Forgotten Television: The Secrets of Isis

Science teacher Andrea Thomas (Joanna Cameron) found the gold “Tutmose amulet” while on an archeological dig in Egypt.  The amulet belonged to Queen Hatshepsut, an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh and bestows the wearer with the power over the elements and animals granted by the goddess Isis.  When needed Andrea exposes the amulet and invokes the powers by saying “Oh Mighty Isis”.  She normally used her powers to come to the aid of her high school students who were always getting into mischief.  She is aided by fellow teacher and love interest Rick Mason (Brian Cutler) and students Cindy Lee (Joanna Pang) and Rennie Carol (Ronalda Douglas) and her pet Crow, Tut.  From time to time, she also joins forces with Captain Marvel (Shazam!).  She activates her powers by speaking in rhyming couplets, for example, before taking flight, she says, “Oh Zepher winds that blow on high, lift me now so I can fly”.

The Secrets of Isis was a live-action superhero television series produced by Filmation and aired from September 6, 1975, and ending on October 23, 1976.  The show has the honor of being the first live-action series to feature a leading female superhero where the show predates both The Bionic Woman (January 14,1976) and Wonder Woman (April 21, 1976). Three episodes of the series featured a crossover with Shazam whose own weekly Filmation television series premiered the year before and in return, three episodes of Shazam, also featured Isis. The show used the convention of breaking the fourth wall with Isis or Andrea winking at the camera or in some other way acknowledging the audience and like other Filmation series, the character performed an epilogue which spoke on the moral lessons learned in the episode.  The final two-part episode of the series was also a back door pilot for a trio of teens calling themselves the Super-Sleuths, who help Isis in one of the few non-high school themed storylines dealing instead with espionage and a weather making machine Rick was building for the US Government. The Super-Sleuths series was never picked up.

I watched this show religiously in 1975 and 1976.  I had already been a fan of the Shazam series, but actually found Isis a lot more entertaining.  The casting of Joanna Cameron was perfect, she exuded a type of stature and power as well as intelligence. Brian Cutler was charming as the clueless love interest who never quite figures out that Andrea is Isis. Like most of the kid’s superhero shows of that era, it is incredibly corny, the special effects are nearly non-existent and don’t really look real, but even with all of its flows it had a great heart and wonderful energy.  As a kid, I loved the rhyming couplets that conjured the amazing powers that Isis commanded.  I, to this day, will often speak the words she utters to make her fly, just for fun.  Overall, I am not sure how a modern audience would view the show, but for those of us around when it first premiered, it will always hold a special place in our hearts.