47 years ago today, May 13, 1978, the final episode of The Bionic Woman aired. It is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978.
The Bionic Woman series features Jaime Sommers, who takes on special high-risk government missions using her superhuman bionic powers. The Bionic Woman series is a spin-off from the 1970s Six Million Dollar Man television science fiction action series.
In the last episode (“On the Run”), Jaime is called “Robot Lady” by a little girl who has learned about her bionics. Like Steve Austin in the original book Cyborg, she has to come to terms with the fact that she is not quite human. After three years with too many assignments to allow her time to herself, she resigns. However, the people in charge decide that she cannot just be allowed to leave and want to put her into a safe community where they can keep their eye on her. She goes on the run but later realizes that she is still the same woman, despite her mechanical parts and goes back to work for the OSI, but with fewer missions and more time to herself. The final episode was inspired by The Prisoner as Jaime is similarly being pursued by entities concerned about the secret information she possesses.
Despite being on different networks, both The Bionic Woman and The Six Million Dollar Man were simultaneously cancelled in the spring of 1978. Unlike The Six Million Dollar Man, which ended with a standard episode, “On the Run” was written and filmed as a resolution to the series.
This show changed lives and it’s important for your daughters and other young women to see and respect this show. Should it be remade? Maybe, but the casting is key, and the writing should be “top drawer.”
Kisses from PARIS!!!
