SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN - SEASON 1
The show that took six weeks to prepare in order to go to series features a number of landmark episodes that fans remember fondly. The thirteen episodes that make up the first season of The Six Million Dollar Man consist of a variety of scenarios that showed the range and potential of this series. One week, Steve is investigating a town where the entire population has died, the next he's fighting a robot, and the next he's struggling to prove his late father's innocence. And it's all done without any of the iconic sound effects the fans are used to hearing.
It's the movie that started it all and the only recognizable element in it is Lee Majors himself. Hosts John S. Drew and Paul K. Bisson discuss the pilot movie with Matt Hankinson, chief creative consultant for the Time Life DVD release of the Six Million Dollar Man series.
The second television movie before the series began is a radical shift from the pilot movie. Hosts John S. Drew and Paul K. Bisson discuss the pros and cons of this second movie with Joseph Burns, major contributor to the DVD release of the Six Million Dollar Man series and webmaster of thesix1973.com.
It's the last pilot movie or the second ABC Suspense Movie or the third abomination (if you watch it in its two part syndicated form). It's "The Solid Gold Kidnapping" and it features an all-star cast as Steve teams up with a scientist who utilizes a revolutionary technique of retrieving memories from brain cells to try to track down a kidnapped American diplomat. Joining John and Paul is Alex Green (the6milliondollarblog.com).
It's the first episode of the series and who better to discuss it with the boys than Star Trek author and huge Six Million Dollar Man fan (he still has his copy of The Secret of Bigfoot novelization) Dayton Ward. In this longer episode, they discuss how "Population: Zero" manages to hit all the marks of an opening episode that establishes the feel of the series. They also take an in-depth look into the iconic theme music and opening credits.
John and Paul are joined by bionicwomanfiles.com author James Sherrard to discuss "Survival of the Fittest." An assassin is gunning for Oscar and he can't escape, even when his plane crashes on a remote island. Fortunately, The Six Million Dollar Man is on his side.
The developer of a wireless laser is kidnapped and the only clue Steve has to finding him is the inventor's daughter gifted with ESP. Podcaster Clay Dugger joins the boys to discuss the episode.
Major Fred Sloan (John Saxon) is the developer of a missile intercept device that is about to be demonstrated to the military. He is replaced by a robot duplicate whose orders are to steal the activator for the device. It's up to Steve to stop the robot from getting away. The boys are joined once again by author Dayton Ward in discussing this episode.
A plane is shot down over a small African country while taking pictures fo United Nations treaty violations in the area. Steve is sent in to retrieve the film and discovers that the pilot (Greg Morris - Mission: Impossible) is alive, but injured. He must repair the damaged plane and make it capable of carrying himself, the pilot, and two missionary nuns who cared for the pilot, out of the dangerous area. The boys are joined once again by author Dayton Ward in discussing this episode.
Steve agrees to help his cosmonaut friend, Vasily Zhukov, inspect the damage from a recent earthquake on a Russian facility. Aftershocks trap Zhukov's fiance, Irena, beneath the surface and trigger a doomsday device that will destroy the complex. The two mount a rescue mission into the heart of the complex in the hopes of saving Irina and the entire island. John and Paul are joined by Geek Radio Daily's Billy Flynn to discuss this episode.
Steve must prove that an alleged assassin with an airtight alibi killed an assistant DA, part of a team bringing down a known racketeer. The problem is, Steve saw the killer in the dark with his bionic eye and he can't give evidence without revealing his secret. John and Paul are joined by author, musician and podcaster (The Chronic Rift, Dead Kitchen Radio) Keith R.A. DeCandido to discuss how much of a police procedural is actually involved in this episode.
Steve reluctantly helps in the training of the world's first American female astronaut, Kelly Wood. But when there is an accident aboard her vessel that injures her fellow pilot, Kelly must pilot the Athena One to Skylab. Steve mounts a rescue mission to return the injured astronaut to earth. The hitch - his bionics malfunction in space. John and Paul are joined by author and podcaster (It Has Come to My Attention, Mighty Movies: Temple of Bad) Kevin Lauderdale.
Steve travels to Austria to keep an eye on Rudy Wells who is receiving an honorary degree from his alma mater. The problem is, when Steve arrives, "Dr. Wells is Missing" and Steve must find him as Rudy has only trained someone to replace a diode in Steve's arm and nothing else. John and Paul are joined by Time Life Video Six Million Dollar Man DVD collection chief consultant Matt Hankinson who places this episode in his top fifteen of all the bionic stories.
Steve must infiltrate a remote island complex and stop an international criminal named Quail from using a laser device on an unknown target before it causes "The Last of the Fourth of Julys" or "The Last of the Fourths of July" or "The Last of the July Fourths". John and Paul are joined by writer Dayton Ward to determine which should be the correct phrasing of this episode's title.
Astronaut Josh Lang (William Shatner) is transformed into a higher being with superior mental powers after passing through a strange energy field in space. Now, he's trying to cope with his new abilities that nobody believes he has, save for Steve. John and Paul are joined by writer Dayton Ward to explore Shatner's extraordinary performance in this episode.
Steve travels to China's border to recover top secret documents from a plane that was downed during World War II. This is a personal mission for Steve as the leader of the mission back then was his own father, Carl Austin, and the government's position is that Carl abandoned his crew as the plane went down. John and Paul are joined by writer/publisher/critic Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg as they look at this first episode that establishes Steve's family.
Steve is suspicious after several strange accidents in a row occur. He feels someone is trying to kill him, despite Oscar's dismissal of the notion. Travelling to Utah for a vacation, Steve takes the time to think about his past encounters as a bionic man and comes to the conclusion that it's Dr. Jeffrey Dolenz, the robot maker, who is stalking him. With this in mind, Steve sets himself up to be captured by Dolenz in order to find out the robot maker's ultimate plan. John and Paul are joine
John and Paul take a break from reviewing the episodes in the series to look back at the first season. Listener email, DVD bonus reviews, and Bionic Impression Theater await you. Plus, stay tuned for your chance to win a first season bionic gift package (get your mind out of the gutter).