The era of (fictional) Bionics (Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman)

[Qonundrum]

After the Death Probe escapades, which I'd not seen before, it's easy to see when the show went from being general-audience high concept sci-fi espionage adventure to kid faff (but produced in a similarly serious-toned style). Certainly nothing like the fairly excellent "The Seven Million Dollar Man" from season 2. The first one drags, and there's a convenient plot hole where Steve screws in the hook for the grappling cable, but that location work toward the end looked like the same area they did a bit of T2 in. But it wasn't boring and they used enough real science tidbits at the right times. The second one simply glossies over how the baddie could steal the schematics from one group and equipment/components from another, and the cliffhanger with that look on Steve's face just begs the caption "Why are we rehashing this second-rate dalek clone?!". There were a couple of moments, but a shining example of season 5 it was not.

Had also just watched "Brain Wash" from season 3 of Bionic Woman - I don't recall seeing this one before. The final season moved to a new network and was definitely engaging in "tactics" to get audiences to watch. Late-70s fashion prevailing, of course... but the plot was as well-structured as it was simple*, paced fairly well (few nitpicks), and the climax was worth the 47 minutes. If anything, as it's a thing of the time for shows, why the episode starts with the episode's upcoming highlights almost spoils some of it (at least TNG kept spoilers to the teaser and not right on the moment when the episode started, sheesh!!) But, yeah, when the bionics kick in, Jaime should be running 10x faster than your typical running human - but the scene in question was built for audience reveling in the tension. It's genuinely solid and is far better than "The Martians are Coming" (if only because of the deliberate plot omission involving perceived teleportation), and is better than the sweeps week Fembot two-parter - which is passable but feels like a rehash but with an underwhelming twist at the end. And I do recall seeing "Martians" as a kid. Probably the biggest disappointment in revisiting nostalgia, but it's amazing what is holding up.

* a story need be neither simple nor complex, just be solid and well-told.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I watched the pilot movie yesterday. It was middling but better than I expected.

Though I saw most of the series first run, I'd missed this.

 

[Skipper]

And when Oliver Nelson was scoring the music for the series, I loved it. Even to this day, this is my favorite action sequence and BGM music for the series from one of its (to me) standout episodes: The Seven Million Dollar Man:

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I believe Oliver Nelson stopped scoring for the series after the third season.

You know, I'm not too sure about the physics of this scene. I think if someone pushed hard enough on a gate like that, it would just come crashing down or pop off its hinges before the chain could break.

 

[Christopher]

You know, I'm not too sure about the physics of this scene.

You could say that about scenes in every single episode, probably.

 

[Noname Given]

You know, I'm not too sure about the physics of this scene. I think if someone pushed hard enough on a gate like that, it would just come crashing down or pop off its hinges before the chain could break.

You could say that about scenes in every single episode, probably.

Yep. The sequence where Barney snaps the steel Pistol in half would probably not be possible as depicted either - but hey they're using comic book superhero physics there.

 

[Skipper]

Yep. The sequence where Barney snaps the steel Pistol in half would probably not be possible as depicted either - but hey they're using comic book superhero physics there.

If you applied enough force, would a gun bend or break?

 

[theenglish]

If you applied enough force, would a gun bend or break?

Were both his arms bionic?

 

[Christopher]

Were both his arms bionic?

Yes, which is why he cost $7 million instead of 6.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Yes, which is why he cost $7 million instead of 6.

It's funny how the implication was that the additional arm drove up the cost to $7 mil, as if he had "Steve's bionics plus another arm" but Barney didn't have a bionic eye. Of course, the cost of the eye vs the arm wouldn't be the same and it's not like the cost of each man's reconstruction was split evenly across the limbs. So I'm not sure what my point really is, but Steve did have a bionic ability that Barney didn't.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

It's funny how the implication was that the additional arm drove up the cost to $7 mil, as if he had "Steve's bionics plus another arm" but Barney didn't have a bionic eye. Of course, the cost of the eye vs the arm wouldn't be the same and it's not like the cost of each man's reconstruction was split evenly across the limbs. So I'm not sure what my point really is, but Steve did have a bionic ability that Barney didn't.

But, two arms!!!

 

[Christopher]

It's funny how the implication was that the additional arm drove up the cost to $7 mil, as if he had "Steve's bionics plus another arm" but Barney didn't have a bionic eye. Of course, the cost of the eye vs the arm wouldn't be the same and it's not like the cost of each man's reconstruction was split evenly across the limbs. So I'm not sure what my point really is, but Steve did have a bionic ability that Barney didn't.

Logically, since Steve was the prototype and Barney was the second, Steve's cost per prosthetic would probably have been higher, what with the additional spending on research and testing the first time, improved efficiency with experience the second time, etc. So that, along with the eye, would explain why Barney cost only 1/6 more despite having 1/3 more bionic limbs.

The Bionic Woman's premiere episode claimed that Jaime's bionics cost less than Steve's because her limbs were smaller, though I'm not sure I buy that. If anything, figuring out how to make the components more compact might have cost more in R&D. Plus there's two years' worth of inflation to take into account.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Logically, since Steve was the prototype and Barney was the second, Steve's cost per prosthetic would probably have been higher, what with the additional spending on research and testing the first time, improved efficiency with experience the second time, etc. So that, along with the eye, would explain why Barney cost only 1/6 more despite having 1/3 more bionic limbs.

The Bionic Woman's premiere episode claimed that Jaime's bionics cost less than Steve's because her limbs were smaller, though I'm not sure I buy that. If anything, figuring out how to make the components more compact might have cost more in R&D. Plus there's two years' worth of inflation to take into account.

Steve should have cost a LOT more than Barney, for the reasons you mentioned. His project would be billed for all of Rudy's R&D. And his eye alone would be very expensive.

Maybe Max the German shepherd, and some unseen, less fortunate early-attempt dogs, got billed for the R&D. That would explain both the low cost of Steve and Barney, and Steve's smooth bionic conversion that worked like a charm on the first human trial.

The line about Jaime's smaller limbs moderating the cost, I always took that as a character making a little joke.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Steve should have cost a LOT more than Barney, for the reasons you mentioned. His project would be billed for all of Rudy's R&D. And his eye alone would be very expensive.

Maybe Max the German shepherd, and some unseen, less fortunate early-attempt dogs, got billed for the R&D. That would explain both the low cost of Steve and Barney, and Steve's smooth bionic conversion that worked like a charm on the first human trial.

The line about Jaime's smaller limbs moderating the cost, I always took that as a character making a little joke.

That actually sounds like a good unexplored plot idea; what if there was a prototype before Steve Austin whose body rejected the bionics, who was being kept in cryogenic sleep until a way could be found for the body to accept the artificial limbs.

 

[Skipper]

That actually sounds like a good unexplored plot idea; what if there was a prototype before Steve Austin whose body rejected the bionics, who was being kept in cryogenic sleep until a way could be found for the body to accept the artificial limbs.

... It is actually the plot for the unproduced Kevin Smith's movie...

 

[publiusr]

If you applied enough force, would a gun bend or break?

Some thoughts

Is it possible to stop a handgun from firing by grabbing the slide?

Answer (1 of 16): Not simply by “grabbing the slide”. The implication is that you’re grabbing the slide to keep it from cycling. This may prevent chambering of the second round, but does nothing to prevent the discharge of the round already in the chamber. However grabbing the side and pushing i...

www.quora.com

The Death Probe—what was the sound effect?

Rudy had a heat ray in one episode—also a nice sound effect

 

[Qonundrum]

After the Death Probe escapades, it's easy to see when the show went from being general-audience high concept sci-fi espionage adventure to kid faff (but produced in a similar style).

Just watched "Brain Wash" from season 3 of Bionic Woman - the final season moved to a new network and was definitely engaging in "tactics" to get audiences to watch. Late-70s fashion prevailing, of course... but the plot was really well-structured, paced fairly well (few nitpicks), and the climax was worth the wait. If anything, a thing of the time, why the episode starts with the episode's upcoming highlights almost spoils some of it. But, yeah, when the bionics kick in, Jaime should be running 10x faster than your typical running human - but the scene in question was built for audience reveling in the tension.

A shame other season 3 episodes were a mixed bag if not poor, but this is one of the better ones.

I'll say again that the pilot was TSMDM concept at its best, when Austin was portrayed as close to having realistic reactions to his plight and government theft of his autonomy as one will ever see in TSDM, with the exception of the Jaime Sommers 2-parter which introduced her (3/16/75 & 3/23/75). Being produced in 1973, the pilot's politics were clearly walking the "Do not trust the government" path, which resonated with viewers who could understand Austin's anger at having a government agency choose his fate for him. There were no faux-superheroics, or tongue-in-cheek moments in what was what a sci-fi character study. The downbeat end was such a hallmark of early 70s TV movies, and it was a fitting end to a film that stands on its own if a viewer was not interested in the other TV movies and series.

After the Death Probe escapades, it's easy to see when the show went from being general-audience high concept sci-fi espionage adventure to kid faff (but still produced in a similar "serious" style). Season 4 is a definitely downturn, and season 5 also feels like there's nothing fresh that the show can do, even if the "variation on a theme" for DeathProbe2 felt authentic. It still looked like a second rate Dalek, which took me out of the episode even more than a scene of several minutes of machine whirr as everyone runs around it.

Just watched "Brain Wash" from season 3 of Bionic Woman - the final season moved to a new network and was definitely engaging in "tactics" to get audiences to watch. Late-70s fashion prevailing, of course... but the plot was really well-structured, paced fairly well (few nitpicks), and the climax was worth the wait. If anything, a thing of the time, why the episode starts with the episode's upcoming highlights almost spoils some of it. But, yeah, when the bionics kick in, Jaime should be running 10x faster than your typical running human - but the scene in question was built for audience reveling in the tension.

A shame other season 3 episodes were a mixed bag if not poor, but this is one of the better ones.

Thanks. I remember SMDM showing Steve running in "real time" a couple of times, but it didn't seem very convincing...

I'll see if I can find some clips on Youtube!

ETA:
You know, it's not bad!

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It's wild!

 

[Christopher]

If anything, a thing of the time, why the episode starts with the episode's upcoming highlights almost spoils some of it.

It was considered teasing, not spoiling. Back then, people weren't as worried about whether they were surprised by a story. Many movies were adapted from books or plays that their audience was already familiar with, and even original movies often released their novelizations ahead of time to generate interest. The novelization of The Empire Strikes Back, complete with the twist about Vader being Luke's father, was released a month before the movie came out. Advance knowledge was an incentive to see the complete work. What mattered was the experience itself, not just whether it came as a surprise.

In the case of TV, before home video, you could only watch one of the shows in a given time slot, and thus the different shows were competing for the audience's attention. Showing a preview at the start of the episode was an attempt to sell the audience on sticking around for it rather than changing the channel or turning off the TV. Thus, the previews had to emphasize the exciting bits.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

After the Death Probe escapades, it's easy to see when the show went from being general-audience high concept sci-fi espionage adventure to kid faff (but still produced in a similar "serious" style). Season 4 is a definitely downturn, and season 5 also feels like there's nothing fresh that the show can do, even if the "variation on a theme" for DeathProbe2 felt authentic. It still looked like a second rate Dalek, which took me out of the episode even more than a scene of several minutes of machine whirr as everyone runs around it.

The inherent poison of movie and TV producers / studios is to milk good concepts dry, turning once-great ideas in to bastardized nonsense that far outnumbers the good. This is evident in many old and current entertainment franchises, and undoubtedly a problem found in The Six Million Dollar Man. During its original run, some people enjoyed Death Probe, aliens with their Bigfoot, and the usual referenced stories, while others thought they were exactly what happens when a series takes the Irwin Allen kiddie path of "go bigger!! more explosive!! more action and shock!!" losing the original, natural intent of a concept. That, and Lee Majors' stab at singing marred what could have been a great one-and-done sci-fi/drama TV movie.

Some concepts have many stories as part of their natural DNA--others do not, but its rare to find producers willing to admit their production fell into the "do not" category.

 

[JD]

... It is actually the plot for the unproduced Kevin Smith's movie...

They also used the prototype/bionic person before the hero in The Bionic Woman reboot with Katee Sackhoff's Big Bad. She was the first Bionic Woman before Jaime, but she ended up being evil or the bionics turned her evil, and they abandoned her and moved on to Jaime.

 

[Christopher]

I used to misremember that Barney Miller/Hiller in "The Seven Million Dollar Man" was a failed prototype, so I was surprised when I rewatched the episode and they said he was made after Steve.

Didn't it eventually get revealed that Max the Bionic Dog was the first prototype? So it would be Max, Steve, Barney, Jamie. And then a few people in the revival movies, though I'm not sure if anyone else was bionicized in the interim. I have a vague impression of the first revival movie establishing that Rudy had moved into developing regular-strength bionic prosthetics for general medical use, but I could be misremembering.