The Secrets of Isis

The Secrets of Isis, first aired as simply Isis, is an American live-action superhero series from Filmation that ran on CBS Saturday mornings from 1975 to 1976. It was later renamed for syndication. The show made history as the first weekly American live-action TV series to feature a female superhero lead, hitting the airwaves on September 6, 1975—months before *The Bionic Woman* and *Wonder Woman* premiered their own weekly runs. The lead character, Isis, is the superhero identity of Andrea Thomas, a science teacher played by Joanna Cameron. Andrea discovers an ancient gold amulet, the Tutmose amulet, during an archaeological dig in Egypt. This amulet, originally owned by Pharaoh Hatshepsut, grants its wearer—specifically Hatshepsut and her descendants, including Andrea—the powers of animals and the elements, channeled through the goddess Isis. To transform, Andrea exposes the amulet she wears as a necklace and recites the incantation "Oh mighty Isis."

The supporting cast includes Brian Cutler as Rick Mason, a fellow teacher and potential love interest; Joanna Pang as student Cindy Lee; and Albert Reed as principal Dr. Barnes. In the second season, Ronalda Douglas joined as Rennie Carol, replacing Cindy. Guest stars included Mike Lookinland, Debralee Scott, Leigh McCloskey, and others. The series crossed over with its companion show *Shazam!*: three episodes of *The Secrets of Isis* featured Captain Marvel, and three episodes of *Shazam!* featured Joanna Cameron as Isis. Most storylines involved Isis rescuing high school students from trouble caused by poor decisions. A two-part series finale, "Now You See It..." and "...Now You Don't," broke this pattern with an espionage plot revealing that Rick Mason secretly worked for the U.S. government on a weather-making machine. This episode introduced a trio of teen crime-fighters called The Super-Sleuths, intended as a backdoor pilot for a spin-off that never happened.

The show frequently broke the fourth wall, with Isis or Andrea winking at the camera. Each episode ended with Isis addressing viewers directly to deliver a moral lesson, though these segments were later cut from syndicated versions. Isis's powers are invoked through rhyming couplets—for example, "O zephyr winds which blow on high / Lift me now so I can fly" allows her to fly.