In the 70s there was a plethora of great Saturday morning television. Kids were able to catch Spider-man and his amazing friends, the Hulk, Lancelot Link, Superman, H.R. Puff N Stuff, and even Captain Marvel (I just discovered a clip of this – really?). Thinking back on these shows though, being in the age of superheroes films and television, one show produced by the creators of several of the previously mentioned shows, Sid & Marty Krofft, stands out. That show is Electra Woman & Dyna Girl.
If you have never heard about or seen this show (as I had not), here’s an episode to bring you up to date.
The show presented the adventures of this duo as they fought the dastardly deeds of villains like the Spider Queen or the Empress of Evil, with the help of Frank, who monitored the CrimeScope computer and made them special gadgets. Sound familiar? Yeah, it was a female version of Batman and Robin.
Decades later, in the age of male superheroes, what many people really want is a well-written, at least decently produced female superhero-centered film (preferably one that isn’t long, dark, and especially boring – looking at you Bat/Supe). While we may not have the Wonder Woman film we want yet, there is a brilliantly written television show to lead the way.
Internet sensations – and all-around awesome people – Hannah Hart and Grace Helbig star as Lori and Judy, the powerless superheroes. A decade after the Shadow Wars ended and the heroes prevailed, with many losses, by eliminating super villains everywhere, superheroes are used mainly as marketing tools instead of crime fighters. While this does not stop some from fighting smaller groups of criminals, CMM (Creative Masked Management) controls the majority of these powered personas for ad spots and news coverage. Hoping to make it big like other heroes, EW & DG fight crime in their Akron neighborhood (yep, so glad they fit that one in there) until finally taking down a convenience store robbery and filming it for YouTube, immediately being discovered.
Hart & Helbig’s remake provides a new take on the characters, examining how females, especially superheroes, are presented in today’s film industry, as well as how friendships and partnerships can fall apart when influenced by outside parties. The first is shown throughout the program, starting with the remade costumes (the duo start out in handmade costumes pulled straight from the original Krofft property, but are soon remade by new management), which, while they take the Marvel approach to costuming by removing the capes and replacing it with something more natural, the costuming department strays away from the over-sexualized versions seen on other female superheroes. This is thanks to Hart and Helbig who, as they explained to People magazine, were “pretty involved with the director and the costume department while the suits were being crafted [and] wanted to make sure that they weren’t over-sexualized and functional for crime fighting.”
Already internet sensations on YouTube, the fact that this is presented in both its entirety as well as in episodic format makes it perfect for regular viewers of their shorter YouTube videos, as well as those wishing to sit down and enjoy a full-length movie. By signing up for fullscreen (first month is free), you can watch the entire series, while it is also available on iTunes and Google Play for $9.99. If you enjoy it though, I highly recommend purchasing or renting it on one of these platforms to encourage a second season.