Six Million Dollar Man: 10 Episodes To Start With
In 2023, with a lack of engaging contemporary television options, older series emerged as the top content streamed across multiple platforms. Among the endless variety of classic shows available, selecting one can be challenging, especially considering the abundance of episodes. However, one franchise that merits revisiting is The 6 Million Dollar Man and its spin-off, the Bionic Woman. These series boasted recurring characters, multi-part episodes, rich lore, and crossovers. So where to start? Below is a curated list of 10 episodes of The 6 Million Dollar Man that are undoubtedly worth watching, regardless of the current year:
1. The Moon and the Desert (Pilot Episode):
Veteran astronaut, and American hero, Steve Austin faces a life-altering accident during a test flight—losing both legs, one arm and his left eye. But all hope is not lost: Dr. Rudy Wells offers Steve Austin the opportunity have experimental surgery that will augment his body with electronics: there’s one catch—if Steve accepts, he must become an agent for OSI (Office of Scientific Intelligence), a top secret government organization. Despite resistance, Steve reluctantly accepts his new reality. In addition to adapting to his new body, Steve must learn to work with Oscar Goldman—played by Richard Anderson—the uncompromising task-master of OSI.
The pilot episode sticks close to the novel CYBORG by Martin Caidin, and delivers a taut, suspenseful action-drama that sets up what would become one of the biggest pop-culture events of the 1970s. The show initially had a darker, more mature tone, but the story is still fun and exciting to watch.
Rudy Wells, Steve Austin and Oscar Goldman face a brave new world of danger and excitement in The 6 Million Dollar Man.
2. Eyewitness to Murder:
Steve Austin inadvertently witnesses an assassination attempt on a criminal prosecutor. Despite capturing a suspect, doubts arise when the suspect provides an ironclad alibi. Convinced of the truth, Steve follows leads as time ticks away before a crucial court hearing. This is—in my opinion—the single best episode of the entire series. Alfred Hitchcock meets superhero action. The plot will leave you guessing until the last moment.
3. Day of the Robot:
When an old friend and rival of Steve Austin’s—Major Frederick Sloan, played by the incomparable John Saxon —is kidnapped and replaced by a robot in a bid to steal a top-secret device, Steve Austin is up against an equally powered foe, while his friend is kept prisoner under threat of execution. The bionics vs robotics smack-down is still awesome! This is the first episode to feature the infamous bionic sound effect—although it used for the robot, not the Bionic Man. This episode also inspired the Maskatron toy—which most people of my generation falsely remembered as the character’s name. I give this episode 4 out of 5 Bionic Stars!
John Saxon as The Robot.
4. The Pioneers:
An experiment in cryogenically freezing astronauts goes terribly wrong, Steve Austin must rescue David Tate, who has lapsed into a zombie-like state and is now terrorizing the countryside. This episode features a unique premise and shows the darker side of Rudy Wells and OSI.
5. The Seven Million Dollar Man:
When Steve discovers that there is another bionic man— Barney Miller, a famous race car driver—the Bionic Man is assigned to help him adjust to his augmented abilities. But things go awry when Barney starts to enjoy his new job a little too much! This episode features a recurring character—Monte Markham as Barney Miller—and plenty of bionic action.
6. The Bionic Woman:
In this epic, double episode that would go on the spawn the equally popular spin-off series, Steve Austin is reunited with his high school sweetheart, Jaime Sommers (played by Lindsay Wagner), now a famous tennis star. After a date gone horribly wrong, Jaime is fitted with bionics to save her life. Jaime is forced to adjust to her new life—but her body begins to reject its new bionics. Will Jamie survive? Will Steve propose marriage? This is classic 70s television on a grand scale. There just isn’t anything like it anymore! Not to mention: Lee Majors sings the love theme himself...
7. The Secret of Bigfoot:
Another iconic double episode! While setting up an earthquake warning system, Steve Austin encounters the enigmatic Bigfoot and his mysterious masters. Not only a double episode, The Secret of Bigfoot introduces some of the 1970s biggest new age trends—Big Foot, UFOs, Native American mysticism and environmentalism—from the costumes and hair, to visual FX and narrative themes, this is a cornucopia of retro-fun just waiting to be discovered. Wrestler Andre the Giant originated the role of Bigfoot.
Sasquatch Attack! Bigfoot became one of the most popular elements of the Bionic Franchise, despite only appearing three times.
8. Kill Oscar:
Truly epic in scope, Kill Oscar is a triple episode, crossover event that also introduces iconic elements such as the Fembots! Steve and Jaime rush to rescue Oscar from captivity while also battling an army of face-stealing robots. Meanwhile, a mad scientist (played by respected British thespian, John Houseman) threatens the world with a weather controlling device. Not to be missed!
Lunch boxes were all the rage in the 1970’s!
9. Death Probe:
Another iconic enemy—the robotic Death Probe! Steve Austin faces off against his deadliest enemy yet: a remote Mars lander gone berserk! With his bionic arm crushed, Steve must rely on his intellect to defeat this mechanical menace.
10. Sharks:
Steve joins a mission to recover a lost tracking device aboard a sabotaged submarine. After pirates take control, Steve must navigate alliances to prevent a nuclear disaster. Underwater bases, trained sharks, nuclear subs—this double episode has literally everything! Tons of underwater action and good suspense make this outlandish story a must-see!
The Bionic Man made it to many magazine covers. This art is classic!
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