Would a 6 million dollar man (Bionic Man-type) reboot work now?)

[the G-man]

My idea for a Six Million Dollar Man reboot, from another thread:

the G-man wrote:

---

The Six Million Dollar Man.

Keep the show a lot like the first season of the original, when it was still kind of dark and serious.

In terms of his "powers," instead of having a few limbs being bionic, I'd make his entire body augmented to support the bionic parts: a metal laced skeleton like Wolverine, nanobots in his bloodstream to sync his bionic parts (including the eye) to his nervous system, etc. And I'd give him a bionic "ear" that allows him to communicate directly with the agency and download information directly to his brain.

Then, like the original, I'd have him working for Oscar Goldman at a top secret spy agency, only more badass, making the outfit a cross between CTU on "24" and the agency on "Alias." But instead of just a secret agent I'd write him as more or less what a character like this would really be: a bionic assassin, near-terrorist, for the US government, taking on missions that the government can't handle by conventional means.

Each episode could be a one-hour action movie, with extended arcs now and then and a lot of ongoing subplots: one week they could have Steve parachute into Afghanistan to kill some Al Quaeda biggie, the next he would be sent in to rescue some hostages on a compound in the midwest.

Basically, I'd make him a bionic Jack Bauer.

Finally, in order to explain the title of the show, I'd establish that his annual salary from the government is six million bucks, and not what it cost to rebuild him.

Dear Hollywood: You officially have my permission to use this idea without paying me or giving me credit. I just really, really, want to see it.

[MacLeod]

We've had a DW re-boot news to me, I thought we had a continuation of the show (after it was uncancelled). Just with a budget more fit for the 21st century.

[Redfern]

If we count overseas material, one could argue "Ghost in the Shell" falls under this conceptual umbrella. Major Motoko Kusanagi is a full conversion cyborg; little more than her brain and part of her spinal column remains. Sometimes she has existential doubts if there is even that much left since she can't exactly examine those tissues first hand. She too works for an agency that handles covert missions. And while we don't see her throwing around cars (though she once "anchored" an escaping helicopter), she is often depicted leaping about, obtaining altitudes that would make Steve Austin envious.

Sincerely,

Bill

[Captaindemotion]

MacLeod wrote:

---

We've had a DW re-boot news to me, I thought we had a continuation of the show (after it was uncancelled). Just with a budget more fit for the 21st century.

Oh for God's sake. Reboot, revival, remake, reimagining, whatever. The term reboot is used so widely as to mean any new take on an existing property. Of course it's a continuation of the old show, but it's done in a different style to that of the 1970s and 1960s (shorter episodes, standalone stories as oppose to multiple-parters, different tone etc). The point is to show that old shows can be revived for a modern audience.

[Gojira]

davejames wrote:

---

As long as they remembered to make it cool and fun, which Bionic Woman was not.

And they need to bring back the slow-motion bionic effect as well. It's what made the original shows so memorable and iconic; without it, you're pretty much just watching a generic superhero show.

Agreed! If they did it that way I would watch.

[MacLeod]

Captaindemotion wrote:

---

Oh for God's sake. Reboot, revival, remake, reimagining, whatever. The term reboot is used so widely as to mean any new take on an existing property. Of course it's a continuation of the old show, but it's done in a different style to that of the 1970s and 1960s (shorter episodes, standalone stories as oppose to multiple-parters, different tone etc). The point is to show that old shows can be revived for a modern audience.

There are several issues to brining back shows (not that I am disagreeing with your point that then can be brought back)

1.>Executives want the instant ratings hit

2.>Audiances can be rather fickle, and aren't generally willing to give shows a chance to become success.

3.>Due to Executies cancelling shows, a part of the audiance is unwilling to invest time in a show that will likely be cancelled. Thus leading to that shows cancellation.

4.>Some Executives appear to believe that shows should be written for the lowest common denominator.

5.>Executives don't always look at the long term profit margin for a show. Sure a show could lose money initally or not make a huge amount. Reality TV show can be great for the instant profit, but do you really think that "America's got talent 2010" will still be being shown in reruns (and thus generating money) in 2050?

[Captaindemotion]

^ I'm not sure why you think I haven't grasped any of this. I acknowledged in my original post that some shows have been revived unsuccessfully. I'm merely pointing out that some have been revived successfully, on both the big and small screens. I didn't say that this guaranteed that any revival of any show or indeed that any revival of TSMDM was guaranteed to be a hit. Merely that it was possible to successfully reboot or revive it.

[Warped9]

the G-man wrote:

---

My idea for a Six Million Dollar Man reboot, from another thread:

Dear Hollywood: You officially have my permission to use this idea without paying me or giving me credit. I just really, really, want to see it.

Sounds good to me.

[the G-man]

Too bad they've signed Josh Holloway for what sounds like a $6m man rip off. He would have made a great Steve Austin in a proper remake.

[CorporalCaptain]

the G-man, that's a good idea.

Steve's whole body needs to be bionic, (just to clarify, in case it hasn't already been made clear enough) because an un-augmented human frame could not adequately provide leverage to utilize the strength of the bionic limbs. He'd be breaking his own back all the time. That was painfully obvious during the original series.

[A beaker full of death]

23skidoo wrote:

---

he can run longer than regular people because his heart and lungs only have to power his torso, head and right arm

They actually do mention this at some point on-screen in the origin story of either the $6 million man or the bionic woman -- I forget which.

[theenglish]

davejames wrote:

---

As long as they remembered to make it cool and fun, which Bionic Woman was not.

And they need to bring back the slow-motion bionic effect as well. It's what made the original shows so memorable and iconic; without it, you're pretty much just watching a generic superhero show.

CorporalCaptain wrote:

---

the G-man, that's a good idea.

Steve's whole body needs to be bionic, (just to clarify, in case it hasn't already been made clear enough) because an un-augmented human frame could not adequately provide leverage to utilize the strength of the bionic limbs. He'd be breaking his own back all the time. That was painfully obvious during the original series.

I remember my father making this comment every single episode back in the seventies.

This is addressed in Kevin Smith's comic book remake, which (as was mentioned back when this thread was started) would make a great basis for a new series.

[Mr. Adventure]

Gojira wrote:

---

Agreed! If they did it that way I would watch.

My evil mind is thinking they should've done that in The Bionic Woman revival but for all the wrong reasons.

Or was that just a 70's thing? It seems like the Hulk was in slow motion when he hulked out and then there was whenever David Carradine used Kung Fu.

[Guy Gardener]

It must have already been said, but the most sure way to guarantee the success of this enterprise is to cast Steve Austin the Wrestler as Steve Austin the 6 million dollar man to pull in the WWE audience and guarantee a minimum of 80 million viewers each week.