The Creep Show

The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a fictional cyborg working for the OSI (which was usually said to refer to the Office of Scientific Intelligence, but sometimes was called the Office of Scientific Investigation as well as the Office of Strategic Intelligence). The show was based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, and during pre-production, that was the proposed title of the series. It aired on the ABC network as a regular series from 1974 to 1978, after following three television movies aired in 1973. The title role of Steve Austin was played by Lee Majors, who subsequently became a pop culture icon of the 1970s.

Bionic parts

• A 20.2:1 zoom lens along with a night vision function in the left eye (as well as the restoration of normal vision). The figure of 20.2:1 is taken from the faux computer graphics in the opening credits; the only figure actually mentioned in the series, by Austin himself, is 20:1, in the episode “Population: Zero.” Austin’s bionic eye also has other features, such as an infrared feature used frequently to see in the dark, and he has also demonstrated the ability to detect heat (as in the episode “The Pioneers”) and view humanoid beings moving too fast for a normal eye to see (as in the “Secret of Bigfoot” story arc). One early episode shows the eye as a deadly accurate targeting device for his throwing arm.

In Caidin’s original novels, Austin’s eye was originally depicted as simply a camera (which had to be physicially removed after use) and Austin remained blind in the eye; later, he gained the ability to shoot a laser from the eye (this ability is also demonstrated in the first issue of the Six Million Dollar Man comic book issued by Charlton Comics).

• Bionic legs allowing him to run at tremendous speed and make great leaps. Austin’s upper speed limit was never firmly established, although a speed of 60 mph is commonly quoted since this figure is shown on a speed gauge during the opening credits; the highest speed ever shown in the series on a speed gauge is 66 mph; the later revival films suggested that he could run faster, however.
• A Bionic right arm with the equivalent strength of a bulldozer; the arm contains a Geiger counter (established in “The Last of the Fourth of Julys”).

The implants have a major flaw in that extreme cold interferes with their functions and can disable them given sufficient exposure. However, when Austin returns to a warmer temperature, the implants quickly regain full functionality.

The Charlton Comics comic book spin-off from the series also established that Austin’s bionic eye could shoot a laser beam and also worked as a miniature camera (these abilities were demonstrated in the first issues of the color comic and black-and-white illustrated magazine, respectively), but neither function was shown on television and are not considered canonical.

The series became known for how Austin’s bionic abilities were presented. When running or using his bionic arm, Austin was usually presented in slow-motion, accompanied by an electronic grinding-like sound effect. When the bionic eye was used, the camera would zoom in on Austin’s face, followed by an extreme close-up of his eye; his point-of-view usually included a crosshair motif accompanied by a beeping sound-effect. In early episodes, different ways of presenting Austin’s powers were tested, including a heartbeat sound effect that predated the electronic sound, and in the three original made-for-TV movies, no sound effects or slow-motion were used at all, with Austin’s actions shown at normal speed (except for his running which utilized trick photography); the slow-motion portrayal was introduced with the first hour-long episode, “Population: Zero.”