The Six Million Dollar Man

Well, it holds up to the test of time in SOME ways. This show was one of my favorites as a child and if re-made today with state of the art special effects could still be a top rrated TV show or blockbuster film. It wasn't camp, but it didn't take itself too seriously either. It had action and adventure, romance and espionage intrigue. This is the role Lee Majors was born to play, and he plays it to perfection. To most of us, he will always be the hero called Steve Austin. Other than the sometime wince-inducing special effects, this show is just as enjoyable if you catch it in re-runs today as it was during its original airing.

There is no question that The Six Million Dollar Man was as revolutionary a program in its prime as it is woefully overlooked today. Most of the great science fiction themes had been exhausted during the early Cold War era, when fears of alien invasions and nuclear holocaust were rampant. It was the horror genre, if anything, that enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970's, with such notable offerings as The Exorcist and Jaws, and television programs like Dark Shadows. By contrast, the 70's were lean years for sci-fi - the classic motifs of the 60's were dead, and successful 80's tech-shows like Knight Rider were still on the shelf.

But Col. Steve Austin virtually redefined the genre with his story of bionic implantation. His character was indisputably TV's first cybernetically enhanced human being of any significance. In fact, rarely did even the silver screen feature a cyborg in a major role before TSMDM debuted. After its long run at the top, Hollywood began churning out its subtle rip-offs, which spawned such diverse characters as "Bishop" in Alien, The Terminator, "Data" and the dreaded Borg from Star Trek TNG, and a host of mediocre Austin clones in Van Damme-style B-movies.

Further, TSMDM was competent in its own right. The show was a household name during its reign, and gave birth to the kind of merchandising mania - action figures, board games, etc. - more typical of a big-budget motion picture than a television series. There wasn't a young boy anywhere in North America who didn't mimic the Colonel's slow-motion antics in the schoolyard, and even parents inevitably ended up enjoying the program as much as their kids (name another show that can make that claim!).

The cast was well-chosen and usually convincing, with Majors' understated but charming persona leading the way. The special effects were acceptable for the time, if not particularly ground-breaking. Best of all, the episodes were reliably action-packed, well developed and truly imaginative in their diversity and execution. The program touched on alien visitors, military themes, espionage, romance, and never lost its sense of perspective or sheer fun.

My only complaint with TSMDM is that no station in my part of the world carries the show any longer. Amazingly, the Space Channel sees fit to broadcast garbage like Beauty and the Beast and Lexx, but turns its back on a genuine pioneer of the genre. It's confounding. Shows like this cannot be allowed to simply rot away in some vault. They must be preserved, just as legends in their time like Star Trek clearly have. I'd love for my children to share in the awe and excitement I felt when TSMDM was new and fresh, and, quite frankly, I wouldn't mind feeling like a kid again myself!

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.

The Six Million Dollar Man was one of my favourite TV shows, a show that I enjoyed without fail each week.

Lee Majors played Col. Steve Austin, an astronaut who suffered an accident and was rebuilt by government agency, the OSI (I think it stood for Office of Strategic Intelligence). Austin was the world's first bionic man (well, not really because it later transpired that there was a seven million dollar man but that's another story). He had a bionic eye which could see for miles; he had a bionic arm and two bionic legs to help him run fast.

The show was very entertaining. The sound effects as Austin used his bionic body parts were great. The sound of the bionic eye looking miles ahead-FANTASTIC! The sound of the bionic arm breaking a door down-FANTASTIC! The sound of bionic legs running faster than any normal man-FANTASTIC! Whenever Austin jumped or ran fast, it would be done in slow motion which worked a hell of a lot better than if the scene had been speeded up.

Richard Anderson played a good role as Oscar Goldman, chief of OSI (perhaps not the big chief but some kind of chief). He had good chemistry with Lee Majors on screen and it showed.

There was also Martin E. Brooks who played Dr. Rudy Wells, the man responsible for Steve's bionic body parts. A great character who had his fair share of great storylines.

The episodes were pure 70's fantasy. Austin took on spies, robots, aliens and even Bigfoot himself (my favourite episode). The music was great, the sound effects were great. The whole show was great. Definitely worth checking out on video or DVD.

I loved The Six Million Dollar Man, I watched it every week if possible and actually wanted to be Bionic when I grew up! I even had Steve Austin Action figures including Oscar Goldman with his exploding Briefcase and Maskatron too. I was a big fan and still have a soft spot for the show and would happily watch it if it is being re-run on TV. It has dated badly in some ways, especially the clothes and hairstyles, but most shows from the 70's have anyway.

It was corny in places too and I wonder why objects such as rocks and steel bars made a whistling noise when Steve threw them! Also the androids were bad especially when their face came off and an actor had a mask with wires and lights on it over his/her face which meant realistically they would have had a side profile like E.T.!

But on the whole I loved it and have fond memories of watching it! It is a classic 70's show!