So wheres the love for the Six Million Dollar Man? (1 Viewer)

[MattHR]

I'm guessing that the rights problems have been worked out. Rittenhouse Archives recently released a 30th Anniversary collector card set of SMDM (which I wrote the copy for), and Universal has announced a BW DVD set is coming soon. This must mean a deal has been reached, or these products would not be allowed to be marketed.

The original problem was with the ownershop of the characters and how it applied to Universal's rights to market the shows. Martin Caiden, the author of the book the shows were based on and owner of the characters, had died and his estate was involved in legal matters with Universal. Universal let their license on the property expire, then Disney picked up the rights and announced plans to make a feature film. The rights have somehow been split, as Universal will remain a co-producer on the film.

I'd bet the only reason we're not seeing SMDM on DVD first is that Universal will likely coordinate its release to tie in with the feature film, when its released. SMDM had five seasons, while BW had only three. Hopefully BW will sell well enough to not only warrant the full series on DVD, but all of SMDM as well.

 

[Paul_Scott]

well, Uni just announced the Miami Vice first season- one of the other shows that was promoted way back in August as 'coming in 2004'.


that's now scheduled for Feb 05.





wonder just how long it will take for BW to finally show up.


they still don't have any tv sets listed for January, do they?

 

[AndyMcKinney]

quote:Since Universal is including the "Simon & Simon" cross-over episode in the "Magnum, P.I." Season One set, I'm remaining optimistic that they'll do the right thing with the BW set as well. These cross-over episodes haven't been seen in their proper versions since they were originally broadcast.

Don't count on Universal to get it right (at least, not on purpose). After all, in their British releases (both VHS and DVD), they used syndicated edits for the crossovers that they've released (including the single-tape "Kill Oscar" three-parter. Since all three parts were on the same tape, there was no reason to have to use the syndicated "Bionic Woman" version of part 2).





I doubt they'll spilt up a storyline (i.e. only release parts 1 and 3 of Kill Oscar, for instance), and I also doubt they'll release the SMDM segments with their original titles, especially given the rights situation with SMDM. I'm sure we're going to be getting syndication titles, but hopefully, otherwise uncut.

 

[David Lambert]

quote:they still don't have any tv sets listed for January, do they?

In January, Uni is releasing (1/4) Las Vegas - Season 1: Uncut & Uncensored and (1/11) Monk - Season 2.





Figure any new announcements are maybe in February, but March or later is more likely.

 

[Jeff Bamberger]

From The Digital Bits today:

 

[Tony Whalen]

YES! 'bout time!

 

[David Lambert]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! (Dances around the room naked)

 

[Paul McElligott]

Yes!!!

quote:(Dances around the room naked)

...Although I will be unable to enjoy my DVDs when I'm struck blind if David keeps doing that every time he gets good news....

 

[Paul_Scott]

well, now that BW is being tied into a release of TSMDM (which is probably wise on Unis part), i don't see this getting released until much later in the new year- probably late Q2 or even Q4.


ever since Aug, i've been logging on everyday hoping to see an official announcment and street date, but this is obviously going to be a while now.





has that movie even begun production?

 

[Paul McElligott]

quote:well, now that BW is being tied into a release of TSMDM (which is probably wise on Unis part), i don't see this getting released until much later in the new year- probably late Q2 or even Q4.

I wonder if they would wait until the episodes that began the Jamie Sommer's storyline on TSMDM are out, then release the first season TBW. That would make sense, which means that Universal probably won't do it that way.

 

[Tony J Case]

SwaaaEEET!

 

[Ron Lee Green]

I still hope Universal releases Bionic Woman first. I have a strange feeling Universal will pull the plug if sales for The Six Million Dollar Man are poor.

 

[Bill>Moore]

Woo-hoo!! This IS good news!

I'll be picking up both shows on DVD. Haven't seen them in ages. I'm not expecting them to each come with the crossover eps, but I hope they do take care in presenting them in the best way possible.

 

[Steve...O]

I'll be curious how these get packaged. The first season was only 13 episodes. However there were some "pilot" movies that preceeded the first season. Ideally the set will include these pilots plus the 13 episodes. Better yet, why not do what some others have done and include the second season as well?

To be honest, I haven't seen most of these episodes since their original run. I wonder how well they'll hold up 30 years (?? is that possible??) later.





Steve

 

[Paul_Scott]

quote: To be honest, I haven't seen most of these episodes since their original run. I wonder how well they'll hold up 30 years (?? is that possible??) later.

i just watched a couple episodes of TBW off of the R2 discs about a month back, and i think the show holds up extremely well- because central to the appeal of the show is the charm/humanity of the lead character as essayed by Wagner.


yeah the technology is dated and the spfx are creaky, but the drama (in the better episodes of course) is rooted in character and when thats well done, it doesn't get old.





i'm sure the same applies to TSMD to a degree also, but to me there will always be something just a little more special about the Jamie Summers character, since she wasn't the proto-typical, terse, no nonsense, always in control hero.

 

[Paul McElligott]

I can't wait to get the episodes of TSMDM and TBW that were basically shot from the same script and watch them side-by-side. The story involved a plane crash on an island. The episodes were virtually identical, down to the dialog.

 

[MattHR]

C'mon Universal! You teased us with that brochure listing THE BIONIC WOMAN last May! Then you featured it on the Best Buy promo disc last fall advertising it was "coming Fall 2004". Well, we're still waiting. Any news?

 

[Jeff Willis]

Tell me about it. I'm waiting for these 2 series big-time. No news yet. Most of us think that Universal's waiting to release the 2 series at the same time as that 6M$M movie remake gets released (the one that's supposed to star Jim Carrey). There was a news post on a Jim Carrey fan site a couple months ago that said Jim Carrey wasn't going to be in that movie. We don't know if that meant that the movie remake was cancelled or just that Carrey wasn't going to be involved in the movie. Dave L (TSoD) also tried to confirm this from other sources (Variety & other trade sources) but hasn't located this info anywhere else. Most of us "bionic" fans don't want the movie remake anyway since: 1) It's possibly delaying the release of the TV DVD's, and 2) The remake was/is? going to be a comedy/satire of the original series.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Hello again, all you "bionic" fans

I received this e-mail from a guy who's a member of one of the Yahoo "Bionic" forums. He has worked with author Herbie Pilato on a book about the making of the 2 bionic series and Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner. The book hasn't been published but I understand that it's been completed.

Anyway, he has contact with Richard Anderson on occasion and they talked recently. Here's what Richard A. and Lindsay W. had to say about the bionic series DVD's and the 6M$M movie remake:

************************************************** ****

I talked to Richard Anderson this afternoon, and he confirmed that Jim Carrey is definitely OFF the project. And since a second script was recently rejected, the film won't be made anytime soon. Also, while lunching with Lindsay just last week, she informed him that the BW DVDs
were being delayed due to "legal issues."

************************************************** ****

I can't personally confirm this info, but I do know of the guy that sent this e-mail to me and he's a reliable source regarding the bionic series and it's history. Take it with a guarded grain of salt for now, but it might explain why we're waiting for these two series' DVD releases.
I wonder if that's the reason ("legal" reasons) for the delay in Uni's release announcements, assuming that the movie remake is a dead issue. It makes me wonder, though, that if there were any legal issues, why would Uni have included the Bionic Woman clip in that "Coming to DVD 2004" chapter last fall? This "bionic" DVD story seems to have more twists than the Beatle's "Long and Winding Road" song .... (actually, I ain't smiling in Dallas right now...it's raining today and I am going crazy waiting for that release announcement of these two series.... )

 

[oscar_merkx]

Hi Jeff

Thanks for the update