The Ultimate Superheroines Forum

I thought it might be time for people to chime in with some fave TV shows. I'm defining peril broadly here, to include fight scenes where the heroine doesn't just dominate throughout. I'll get things started:

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Seven seasons of a pretty girl/woman with superpowers battling powerful monsters. Every season has epic fight scenes and Buffy often took serious punishment.

2. Supergirl - A lot of season 1 and parts of seasons 2 and 3 have some of the best heroine peril fight scenes ever aired on television. Hot actress, hot costume, powerful villains - just awesome stuff. The rest of the show got so bad it was unwatchable, but in the beginning it was a dream come true.

3. The Avengers (Emma Peel seasons) - Breathtakingly beautiful actress, playful, kinky vibe and a fair amount of action and peril.

4. The Queen of Swords - Only one season, but wow! The lead actress was so gorgeous and there was plenty of fights. Loses a little for the stunt person's crappy wig, and it never got a domestic DVD release, but still makes the list.

5. Wonder Woman - Not much peril after the first season, which left so much potential wasted, but still...Lynda Carter really filled out the costume.

Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island got tied up at least twice.
Girl from Uncle.
Batgirl.

Probably should add Buck Rogers with the lovely Erin Grey.

...without particular order:
Black Scorpion
Queen of Swords
Arrow
Supergirl
Batwoman

Kind of odd that I never have seen the Buffy TV show... I guess I net to do that at one point.
Also nearly saw nothing of The Avengers with Emma Peel. Black and white is really a turn-off for me when it comes to sexiness.

Yeah, Erin Grey, Lindsey Wagner from The Bionic Woman, the actress who played Isis - the seventies had some really beautiful women.

Batwoman had peril?
Also Black Scorpion? I recall maybe 2 episodes. In fact that's why I hated the show cause there wasn't any good peril.

Only some of the Emma Peel are BW. Most are in color.

Dang. If I'd thought of Black Scorpion I probably would have put it fifth in place ahead of Wonder Woman. Fun, campy show but with some great fight scenes.

Mr. X wrote: ↑

11 months ago

[...]

Only some of the Emma Peel are BW. Most are in color.

It's actually almost fiftyfifty. One season with Emma Peel was BW, the other was in colour (though on their first showing here in the UK, most were actually still shown in BW).
Emma also was in one episode of the following season (The Forget-Me-Knot), where she gets a send-off and Tara King was introduced. That's, why it is only almost fiftyfifty.

To add some shows I might pick:
Xena: The Warrior Princess
Lost Girl
Legends of Tomorrow

Queen of Swords was a missed opportunity.
Mrs Peel was Epic (even had that as an episode title)
Girl from UNCLE, had the a young Stephanie Powers getting pretty consistently caught by some pretty Batman-esque villains
99 from Get Smart.
Erin Grey was gorgeous in Buck Rogers, season one. She was put in those hideous sailor outfits season two. No one ever tried to cut her in two with a laser beam, again, a swing and a miss…
Isis, hot girl and a white miniskirt fighting crime and she was never captured, imperiled or even menaced…. Some EW/DG villains would have helped.
Joy from the Bugaloos was tied on turn table with descending record needle in a micro dress.
Cheryl Ladd was captured and menaced a couple of times, usually in something sexy.
BG/WW -what can be said?

I remember Joy from the Bugaloos was also tied up under some floor boards.

Since we are talking live action as opposed to just superheroine.

1. Highlander except the last season and the last episode of the previous season. Great sword fights and martial arts
2. Six Million Dollar Man
3 Bionic Woman except last season
4. Angel- Angel was better than Buffy as a series
5. La Femme Nikita- Petra Wilson version

The original Charlie’s Angels was good. I tried to find my favorites, Cheryl Ladd having knives thrown at her in a circus episode and the bad guy trying to drown Jaclyn Smith dressed as a ballet dancer in a pool on an ocean liner, but couldn’t find either on YouTube.

Black Scorpion had her getting KOed in almost every episode and Darna getting tortured until her own brother was threated to get knifed are 2 of the best 'real action' shows u guys are missing:)

IMSancho wrote: ↑

11 months ago

The original Charlie’s Angels was good. I tried to find my favorites, Cheryl Ladd having knives thrown at her in a circus episode and the bad guy trying to drown Jaclyn Smith dressed as a ballet dancer in a pool on an ocean liner, but couldn’t find either on YouTube.

I liked the Cheryl Ladd scene where she was captured in booty shorts by a very butch masseuse. They were interrogating her with the herbal wrap of death…. She was the hottest thing in a bikini at the time and couldn’t imagine her not stripped naked under those towels.

The knife throwing interrogation was my favorite. The entire show could have been her getting captured in a skimpy outfit, put in peril and escaping. Just her cosplay playing Penelope Pitstop with the special-guest Bat-villain of the week.

sneakly wrote: ↑

11 months ago

IMSancho wrote: ↑

11 months ago

The original Charlie’s Angels was good. I tried to find my favorites, Cheryl Ladd having knives thrown at her in a circus episode and the bad guy trying to drown Jaclyn Smith dressed as a ballet dancer in a pool on an ocean liner, but couldn’t find either on YouTube.

I liked the Cheryl Ladd scene where she was captured in booty shorts by a very butch masseuse. They were interrogating her with the herbal wrap of death…. She was the hottest thing in a bikini at the time and couldn’t imagine her not stripped naked under those towels.

The knife throwing interrogation was my favorite. The entire show could have been her getting captured in a skimpy outfit, put in peril and escaping. Just her cosplay playing Penelope Pitstop with the special-guest Bat-villain of the week.

You mean this?

The final week episodes of the Darna 2022-2023 series has some great heroine peril.

sneakly wrote: ↑

11 months ago

IMSancho wrote: ↑

11 months ago

The original Charlie’s Angels was good. I tried to find my favorites, Cheryl Ladd having knives thrown at her in a circus episode and the bad guy trying to drown Jaclyn Smith dressed as a ballet dancer in a pool on an ocean liner, but couldn’t find either on YouTube.

I liked the Cheryl Ladd scene where she was captured in booty shorts by a very butch masseuse. They were interrogating her with the herbal wrap of death…. She was the hottest thing in a bikini at the time and couldn’t imagine her not stripped naked under those towels.

The knife throwing interrogation was my favorite. The entire show could have been her getting captured in a skimpy outfit, put in peril and escaping. Just her cosplay playing Penelope Pitstop with the special-guest Bat-villain of the week.

Now we KNOW when they put her on that table while she was still unconscious that they let their fingers do the walking and rubbed her down with the oils that they planned to end her life with and yes, she had to be naked!!! What a scene!!! Love it

IMSancho wrote: ↑

11 months ago

sneakly wrote: ↑

11 months ago

IMSancho wrote: ↑

11 months ago

The original Charlie’s Angels was good. I tried to find my favorites, Cheryl Ladd having knives thrown at her in a circus episode and the bad guy trying to drown Jaclyn Smith dressed as a ballet dancer in a pool on an ocean liner, but couldn’t find either on YouTube.

I liked the Cheryl Ladd scene where she was captured in booty shorts by a very butch masseuse. They were interrogating her with the herbal wrap of death…. She was the hottest thing in a bikini at the time and couldn’t imagine her not stripped naked under those towels.

The knife throwing interrogation was my favorite. The entire show could have been her getting captured in a skimpy outfit, put in peril and escaping. Just her cosplay playing Penelope Pitstop with the special-guest Bat-villain of the week.

You mean this?

Yes, sexy as fuck…

DrDominator9 wrote: ↑

11 months ago

Probably should add Buck Rogers with the lovely Erin Grey.

I LOVE the Space Vanpire episode. She is so hot and she was TERRIFIED of that dude. She finally had to give in to him and she her head tilts back while he shortish her throat... man.

Revive to kill (Thai series)

If you dont consider only superheroine, then Batman needs to be the first one out there. Black Scorpion, Lois & Clark, the Avengers and WW would be next …

I thought the criteria was peril not just any show with a heroine in it.

Batman had the best perils. The first two seasons were amazing feats of imagination. If only Batgirl had been in them…

Darna trapped below a descending bed of knife blades was absolutely a classic. I don’t know if she had any other comparable, but that was a classic.

Man from Uncle was always fun and had a couple good women in peril episodes (including a buzzsaw and another with Yvonne Craig tape gagged.

Doctor Who was often good for putting Sara Jane Smith or the leather minidress clad Leela into some infernal death trap…

Sarah Jane was by far the most in-periled heroine

Mr. X wrote: ↑

11 months ago

Sarah Jane was by far the most in-periled heroine

Leela was put in more bondage situations.

According to Brian’s Page, Leela was tied in peril three times and Sarah Jane about 7 or 8. Sarah Jane was bound and gagged in a giant mulching machine, which was a classic in my mind. Leela was to be executed by “steamer” in another episode. They were both classic DiD.

The Season 14 companion is going to be quite the pretty blond. Hopefully she sees some peril.

sneakly wrote: ↑

11 months ago

According to Brian’s Page, Leela was tied in peril three times and Sarah Jane about 7 or 8. Sarah Jane was bound and gagged in a giant mulching machine, which was a classic in my mind. Leela was to be executed by “steamer” in another episode. They were both classic DiD.

The Season 14 companion is going to be quite the pretty blond. Hopefully she sees some peril.

From my memory
Sarah in bondage
Planet of the Spider
Sontaran Experiment
Genesis of the Daleks
Tomb of the Cyberman but not relly peril
Seed of Doom

Leela
Face of Evil
Robots of Death
Talons of Weng Chiang
Sumakers
Invasion of Time

But Leela was in more exposed bondage position

Emma Peel no 1.

tmon wrote: ↑

11 months ago

Emma Peel no 1.

Absolutely one of my favorite Avengers' moments. I the also loved dunking stool, the wine press, the gun rigged to the door, the train tracks (in a leather outfit). For me she is right next to Batgirl.

Girl from Uncle would have been more formative if I had been able to consistently find the episodes. I have to admit this one is my favorite from the series. Although, I do think Boris Karloff in drag made one of the series best villains. I loved the needless complexity of the trap, and how darn good she looks in that outfit.

Sweet!

I like Emma Peel cause she really had that "Its all part of the job" mentality.

Oh man, thanks for reminding me of the Queen of Swords. What a great show.

Spy Game had some bondage and peril


Also 18 wheels of Justice.

Mr. X wrote: ↑

11 months ago

Spy Game had some bondage and peril


Also 18 wheels of Justice.

That was fun, but the escape was somewhat than pulling out a universal bat-antidote pill from her Batgirl utility belt. She did look good doing it.

TV was a gold mine for peril and bondage stuff up until the 90s it can be very difficult to choose the top 5 outside of the superheroine genre. Other than what's already mentioned, I will just add the following:

The Lost World, with Jennifer O'Dell and that delicious jungle girl costume of hers, + Rachel Blakely, too
TJ Hooker - Heather Locklear being the designated damsel in distress
Dukes of Hazzard - Daisy Duke, 'nuff said

brdiy wrote: ↑

11 months ago

TV was a gold mine for peril and bondage stuff up until the 90s it can be very difficult to choose the top 5 outside of the superheroine genre. Other than what's already mentioned, I will just add the following:

The Lost World, with Jennifer O'Dell and that delicious jungle girl costume of hers, + Rachel Blakely, too
TJ Hooker - Heather Locklear being the designated damsel in distress
Dukes of Hazzard - Daisy Duke, 'nuff said

In the 70s and 80s you could always count on a chloro scene in at least one episode per run or even season. Bj McKay had a whole episode of the female truckers all getting KOed. Same with Vegas where all those bikini girls were KOed and kidnapped for white slavery.

You don't see shows like that anymore. I haven't seen Spy Game or Mr. and Mrs. Smith (TV series) since they were first aired. I miss the days where you had an action fight scene in bright lights so you could see the fight unlike the dark sets of the Arrowverse.

Closest in recent times was Alias with Jennifer Garner or Covert Affairs with Piper Perabo. Peril was more would she pull off her mission or have to fight her way out.

Jessica Alba should get a lifetime achievement mention here. Flipper and Dark Angel, plus plethora of movies and moments.

One of my favorite death traps, from the movie Idle Hands. Spikes on the ceiling would have been a nice touch…

I have a hazy recollections of Lesley Ann Down getting in peril in Mission Impossible.

How about Silk Stalkings and Pacific Blue...I think those shows were MADE for u guys just to see hot women being made helpless for guys..and there's Angie Harmon getting tased in that dedective show w/Sasha Alexander

tamonicus wrote: ↑

11 months ago

I have a hazy recollections of Lesley Ann Down getting in peril in Mission Impossible.

The last episode before Barbara Bain left Mission Impossible they do a pyschological torture which played on Bain's real Claustraphobia

magical19122 wrote: ↑

11 months ago

How about Silk Stalkings and Pacific Blue...I think those shows were MADE for u guys just to see hot women being made helpless for guys..and there's Angie Harmon getting tased in that dedective show w/Sasha Alexander

Not always the women being helpless a fair amount of female agressors on the show including Mary Hart as a Dominatrix

Chuck hasn’t been mentioned. Yvonne Strahovski had some misadventures

Damn, this thread already influenced me and forced my hand.
Wanted to watch the Avengers for some time now (always so much other stuff to watch also) but now I bought the Blu-ray sets for season 4 and one of seasons 5+6 as they were reduced in price here.
Unbelievable amounts of extras on these incl. an introduction/review of every(!) episode with two german celebrities (huge fans of the show).
Watched the first two episodes of season 4, so far so good...

Maskripper wrote: ↑

11 months ago

Damn, this thread already influenced me and forced my hand.
Wanted to watch the Avengers for some time now (always so much other stuff to watch also) but now I bought the Blu-ray sets for season 4 and one of seasons 5+6 as they were reduced in price here.
Unbelievable amounts of extras on these incl. an introduction/review of every(!) episode with two german celebrities (huge fans of the show).
Watched the first two episodes of season 4, so far so good...

One bit of advice do not bother with Tara King.

Tara King (Limda Thorson) wasn't that bad. Patrick MacNee, who played Steed, complained the show recycled the same plots from the first season with Hedley to Honor Blackman and then Diana Rigg so she was the last version.

It's hard to compare because of the times, fashions and improvements in fabrics. But my favorite is still this.....,

Dazzle1 wrote: ↑

11 months ago

One bit of advice do not bother with Tara King.

They also sell a set with season 7 (with 33 episodes!)... but the haircut of Tara King is already ... problematic
The IMDB ratings on that season's episodes are not good as well.
Well... perhaps I will try, but it will take me quite a while to watch seasons 4,5 and 6.

I am also interested in seeing seasons 2 and 3 with Honor "Pussy Galore" Blackman.

Acapulco Heat is another show with pretty ladies who are always getting in a bind.