Kids of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s all know of Lou Scheimer’s and Norm Prescott’s storied animation studio Filmation. Filmation got its start in 1963 with a serialized adventure series called “Rod Rocket,” but soon became better known for its licensed superhero shows like “The New Adventures of Superman,” “Aquaman,” and “The Adventures of Batman.” In the ’70s, they began branching out into musical animated sitcoms like “Archie’s Funhouse,” “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” and “The Brady Kids.” Filmation did the “Star Trek” animated series, “The New Adventures of Gilligan,” and, most famously, “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” And that’s just a small sampling of the studio’s output. They were amazingly prolific.
In 1974, Filmation tried something daring by branching out into live-action programming. Like their animated fare, Filmation stayed within superheroes for a few outings, starting with an action-packed TV adaptation of “Shazam!” They followed that in 1975 with a semi-animated series called “The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty” (a MAD Magazine-inflected version of James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”), and then, the same year, came out with their first wholly original live-action series, “The Secrets of Isis.”
Well, “wholly original” only describes the fact that “Isis” wasn’t based on a licensed character or a figure from literature. One can see that she was clearly derived from DC Comics‘ character “Wonder Woman,” who would debut on TV shortly after “Isis.” It was also part of a wave that included “The Bionic Woman,” so live-action shows about ultra-strong superheroines were simply de rigueur at the time. “The Secrets of Isis,” however, has the distinction of airing first. It also has a few Gen-X viewers who probably remember it with fondness.
Did you watch The Secrets of Isis?
The premise of “The Secrets of Isis” was straightforward, as far as superhero shows go. A high school science teacher named Andrea Thomas (Joanna Cameron) is a descendant of Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt in the mid-1400s BC. She comes upon a Tutmost amulet, which she wears around her neck, and which can grant her the powers of animals and of the elements. In a pinch, Andrea could extract the amulet, chant “Oh mighty Isis,” and transform into Isis. Or rather, she would transform into herself wearing a vaguely Egyptian costume, complete with a tiara. Isis also seemingly had to activate her superpowers with poetry. When she wanted to fly, she could summon winds by chanting, “O zephyr winds, which blow on high, / Lift me now, so I can fly.”
Isis’ powers were vast and seemingly infinite. In one episode, she can pass through walls. In another, she can control the weather. She can gaze into the past with a magic crystal, and even turn back time itself if needed. She could control gravity, become super strong, or even manifest living animals. Isis could do whatever the writers required at any given moment. She had a pet crow named Tut, with whom she could communicate telepathically.
Although possessed of godlike powers, Andrea usually only transformed into Isis to help the kids that she worked with at her high school. This displays a gigantic lack of imagination on Isis’ part, but it’s definitely something that the little kids watching could relate to. At the end of every episode, there was a law-mandated segment where Isis would address the kids directly, teaching them an important life lesson. These “educational” segments were common in the ’70s and early ’80s.
The Secrets of Isis even had crossover episodes
“The Secrets of Isis” only ran for 22 episodes over two seasons, but because it was part of a new vanguard of Filmation live-action shows, it was the subject of a few “Shazam!” crossovers. Isis appeared in three episodes of “Shazam!,” while Shazam was in three episodes of “Isis.” Thanks to these crossovers, DC Comics (who owns the Shazam character) folded Isis into their comic book universe. The comic book character, however, is very different from the one seen in “The Secrets of Isis.” She is actually called Adrianna Tomaz.
The Isis character left live-action in 1976, but the character lived on in animated form, appearing on the TV series “Freedom Force” in 1978. This time, Isis was voiced by Diane Pershing, and was part of a superhero team that included Merlin, Hercules, Sinbad the Sailor, and a character just known as Super Samurai. That series lasted a whopping five episodes before being canned. Isis popped her head up again for the 1981 animated series “Hero High,” about a high school for superpowered kids. She wasn’t in it much, though.
Toy collectors might recall the Mego Corporation, who standardized action figures in the mid-1970s. Mego action figures were unique in that they stood a stately eight inches and wore real cloth clothes. Mego put out a much-coveted Isis doll that, in the ’20s, sells for over a hundred dollars on the second-hand market. I recall a scene in the 1999 film “Free Enterprise” wherein a nerdy protagonist tried to seduce a pretty peer by bragging about his Mego Isis action figure. For the record, it worked. Someone out there is very fond of “The Secrets of Isis.” Just find people in their 50s.
