# The Six Million Dollar Man **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631 "2009-11-06T20:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/21 "2009-11-07T13:44:51Z")
As I recall, the _Cyborg_ Austen also had metal rib replacements, that could act as a broadcast antenna. Or so it was written, I don’t think it was actually \*\*used \*\* in the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/22 "2018-07-12T15:40:42Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Why no DVDs? Sorry for raising the dead, but The Six Million Dollar Man is now on DVD. We’re currently getting Season 1 via Netflix by mail. I have to say, it’s holding up rather well, and even my jaded fifteen year old is liking it. The Pilot movie was dull, as Steve mostly moped around before getting to the action, but the following two TV Movies got right into it. You just have to get past the (very dated) theme song. > [@Dusty Springfield](#): > > He’s the man > _Six Million Dollar Man_ > Yeah, He’s the man > _Six Million Dollar Man_ [Now _this_ is a title card!](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22six+million+dollar+man%22+title+card&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=u_cYy1i9aXmT-M%253A%252CgiyihXLGj3zcEM%252C_&usg=___7wmPL2PtKRUS8VCIMQKn-iGCK0%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOsrKy75ncAhXSrFMKHZ8tC-EQ9QEIPDAD#imgrc=u_cYy1i9aXmT-M:) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/23 "2018-07-12T15:49:28Z")
I’d give my right arm to be bionic. :o ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/24 "2018-07-12T15:55:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I volunteer to ride her bra. > > Wait, that’s not what that means? What the flying fuck, people. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/25 "2018-07-12T16:05:36Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > But he did have an eye that contained a miniature camera. > [@Enright3](#): > > …that you apparently activated by blinking your eyelid. I was pretty young when the show was broadcast here in England. I remember it vaguely. I’ve read the novel which I remember better. In the novel his eye was just a camera. He could take photos, but had no vision at all. In the TV series, did it give him telescopic vision? I remember vaguely that it would sometimes show a shot zooming in through his bionic eye, but I’m not certain if he was seeing it or just photographing it. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/26 "2018-07-12T16:34:33Z")
I always liked to imagine if he only had one bionic leg. Would he just go around in circles real fast like Curly? Woop woop woop! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/27 "2018-07-12T16:36:14Z")
One of the studios is doing a [big-budget movie version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Million_Dollar_Man#Film) of this show. It might be released next year, if they actually start to film it. And, presumably due to inflation, he’s now _The Six Billion Dollar Man_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/28 "2018-07-12T16:39:41Z")
Yeah, I cringed when I re-read myself posting that, too, and I apologize. I would like to point out in my defense that both I and society as a whole were nearly a decade less mature when that was posted. A lot has happened in that time. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/29 "2018-07-12T16:44:21Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > What the flying fuck, people. I’m sure Chronos has become much more woke in the intervening 9 years. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/30 "2018-07-12T16:48:31Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Sorry for raising the dead, but The Six Million Dollar Man is now on DVD. We’re currently getting Season 1 via Netflix by mail. I have to say, it’s holding up rather well, and even my jaded fifteen year old is liking it. > > The Pilot movie was dull, as Steve mostly moped around before getting to the action, but the following two TV Movies got right into it. The people back at the beginning of this thread who were clamoring for a darker, more angsty Steve Austin should watch the pilot movie, because it absolutely had that feel. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/31 "2018-07-12T16:51:54Z")
Based on every site giving the value of 1974 dollars in today’s money, it would be the 30 million dollar man these days. Actually I think it would be best if they’d play it more or less straight, but with occasional humor. And have his bionic stuff break down, or get wonky or otherwise have him deal with the differences between say… the standard eyeball and his super-telescopic night-vision eye. Or have his bionic ear get feedback periodically or something. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/32 "2018-07-12T17:03:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, I cringed when I re-read myself posting that, too, and I apologize. I would like to point out in my defense that both I and society as a whole were nearly a decade less mature when that was posted. A lot has happened in that time. Yow! I didn’t notice the passage of time. I don’t need an apology, but thank you for being gracious in pointing out my oversight! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/33 "2018-07-12T17:10:01Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > The people back at the beginning of this thread who were clamoring for a darker, more angsty Steve Austin should watch the pilot movie, because it absolutely had that feel. I had never seen the pilot before now. I was a little surprised at how slowly it moved. I had a Read Along Record of The Six Million Dollar Man, which was a lot more rampagey. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/34 "2018-07-12T17:17:30Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Based on every site giving the value of 1974 dollars in today’s money, it would be the 30 million dollar man these days. > > Actually I think it would be best if they’d play it more or less straight, but with occasional humor. And have his bionic stuff break down, or get wonky or otherwise have him deal with the differences between say… the standard eyeball and his super-telescopic night-vision eye. Or have his bionic ear get feedback periodically or something. Actually, Jaime Sommers had the bionic ear, Lee Majors’ Bionic Hearing Aid notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/35 "2018-07-12T17:30:59Z")
> [@bump](#): > > …And have his bionic stuff break down, or get wonky or otherwise have him deal with the differences between say… the standard eyeball and his super-telescopic night-vision eye. Or have his bionic ear get feedback periodically or something. Lean against a house and the wall collapsed. Periodically bang his fist against his bionic ear to get it working again. Smoke comes out his ears. My favorite was his using his real arm to pull a chain apart. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/36 "2018-07-12T17:56:34Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Lean against a house and the wall collapsed. > Periodically bang his fist against his bionic ear to get it working again. > Smoke comes out his ears. > > My favorite was his using his real arm to pull a chain apart. > [@cochrane](#): > > Actually, Jaime Sommers had the bionic ear, Lee Majors’ Bionic Hearing Aid notwithstanding. Steve Austin had a bionic eye, bionic arm, and two bionic legs. No bionic ear. Jaime had the bionic ear. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/37 "2018-07-12T18:26:46Z")
Whoa, one of my zombie topics was resurrected. Cool. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > One of the studios is doing a [big-budget movie version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Million_Dollar_Man#Film) of this show. It might be released next year, if they actually start to film it. And, presumably due to inflation, he’s now _The Six Billion Dollar Man_. I don’t have high hopes for this. Mark Wahlberg is a name that would draw, I presume, but I also think that the best roles for him are when he’s a semi-lunkhead that may be in over his head (see Boogie Nights, Three Kings, and The Big Hit). I don’t think competent government troubleshooter when I think of Marky Mark. Plus you just know they’re going to have either a bunch of dumb comedy bits, goofs on the slow mo action scenes, and a secret government conspiracy that needs to be shut down. I did watch an episode a short while back on one of the rerun channels (Not MeTV, but one like it) and I thought the show held up fairly well. Some of the action seems kind of clunky because it’s all in slow motion and audiences today wouldn’t have the patience for it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/38 "2018-07-12T19:28:20Z")
Any remake will be crap and fail without the “I’m using my bionics” sound effect. “Dat-dat-dat-dat-da” I remember laughing very hard at the Simpsons when Marge mentioned she has a fantasy about getting it on with Lee Majors and they show her face get dreamy and smirking while the sound effect played. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/39 "2018-07-12T22:51:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > One of the studios is doing a [big-budget movie version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Million_Dollar_Man#Film) of this show. It might be released next year, if they actually start to film it. And, presumably due to inflation, he’s now _The Six Billion Dollar Man_. > [@bump](#): > > Based on every site giving the value of 1974 dollars in today’s money, it would be the 30 million dollar man these days. Funny, I actually have my College Algebra students work through this problem when studying exponential growth. The first question is how much is the Six Million Dollar Man worth today, the answer is about $30 million. The second question is, in what year will he become the Six Billion Dollar man (assuming the average rate of inflation since 1974 remains constant)? Answer: 2159. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631/40 "2018-07-13T14:20:24Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Based on every site giving the value of 1974 dollars in today’s money, it would be the 30 million dollar man these days. > > Actually I think it would be best if they’d play it more or less straight, but with occasional humor. And have his bionic stuff break down, or get wonky or otherwise have him deal with the differences between say… the standard eyeball and his super-telescopic night-vision eye. Or have his bionic ear get feedback periodically or something. The Six Million Dollar Greatest American Hero? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-six-million-dollar-man/516631.md?page=3)