The concept of The Six Million Dollar Man originated in a 1972 book entitled Cyborg by Martin Caidin. The story is very similar to what the TV show's open tells us: Astronaut Steve Austin has suffered a terrible accident and has lost both legs, an arm and an eye. Through the miracle of science, Austin is rebuilt using bionics.
This week co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto discuss this iconic show from the 70s that helped keep sci-fi alive.
In Cyborg and the three other novels in the series, Austin is a government assassin. Of course, in the TV series, he was a good-guy agent who helped people.
The Six Million Dollar Man was a major ratings winner for ABC and spawned an incredible merchandising empire in the 70s! Just saying it was "huge" doesn't do justice to the show's cultural impact.
In the days before cable TV and the internet, viewers only had three choices from which to choose their programming (four if you include PBS). So a popular show likeThe Six Million Dollar Man could reach a vastly greater audience in 1973 than one can today.
It reached deep into the collective consciousness. Everyone knew and could quote its opening sequence. Kids and teens ran in slow motion and used the "ch-ch-ch-ch-ch" sound effects as they demonstrated their imaginary bionic ability.
The show's popularity was far-reaching and we discuss its highlights on this episode.
