, ''
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl
''Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' is a live action superhero children's television series from 1976 created by Sid and Marty Krofft. The series aired 16 episodes in a single season as part of the umbrella series ''The Krofft Supershow.'' During th ...
'' was digitally released by
Fullscreen through its streaming platform as a series of eight 11-minute
webisode
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
s. It was released on all major platforms on June 7, 2016, by
Legendary Digital Studios and
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.
Background
SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures lib ...
. A DVD version was released in late July 2016 through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Parody
In 1992, comic-book writer Bryan J. L. Glass and artist Michael Avon Oeming created Lycra Woman and Spandex Girl, an "Aerobic Duo" of super-heroines parodying Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. After the
DuPont
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...
chemical company successfully sued the creators for unauthorized use of its
Lycra
Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US.
The g ...
trademark, copies of all issues using the name were destroyed and the lead character's name was changed to Flex Woman. The pair appeared in several limited series and one-shot specials, most recently in 1997.
References
External links
*
*
The Electra Woman & Dyna Girl Webopedia
{{Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company in the 1970s
1970s American children's television series
1976 American television series debuts
1977 American television series endings
American children's action television series
American children's adventure television series
American children's fantasy television series
American children's science fiction television series
American superheroes
American superhero television series
English-language television shows
Superhero duos
Television duos
Television series by Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions
Television series created by Joe Ruby
Television series created by Ken Spears
The Krofft Supershow