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Posted: |
Jan 4, 2011 - 12:29 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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For a limited time only, The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Season 1 is available on DVD. Season 1 contains all 13 episodes from the first year of the groundbreaking TV series. The 6-DVD set also includes all three pilot movies (in their uncut, original broadcast versions), plus over two hours of bonus features that includes a new interview with Executive Producer Harve Bennett. All episodes are remastered and restored for pristine quality. Not available in stores!
This past November, Time-Life released their direct-sale-exclusive gift set of The Six Million Dollar Man - The Complete Series, a 40-DVD package with every episode of the show's 5-year run, plus all 3 pre-series pilot telefilms and all 3 post-series telefilm team-ups with The Bionic Woman...not to mention every cross-over episode of The Bionic Woman that Colonel Steve Austin contributing to a Jaime Sommers storyline!
Speaking for myself, personally, I've been watching that set in order, and I'm coming to the end of the fifth and final season, and I'll next tackle the reunion specials and all the remaining bonus material. I have been a passionate "Bionic" fan since the first TV airings when I was a kid, and I cannot imagine there could have been a more perfect DVD release of The Six Million Dollar Man. The set is practically immaculate, and it's a shoe-in for DVD title of the year. Incredible work; well done all the way around!
But for fans who need (or simply prefer) to buy this show one season at a time, the folks at Time Life have now begun selling the 6-DVD set of The Six Million Dollar Man - Pilot TV Movies and The Complete Season 1 on its own, for a $39.99 price tag (and, for a limited time, free shipping). It's in stock now, and ready to ship just as soon as you place your order! No word yet about if or when other season sets of this series will be made available in a similar fashion. Plus - as the studio description quoted at top points out - the Season 1 set sold on it's own is "for a limited time only". Be sure to jump on it, Steve Austin-style!
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Six-Million-Dollar-Man-Season-1/14873
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Life keeps intervening, so I've been away from my SMDM set forever. But tonight I watched the next two in order: "Eyewitness to Murder" and "The Rescue of Athena One."
"Eyewitness" is a plodding procedural that I probably won't sit through again. Oliver Nelson gave it some decent music, though. I'm finding it ironic that after 37 years, second banana Richard Anderson and guest star Gary Lockwood still look good, even timeless, in their business suits, but the star looks like hell.
The glamorous and super-cool Steve Austin is the only one wearing dated fad fashions. Even when Steve puts on a traditional men's sport coat, it's loud and clangs on the eye. I'm glad this never happened to the other fella. Or barely happened, depending on some of Moore's suits in LALD/MWGG.
"The Rescue of Athena One" is charming and terrific. Farrah is a perfect doll as Kelly. I got swept up in the space mission. Neither Steve nor Kelly can do all the heroics alone, so she isn't relegated to girl-rescued status but gets to do her part saving the day. Only the space-mission special effects were lacking, and I put that down to charm.
The story was inspired by Apollo 13, and the zero fx budget even led to using a still photo of the A-13 service module as damaged in that real-life explosion. This episode would be a perfect candidate for the STAR TREK treatment, where they replace all the original fx with new CGI animation.
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In the first season, the main title was sung by Dusty Springfield. Is that included?
That song was only used for the two Glen Larson produced films: Wine Women and War and The Sold Gold Kidnapping. And yes, they are included.
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Today I watched "Dr Wells is Missing" and "The Last of the Fourth of Julys."
Lee did a lot of his own stunts in "Missing," even some that looked dangerous, but there are one or two stunts where you can see it's not him. When he leaves the al fresco restaurant by leaping over a railing, the stuntman's face is front and center. I hope that guy got the DVD set and showed his grandchildren.
During the fight in the snow, when Steve knocks the French savate expert down and the guy goes sliding across the yard, you can see the tow wire pulling him along.
For the establishing shot of an Austrian village, I think they used a matte painting on glass that was lit from behind, so the windows glowed brightly. The same technique was used for Starbase 11 in "Court-Martial." It works pretty well because you'd never expect a "dead" still frame to glow like that.
Regarding "Fourth of Julys," I have the GAF Viewmaster Reels for SMDM, and for some reason all these years I thought the female guest star was Barbara Luna (Marlena in ST "Mirror, Mirror"). But she was actually Arlene Martel (T'Pring, who dumped Spock). Well into the episode, I was still trying to shoehorn Arlene Martel's SMDM character into my memory of what Barbara Luna looked like.
Early in the episode when Oscar is briefing Steve with a little slide show, a photo of a water treatment facility comes up as the enemy's facility. And if you look closely, Steve is already in that slide-- a place his character hasn't been to yet-- starting his bionic run on the left side of the frame. That was a neat little blooper or in-joke.
The thing with the stuntmen and the tiny image of Steve in the projected slide where he doesn't belong is, I'm watching on a huge TV by 1974 standards, and although the DVD player is outputting standard def, I think the resolution might be higher on an LCD set than what we had on the old 70's tubes.
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Posted: |
Aug 3, 2014 - 12:45 PM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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"The Seven Million Dollar Man" is one of the series' most memorable episodes, falling just short of the first season's "Day of the Robot" in terms of its childhood effect on young Jim Phelps.
In "T7MDM", Monte Markham sneers his lines out of the side of his mouth as his "Barney Miller" character spirals out of control. Markham makes each successive scene he's in more and more obnoxious and dangerous. Pop culture has latched on to his infamous post-ass kicking line, "It's wild, Steve--it's wild!"
Oliver Nelson composed a suitable theme for Miller with buzzing electronics(?) signifying, to me at least, his malfunctioning self. Lee Majors gives an energetic performance as he finally shows some anger with Miller's behavior and I was impressed with his rapport with Markham. Of course Majors and Richard Anderson are excellent together. I like how Oscar calls Steve "pal."
Anyone cringe but at the same time marvel at Steve's peach leisure suit with the 'X' loops on the slacks? There's also some kind of splotchy pattern on the jacket, adding to his "Hip in '74" attire. Oscar Goldman goes the Mannix route in a tasteful sports jacket and slacks. Heck, even Markham dresses in a classic way.
Kolchak Trivia: The female extra with the frosted hair at the bar scene where Miller slams that security guy can also be seen in the office speech by Tony Vincenzo in "The Spanish Moss Murders", also from the 1974-75 television season and with an ABC/Universal connection.
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Oliver Nelson composed a suitable theme for Miller with buzzing electronics(?) signifying,
It's an electric guitar filtered with an acid fuzz pedal, typical of the psyche rock bands.
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Posted: |
Aug 3, 2014 - 6:16 PM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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Oliver Nelson composed a suitable theme for Miller with buzzing electronics(?)
It's an electric guitar filtered with an acid fuzz pedal, typical of the psyche rock bands.
Thanks, Rudy. 
S2 has been enjoyable and while S3 & 4 are going for under twelve dollars on Amazon, I have resisted the urge to get them because of several reasons: the death of composer Oliver Nelson, the introduction of the dreary Jamie Summers (despite her fine Fielding theme and Harnell underscore), and above of all, the ratcheting up of that dreaded "cheese" factor. 1975 is usually my cut-off year for (most) TV shows and SMDM will fall into that, as well. However, "never say never", but at this point I can't see myself taking the plunge for those future seasons.
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Oliver Nelson composed a suitable theme for Miller with buzzing electronics(?)
It's an electric guitar filtered with an acid fuzz pedal, typical of the psyche rock bands.
Thanks, Rudy.
S2 has been enjoyable and while S3 & 4 are going for under twelve dollars on Amazon, I have resisted the urge to get them because of several reasons: the death of composer Oliver Nelson, the introduction of the dreary Jamie Summers (despite her fine Fielding theme and Harnell underscore), and above of all, the ratcheting up of that dreaded "cheese" factor. 1975 is usually my cut-off year for (most) TV shows and SMDM will fall into that, as well. However, "never say never", but at this point I can't see myself taking the plunge for those future seasons.
S2 of THE SIX MILL is its zenith. S3 shows the first signs of a 'sure' decay.
The disease was introduced at the very end of S2 with Jamie Summers.
¶ Priority code: Snow White.
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Posted: |
Feb 15, 2015 - 8:22 AM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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I just purchased seasons 3-5 of TSMDM, at $9.99 each, it was hard to resist.  I wonder if TSMDM is my generation's "Man from UNCLE" in that the vast majority of those who like the show were kids when it first aired. I know those of us here in this and other vintage TV threads are the exception, but one would be hard pressed to find the youngins and the oldins interested in anything outside of their generational frame of reference.
I've also resumed viewing season two. "The E.S.P. Spy" is much better than its title and I suppose it's another story that took its inspiration from then-trendy paranormal/In Search Of...-type stuff.
Robbie Lee-as-Audrey Moss was delightful here and her on-screen chemistry with Lee Majors is outstanding. She made this episode for me. Their scenes together were fun and their banter was fun. Cute even, but never saccharine, and that includes their final moments on the beach, which was actually great. It's a reminder that this was essentially a children's show and I liked the positive message of Steve and Audrey's last scene.
I liked the manner in which the ESP spying was conducted, with the "blue areas of the brain" effects for the Jarecki character. Cool name. I should change my username to Jarecki. We all should. The villain as played by Paul Cavonis was a bit generic, though George Vant wasn't much better. Alan Bergmann's brief role as Charles Lund was well played, with perhaps a hint of eccentricity under the surface of his performance. I would have liked to have seen more of that character in the series.
Dick Van Patten had a nice, if brief role as Harry Green (Lime?), too. He was convincing in his "Third Man"-style trenchcoat and hat.
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Posted: |
Feb 15, 2015 - 8:57 AM
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By: |
Rollin Hand
(Member)
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I just purchased seasons 3-5 of TSMDM, at $9.99 each, it was hard to resist. I wonder if TSMDM is my generation's "Man from UNCLE" in that the vast majority of those who like the show were kids when it first aired. I know those of us here in this and other vintage TV threads are the exception, but one would be hard pressed to find the youngins and the oldins interested in anything outside of their generational frame of reference.
I've also resumed viewing season two. "The E.S.P. Spy" is much better than its title and I suppose it's another story that took its inspiration from then-trendy paranormal/In Search Of...-type stuff.
Robbie Lee-as-Audrey Moss was delightful here and her on-screen chemistry with Lee Majors is outstanding. She made this episode for me. Their scenes together were fun and their banter was fun. Cute even, but never saccharine, and that includes their final moments on the beach, which was actually great. It's a reminder that this was essentially a children's show and I liked the positive message of Steve and Audrey's last scene.
I liked the manner in which the ESP spying was conducted, with the "blue areas of the brain" effects for the Jarecki character. Cool name. I should change my username to Jarecki. We all should. The villain as played by Paul Cavonis was a bit generic, though George Vant wasn't much better. Alan Bergmann's brief role as Charles Lund was well played, with perhaps a hint of eccentricity under the surface of his performance. I would have liked to have seen more of that character in the series.
Dick Van Patten had a nice, if brief role as Harry Green (Lime?), too. He was convincing in his "Third Man"-style trenchcoat and hat.
The last episode of season 2 will see the return of hired killer John Hopper (actor Gary Lockwood): don't miss that one!
And, buddy, your darling Audrey Moss will return during season 3 in another good entry.
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