"The Six Million Dollar Man" had to prove it was worthy of being given its own regular series after the opening feature length pilot episode wasn't enough. A further two pilot episodes were made before the actual series was commissioned. The pilot episodes are 73 minutes each, which is long enough to sustain much interest. The first feature length episode is very well made. Lee Majors immediately made the character of Colonel Steve Austin his own and he is the only constant throughout the entire run of episodes. He is the only actor one can associate with the character. Before Richard Anderson came along as Oscar Goldman, Darren McGavin was cast as the Government character. His was more of an antagonistic character to Austin as the tension in their scenes is clearly in evidence. Martin Balsam played the surgeon who helped change Austin's life in the first pilot episode instead of the actor who was cast in the regular series (his name escapes me). The opening episode focuses more on how Steve Austin adapts with the way fate has entered his life. About three quarters of the running time is taken up with this and it works effectively. I like the way in which Austin is portrayed as a human being with feelings and not just as another one-dimensional action hero. The writing is great as each of the main characters in the pilot are given depth. About the last 15 to 20 minutes is taken up with some action scenes and they are exciting. Seeing a man who possesses the ability to be stronger and faster than the average person was the selling point of "Six Million Dollar Man" and it always worked. With the first season being a ratings winner, the creator of "Six Million Dollar Man" Kenneth Johnson, created the spin-off show, "Bionic Woman." That show is for another review. Overall, the best episodes are from the first season til the end of the third one. The fourth and fifth seasons contain some good episodes but the quality had fallen away slightly. However, that can happen with the best television shows. Richard Anderson was well cast as Government man Oscar Goldman. His character was more of an ally to Steve Austin and that was a wise move. I didn't really take to Lee Majors changing his image by growing his hair longer and having that moustache. Neither suited him. I enjoy episodes where characters like Bigfoot are included and evil Robots that square up to Austin. There are some noteworthy supporting actors involved, like William Shatner, Jane Merrow, John Saxon and others. "Six Million Dollar Man" is the kind of show where you find some stories resembling Science Fiction or Fantasy, thanks to the show's inital premise. There are all kinds of plots, including crossover episodes involving Jamie Sommers as the Bionic Woman. "Six Million Dollar Man" will go down as a classic show and one that remains very enjoyable today.
48 Reviews
Early 70's hokum
screenman24 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This was an interesting concept. An astronaut almost killed in a crash is fitted with a host of bionic body parts like 'Robocop', but for the most part undetectable like the 'Terminator'. I'm not sure if the procedures were consensual.
But, like the earlier 'Champions' he was gifted with tremendous abilities. He had prosthetic legs enabling him to run as fast as a horse. He had an optical implant that could telephoto zoom. And he had one very strong arm, enabling him to lift tremendous weights.
The trouble is; the idea was good for a movie, or even a short series. But the same thing happened just about every week. We would see him running and leaping and lifting and seeing in slow-motion with that cheap, silly di-di-di-di sound effect. The whole thing become a standing joke before the first series had run its course.
Lee majors himself seemed to get typecast by the role, and for such a handsome bloke and capable actor showed up in very few other features. A bit like that other bloke who turned into 'The Hulk'.
I suppose the pressure to produce a programme each week rather stultified creativity. Whatever the case, it went on for far too long.
Just 10 episodes and it would have been a classic - like 'The Prisoner'.
But, like the earlier 'Champions' he was gifted with tremendous abilities. He had prosthetic legs enabling him to run as fast as a horse. He had an optical implant that could telephoto zoom. And he had one very strong arm, enabling him to lift tremendous weights.
The trouble is; the idea was good for a movie, or even a short series. But the same thing happened just about every week. We would see him running and leaping and lifting and seeing in slow-motion with that cheap, silly di-di-di-di sound effect. The whole thing become a standing joke before the first series had run its course.
Lee majors himself seemed to get typecast by the role, and for such a handsome bloke and capable actor showed up in very few other features. A bit like that other bloke who turned into 'The Hulk'.
I suppose the pressure to produce a programme each week rather stultified creativity. Whatever the case, it went on for far too long.
Just 10 episodes and it would have been a classic - like 'The Prisoner'.
Superbly underrated for its time
vinram3021 July 2019
Steve Austin is rebuilt after an accident as a NASA pilot with a budget of 6 million dollars going into rebuilding him.
A film based on this 1974-1978 classic show is being released by Warner Bros in 2020. Mark Wahlberg will be the lead.
A film based on this 1974-1978 classic show is being released by Warner Bros in 2020. Mark Wahlberg will be the lead.
The "Nice" Terminator
grendelkhan18 March 2003
Before Arnold became a Terminator, Lee Majors was everyone's favorite cyborg. For any sci-fi or adventure show fan, this was THE show of the 70's. The 60's had Kirk, Spock, Tribbles, and Klingons; the 70's had Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman, Jamie Summers, and Bigfoot.
Lee Majors was Steve Austin, astronaut; a man barely alive...... There was nothing Stone Cold about this Steve Austin, except maybe his wardrobe. Lee Majors was quite entertaining as Col. Steve Austin; part James Bond, part Buzz Aldrin/Chuck Yeager, and part Superman. Lee gave Austin a nice mix of serious and fun. Yes, his acting could be as mechanical as his bionics; but, Majors always had a bit of a twinkle in his eye (may have been the lens in the bionic one). He never took himself too seriously in the role, but could convey that emotion when the script called for it.
Richard Anderson was steady as boss and pal Oscar Goldman. Like Majors, he was limited, but well suited to his character. Anderson could be a good supporting actor when he rose to the occasion; and he often did.
I personally preferred Martin E. Brooks to Allan Openheimer, as Dr. Rudy Wells. Brooks came across more as a scientist. The other supporting characters varied in quality from show to show, but Rudy was always an integral part.
The episodes vary in excitement and imagination. The later seasons suffered from repetition, but, the early ones hold up well as good science fiction. Personal favorites include the death probe; the Russian installation with a doomsday device that is accidentally activated; the booby-trapped Liberty Bell; the androids; Steve's return flight in the experimental craft from the pilot movie;the Bionic Woman cross-overs; and, of course, Bigfoot. I preferred the more science fiction oriented stories to the more mundane cops and robbers shows.
The show had quite a mix of guest stars. There were the greats, like William Shatner, Lou Gossett Jr., Guy Doleman (from Thunderball and the Ipcress File), and Ted Cassidy and Andre the Giant as Bigfoot (Andre played him first). There were the so-so, like Farrah Fawcett (Majors), Cathy Rigby, Gary Lockwood, and John Saxon. Then there were the strange, like Sonny Bono and Larry Csonka.
This was the show that caused millions of kids in the 70's to run in slow motion, while making strange noises. It also had the coolest action figure; it came with an engine block that you could cause Steve Austin to lift, by pressing a button on his back. You could also look through the bionic eye, although you had to make your own sound effects. I understand these things go for big bucks on eBay.
Years later, I found a copy of the original novel, Cyborg, by Martin Caidin.
The character was a bit different. He was more of a secret agent than in the series, and the bionics were a bit different. The eye was actually a camera, rather than a telescopic lens. It was explained that Austin's stamina was greater, since his lungs didn't have to provide oxygen to his bionic limbs. He also had special enhancements for the limbs for special missions. In one, he has webbed feet for underwater swimming. The book plays up Austin's intelligence and scientific background more. It was generally well written, and makes a nice contrast to the series.
There have been rumors of an updated movie. At one point, it was pitched as a comedy with Chris Rock. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case right now. It has tremendous potential as and action/sci-fi movie, particularly with advances in special effects. Here's hoping the right script, director, and cast comes along and makes it a reality. Of course, they'll have to adjust it for inflation; 6 million doesn't buy much these days. And defense contractors are notorious for overcharging for substandard work.
While we're waiting, how about a DVD box set?
Lee Majors was Steve Austin, astronaut; a man barely alive...... There was nothing Stone Cold about this Steve Austin, except maybe his wardrobe. Lee Majors was quite entertaining as Col. Steve Austin; part James Bond, part Buzz Aldrin/Chuck Yeager, and part Superman. Lee gave Austin a nice mix of serious and fun. Yes, his acting could be as mechanical as his bionics; but, Majors always had a bit of a twinkle in his eye (may have been the lens in the bionic one). He never took himself too seriously in the role, but could convey that emotion when the script called for it.
Richard Anderson was steady as boss and pal Oscar Goldman. Like Majors, he was limited, but well suited to his character. Anderson could be a good supporting actor when he rose to the occasion; and he often did.
I personally preferred Martin E. Brooks to Allan Openheimer, as Dr. Rudy Wells. Brooks came across more as a scientist. The other supporting characters varied in quality from show to show, but Rudy was always an integral part.
The episodes vary in excitement and imagination. The later seasons suffered from repetition, but, the early ones hold up well as good science fiction. Personal favorites include the death probe; the Russian installation with a doomsday device that is accidentally activated; the booby-trapped Liberty Bell; the androids; Steve's return flight in the experimental craft from the pilot movie;the Bionic Woman cross-overs; and, of course, Bigfoot. I preferred the more science fiction oriented stories to the more mundane cops and robbers shows.
The show had quite a mix of guest stars. There were the greats, like William Shatner, Lou Gossett Jr., Guy Doleman (from Thunderball and the Ipcress File), and Ted Cassidy and Andre the Giant as Bigfoot (Andre played him first). There were the so-so, like Farrah Fawcett (Majors), Cathy Rigby, Gary Lockwood, and John Saxon. Then there were the strange, like Sonny Bono and Larry Csonka.
This was the show that caused millions of kids in the 70's to run in slow motion, while making strange noises. It also had the coolest action figure; it came with an engine block that you could cause Steve Austin to lift, by pressing a button on his back. You could also look through the bionic eye, although you had to make your own sound effects. I understand these things go for big bucks on eBay.
Years later, I found a copy of the original novel, Cyborg, by Martin Caidin.
The character was a bit different. He was more of a secret agent than in the series, and the bionics were a bit different. The eye was actually a camera, rather than a telescopic lens. It was explained that Austin's stamina was greater, since his lungs didn't have to provide oxygen to his bionic limbs. He also had special enhancements for the limbs for special missions. In one, he has webbed feet for underwater swimming. The book plays up Austin's intelligence and scientific background more. It was generally well written, and makes a nice contrast to the series.
There have been rumors of an updated movie. At one point, it was pitched as a comedy with Chris Rock. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case right now. It has tremendous potential as and action/sci-fi movie, particularly with advances in special effects. Here's hoping the right script, director, and cast comes along and makes it a reality. Of course, they'll have to adjust it for inflation; 6 million doesn't buy much these days. And defense contractors are notorious for overcharging for substandard work.
While we're waiting, how about a DVD box set?
Entertaining
grantss21 April 2023
A test pilot, Colonel Steve Austin, is badly injured in a test accident. His mangled body is rebuilt by the government with advanced mechanical parts, giving him superhuman strength, speed and senses. He is then employed as a secret agent.
An entertaining action series from the 1970s. Enjoyed it as a kid: the action scenes, the hero with superhuman abilities, the interesting plots. Lee Majors is perfectly cast as Steve Austin. Could be a bit predictable and formulaic at times though.
Even looking back as an adult it holds up well, unlike many of my childhood favourites which now seem quite cheesy.
An entertaining action series from the 1970s. Enjoyed it as a kid: the action scenes, the hero with superhuman abilities, the interesting plots. Lee Majors is perfectly cast as Steve Austin. Could be a bit predictable and formulaic at times though.
Even looking back as an adult it holds up well, unlike many of my childhood favourites which now seem quite cheesy.
Six Million Bucks!
psolala7 September 2018
They made this guy who was practically dead a robot super agent for six million bucks. But that was 40 years ago and doesn't take inflation into account so I guess it makes sense. It's a really funny show unintentionally but Lee Majors is really cool. They do stuff like show footage backwards to make it look like he jumps up on top of buildings, make it look like he runs with super speed, etc.
kids show which I loved as a kids show.
mm-3918 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The Six Million Dollar Man was a kids show which I loved as a kids show. The first season with the plane crash was great in making of a super hero who was like a human Terminator. Comic book shows like Wonder Women, and Spiderman was the competition. There was Goldman his boss, and the Bionic Women was his crime partner friends. The Six Million Dollar Man fought an army of robot impostors, Bigfoot, an a killer haywire satellite what more could a ten year want. As a 10 year old what more could I ask for? Watched a few episodes as a an adult lets say the show is not nearly as cool as back in the day. Well I will always remember the bad tempered Bionicman vs Steve, and Steve vs Bigfoot episode. The time a robot impostor got hit by a car freaking out a surprised public always stuck out in my mind. A trip down memory lane. 6 stars show.
Cheesy, But Excellent! They don't make shows this good anymore!
voicemaster7131 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
One of my all time favorite TV shows. I saw it when I was very little and not again until the SciFi Channel in the 90's. The Six Million Dollar Man series was a series that never developed a permanent formula so each season is unique and different from the others. The character first came to life on TV in 1973 with a trio of 90 minute TV movies. The Six Million Dollar Man movie (Cyborg) was take right from Martin Caidin's novel and also starred Darren McGavin as Oliver Spencer and Martin Balsam as Dr. Rudy Wells. Wine, Women, and War debuted Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman and Alan Oppenheimer took over as Rudy Wells but was never a series regular. This movie made Steve seem like a Bionic James Bond. Solid Gold Kidnapping was a dull TV movie.
Season one (1974) was a season that seemed geared towards more adults than children. Slow motion would be used as a reverse psychology to show Steve's super speed at slow motion. Cheesy, but effective. The episodes were more action oriented and we saw Greg Morris, William Shatner, and George Takai in guest roles. And the best episode of the season had to be Day of the Robot that introduced the toy figure called Maskatron. John Saxon's fight scene with Steve was awesome!! Season Two was in an interesting season as we occasionally heard the trademark Bionic sound effect which was used more towards season's end. In this season, Steve encountered another Bionic Man who was emotionally unstable, plus he would return in season three. The biggest highlight of the season was the introduction (and the death of) Jamie Sommers, the Bionic Woman. Season Three: I think this was when the series soared in popularity, became more kid friendly, and the Bionic sound effect was used on a regular permanent basis. The Bionic Woman, Jamie Sommers got revived and later spun off onto her own series. Then the show turned more SciFi with the 2 parter that introduced Bigfoot played by Andre the Giant. Season Four: This season plus the previous season remind me of the Incredible Hulk TV series because Bionic Woman creator Kenneth Johnson who adapted the Hulk was chief writer on the SMDM in these two seasons. We saw Steve and Jamie occasionally team up like in the 2 part Return of Bigfoot played by Ted Cassidy and the 3 part Bionic Crossover that introduced Fembots. In this season, Steve had a couple of Bionic malfunctions and he meets a boy who gets Bionic leg implants. Oddly enough though Lee Majors changed his look by sporting a mustache for most of this season which went against his look that was marketed on SMDM merchandise. In this season we were also introduced to the Russian Venus Death Probe. Dr. Ruy Wells was now played by Martin E Brooks who became a series regular at this point. Season Five was the strangest season of them all. The series made fun of itself with its story lines. There were more 2 parters than usual and although Lee Majors ditched the mustache, his hairstyle (which I thought was cool) was a late 70s'style that made Steve look more civilian and less military. Since the Bionic Woman was now on another network, he was dating other women and no longer had any interaction with Jamie. Best recommended episodes are: The Robot (Maskatron)series, Day of the Robot, Run Steve Run, and Return of the Robot Maker. Episodes with Jamie Sommers, The Bionic Woman and her season three return episode, plus Welcome Home Jamie which kick started her own series, The Secret of and Return of Bigfoot 2 parters, but avoid the season five episode, Bigfoot V, the Seven Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Criminal with the other Bionic Man played by Monte Markham, the Death Probe 2 parters as well as episodes like Dr. Wells is Missing, The Pioneers, The Deadly Replay, Stranger in Broken Fork, Look a Like, Hocus, Pocus, and the 2 part Dark Side of the Moon, these three episodes guest star Jack Colvin, who would later play Jack McGee on the Incredible Hulk. Also, the Price of Liberty with Chuck Connors, Target in the Sky, The 2 hour episodes, Bionic Boy and the Thunderbird Connection, The 3 part Bionic Crossover Kill Oscar, and from season five, the best ones are the 2 part Sharks, Killer Wind, the Cheshire Project, and the series final episode, the Moving Mountain. I also wanted to mention 4 episodes, Rescue of Athena One, The Peeping Blonde, The Golden Pharoah, and Nightmare in the Sky. These four all guest starred Farrah Fawcett, Lee Major's then wife and future Charlie's Angels star. There's a little over 100 episodes, but this series is great. Though cheesy by today's standards, the Six Million Dollar Man is still a Six Million Dollar Show!!
Season one (1974) was a season that seemed geared towards more adults than children. Slow motion would be used as a reverse psychology to show Steve's super speed at slow motion. Cheesy, but effective. The episodes were more action oriented and we saw Greg Morris, William Shatner, and George Takai in guest roles. And the best episode of the season had to be Day of the Robot that introduced the toy figure called Maskatron. John Saxon's fight scene with Steve was awesome!! Season Two was in an interesting season as we occasionally heard the trademark Bionic sound effect which was used more towards season's end. In this season, Steve encountered another Bionic Man who was emotionally unstable, plus he would return in season three. The biggest highlight of the season was the introduction (and the death of) Jamie Sommers, the Bionic Woman. Season Three: I think this was when the series soared in popularity, became more kid friendly, and the Bionic sound effect was used on a regular permanent basis. The Bionic Woman, Jamie Sommers got revived and later spun off onto her own series. Then the show turned more SciFi with the 2 parter that introduced Bigfoot played by Andre the Giant. Season Four: This season plus the previous season remind me of the Incredible Hulk TV series because Bionic Woman creator Kenneth Johnson who adapted the Hulk was chief writer on the SMDM in these two seasons. We saw Steve and Jamie occasionally team up like in the 2 part Return of Bigfoot played by Ted Cassidy and the 3 part Bionic Crossover that introduced Fembots. In this season, Steve had a couple of Bionic malfunctions and he meets a boy who gets Bionic leg implants. Oddly enough though Lee Majors changed his look by sporting a mustache for most of this season which went against his look that was marketed on SMDM merchandise. In this season we were also introduced to the Russian Venus Death Probe. Dr. Ruy Wells was now played by Martin E Brooks who became a series regular at this point. Season Five was the strangest season of them all. The series made fun of itself with its story lines. There were more 2 parters than usual and although Lee Majors ditched the mustache, his hairstyle (which I thought was cool) was a late 70s'style that made Steve look more civilian and less military. Since the Bionic Woman was now on another network, he was dating other women and no longer had any interaction with Jamie. Best recommended episodes are: The Robot (Maskatron)series, Day of the Robot, Run Steve Run, and Return of the Robot Maker. Episodes with Jamie Sommers, The Bionic Woman and her season three return episode, plus Welcome Home Jamie which kick started her own series, The Secret of and Return of Bigfoot 2 parters, but avoid the season five episode, Bigfoot V, the Seven Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Criminal with the other Bionic Man played by Monte Markham, the Death Probe 2 parters as well as episodes like Dr. Wells is Missing, The Pioneers, The Deadly Replay, Stranger in Broken Fork, Look a Like, Hocus, Pocus, and the 2 part Dark Side of the Moon, these three episodes guest star Jack Colvin, who would later play Jack McGee on the Incredible Hulk. Also, the Price of Liberty with Chuck Connors, Target in the Sky, The 2 hour episodes, Bionic Boy and the Thunderbird Connection, The 3 part Bionic Crossover Kill Oscar, and from season five, the best ones are the 2 part Sharks, Killer Wind, the Cheshire Project, and the series final episode, the Moving Mountain. I also wanted to mention 4 episodes, Rescue of Athena One, The Peeping Blonde, The Golden Pharoah, and Nightmare in the Sky. These four all guest starred Farrah Fawcett, Lee Major's then wife and future Charlie's Angels star. There's a little over 100 episodes, but this series is great. Though cheesy by today's standards, the Six Million Dollar Man is still a Six Million Dollar Show!!
Six million dollar man
tonywebster-9609012 August 2020
The Glory Days of Television
ThePowerToArouseCuriosity5 April 2014
Oh the 1970's, who can forget this era when life was less complicated and we moved at a slower pace. People had face to face conversations when seated at a table instead of staring into a cell phone.
Producers in the 1970's could still captivate their audiences without relying upon unrealistic CGI generated explosions and long drawn out finale battles.
I'm referring to shows such as Rockford Files, CHiPs, Knight Rider, Charlie's Angels, Bionic Woman, Dukes of Hazzard and of course The Six Million Dollar Man.
Filmed in everyday cities in every day buildings, no computer generated effects, these shows riveted youths such as myself. These were shows that the entire family could sit down and watch and of course youths could discuss at school the next day.
Today's trashy reality fake-reality shows just don't compare. I am so grateful to the producers of these golden era shows for influencing my childhood.
Who could forget the Death Probe episode? This episode scared the crap out of me. For years I've wondered what they used to power it - it moved so fast. And who could forget the Bigfoot episode? Classic television.
I recall asking my parents to buy my brother and I the newest Six Million Dollar Man toys. Those toys provided us with hours of playing time.
Thank you Harve Bennett, Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner for making our childhood just a little more enjoyable.
Producers in the 1970's could still captivate their audiences without relying upon unrealistic CGI generated explosions and long drawn out finale battles.
I'm referring to shows such as Rockford Files, CHiPs, Knight Rider, Charlie's Angels, Bionic Woman, Dukes of Hazzard and of course The Six Million Dollar Man.
Filmed in everyday cities in every day buildings, no computer generated effects, these shows riveted youths such as myself. These were shows that the entire family could sit down and watch and of course youths could discuss at school the next day.
Today's trashy reality fake-reality shows just don't compare. I am so grateful to the producers of these golden era shows for influencing my childhood.
Who could forget the Death Probe episode? This episode scared the crap out of me. For years I've wondered what they used to power it - it moved so fast. And who could forget the Bigfoot episode? Classic television.
I recall asking my parents to buy my brother and I the newest Six Million Dollar Man toys. Those toys provided us with hours of playing time.
Thank you Harve Bennett, Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner for making our childhood just a little more enjoyable.
You can't beat a nice ripe cheese.
kindofblue-782213 August 2022
I remember watching this as a boy. It was captivating and sparked many fantasys only a young kid can have.
We all wanted to be Steve Austin.
The series is like an over ripe cheese that only the 70s could serve up.
Of course it's corny. Of course its nonsense. Of course its brilliant.
Its the stuff of fantasy.
What more could you want?
We all wanted to be Steve Austin.
The series is like an over ripe cheese that only the 70s could serve up.
Of course it's corny. Of course its nonsense. Of course its brilliant.
Its the stuff of fantasy.
What more could you want?
You Gotta Love This!
Shield-330 August 2000
This is one of the ways you can tell you're getting old: when someone says the name "Steve Austin." Do you think of a bald wrestler rolling around on the mat groping other guys, or Lee Majors moving in slow motion and squinting? I think of the latter.
"The Six Million Dollar Man" is one of the first shows I remember watching as a child. I watched the shows, I played with the toys, I wanted to BE Steve Austin. Lee Majors (along with Clint Eastwood) proved that some people look so cool when they squint. I look like I need my prescription checked when I do it, but I'm not Lee Majors. Steve Austin could handle anything they threw at him, not just because of his bionics, but because he was smart, he never gave up and always kept his cool. I still want to be like him when I grow up.
Recently, I've seen some episodes on the Sci-Fi Channel. Sure, the 1970s fashions are a little jarring (polyester rules!), and sometimes the plots are juvenile, but overall the show holds up pretty well. It could be very intelligent when it wanted to be, funny when it was called for, and always exciting and fun. It reminds me of a time when six million dollars was a lot of money, and American technology could produce wonders like a functional cyborg.
Yeah, I'll take Lee Majors over the bald wrestling guy any day. After all, how many wrestlers could take on spies, terrorists, aliens, Bigfoot, a killer Venus probe and Sonny Bono and live to tell the tale?
"The Six Million Dollar Man" is one of the first shows I remember watching as a child. I watched the shows, I played with the toys, I wanted to BE Steve Austin. Lee Majors (along with Clint Eastwood) proved that some people look so cool when they squint. I look like I need my prescription checked when I do it, but I'm not Lee Majors. Steve Austin could handle anything they threw at him, not just because of his bionics, but because he was smart, he never gave up and always kept his cool. I still want to be like him when I grow up.
Recently, I've seen some episodes on the Sci-Fi Channel. Sure, the 1970s fashions are a little jarring (polyester rules!), and sometimes the plots are juvenile, but overall the show holds up pretty well. It could be very intelligent when it wanted to be, funny when it was called for, and always exciting and fun. It reminds me of a time when six million dollars was a lot of money, and American technology could produce wonders like a functional cyborg.
Yeah, I'll take Lee Majors over the bald wrestling guy any day. After all, how many wrestlers could take on spies, terrorists, aliens, Bigfoot, a killer Venus probe and Sonny Bono and live to tell the tale?
My All Time Favorite TV Show
Steve_Nyland22 April 2008
Television really never had it so good as the five years when "The Six Million Dollar Man" more or less dominated the airwaves. I was exactly seven years old when the show first premiered as a weekly event and while seeing the very beginnings of the series are hazy recollections at best it quickly became THE weekly television event in our household. At least as far as I was concerned -- back then parents actually regulated stuff like what TV you watched and where you went after school. We each got to pick one show to watch every weekend (no TV on school nights!) and I always picked The Bionic Man. The few times I was forced to miss it due to groundings or family scheduling conflicts were absolutely traumatic. I literally had no idea how the epic "Secret of Bigfoot" turned out for a whole year waiting for it to go into rerun phase because of a behavioral infraction the week of part two. Take it for granted that I never screwed up like that again.
For my money the show was better than "Star Trek" because it was (at first, at least) far less pompous. We didn't necessarily tune in to learn anything, we tuned in to watch Colonel Steve Austin bust through walls, jump over buildings and throw stuff with that bionic screeching projectile sound effect. Eventually the show demonstrated to us how to be good citizens, see right from wrong and appreciate the military industrial complex. Eventually the show lost it's edginess and became routine, with disco mustaches and Bionic Woman & Farrah Fawcett guest appearances that intruded on our fun.
But man, all the memories: Sasquatch, The Death Probe, John Saxon as a faceless robot squawking backwards, the weekly opening segment, Oscar Goldman with his omnipotent phone in a briefcase, Steve's Mercedes and custom belt buckle, and who can forget that sweet jacket covered with NASA mission patches. What the heck was that supposed to mean? Though you must admit that just like Kirk's v-necked wrap tunic, anybody else other than Colonel Steve Austin would have looked like an idiot paravanting around in it.
Seriously, sometimes I wonder what people REALLY watch these days on television, and what brings them back week after week. Watching people dance or forage for coconuts or sing, yeah whatever. Even the fiction shows of today that are considered "hits"; what's the deal with them? How do they keep audiences tuning in every week, buying the products that are being advertised and turning into hysterics when a particular series is threatened with cancellation? Back when SMDM (as we call it for short) was the thing we honestly didn't know if he would be back the next week ... not because the show might have been canceled, but because for all we might know he could have been KILLED every week. He wasn't just some actor playing a role, we believed in this show. And not just because we were dumb kids, but because it was convincing, absorbing and oh so brain dead stupid.
You honestly couldn't help but love it, and when I mean "convincing" I am not referring to the bionic special effects, I mean that we believed in the little microcosm this television show inhabited. It involved us as viewers and engaged our imaginations, which is not something I have encountered on TV in a live action show since "The X-Files" started to suck. There's no way to deny that once SMDM became a ratings hit and the Bionic Man a childhood icon it became muddled and weak, though even in it's last season there were some wonderful SMDM moments.
What's more important is that the show has endured the passage of time, perhaps mostly because it hasn't to this date (April 2008) been remade or otherwise ruined: The image of Colonel Steve Austin in his polyester lounge suits flipping over cars and chasing Bigfoot around the woods has remained intact, aside from some later years made for TV movies that I somehow managed to miss. The memory remains intact and unsullied, though a complete series North American DVD release would be appreciated, thank you.
10/10: Please, don't remake it, sir.
For my money the show was better than "Star Trek" because it was (at first, at least) far less pompous. We didn't necessarily tune in to learn anything, we tuned in to watch Colonel Steve Austin bust through walls, jump over buildings and throw stuff with that bionic screeching projectile sound effect. Eventually the show demonstrated to us how to be good citizens, see right from wrong and appreciate the military industrial complex. Eventually the show lost it's edginess and became routine, with disco mustaches and Bionic Woman & Farrah Fawcett guest appearances that intruded on our fun.
But man, all the memories: Sasquatch, The Death Probe, John Saxon as a faceless robot squawking backwards, the weekly opening segment, Oscar Goldman with his omnipotent phone in a briefcase, Steve's Mercedes and custom belt buckle, and who can forget that sweet jacket covered with NASA mission patches. What the heck was that supposed to mean? Though you must admit that just like Kirk's v-necked wrap tunic, anybody else other than Colonel Steve Austin would have looked like an idiot paravanting around in it.
Seriously, sometimes I wonder what people REALLY watch these days on television, and what brings them back week after week. Watching people dance or forage for coconuts or sing, yeah whatever. Even the fiction shows of today that are considered "hits"; what's the deal with them? How do they keep audiences tuning in every week, buying the products that are being advertised and turning into hysterics when a particular series is threatened with cancellation? Back when SMDM (as we call it for short) was the thing we honestly didn't know if he would be back the next week ... not because the show might have been canceled, but because for all we might know he could have been KILLED every week. He wasn't just some actor playing a role, we believed in this show. And not just because we were dumb kids, but because it was convincing, absorbing and oh so brain dead stupid.
You honestly couldn't help but love it, and when I mean "convincing" I am not referring to the bionic special effects, I mean that we believed in the little microcosm this television show inhabited. It involved us as viewers and engaged our imaginations, which is not something I have encountered on TV in a live action show since "The X-Files" started to suck. There's no way to deny that once SMDM became a ratings hit and the Bionic Man a childhood icon it became muddled and weak, though even in it's last season there were some wonderful SMDM moments.
What's more important is that the show has endured the passage of time, perhaps mostly because it hasn't to this date (April 2008) been remade or otherwise ruined: The image of Colonel Steve Austin in his polyester lounge suits flipping over cars and chasing Bigfoot around the woods has remained intact, aside from some later years made for TV movies that I somehow managed to miss. The memory remains intact and unsullied, though a complete series North American DVD release would be appreciated, thank you.
10/10: Please, don't remake it, sir.
"Better, Stronger, Faster!"
ShadeGrenade20 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Colonel Steve Austin, ex-N.A.S.A. astronaut ( Lee Majors ) is severely injured following a plane crash in Arizona. Hs is 'rebuilt' with bionic parts ( as Freddie Starr said at the time: "He's got everything bionic, hasn't he? Well, almost everything!" ), turning him in the process into a superman. Austin can now run at incredible speeds, see things over a long distance, and with one arm rip off safe doors and punch holes in walls ( a useful ability should one accidentally lock oneself out of the house ). The makeover costs six million dollars ( a lot of money then. Today he would be lucky to get a bionic big toe for that amount ). Keen to get their money's worth, the U.S. Government puts Austin to work for the O.S.I. ( Office of Strategic Intelligence ), headed by Oscar Goldman ( Richard Anderson ).
Each week, Austin would be sent round the world on some dangerous mission such as assisting a Russian scientist to defect or recovering stolen microfilm - one that required the use of his extraordinary powers. Beautiful girls including Britt Ekland, Martine Beswick, Michele Carey, Jane Merrow, and Lee Majors' then wife Farrah Fawcett cropped up an awful lot, none able to resist our hero's charms. Bits of him may have required an M.O.T. every now and then, obviously not the bits they were interested in.
The villains were by and large foreign saboteurs or evil scientists out to seize power. The late Henry Jones played a robot inventor called 'Dolenz' in no less than three episodes. 'Bigfoot' showed up more than once too; he wasn't the real Sasquatch, of course, but an android used by aliens to guard their secret base. Then there was 'Death Probe', a N.A.S.A. device designed to explore and study alien planets which went berserk after crash landing on Earth.
All this was great fun if you, like me, was eleven years old back in '74. The novel 'Cyborg' by Martin Caidin formed the basis for the pilot. Mark Gatiss cited the opening title sequence as one of his all-time favourites. Footage of Austin's crash backed by dramatic music led to an animated version of Austin's rebirth, leading to that famous voice-over: "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology...the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better, stronger, faster!". We would then see him lifting weights and running like the wind, and hear Oliver Nelson's theme in all its glory. Depicting Austin running fast was a problem for the producers. Initially, they sped up the film, but this made him look like Benny Hill, so they went to the other extreme by slowing him down, managing to convey a sense of power without looking too silly.
The show was a pop culture phenomenon. Playgrounds the world over were full of children pretending to be Austin, before going home and playing with toys associated with the series. I still have the books along with a pair of Annuals. It captured the imagination of an entire generation in a way that few shows, before or since, have managed. It wasn't an original idea, of course. The British show 'The Champions' also featured superhuman secret agents. The timing for 'The Six Million Dollar Man' was right because in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate it reassured American viewers that their country was still a force to be reckoned with.
Parodies abounded. Les Dawson became 'The Fifty Pence Man' on his 'Les Sez' show, while Eric Sykes' B.B.C. series featured an episode in which he dreamt he was bionic. As late as 1985, Ben Elton's 'Happy Families' featured 'The Man Who Cost A Lot'.
Though not the world's greatest actor, Lee Majors was perfect for the role of Austin ( though his dress sense occasionally left a lot to be desired. And why did he grow that cheesy moustache? ). Richard Anderson made Goldman a likable authority figure. He and Steve did not get along initially but then became friends. Martin Balsam played 'Dr.Rudy Wells' in the pilot, Alan Oppenheimer replaced him, but it is Martin E.Brooks who is best remembered now in the role.
In a decade when science fiction was considered passé in the aftermath of the Apollo moon landings, 'The Six Million Dollar Man' defied expectations by enjoying a solid five year run. Like many shows though, it 'jumped the shark' - particularly when it brought in other bionic characters. I did not mind 'The Seven Million Dollar Man', put up with 'The Bionic Woman' ( I rather fancied her ), but when her spin-off started, and 'Bionic Boy' and 'Bionic Dog' came along I used what was left of my bionic strength to switch the television set off. There were a number of 'reunion' movies in the '80's ( one of them guest starred Sandra Bullock ), but for me the original remains the best. I still enjoy reruns. Scientists may perfect bionics someday, and I hope its soon so I can go bounding around the place in my checked jacket and flares, just as Steve used to do.
( This review is dedicated to the memory of my friend Kevin William Jones, the number one 'bionic' fan, who passed away on 23rd December 2010, aged 47 )
Each week, Austin would be sent round the world on some dangerous mission such as assisting a Russian scientist to defect or recovering stolen microfilm - one that required the use of his extraordinary powers. Beautiful girls including Britt Ekland, Martine Beswick, Michele Carey, Jane Merrow, and Lee Majors' then wife Farrah Fawcett cropped up an awful lot, none able to resist our hero's charms. Bits of him may have required an M.O.T. every now and then, obviously not the bits they were interested in.
The villains were by and large foreign saboteurs or evil scientists out to seize power. The late Henry Jones played a robot inventor called 'Dolenz' in no less than three episodes. 'Bigfoot' showed up more than once too; he wasn't the real Sasquatch, of course, but an android used by aliens to guard their secret base. Then there was 'Death Probe', a N.A.S.A. device designed to explore and study alien planets which went berserk after crash landing on Earth.
All this was great fun if you, like me, was eleven years old back in '74. The novel 'Cyborg' by Martin Caidin formed the basis for the pilot. Mark Gatiss cited the opening title sequence as one of his all-time favourites. Footage of Austin's crash backed by dramatic music led to an animated version of Austin's rebirth, leading to that famous voice-over: "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology...the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better, stronger, faster!". We would then see him lifting weights and running like the wind, and hear Oliver Nelson's theme in all its glory. Depicting Austin running fast was a problem for the producers. Initially, they sped up the film, but this made him look like Benny Hill, so they went to the other extreme by slowing him down, managing to convey a sense of power without looking too silly.
The show was a pop culture phenomenon. Playgrounds the world over were full of children pretending to be Austin, before going home and playing with toys associated with the series. I still have the books along with a pair of Annuals. It captured the imagination of an entire generation in a way that few shows, before or since, have managed. It wasn't an original idea, of course. The British show 'The Champions' also featured superhuman secret agents. The timing for 'The Six Million Dollar Man' was right because in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate it reassured American viewers that their country was still a force to be reckoned with.
Parodies abounded. Les Dawson became 'The Fifty Pence Man' on his 'Les Sez' show, while Eric Sykes' B.B.C. series featured an episode in which he dreamt he was bionic. As late as 1985, Ben Elton's 'Happy Families' featured 'The Man Who Cost A Lot'.
Though not the world's greatest actor, Lee Majors was perfect for the role of Austin ( though his dress sense occasionally left a lot to be desired. And why did he grow that cheesy moustache? ). Richard Anderson made Goldman a likable authority figure. He and Steve did not get along initially but then became friends. Martin Balsam played 'Dr.Rudy Wells' in the pilot, Alan Oppenheimer replaced him, but it is Martin E.Brooks who is best remembered now in the role.
In a decade when science fiction was considered passé in the aftermath of the Apollo moon landings, 'The Six Million Dollar Man' defied expectations by enjoying a solid five year run. Like many shows though, it 'jumped the shark' - particularly when it brought in other bionic characters. I did not mind 'The Seven Million Dollar Man', put up with 'The Bionic Woman' ( I rather fancied her ), but when her spin-off started, and 'Bionic Boy' and 'Bionic Dog' came along I used what was left of my bionic strength to switch the television set off. There were a number of 'reunion' movies in the '80's ( one of them guest starred Sandra Bullock ), but for me the original remains the best. I still enjoy reruns. Scientists may perfect bionics someday, and I hope its soon so I can go bounding around the place in my checked jacket and flares, just as Steve used to do.
( This review is dedicated to the memory of my friend Kevin William Jones, the number one 'bionic' fan, who passed away on 23rd December 2010, aged 47 )
I was nine years old when it aired. And it blew me away!
phredator27 May 2021
For its day, this show was the Apex Predator of prime time TV. You've got a superhero, but he's not bulletproof like superman. He may be strong, but he's far from invincible. Nonetheless, through courage, grit, leisure suits, slow motion running, and over the top sound effects, Steve Austin is able to vanquish the foe and maybe wrestle the odd personal demon along the way. Oh, and there will be a girl...or two. As time went on, the show channeled the mantra "there is no over the top". Let's fight counterfeiting Soviet spies. Let's fight an evil computer intent on no good. Let's fight a probe from Venus. Let's make a girlfriend for Steve who is also bionic. Let's fight a mad scientist on an island with a weather machine and fembots. Culminating in Steve Austin and his bionic babe fighting Bigfoot, who is also partly bionic, and made by time travelling aliens who live in the center of the Universal Studios ride. Hell, let's make that one a three parter!
For nine year old me, this show was MUST SEE TV. And if you can channel your inner nine year old, you'll have a bionic time of it.
Fans of great acting, great writing, great sets, and great stories need not apply.
But if you want to see a man punch Bigfoot while on his way to throw a time machine into a volcano, then this is the show for you!
For nine year old me, this show was MUST SEE TV. And if you can channel your inner nine year old, you'll have a bionic time of it.
Fans of great acting, great writing, great sets, and great stories need not apply.
But if you want to see a man punch Bigfoot while on his way to throw a time machine into a volcano, then this is the show for you!
Just For Kids...
quitwastingmytime16 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
...Because it was actually pretty slow paced. The science wasn't anything that stood up for a second. The plots were cut rate Bond imitations, lots of Cold War bad guys.
As for special effects, they were cheap and cheesy. Speed up or slow down the camera, add a sound effect, and have stuntmen throw themselves into break away walls.
Lots of high votes for nostalgia and reliving childhood. I was around then and it wasn't great. But it passed the time. Doesn't hold up at all today.
As for special effects, they were cheap and cheesy. Speed up or slow down the camera, add a sound effect, and have stuntmen throw themselves into break away walls.
Lots of high votes for nostalgia and reliving childhood. I was around then and it wasn't great. But it passed the time. Doesn't hold up at all today.
One of the best T.V shows ever!
baumer29 June 1999
The Six Million Dollar Man was a show that was entertaining and it actually taught me about romance. I was about six when I first started watching it. I was enthralled by the action and the feats that this man could perform. He had a bionic right arm, two bionic legs, and a bionic eye that could enable him to see great distances. His strength was more than that of ten men. He could run faster than a car and he was a super intelligence agent. Along the way he meets a variety of interesting characters and ones that I have never forgotten about. There was Barney, the seven million dollar man who lets his bionics take over his mind and he uses them for his own benefits instead of that of his agency. Then there was the probe. The probe was a machine that was designed to go to space but never made it there. On Earth, it wreaks havoc and Steve has his hands full with it. Then of course there was Jamie Summers. She was Steve's girlfriend that has a tragic parachuting accident. Steve, blinded by love demands that she is given bionics. She receives them but she has amnesia. There love is tragically put on hold and it is this plot line that for the first time in my young life, I was taught about the power and tragedy of love.
But the best of all the episodes of Steve Austin was the one's centering around Bigfoot. This also introduced the world to Andre The Giant. The Bigfoot episodes were scary. Here is this huge creature that is also bionic and he is a little stronger, a little faster and a little more vicious than Steve Austin. It is some of the best T.V. I've ever seen and it is one that will have a lasting impression on me for the rest of my life.
I remember that I asked my mom how they did all those things. How a man could jump that high, how he could lift a car and such. It was then that my parents explained to me that this was all make believe. That this is what is known as magic. Well it was from that moment on that the movies and TV captured my imagination. And for that I will be eternally greatful to The Six Million Dollar Man.
But the best of all the episodes of Steve Austin was the one's centering around Bigfoot. This also introduced the world to Andre The Giant. The Bigfoot episodes were scary. Here is this huge creature that is also bionic and he is a little stronger, a little faster and a little more vicious than Steve Austin. It is some of the best T.V. I've ever seen and it is one that will have a lasting impression on me for the rest of my life.
I remember that I asked my mom how they did all those things. How a man could jump that high, how he could lift a car and such. It was then that my parents explained to me that this was all make believe. That this is what is known as magic. Well it was from that moment on that the movies and TV captured my imagination. And for that I will be eternally greatful to The Six Million Dollar Man.
Fantastic
paul_ruwette14 June 2020
THE 70's Cyborg
duckem1016 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The most common and popularly known story of the sci-fi dream the cyborg, prior to the Terminator series of movies. Test Pilot/Astronaut Steve Austin crashes his experimental space shuttle prototype in the opening story causing massive bodily damage and the loss of 1 arm, both legs, and 1 eye. Enter Oscar Goldman and the government's chief Bionics surgeon Rudy Wells, with the then staggering sum of 6 Million dollars for the replacement of the lost body parts, and training to use them. Austin after surgery becomes a truly unique problem solver for the government, with his new powers due to the increased speed and strength of his mechanical replacement parts. Austin battles all manner of foes after this resurrection including aliens, robots, androids, spies, saboteurs, damaged Russian space probes, and even a extremely aggressive semi intelligent primate (Bigfoot).
Very popular spawning an equally popular spin off (The Bionic Woman) during the 70's when this show aired it was about the only things that could get me to slow down, let alone stop long enough to come in the house. Tho somewhat dated by the technically and budget limited special effects and obvious 70's wardrobe this is a great series and one I would highly recommend. A great way to remember your past (childhood in my case) and enjoy a little quality family time with the kids. Truly a pleasure from the past that should be enjoyed by all.
This is the show I remember most from my youth and I have been attempting to get a copy of it on DVD for a very long time now. Currently DVD's are available of some episodes in the UK, but not in the USA. Why is a very popular show such as this one NOT available in the country of origin when it is in other countries? If anything I would think this would be the other way around. Please release the complete series on DVD to the American fans.
Very popular spawning an equally popular spin off (The Bionic Woman) during the 70's when this show aired it was about the only things that could get me to slow down, let alone stop long enough to come in the house. Tho somewhat dated by the technically and budget limited special effects and obvious 70's wardrobe this is a great series and one I would highly recommend. A great way to remember your past (childhood in my case) and enjoy a little quality family time with the kids. Truly a pleasure from the past that should be enjoyed by all.
This is the show I remember most from my youth and I have been attempting to get a copy of it on DVD for a very long time now. Currently DVD's are available of some episodes in the UK, but not in the USA. Why is a very popular show such as this one NOT available in the country of origin when it is in other countries? If anything I would think this would be the other way around. Please release the complete series on DVD to the American fans.
One of the Most Maligned Shows in TV History
boritom6 May 2004
Okay, let's forget for a moment that the show degraded to cybernetic Sasquaches, Astral Projection and a Death Probe that looked like a cross between a Dalek and an SUV. The first three seasons of this series, and the pilot movie in particular were truly engaging and well written. Lee Majors, who had previously starred in The Big Valley and the movie Will Penny with Charleton Heston, got his big break in 1973 with a TV adaptation of Martin Caidin's ground-breaking novel, Cyborg. It was his first starring role, and as far as television was concerned, one of the most unique characters ever to grace the screen. Broken down to its most simple (bionic?) components, it was James Bond meets Frankenstein's Monster. The film did so well that ABC green-lighted a series of TV movies, that, in turn, garnered enough support to make a series. That's a monumental feat, considering that at that same time, Gene Roddenberry was enduring multiple failures with Questor (who, one might say. later evolved into commander Data), Earth II and a revival of Star Trek. Ironically, the series started off slow, with a minimal budget and a shifting schedule. By the time "Six Mil" found it's niche, the good writing was being rejected in favor of grabbing ratings by signing B-list guest starts like Sonny Bono and George Foreman. The rest... unfortunately, is TV In-Joke history... not too unlike Knight Rider and Quantum Leap. Let's hope Stargate SG1 and Angel fare better in the annals of TV History.
Does NOT stand the test of time - very hard to get through
On_The_Mark23 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
You can see if you're a kid in the 70s this show was probably the greatest show ever. But watch these episodes today as an adult, whew - they're very hard to get through. Besides the limitations of 70s TV, the scripts are boring and the concept is weak. He's got a bionic arm yet is able to lift things that would require all his upper body (not just his arm).
To indicate he's running fast, it's slow motion. Yet it literally looks like he's jogging and it's run in slow motion, which is exactly what it is. But we're supposed to pretend he's running super fast. Yet when he chasing a car or running from a bad guy - he doesn't get there any quicker. It's literally like he really is running in slow motion. It's annoying.
The fight scenes are the most embarrassing. They're like the fights you'd have with your friends when you were seven on the front lawn. You move in slow motion throwing fake punches. That's this show. The one where he fights three guys at once. It's crazy awful. I was embarrassed watching. There's one where he's fighting another bionic man. They are literally doing it in slow motion in real life and then it's slowed down even further. So you can really really see how fake the fight is. Was there anyone actually riveted at this "fight" when it first aired? It's mind bogglingly awful.
I watched the first season and most of the second before I couldn't take it anymore. The scripts were padded with lots of bad dialog and each episode is essentially the same - Steve gets assigned in some James Bond-like mission to save someone or something. The one where he's supposed to rescue the wild bobcat. He goes in (then it's a stunt man who looks nothing like Lee Majors) wrangling the bobcat.
The Steve walks the bobcat out on a leash. Huh? There's lot of dumb stuff like this. And don't get me wrong. There were a couple good episodes which is why I made it through the whole first season. The "Flight of the Phoenix" one where they crash in the desert and Steve is blinded. That one was great. But there are too many awful ones.
My favorite is where he's in a space capsule with another astronaut, the astronaut takes the helmet off only to reveal Farrah Fawcett, blow dried hair and all. I laughed out loud. Even in the 70s no one bought her as an astronaut. There's a few other episodes where you're constantly yelling "come on!"
One person here wrote "Stands the test of time." No. It doesn't. It's aged very poorly. I think this is one show that could be remade very well, as long as they do it right. When he's running fast, actually have him running fast (not this idiotic slow motion baloney). Make his bionics more believable.
On the plus side, the music for the show is great and the little variations of the theme they do during some of the action scenes was great. And Lee Majors was perfectly cast. Richard Anderson has the absolute worst wig in the history of 1970s TV but in the role he was perfect.
I wanted to like it more but I just couldn't.
To indicate he's running fast, it's slow motion. Yet it literally looks like he's jogging and it's run in slow motion, which is exactly what it is. But we're supposed to pretend he's running super fast. Yet when he chasing a car or running from a bad guy - he doesn't get there any quicker. It's literally like he really is running in slow motion. It's annoying.
The fight scenes are the most embarrassing. They're like the fights you'd have with your friends when you were seven on the front lawn. You move in slow motion throwing fake punches. That's this show. The one where he fights three guys at once. It's crazy awful. I was embarrassed watching. There's one where he's fighting another bionic man. They are literally doing it in slow motion in real life and then it's slowed down even further. So you can really really see how fake the fight is. Was there anyone actually riveted at this "fight" when it first aired? It's mind bogglingly awful.
I watched the first season and most of the second before I couldn't take it anymore. The scripts were padded with lots of bad dialog and each episode is essentially the same - Steve gets assigned in some James Bond-like mission to save someone or something. The one where he's supposed to rescue the wild bobcat. He goes in (then it's a stunt man who looks nothing like Lee Majors) wrangling the bobcat.
The Steve walks the bobcat out on a leash. Huh? There's lot of dumb stuff like this. And don't get me wrong. There were a couple good episodes which is why I made it through the whole first season. The "Flight of the Phoenix" one where they crash in the desert and Steve is blinded. That one was great. But there are too many awful ones.
My favorite is where he's in a space capsule with another astronaut, the astronaut takes the helmet off only to reveal Farrah Fawcett, blow dried hair and all. I laughed out loud. Even in the 70s no one bought her as an astronaut. There's a few other episodes where you're constantly yelling "come on!"
One person here wrote "Stands the test of time." No. It doesn't. It's aged very poorly. I think this is one show that could be remade very well, as long as they do it right. When he's running fast, actually have him running fast (not this idiotic slow motion baloney). Make his bionics more believable.
On the plus side, the music for the show is great and the little variations of the theme they do during some of the action scenes was great. And Lee Majors was perfectly cast. Richard Anderson has the absolute worst wig in the history of 1970s TV but in the role he was perfect.
I wanted to like it more but I just couldn't.
What was it like to be a kid in the 1970's when this show came on!
rcj536523 August 2004
"THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN"-PART MAN,PART MACHINE,ALL ACTION
What was it like to be a kid growing up in the 1970's when this show came on? You see,I remember this series coming on television very well. For one,I was one of those kids who from some reason was glued to the set when this show came on Friday Nights on ABC-TV during the 1970's. I was one of those kids who for some reason went out and brought up a lot of memorabilia stuff including all of the merchandise that flew off the shelves relating to this show: Who remembers owning one of the two dolls of "The Six Million Dollar Man" action figures that were made by Mattel which featured the character with the bionic grip and not to mention his mentor who had changeable outfits,let alone tons of stuff including the GMF View-Master set of one of the episodes not to mention seeing one of your friends walking on the playground or jumping over something in slow motion....Oh yeah,that TV soundtrack to the show which had Lee Majors doing country tunes and rock and roll stuff?
For the answers to the questions depicted? YES!!! I WAS THE 1970'S! FOR ONE,WAS ONE OF THE CHILDREN WHO WORSHIP QUALITY 70'S TV PROGRAMMING! By the way,if you remember 70's TV characters like Archie Bunker,George Jefferson,Maude Findley,James and Florida Evans,Fred Sanford,Dee Pepper Columbo,Jim Rockford,and Kolchak,Baretta and not to mention Theo Kojak,then the character name of Steve Austin should come through the light!
Even after all of these years,"The Six Million Dollar Man" still holds up to the test of time and to this day,it has always been a personal favorite of mine as a child,and still is regarding as a vintage classic even after some 30 years later with some of the best special effects around. Ever since it premiered on ABC-TV in September of 1974,it was a runaway bonafide hit which was garnered huge ratings with the audience and was always in the top-ten of the Nielsens,where it stayed for six astounding seasons until its final episode of the series ended in May of 1978,after producing 108 episodes,which in turn took ABC to the top of the Nielsens where it was on one of the most watched shows during its run on Friday nights in its first four seasons,and from there in its last two the network moved the series from Friday nights to Sunday nights opposite the Sunday night competition:"60 Minutes",and "The Wonderful World Of Disney" until 1978,when the series ended.
About the show.................. Long before "Cyborg" became famous with Arnold Scwarzenegger in the "Terminator" films,Lee Majors was everyone's favorite cyborg,and for every fan out there,this show delivered the goods since this was indeed part science fiction/action-adventure genre mixed in with some international espionage and political intrigue for a great effect. Lee Majors' role as Steve Austin was in fact a combination of James Bond,part Buzz Aldrin/Chuck Yeager,part Road Runner and part Superman in which gave this series a nice mix of seriousness and fun. Let's face it,he was part-human,part-mechanical;the world's first bionic man. Better than he was before...BETTER,STRONGER,FASTER...............
The character of Steve Austin,who was an astronaut who suffered an accident and was rebuilt by a government agency and was under the supervision of his boss,Oscar Goldman played by Richard Anderson,and there was Dr. Rudy Wells,played by Martin E. Brooks,who was responsible for Steve's bionic parts. The chemistry between these characters were to be tested throughout the series,but as the show progressed the chemistry between them was brilliant. The sound effects which included the bionic eye looking miles ahead,or the sound of bionic legs running faster and faster is what made this show stand out beyond them all. FANTASTIC! you say? I'll say AWESOME!........
This show was just pure fantasy from the get-go with the stories truly engaging and very well written the offered variations in excitement and imagination,and during the last two seasons of the show it suffered from repetitation since the earlier episodes(from the first three seasons)and from there the ratings slipped too. The show had a mixture of guest stars of who's who in Hollywood from William Shatner,Ted Cassidy and Andre The Giant as Bigfoot(Cassidy played him first)to the guest of TV show regulars like Gary Lockwood,John Saxon,Cathy Rigby, Lindsay Wagner(who played Steve Austin's love interest,Jamie Summers which was for the inspiration to the spin off,"The Bionic Woman"),to the strange and bizarre like Sonny Bono,Larry Csonka,and so forth. Nowadays it is a crying shame that this series is no longer shown on any cable network(cable's The Sci-Fi Channel was the last to do so...an all-day marathon of this series was shown not too long ago)or any syndicated market station doesn't show this anymore,and I wonder why? Why isn't there a big-screen version of "The Six Million Dollar Man" coming to theaters? I heard rumors its going to be George Clooney.
But by the way,while during the last two decades many of our favorite TV shows(Star Trek,The Untouchables,I Spy,Mission:Impossible,McHale's Navy,The Wild,Wild West,Lost In Space,The Fugitive,Charlie's Angels,SWAT,The Brady Bunch,The Twilight Zone,Lassie,Flipper,My 3 Sons, and not to mention our animated TV favorites Scooby Doo,The Flintstones) and cartoons(Batman,Superman,X-Men,Daredevil,Spider-Man,Hulk,The Punisher)have been made into full-length feature films,so now is the time for SMDM to give it the big-screen treatment and the respect it truly deserves.
What was it like to be a kid growing up in the 1970's when this show came on? You see,I remember this series coming on television very well. For one,I was one of those kids who from some reason was glued to the set when this show came on Friday Nights on ABC-TV during the 1970's. I was one of those kids who for some reason went out and brought up a lot of memorabilia stuff including all of the merchandise that flew off the shelves relating to this show: Who remembers owning one of the two dolls of "The Six Million Dollar Man" action figures that were made by Mattel which featured the character with the bionic grip and not to mention his mentor who had changeable outfits,let alone tons of stuff including the GMF View-Master set of one of the episodes not to mention seeing one of your friends walking on the playground or jumping over something in slow motion....Oh yeah,that TV soundtrack to the show which had Lee Majors doing country tunes and rock and roll stuff?
For the answers to the questions depicted? YES!!! I WAS THE 1970'S! FOR ONE,WAS ONE OF THE CHILDREN WHO WORSHIP QUALITY 70'S TV PROGRAMMING! By the way,if you remember 70's TV characters like Archie Bunker,George Jefferson,Maude Findley,James and Florida Evans,Fred Sanford,Dee Pepper Columbo,Jim Rockford,and Kolchak,Baretta and not to mention Theo Kojak,then the character name of Steve Austin should come through the light!
Even after all of these years,"The Six Million Dollar Man" still holds up to the test of time and to this day,it has always been a personal favorite of mine as a child,and still is regarding as a vintage classic even after some 30 years later with some of the best special effects around. Ever since it premiered on ABC-TV in September of 1974,it was a runaway bonafide hit which was garnered huge ratings with the audience and was always in the top-ten of the Nielsens,where it stayed for six astounding seasons until its final episode of the series ended in May of 1978,after producing 108 episodes,which in turn took ABC to the top of the Nielsens where it was on one of the most watched shows during its run on Friday nights in its first four seasons,and from there in its last two the network moved the series from Friday nights to Sunday nights opposite the Sunday night competition:"60 Minutes",and "The Wonderful World Of Disney" until 1978,when the series ended.
About the show.................. Long before "Cyborg" became famous with Arnold Scwarzenegger in the "Terminator" films,Lee Majors was everyone's favorite cyborg,and for every fan out there,this show delivered the goods since this was indeed part science fiction/action-adventure genre mixed in with some international espionage and political intrigue for a great effect. Lee Majors' role as Steve Austin was in fact a combination of James Bond,part Buzz Aldrin/Chuck Yeager,part Road Runner and part Superman in which gave this series a nice mix of seriousness and fun. Let's face it,he was part-human,part-mechanical;the world's first bionic man. Better than he was before...BETTER,STRONGER,FASTER...............
The character of Steve Austin,who was an astronaut who suffered an accident and was rebuilt by a government agency and was under the supervision of his boss,Oscar Goldman played by Richard Anderson,and there was Dr. Rudy Wells,played by Martin E. Brooks,who was responsible for Steve's bionic parts. The chemistry between these characters were to be tested throughout the series,but as the show progressed the chemistry between them was brilliant. The sound effects which included the bionic eye looking miles ahead,or the sound of bionic legs running faster and faster is what made this show stand out beyond them all. FANTASTIC! you say? I'll say AWESOME!........
This show was just pure fantasy from the get-go with the stories truly engaging and very well written the offered variations in excitement and imagination,and during the last two seasons of the show it suffered from repetitation since the earlier episodes(from the first three seasons)and from there the ratings slipped too. The show had a mixture of guest stars of who's who in Hollywood from William Shatner,Ted Cassidy and Andre The Giant as Bigfoot(Cassidy played him first)to the guest of TV show regulars like Gary Lockwood,John Saxon,Cathy Rigby, Lindsay Wagner(who played Steve Austin's love interest,Jamie Summers which was for the inspiration to the spin off,"The Bionic Woman"),to the strange and bizarre like Sonny Bono,Larry Csonka,and so forth. Nowadays it is a crying shame that this series is no longer shown on any cable network(cable's The Sci-Fi Channel was the last to do so...an all-day marathon of this series was shown not too long ago)or any syndicated market station doesn't show this anymore,and I wonder why? Why isn't there a big-screen version of "The Six Million Dollar Man" coming to theaters? I heard rumors its going to be George Clooney.
But by the way,while during the last two decades many of our favorite TV shows(Star Trek,The Untouchables,I Spy,Mission:Impossible,McHale's Navy,The Wild,Wild West,Lost In Space,The Fugitive,Charlie's Angels,SWAT,The Brady Bunch,The Twilight Zone,Lassie,Flipper,My 3 Sons, and not to mention our animated TV favorites Scooby Doo,The Flintstones) and cartoons(Batman,Superman,X-Men,Daredevil,Spider-Man,Hulk,The Punisher)have been made into full-length feature films,so now is the time for SMDM to give it the big-screen treatment and the respect it truly deserves.
Precursor to Robocop in a way....
ac-4471531 October 2021
I enjoyed this show when it first came out. Many episodes in reruns still stand the test of time. The science and special effects were often cheesy but the story lines were engaging. Simple clean entertainment,many morality tales and interesting guest stars ....
I well up every time I see the opening titles
marcuspalomar2 October 2021
When the music kicks in and he start to run so do my tears.
Like so many young kids of that time this was simply the best thing on television It's dated I know but if they put it back on tele I would watch them all again
Cannot describe what this meant to me as a small child
I am off to YouTube now to reminisce.
Like so many young kids of that time this was simply the best thing on television It's dated I know but if they put it back on tele I would watch them all again
Cannot describe what this meant to me as a small child
I am off to YouTube now to reminisce.
Did anyone else wonder about this??
yoredm2 June 2010
One thing that my sister pointed out to me at the time (she is a few years older than I) is "If Steve Austin only has one bionic arm, why doesn't he rip his other arm off whenever he breaks out of handcuffs?" It seems obvious now as an adult but, they managed to slip that one past this eight year old kid!
Oh and who didn't want to be Steve Austin/ Lee Majors back then? Jamie Sommers on screen (I had a major crush) and Farrah Fawcett at home! What a lucky guy! And whose idea was it to give Farrah's character on the show a name like Major Kelly Wood- major wood- I am sure!
My favourite episodes have to be any with Jamie Sommers. It was even better when she got her own spin-off show. Also the few show with Andre the Giant. The ones that freaked me out as a kid was with John Saxon's character Major Frederick Sloan as a robot and his face falls off!
We never missed an episode! I would love to see these in re-runs. Is there any talk of getting this show back on the air?
Oh and who didn't want to be Steve Austin/ Lee Majors back then? Jamie Sommers on screen (I had a major crush) and Farrah Fawcett at home! What a lucky guy! And whose idea was it to give Farrah's character on the show a name like Major Kelly Wood- major wood- I am sure!
My favourite episodes have to be any with Jamie Sommers. It was even better when she got her own spin-off show. Also the few show with Andre the Giant. The ones that freaked me out as a kid was with John Saxon's character Major Frederick Sloan as a robot and his face falls off!
We never missed an episode! I would love to see these in re-runs. Is there any talk of getting this show back on the air?
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