LEE MAJORS
EXAMINER'S UPDATE 12/12/10: This article was originally written in the spring of 2008 – in the years since, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman have both been given excellent DVD releases. My review of The Bionic Woman Season One can be found here. A review for the 6MDM shall be forthcoming. Below is my meager effort at trying to raise attention for these neglected series during a time when shoddy European DVD bootlegs were the only way to enjoy them. Read on to find out what took so long …
I knew I was getting old (older) when in recent years I heard kids talk about Steve Austin. They, of course, were referring to wrestler Stone Cold ... I was thinking Lee Majors.
As a child of the 70s, two of my all-time favorite shows were The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. When I was a kid, nothing was cooler than this bionic duo. I know I'm not alone in my geek-love for these shows, nor am I alone in the major crush I had on Lindsay Wagner (who deserves better these days than being spokeswoman for Sleep Number beds). Even by the time Bigfoot, Fembots, and a suspicious pencil-thin mustache were thrown into the mix, nothing could dissuade me from my affection (nay, obsession) with these characters. What kids from this era didn't practice running in slow motion while mocking the sound effects? Da-na-na-na-na-na-na.
In 1973, ABC-TV produced three television movies based on Martin Caidin’s hit novel, Cyborg, about former astronaut, Steve Austin (Lee Majors), who nearly loses his life while testing an experimental aircraft. Using bionic technology, he is rebuilt (better, stronger, faster), and is thereafter the top agent in the (fictional) OSI. As each movie drew higher ratings, ABC finally gave Colonel Austin his own series, and The Six Million Dollar Man premiered in January of 1974. ABC got a smash hit, and Majors was propelled into superstardom.
LINDSAY WAGNER
The next year introduced Steve's old flame, Jamie Sommers, a tennis pro who is badly injured in a parachute accident. Steve convinces his superiors to save her using the same technology that saved him. They do, but by the end of the two-part episode, Jamie’s body rejects her bionics, and she dies. But this is science fiction, and after being deluged by calls and letters, ABC revived Jamie (who, of course, had been cryogenically frozen), and gave her her own series. Lindsay Wagner starred in The Bionic Woman, and adolescent boys (of all ages) were universally smitten.
Though ratings for both shows dipped only slightly over the years, both were cancelled in 1978. However, three bionic reunion movies were produced between 1987 and 1994. The second of these, Bionic Showdown, featured none other than a baby-faced, uni-browed, pre-Speed Sandra Bullock as the new Bionic Girl.
So where are the DVD season box sets? Some of the worst shows ever produced are now available on DVD, why the hold-up on these?
Recent reports state that Universal, who owned the rights to Caidin’s novel, Cyborg, let their option on it expire. Meanwhile, Dimension Films, espying the opportunity, swooped in and bought up the rights to Cyborg and all related works. So, as it stands, Universal still owns both series, but Dimension lays claim to all “bionic concept” projects. Until a deal can be struck between these warring factions, we will not see these shows on DVD in the U.S. Ironically, both shows are available on Region 2 discs overseas, where legal rights are apparently different. Also, NBC’s ill-conceived, ill-fated update of The Bionic Woman (2007) featured no characters from Cyborg, and the bionics were “different” than Caidin’s novel (in case you were wondering what was up with that).
LINDSAY WAGNER
Why can’t these kids just get along? There is a TON of money to be made by both parties here, and a generation who grew up on these shows is chomping at the bit to watch them again. If you grew up in the seventies, and were a fan, can you even remember the last time you saw an episode in syndication? There is an online petition to get these iconic shows released on DVD, and I encourage all to sign it.
Special effects may be more sophisticated today (and maybe I am remembering these programs through the soft-focus of 30 years), but what made these shows so special wasn't the f/x (cheesy even then), but the charisma and utter likability of its leads.
Steve and Jamie, come home soon. Run in slow-mo if you have to, but get here!
UPDATE 11/10/2010: HURRAH!! These shows are now on DVD. Click here for my review of THE BIONIC WOMAN SEASON ONE.
Comments
Nowadays Lindsay does holistic workshops and will be in the UK this spring. Details can be found at lindsaywagnerinternational.com/
I live in Argentina, and grew up in the '70s. As Mr. Williamson, I was (am) a fan of Steve Austin & Jamie Sommers, like many of my generation mates (sometimes, american people are surprised to find american series fans at such a distance from US). And I'm still hoping to get them back at home.
We'll forgive you.
These were both great series and complemented each other well, although I have to say Six Mill was my favourite because of the handsome Lee Majors.
In Europe you can get season 3 now which is at least something, but not much help to those in the US.
I hope they can resolve the matter soon. It seems a real shame when old and new fans cannot get to see them. Having watched seasons 1 and 2 on DVD I can assure you they stand up just as good (though they could do to digitally improve the colour on some) as they did 35 years ago and yes I agree they were successes because of the charisma of the two stars.
An absolute treat and thank you for posting this. I enjoyed the article very much.
I <3 both series. I also dug the Bionic Showdown movie, in all of it's cheesy glory. [sigh]
Great point - it wasn't about the f/x, it was about the characters...and the "character" of the leads and heros...they taught us how to what was right...with super powers or just by having the confidence to stand up for our beliefs, and I believe they also taught our technological generation that anything was possible if we chose to make it so. I would love to have the box sets of both series!
I've been watching The Bionic Woman on hulu.com. There's something comforting about these cheesy old shows. And, yes, I remember running laps in gym with a friend...both of us in slo-mo, shaking the long hair and doing the sound effects. ;-)
I'm right there with you Andy. I'm a kid from the 70's and I just bought both complete series of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman on DVD. If you are going to get them that is the only way to do it. Also, like you I know how you feel about Lindsay Wagner. She just had an all American beautiful look and personality and was 110% feminine like any normal male would like his woman to be. It takes you back to those days and is still so good and really shows just how bad most of today's TV shows really are.
YES!
At last!
Jamie Sommers, played by the blonde and beautiful Lindsey Wagner, must have been about the most attractive girl on tv - before and since.
estamos esperando tambien en argetina y toda america latina,yo entiendo que salga primero en su pais,EEUU,PERO PORQUE SALIO TAMBIEN EN FRANCIA,SUIZA,ALEMANIA Y TAMBIEN ITALIA,QUE FUERON MAS TRUCHOS QUE FALTAN ALGUONOS CAPITULOS,PORFAVOR SI ALGUN FANATICO QUE HABLA CASTELLANO SI LEE ESTO,QUE HAGAN CADENAS PARA QUE NOSOSTROS TAMBIEN PODAMOS DISFRUTAR DE ESE HERMOSO BOX,CON TODOS LOS CAPITULOS COMPLETOS,SIN QUE FALTEN NINGUNO,YA ESTAMOS CANSADOS DE VER COPIAS TRUCHAS Y GRABACIONES DE LA TELE QUE VENDEN POR TODO INTERNET.
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