The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series

First, this will be a LONG review, so be warned, this is for DIE HARD fans, and let me start by recommending that you go ahead and plan on buying The Bionic Woman boxed set along with this one - you can't go wrong, and they compliment each other brilliantly - but even if you don't, this set has a few key Bionic Woman episodes AND all three reunion movies, so... it ALMOST feels complete without the Bionic Woman set. That said however, its better if you have both, and this will be a review of the key episodes from BOTH series.Before I list the essential episodes though, be warned that its not a PERFECT series. Nostalgia made me forget some of the clunkier elements - it was made in an era before cable, dvd, and blu ray, when broadcast over the airwaves meant that the signal degradation was often so bad that you couldn't see the stunt men's faces, etc; a time when "home video" was called "re-runs", and its definitely a product of its time. That said, its still good enough, fun enough, interesting and well-written enough to hold your attention today, even with clunks and all - a great "family friendly" show that might alienate more cynical Millennials, but will have grandma and grandpa cheering for sure.ESSENTIALS: The three "pilot" movies. The first stand-alone movie-of-the-week is an adaptation of Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg, and by today's standards, is a little slow, having none of the sha-na-na-na-na razzle dazzle that became so iconic later on in the weekly series. However, its a showcase for Lee Majors acting talent, as well as for the vast potential the concept of a bionic man in a spy-adventure formula had. Darren McGavin is GREAT as Oliver Spencer, the surprisingly cynical precursor to Oscar Goldman. The second and third movies-of-the-week were made by none other than Battlestar Galactica's Glen A. Larson, who not necessarily for the better, tried to cash in on the popular 007 zeitgeist of the time. Lee Majors wasn't comfortable in a tuxedo (and it shows), and they retconned a few things from the first film without explanation, such as replacing Oliver Spencer with Oscar Goldman. No explanation, not even real continuity. Goldman was simply added to be less sinister and more likeable than Spencer. Dr. Rudy Wells was also recast (the second of three actors who would play Rudy), and though they're a bit more violent than the series that would follow, they're still well worth a watch to see how the formula COULD have gone, and to see what elements they got right.The 1st Season was an instant hit. Veteran producer Harve Bennett (The Mod Squad) recognized Lee Majors' appeal as a kind of "western" guy, and ditched the tuxedos for toothpicks and a more folksy, down-home flavor. He also knew how to keep all the action and intrigue of a good science-oriented spy-caper series, while still telling stories about people. The result was an instantly iconic smash hit, aided in no small part by Oliver Nelson's iconic jazz score. These are the episodes I feel are essential, listed in the order I prefer watching them:Population: ZeroThe Last of the Fourth of JulysSurvival of the FittestDr. Wells is MissingEyewitness to MurderThe Rescue of Athena OneDay of the RobotSeason 2 continued the iconic, highly entertaining formula that was so successful in Season 1, but towards the end saw the introduction of romantic foil for Steve who would out-class his many other on screen romances, and alter the DNA of the series. Writer Kenneth Johnson (who went on to create The Bionic Woman series, The Incredible Hulk, V: The Miniseries, and Alien Nation: The Series), was responsible for the introduction of the iconic "bride of Frankenstein" 2-parter "The Bionic Woman" that launched Lindsay Waggoner into the same level of stardom as Lee Majors. The 2-part episode was so well received, that Lindsay Waggoner received her own series as a mid-season replacement during the airing of the third season of The Six Million Dollar Man.The Deadly ReplayThe PioneersThe Pal-Mir EscortNuclear AlertThe Seven Million Dollar Man (Introduction of SECOND Bionic Man)Return of the Robot MakerThe Bionic Woman 1 & 2Steve Austin, Fugitive (Introduction of Oscar's Secretary, Peggy Callahan)Target in the Sky (a 3rd Season episode that I'd recommend here to give Steve some down time between Bionic Woman episodes)The Six Million Dollar Man peaked with Season 3. While Seasons 4 and 5 are still worth watching and seem littered with great episodes and crossover events, this was (for me) the high water mark for the series. Not only had the producers gotten the formula down to a science, but they started running The Bionic Woman concurrently during this season, with many "surprise" cameos between the two, giving audiences a double-dose of bionic action almost every week. I've put asterisks next to the essential episodes of The Bionic Woman series, of which only Kill Oscar 1-3 is featured on the Six Mil Man boxed set collection.The Return of the Bionic Woman 1 & 2The Price of LibertyThe Bionic CriminalWelcome Home, Jaime 1 & 2* (technically the first two episodes of The Bionic Woman) Jaime’s Mother* The Jailing of Jaime*The Deadly Test Angel of Mercy* A Thing of the Past*Love Song for Tanya Bionic Beauty*The Secret of Bigfoot 1 & 2 Mirror Image* The Deadly Missiles*Season 4 toned down the cameos between the two highly popular action-adventure shows, but doubled-down on the crossover "event" episodes. Lee Majors decided to grow a moustache this season, which didn't go over that well with ALL the fans, but... its not THAT distracting, and while some people felt that the moustache, and the introduction of the more epic, sci-fi elements like Bigfoot and the Fembots ultimately derailed the series, I thought they made for some of the most memorable, iconic, and fun moments.The Thunderbird Connection 1 & 2The Return of Bigfoot 1 & 2Kill Oscar 1-3 The Deadly Ringer 1 & 2* Doomsday is Tomorrow 1 & 2*Season 5 was the last. The moustache vanished, and in its place Lee Majors got a new wavy-haired "perm" look. It was a bit Shatner-esque, but it beat the moustache in my opinion. Season 5 was, quite sadly, devoid of Jaime Sommers, and again, in my opinion, more than Bigfoot or aliens or any other factor, the loss of that "heart" killed both series. The network cancelled The Bionic Woman after two seasons, and instead of adding her character to The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman was picked up for one more season on another channel. That was great for Lindsay Waggoner and the fans of her series (which was getting higher ratings than Six Mil at that point), but the legalities of the move prevented any further crossovers. Thankfully, Oscar Goldman and Rudy Wells WERE allowed to jump back and forth, but in my opinion, it marked the beginning of the end. Six Mil began to rely on "epic" 2-parters that weren't as epic or classic as the first few seasons. These episodes are worth a watch, but Star Wars had arrived in theaters, and the era of audiences forgiving "cheap" sci-fi was coming quickly to an end.Sharks 1 & 2 The Bionic Dog 1 & 2*Deadly Countdown 1 & 2Bigfoot VDark Side of the Moon 1 & 2 Fembots in Las Vegas 1 & 2* The Antidote* On the Run*And then, nine years after both series were cancelled, there were the Bionic Reunion TV movies. These were must-see events for long-time fans who wanted (or even NEEDED) some closure, and although they weren't perfect either, they were pretty good, and prove satisfying enough for fans of both series. Be warned though, like the series, the reunion movies peaked early, and stumbled across the finish line not a moment too soon.The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman is a mini-epic written and produced by The Equalizer's Michael Sloan, who updated the OSI for a more modern world a bit, and skillfully proved that these characters and the actors who portrayed them still had it. This film connected well with the previous series, and deftly balanced the effort to start a new weekly show with new characters like Michael Austin and Jim Castillian (played by Lee Majors son, Lee Majors II). The special fx were hit and miss, and the jazzy drums of Oliver Nelson were replaced by some painfully cheesy 80's pop music, but the beats of the main theme and the snazzy saxophone of Marvin Hamlish (For Your Eyes Only) proved romantic enough and action-y enough to deliver an extremely satisfying (if cheezy), highly nostalgic and smile-inducing bionic bonanza. It didn't reignite the original series' former popularity, but it was the best of the reunion films, and had they ended it here, it would've been a satisfying-enough coda.Thankfully, die hard fans got more (for better and worse). Bionic Showdown was the second TV reunion movie that inexplicably ditched Steve's new bionic son, Michael Austin, and served as a backdoor pilot for a young Sandra Bullock's Kate Mason character, who just became bionic. This one isn't bad... but it doesn't balance the new with the old nearly as well. Rocky's Bill Conti did the music, but it wasn't particularly memorable. Lee Majors and Lindsay Waggoner bookend the story, but Sandra Bullock and Jeff Yagher have to hold up the middle, and while they're not necessarily BAD... you end up wondering where the hell Steve and Jaime are half the time. Its a solid spy yarn though, with some decent twists, and Richard Anderson gets to chew some scenery as Oscar Goldman for once, but the film is brought down even more by the introduction of a really bad bionic blur effect that just... doesn't work. It's worth a look for both fans of the old series and Sandra Bullock lovers, but... thankfully, there would be one more attempt to salvage what was left of these iconic characters.Bionic Ever After? is the third and final episode in the form of a TV movie. On the plus side, its TOTALLY Steve and Jaime-centric. No bionic kids. It feels like a classic episode, albeit written by The Equalizer's Michael Sloan (who wrote and produced all three reunion films, tending to make them a bit edgier and more cynical than the original series for better and worse). My only real complaint is the score by Ron Ramin, which simply failed to evoke the proper spirit. This one gets by on a nostalgic story about Steve, Oscar, and Jaime, and finally sees the central, star-crossed, often ill-fated lovers finally making good on a few decades' worth of innuendo. Its a satisfying end, but not a moment too soon.Overall, two great series with two great boxed sets, each with enough great extras to make them worth the purchase price. I would love to see a proper remake, but not an improper one. Like Star Trek, this old series has a very specific formula, and I'd hate to see it revamped "in name only". Probably inevitable, but from concept to formula to zeigeist to old age, this is where you can find the one and only original Six Million Dollar Man. A VERY satisfied customer is what I am. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the show as much as I.