The Bionic Woman: Season 1

Lindsay Wagner stars as internationally ranked professional tennis player Jaime Sommers, who is upgraded with bionic body parts after a skydiving accident in this sci-fi action-adventure spin-off from the hit '70s show The Six Million Dollar Man. Originally introduced as a romantic interest for Steve Austin (Lee Majors), Jaime appeared in five episodes before turning up in 1976 in her own series, where she's a teacher for problem kids at a school on a U.S. Air Force base, but also takes on secret-agent missions for boss Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson, reprising his role from The Six Million Dollar Man). Seen through contemporary eyes, the show's Cold War–era espionage scripts feel naïve and contrived, while the reliance on slow-motion/rapid-speed footage and cheesy sound effects tends to have a comical effect. But Wagner is an engaging and warm presence who brings spontaneity that is clearly lacking in the storylines. Nostalgia aside, however, The Bionic Woman has aged poorly overall and will likely come off as quaint and dull to viewers accustomed to modern action series. Compiling all five segments from the parent series and the 13 episodes of the 1976-77 first season, DVD extras include episode audio commentaries and a retrospective featurette that includes a new interview with Wagner. Optional, at best. (S. Axmaker)