The Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man is a television series about a cyborg working for a U.S. secret service called OSI. The show is based on the book Cyborg from Martin Caidin, and first aired in 1973.

Overview

The background story of the show is the crash of astronaut Steve Austin in an M2-F2 "lifting body", shown in the opening credits of the show (with NASA footage of Bruce Peterson's 1967 real-life accident . (The aircraft was actually refered to as being an "HL-10" in the series, and the real HL-10 was used in a later episode.) Austin is severely injured in the crash and is "rebuilt" in a title-giving operation that costs six million dollars. His right arm, both legs and the left eye are replaced by bionic (cybernetic) implants that enhance his strength, speed and vision far above human norm. He uses his enhanced abilities to work for the OSI (Office of Scientific Intelligence) as a secret agent (and as a guinea pig for bionics).

The show was very popular during its run and introduced many pop culture elements of the 1970s, such as the shows opening catch phrase and the slow motion action sequences and the accompaning "electronic" sound effects. The title role was played by Lee Majors and made him a pop culture icon.

For many years, attempts have been made to bring the story of Steve Austin to the movie screen. In the mid-1990s, noted director Kevin Smith wrote a screenplay, and there were reports later that comedian Chris Rock was being considered for the role. Most recently, plans were made to film the story as a full-out comedy starring Jim Carrey, much to the dismay of longtime fans of the show.

Catch phrase

The shows memorable opening narration become part of American pop culture. Despite the show's age, it is still easily recognized.

"Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."

Main characters

• Steve Austin, the title-giving character (played by Lee Majors)
• Oscar Goldman, the Director of the OSI (played by Richard Anderson)
• Dr. Rudy Wells, Austin's physician (played by Alan Oppenheimer/Martin E. Brooks)
• Jaime Sommers, the bionic woman, played by Lindsay Wagner

Parts

• A 20.1:1 zoom lens along with a nightvision function in the left eye.
• Bionic legs allow him to run at more than 156 km/h (67 mph aprox.) and make great leaps.
• A Bionic right arm with the equivalent strength of a bulldozer

There was a spinoff show later, The Bionic Woman, and a bionic dog Maximillian (Max-a-million).

Episode list

TV movies

Episode #			Original Air Date	Episode Title
M-1			07-Mar-73	The Six Million Dollar Man (a/k/a The Moon and the Desert)
M-2			20-Oct-73	Wine, Women and War
M-3			17-Nov-73	The Solid Gold Kidnapping

Season 1

Episode #		Prod #	Original Air Date	Episode Title
1.	1-1	40013	18-Jan-74	Population: Zero
2.	1-2	40007	25-Jan-74	Survival of the Fittest
3.	1-3	40016	01-Feb-74	Operation Firefly
4.	1-4	40012	08-Feb-74	Day of the Robot
5.	1-5	40014	22-Feb-74	Little Orphan Airplane
6.	1-6	40005	01-Mar-74	Doomsday, and Counting
7.	1-7	40023	08-Mar-74	Eyewitness to Murder
8.	1-8	40024	15-Mar-74	The Rescue of Athena One
9.	1-9	40021	29-Mar-74	Dr. Wells is Missing
10.	1-10	40022	05-Apr-74	The Last of the Fourth of Julys
11.	1-11	40020	12-Apr-74	Burning Bright
12.	1-12	40015	19-Apr-74	The Coward
13.	1-13	40025	26-Apr-74	Run, Steve, Run

Season 2

Episode #		Prod #	Original Air Date	Episode Title
14.	2-1	41201	13-Sep-74	Nuclear Alert
15.	2-2	41204	20-Sep-74	The Pioneers
16.	2-3	41206	27-Sep-74	Pilot Error
17.	2-4	41208	04-Oct-74	The Pal-Mir Escort
18.	2-5	41224	01-Nov-74	The Seven Million Dollar Man
19.	2-6	41214	08-Nov-74	Straight on 'til Morning
20.	2-7	41220	15-Nov-74	The Midas Touch
21.	2-8	41223	22-Nov-74	The Deadly Replay
22.	2-9	41213	29-Nov-74	Act of Piracy
23.	2-10	41227	13-Dec-74	Stranger in Broken Fork
24.	2-11	41228	20-Dec-74	The Peeping Blonde
25.	2-12	41210	10-Jan-75	The Cross-Country Kidnap
26.	2-13	41233	17-Jan-75	Lost Love
27.	2-14	41216	19-Jan-75	The Last Kamikaze
28.	2-15	41207	26-Jan-75	Return of the Robot Maker
29.	2-16	41212	02-Feb-75	Taneha
30.	2-17	41230	23-Feb-75	Look Alike
31.	2-18	41226	02-Mar-75	The E.S.P. Spy
32.	2-19	41244	16-Mar-75	The Bionic Woman (1)
33.	2-20	41245	23-Mar-75	The Bionic Woman (2)
34.	2-21	41231	20-Apr-75	Outrage in Balinderry
35.	2-22	41229	27-Apr-75	Steve Austin, Fugitive

Season 3

Episode #		Prod #	Original Air Date	Episode Title
36.	3-1	43020	14-Sep-75	The Return of the Bionic Woman (1)
37.	3-2	43029	21-Sep-75	The Return of the Bionic Woman (2)
38.	3-3	43018	28-Sep-75	The Price of Liberty
39.	3-4	43024	05-Oct-75	The Song and Dance Spy
40.	3-5	43010	12-Oct-75	The Wolf Boy
41.	3-6	43017	19-Oct-75	The Deadly Test
42.	3-7	43003	26-Oct-75	Target in the Sky
43.	3-8	43001	02-Nov-75	One of Our Running Backs is Missing
44.	3-9	43012	09-Nov-75	The Bionic Criminal
45.	3-10	43006	16-Nov-75	The Blue Flash
46.	3-11	43021	23-Nov-75	The White Lightning War
47.	3-12	43019	30-Nov-75	Divided Loyalty
48.	3-13	43026	14-Dec-75	Clark Templeton O'Flaherty
49.	3-14	43022	21-Dec-75	The Winning Smile
50.	3-15		11-Jan-76	Welcome Home, Jaime (1)
51.	3-16	43033	18-Jan-76	Hocus-Pocus
52.	3-17	43027	01-Feb-76	The Secret of Bigfoot (1)
53.	3-18	43028	04-Feb-76	The Secret of Bigfoot (2)
54.	3-19	43007	08-Feb-76	The Golden Pharaoh
55.	3-20	43008	15-Feb-76	Love Song for Tanya
56.	3-21	43032	22-Feb-76	The Bionic Badge
57.	3-22	43031	07-Mar-76	Big Brother

Season 4

Episode #		Prod #	Original Air Date	Episode Title
58.	4-1	45124	19-Sep-76	The Return of Bigfoot (1)
59.	4-2	45108	26-Sep-76	Nightmare in the Sky
60.	4-3	45121	03-Oct-76	Double Trouble
61.	4-4	45105	17-Oct-76	The Most Dangerous Enemy
62.	4-5	45102	24-Oct-76	H+2+O = Death
63.	4-6	45120	31-Oct-76	Kill Oscar (2)
64.	4-7	45196	07-Nov-76	The Bionic Boy
65.	4-8	45114	21-Nov-76	Vulture of the Andes
66.	4-9	45194	28-Nov-76	The Thunderbird Conection
67.	4-10	45126	12-Dec-76	A Bionic Christmas Carol
68.	4-11	45115	19-Dec-76	Task Force
69.	4-12	45125	02-Jan-77	The Ultimate Imposter
70.	4-13	45122	09-Jan-77	Death Probe (1)
71.	4-14	45123	16-Jan-77	Death Probe (2)
72.	4-15	45106	23-Jan-77	Danny's Inferno
73.	4-16	45107	30-Jan-77	Fires of Hell
74.	4-17	45113	06-Feb-77	The Infiltrators
75.	4-18	45101	13-Feb-77	Carnival of Spies
76.	4-19	45109	20-Feb-77	U-509
77.	4-20	45110	27-Feb-77	The Privacy of the Mind
78.	4-21	45116	06-Mar-77	To Catch the Eagle
79.	4-22	45128	15-May-77	The Ghostly Teletype

Season 5

Episode #		Prod #	Original Air Date	Episode Title
80.	5-1	47306	11-Sep-77	Sharks (1)
81.	5-2	47307	18-Sep-77	Sharks (2)
82.	5-3	47322	25-Sep-77	Deadly Countdown (1)
83.	5-4	47323	02-Oct-77	Deadly Countdown (2)
84.	5-5	47311	09-Oct-77	Bigfoot V
85.	5-6	47326	16-Oct-77	Killer Wind
86.	5-7	47315	30-Oct-77	Rollback
87.	5-8	47303	06-Nov-77	Dark Side of the Moon (1)
88.	5-9	47304	13-Nov-77	Dark Side of the Moon (2)
89.	5-10	47309	27-Nov-77	Target: Steve Austin
90.	5-11	47313	18-Dec-77	The Cheshire Project
91.	5-12	47319	01-Jan-78	Walk a Deadly Wing
92.	5-13	47314	08-Jan-78	Just a Matter of Time
93.	5-14	47301	22-Jan-78	Return of the Deathprobe (1)
94.	5-15	47302	29-Jan-78	Return of the Deathprobe (2)
95.	5-16	47397	30-Jan-78	The Lost Island
96.	5-17	47328	06-Feb-78	The Madonna Caper
97.	5-18	47334	13-Feb-78	Dead Ringer
98.	5-19	47317	20-Feb-78	Date With Danger (1)
99.	5-20	47320	27-Feb-78	Date With Danger (2)
100.	5-21	47332	06-Mar-78	The Moving Mountain

Later TV movies

Episode #			Original Air Date	Episode Title
M-4			17-May-87	The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman
M-5			30-Apr-89	Bionic Showdown
M-6			29-Nov-94	Bionic Ever After?

Trivia

The aircraft seen crashing in the opening sequence of the show is real. It was an M2-F2, a "flying body configuration" built by Northrop. The audio is from a crash that occurred on May 10 1967: "I can't hold her, she's breaking up! She's breaking--". The crash occurred at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The actual test pilot, Bruce Peterson, hit the ground at 400 km/h (250 mph aprox.), tumbling six times. Like the fictional character, Steve Austin, Peterson lost use of his right eye, but retained use of all limbs. Because of his impaired vision, he had to stop flying, ending his career. Understandably, Peterson has said that he hated reliving his accident, week after week, courtesy of Steve Austin.

A number of changes had to be made to Caidin's version of the character to make him work for television. In the original novels, Austin was a cold-blooded killer, while the TV version rarely killed after his status as a childhood hero had been realized. A number of changes to Austin's bionics were also made. In the novel, Austin's left arm, not his right, was the bionic one. Also, the arm was little more than a superpowered battering ram and not as complex as the TV version. Austin was blind in his bionic eye in the books, which was simply used as alternately a camera or a laser, and was removeable(!). The book version of Steve Austin had some abilities the TV version lacked, such as a radio transmitter contained within a rib, a steel-reinforced skull that made it impossible for him to be knocked out with a blow to the head, and a CO2-powered poison dart gun in one of his bionic fingers which the literary version of Austin often used to eliminate bad guys.

One of the show's most famous set pieces was a rotating ice tunnel that appeared in several episodes featuring Bigfoot (who, in this series, was the guardian for a group of aliens observing earth; the tunnel was a line of defence intended to disorientate and knock out intruders). This tunnel was for many years a popular part of the Universal Studios Tour, and tourists still pass through the tunnel today on the tour, though as of 2003 it had been redesigned to resemble the entrance to The Mummy's Tomb.

One Christmas-themed episode of the series demonstrated an unexpected bit of product placement when Austin visits a toy store where Six Million Dollar Man action figures are visible in the background.

DVD release of the series has been delayed for unconfirmed reasons (it is rumored a royalties issue might be the cause of the delay; it has also been suggested that the studio is waiting for production of a new Six Million Dollar Man movie to be confirmed). As a result, its spin-off, The Bionic Woman is actually expected to arrive on DVD first, according to Universal Studios as early as the end of 2004.

Books and Comics

Martin Caidin wrote four novels featuring his original version of Steve Austin: Cyborg, Operation Nuke, High Crystal, and Cyborg IV. Although several other writers such as Mike Jahn would later write a number of novelizations based upon the TV series, in most cases these writers chose to base their character upon the literary version of Austin rather than the TV show version. As a result, several of the novelizations have entire scenes and in one case an ending that differed than the original episodes, as the cold-blooded killer of Caidin's novels handled things somewhat differently than his watered-down TV counterpart.

Charlton Comics published both a color comic book and a black and white, illustrated magazine, both featuring original adventures. While the comic book was closely based upon the series, the magazine was darker and more violent and seemed to be based more upon the literary version of the character. Both magazines were cancelled around the same time the TV series ended.

Peter Pan Records and its sister company Power Records published several record albums featuring original dramatized stories, several of which were also adapted as comic books designed to be read along with the recording.