So much average

From my favorite movies..

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Faster than a speeding bullet? More powerful than a locomotive? Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound? - Well, not quite, but, hey, what the heck could the American TV audience possibly expect (even back in 1974) from a superhero who only cost 6 million bucks? That's dirt cheap!At best, I'd say that this Action/Crime/Adventure series from the 1970s was "OK", but, it definitely wasn't great.The Six Million Dollar Man stars hunky, ex-football champion, Lee Majors, as Col. Steven Austin whose damaged body (following the crash of an experimental aircraft) is secretly rebuilt through the wonders of modern science known as "Bionics".Always kept under the watchful eye of OSI director, Oscar Goldman, Steve Austin heroically repays his great debt to the American taxpayers by gallantly taking on perilous missions of a highly classified nature.

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?

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.

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?