The New Bionic Woman

[Mark CMG]

The Six Million Dollar Man fighting Bigfoot was certainly a highlight of my television-watching youth.


I think based on this preview the series shows some promise. We should know by episode six if the acting is going to smooth out and if the writing is going to reach a consitent level. After that, they will be on cruise control until shark jumping time.

 

[Tetsubo]

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 tile 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?

Well the novel that the -Six Million Dollar Man- was based on was called -Cyborg-. Which is a pretty cool name... the novel is better than the TV show anyway... much darker and far less campy...

 

[Sir Brennen]

Besides, the Bionic Woman is a much better tile 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?

I thought there was a Jim Carrey movie in the works with exactly that premise.

If I remember correctly, 6M Man originally was a much more espionage/govt. spy type of series, much closer to the original Cyborg novel. It was only in later years that they started adding in more campy sci-fi elements, like Bigfoot.

Anyway, the new Bionic Woman seems like it will be a lot more of a psychological character study, as the main protagonist tries to come to grips with her new transhuman status. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

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

Me too.

I especially like the part where she wakes up in the hospital.

"Honey, I'm sorry, in order to save you I had to replace both your legs, your right arm, your right eye, and your right ear.

Oh, and... uh... your chest was crushed... err, so those new double D's I gave you should prevent that from... uh, ever happening again."

 

[Ranger REG]

Well the novel that the -Six Million Dollar Man- was based on was called -Cyborg-. Which is a pretty cool name... the novel is better than the TV show anyway... much darker and far less campy...

Yeah, but the novel wouldn't have that "neh-neh-neh-neh" sound effect scripted in, right?

Speaking of $6MilMan, I think I remembered having bad dreams of his bionic nemesis. Thankfully, I had my Austin action figure with me.

 

[Ranger REG]

Anyway, the new Bionic Woman seems like it will be a lot more of a psychological character study, as the main protagonist tries to come to grips with her new transhuman status. I'm looking forward to it.

She better comes to grip with her new body, because she'll be battling the first recipient of the prototype bionic (to be played by Katee "Starbuck" Sackhoff).

At least her character is not a pro tennis star, as in the original series.

 

[Umbran]

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.

On the gripping hand... there's a long, long history for reworking well-known tales. A history that predates TV. Arthurian mythology, Robin Hood, most other myths and legends, and every single thing Shakespeare wrote for the stage has been put through such a wringer. And some great works have come out of it. This is something humans do.

There is value to be gotten from the comparison and contrasting between the new. Sometimes, like in BSGs case, there's strong argument that the concept really wasn't done well originally, and the later reworking is superior to the original, but similar enough that it should be called by the same name.

 

[Mallus]

On the gripping hand... there's a long, long history for reworking well-known tales.

Like Forbidden Planet, West Side Story, Yojimbo, The Magnificent Seven, and The Maltese Falcon, and that's just film, off the top of my head.

This is something humans do.

It's how art works.

Sometimes, like in BSGs case, there's strong argument that the concept really wasn't done well originally

Make that an overwhelming argument... The original BSG was something I could enjoy at the age of nine. The remake is something my wife and I enjoy pushing forty.

...but similar enough that it should be called by the same name.

It's similar enough that if the producers hadn't purchased the rights to the original and just changed some names they would have been sued from here to the Twelve Colonies.

 

[Particle_Man]

The think I didn't get was whether "Evil Bionic Lady" worked for the company or had gone Rogue, just to be, y'know, evil and all.

And why was the boss being such an ? You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Maybe that is *why* evil bionic lady went evil. I wouldn't want to work for an boss like that.

 

[Mistwell]

The 9 min preview looks good. The lead is a bit young (23), but hopefully I can adjust to that. I'd prefer a bionic woman 10 years older than that.