The Six Million Dollar Man

A very well done adaptation of Caidin's fine book, it has some interesting differences from the later show. Oscar Goldman, as played by Darrin McGavin is way more heartless and is intent on getting the governments worth out of Steve. Steve is much more mentally distressed and early on, suicidal after being maimed. It played more for adults, with an espionage theme (as did the second 90 minutes installment, Wine Women and War, with perenial bad guy Eric Braeden). It's very close to the book, but eliminates the female Israeli assigned to help Steve. It's very watchable even today and I wouldn't be surprised to see a big budget version get made.

This was truly a great series to watch growing up. Who wouldn't want super strength and super speed? I remember in the movie or maybe it was one of the early shows where there was a guy in a rural area (farm maybe?) who looks out over a flat field and sees a man tearing up the road. In the early days, Steve ran pretty fast, as opposed to the slow motion used later.

The movie was set up very well. A man has an internal battle going on when he loses both his legs, his right arm and his left eye. He didn't want to become a machine. Then, later as he is getting used to the idea of being "bionic," he sees an accident and goes to rescue a little girl who is trapped inside. As he rips the door off, and reaches for the pinned girl, something in the car tears a part of his arm. After rescuing the girl, the mother see the arm and screams. So much for being the hero. I wished they would have kept that conflict going a little while longer. Not overplay it...Just keep it going. But, they weren't sure the show would be picked up, so they resolved the conflict...

I just watched a show on the History Channel talking about Star trek tech and how it inspired scientists and engineers or got then interested in science. It would be interesting to see The History Channel do The same for TSMDM and show bionic tech and talk to doctors and engineers who were inspired by the show to create real bionic arms legs and eyes or the doctors who treat patients with artificial limbs and eyes and ears. In fact I just remembered an episode when Doctor Rudy Wells created a bionic heart used to transplant into some important world leader who if he died would leave a power vacuum which would lead to disaster

First TV movie pilot that introduced Lee Majors as Steve Austin, a former astronaut who had walked on the moon, but now is test piloting an experimental aircraft that unfortunately crashes, badly injuring Steve near death, but with the skill of brilliant surgeon Dr. Rudy Wells(played by Martin Balsam) and funding by secretive government representative Oliver Spencer(played by Darren McGavin) rebuild Austin with bionic limbs and sight, increasing his strength and survivability immensely, making him an ideal government operative, if he can only emotionally adjust to his new condition... Good setup to the eventual series has a smart, thoughtful script and good direction by Richard Irving. Pity this realistic style wasn't continued though...

The TV movie that led to "The Six Million Dollar Man" becoming one of the biggest hits of the 1970s, and being fondly remembered by many who were the right age at the time (not least me - I still remember playing with my Steve Austin doll), is strikingly different from what would come. Admittedly the series was hardly a laugh riot, but the source was even straighter, with nothing to indicate that Col. Austin would eventually acquire a bionic girlfriend (and dog) and meet the likes of Bigfoot, a double, and alien killer machines. (We won't mention that "Sweet Jaime" song.)

Not only does Henri Simoun's teleplay furnish our hero with some actual doubt over how much of a human being he is now, but the relationship between him and his superior officer is less chummy - no benevolent Oscar Goldman of the OSI here, instead the OSO's colder Spencer (Darren McGavin, easily taking the acting honours). Plus, when Steve is eventually sent into the field, it's surprisingly straightforward - the movie emphasises drama over derring-do (note the lack of DANANANANANANA sound effects). This isn't always for the best; the actual crash isn't as effective as it could have been, and 30 years on some elements have dated somewhat - who'd be so casual about a nuclear-powered motor today? - but if ultimately it's not as much fun as the series, it's also a bit more thoughtful.

Footnotes: This movie was edited into two parts and shown on the series as "The Moon And The Desert." More importantly, no one here calls him "a man barely alive," let alone says "We can rebuild him" or "We have the technology."