1974, Television: The Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man, an American television series about former astronaut Steve Austin with bionic implants, premièred on ABC network on 18 January 1974. The title role of Steve Austin was played by Lee Majors. Austin worked for the OSI (which was variously referred to as the Office of Scientific Intelligence, the Office of Scientific Investigation or the Office of Strategic Intelligence). The television show is based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin. A spin-off of the show was produced, The Bionic Woman, as well as several television films featuring both characters. A total of 99 episodes and 6 TV films were produced from 1974 to 1978.

Synopsis

The series tells the story of astronaut Steve Austin. Austin is severely injured in a crash and is “rebuilt” with bionics' (cybernetics) in a title-giving operation that costs at least six million dollars.

Lee Majors as Steve Austin

Main cast

• Lee Majors as Steve Austin
• Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman (Director of the OSI)
• Martin Balsam as Dr. Rudy Wells (pilot only)
• Alan Oppenheimer as Dr. Rudy Wells (seasons 1 and 2)
• Martin E. Brooks as Dr. Rudy Wells (seasons 3-5)
• Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers
• Jennifer Darling as Peggy Callahan (secretary to Oscar Goldman)

Lee Majors as Steve Austin and Farrah Fawcett as Victoria Webster in “The Peeping Blonde” (1974)

Steve Austin's bionic hardware

• A bionic left eye with a 20.2:1 zoom lens along with a night vision function.
• Bionic legs allowing him to run at tremendous speed and make great leaps. The highest speed ever shown in the series on a speed gauge is 108 km/h.
• A bionic right arm with the equivalent strength of a bulldozer.

Lee Majors as Steve Austin and Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman

The Six Million Dollar Man, intro