The New Bionic Woman

[horacethegrey]

A lot of it is because fans of the new show feel the need to trash the old show (which they didn't like).

Plus modern stuff is just as cheesy now as the stuff from the 70s, it's just that it's not as obvious now as it will be 30 years into the future. I guess some things do hold up, but most are products of their time. While you are in that era, it seems great. But later on, not so much.

Oh I do agree that some modern shows do have a major cheese factor to them. Torchwood comes to mind.

But in the case of The Bionic Woman, I'd understand all the hate for this new series if the original was something special. But it wasn't in my eyes. It was one of the lamest examples of scifi TV that I've had the misfortune of beholding. And no, I don't care if it was made 30 years ago or if it's a product of it's time. Quality I think is not a factor affected by time. Look at the original Star Trek, despite some dated 60's aspects it's still one of the best science fiction programs I've seen (and one I prefer over the The Next Generation). Some old episodes of the classic Doctor Who are far superior to those of the new series, despite some dated effects. And then there's the original Star Wars. Are people here going to argue that the modern day prequels are better than that wonderful film?

 

[Graybeard]

I watched the original Bionic Woman show when I was a teenager. I am cautiously waiting to watch the new show. I wasn't originally excited by the idea of a new BSG but after watching the mini series I decided to give the show a chance. I'm glad I did because it is really good. Hopefully the new Bionic Woman series will be as good as the new BSG.

 

[Ranger REG]

I watched the original Bionic Woman show when I was a teenager. I am cautiously waiting to watch the new show. I wasn't originally excited by the idea of a new BSG but after watching the mini series I decided to give the show a chance. I'm glad I did because it is really good. Hopefully the new Bionic Woman series will be as good as the new BSG.

Hopefully not as dark and bleak as the new BSG.

The face of the new Bionic Woman looks familiar but I can't pinpoint where (as a child actress).

 

[drothgery]

Hopefully not as dark and bleak as the new BSG.

The face of the new Bionic Woman looks familiar but I can't pinpoint where (as a child actress).

Here's her IMDB page.

 

[Felon]

Yeah. I thought the fiasco over the new BSG was uncalled for. If fans wanted the original, then they should watch the bloody original! No one's forcing them to watch the new show. Ronald Moore did make it clear that his take was going to be drastically different, so I feel he was unfairly demonized by many people.

OK, here's the flipside of that: if you're a TV show producer and you have little to no regard for the expectations of fans of the classic series, and you'd rather go off on a radically new direction, then forget the original series and just go ahead and make it a brand new show. That fixes a lot of problems for everybody. The new BSG was so different that it scarcely needed to be called BSG. I suspect the same is true of this new Bionic Woman.

Stupid fanboy whining.

Oh, I was tempted to say something about the nature of your own post (nobody ever regards themselves as whining; it's always the other guy) but I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt that you were merely being thoughtless rather than consciously being offensive.

 

[Felon]

That 9 minute preview does look pretty good. I'm intrigued.

I was intrigued at the start of it, but the trailer was pretty much one huge spoiler. It told the entire plot scene-by-scene, and gave away the third-act surprises. I have no reason to tune in other than to sit through the padding.

 

[Silver Moon]

Geez, am I the only one here who has fond memories of the original series? What can I say, I was a young teenager when it first aired - I thought the show was great! (And Lindsey Wagner, while not the greatest actress in the world, had ten times the acting talents of Lee Majors).

I liked both the Six-Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman shows. Thankfully though, the other planned spin-off shows - Bionic Boy, Bionic Girl and Bionic Dog - didn't go beyond the pilot episodes (although the Bionic Girl was played by a young Sandra Bullock).

 

[Fast Learner]

I watched the original every week, as with the Six Million Dollar Man. People forget that SF&F was very thing on the ground in those days, and we craved it... and as a result, I think, liked it more than we might otherwise have. I have incredibly fond memories of The Six Million Dollar Man, but couldn't find anything in it when watching a couple of episodes a few months ago.

Similarly, if I'd been a few years younger, I might have fond memories of the D&D cartoon, but since it didn't air until I was an adult, my tastes had become more discriminating and it just seems lame to me.

 

[horacethegrey]

OK, here's the flipside of that: if you're a TV show producer and you have little to no regard for the expectations of fans of the classic series, and you'd rather go off on a radically new direction, then forget the original series and just go ahead and make it a brand new show. That fixes a lot of problems for everybody. The new BSG was so different that it scarcely needed to be called BSG. I suspect the same is true of this new Bionic Woman.

Perhaps you have a point. Maybe Ronald Moore should have created a new series to better carry his vision, rather than reimagining an old series at the expense of it's longtime fans.

On the other hand though, I really don't see what's wrong with what Ronald Moore did. Reimaginings or revisions if you will of old series happen often. And sometimes the end product is better than the original. Nobody cried out for Alan Moore's blood when he turned a lame 50's british Captain Marvel ripoff into the dark and powerful superhero tale called Miracleman. And hardly anyone bitched when Frank Miller rewrote Batman's origin with a much darker bent in Batman: Year One.

Oh, I was tempted to say something about the nature of your own post (nobody ever regards themselves as whining; it's always the other guy) but I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt that you were merely being thoughtless rather than consciously being offensive.

No sorry. I don't think I was being thoughtless. I thought much of the hate and trashing Ron Moore recieved from the BSG purists was tired, mean spirited, and just plain stupid. Had the purists come up with decent arguments as to why Moore's show should not exist I'd have more respect for them. But bitching about small things (STARBUCK IS A MAN! :\ ) and other inconsequential details does nothing to endear these people to me.

 

[Ranger REG]

(although the Bionic Girl was played by a young Sandra Bullock).

It could have taken off. Unfortunately, Sandra Bullock looks like "Deborah Norville" taking over "Jane Pauley" when she's still in her prime. The later and final TV-movie closed the chapter of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman without any hint of a spin-off.

Besides, the Bionic Woman is a much better title than the Six Million Dollar Man. I mean, with $6 mil (US) in today's strained and inflated economy, what can we put inside a dude?