Bionic Woman (2007 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Bionic Woman is an American
science fiction
television drama created by David Eick
, under NBC Universal Television Group, GEP Productions and David Eick Productions that aired in 2007. The series is a re-imagining
of the original television series, The Bionic Woman
, created by Kenneth Johnson and based upon the novel Cyborg
by Martin Caidin
, and retains its forebear's premise while taking on a more contemporary setting. David Eick also serves as executive producer
alongside Laeta Kalogridis
and Jason Smilovic
.
The series revolves around bartender Jaime Sommers
, who is saved from death after receiving experimental medical implants. While adjusting to her new bionic powers and raising a rebellious younger sister, Jaime agrees to work for the Berkut Group, a quasi-governmental private organization that performed her surgery.
Production of the series was halted due to a strike by the Writers Guild of America
, and it was not included in the Fall 2008 schedule announced by NBC in early April 2008. The series was cancelled as the result of low ratings.
Jaime's modifications are: bionic legs, a bionic right arm, a bionic right ear, a bionic eye like that of Steve Austin
, and nanomachines called anthrocytes which are capable of healing her body at a highly accelerated rate.
indicated that the series would be produced by Team Todd: sisters Jennifer Todd
and Suzanne Todd. The story quoted Suzanne Todd as saying:
It was later reported that the USA Network
was considering airing the series, with Jennifer Aniston
being in consideration for the lead role. In October 2006, NBC Universal
announced that it was bringing the project back with new producers and reportedly, a radical reworking of the original concept. The series would be written by Laeta Kalogridis
(creator of the WB series Birds of Prey
) and produced by David Eick
. Eick commented on the new series saying, "It's a complete reconceptualization of the title. We're using the title as a starting point, and that's all. It's going to be a meaningful departure [from the original]." In January 2007, The Hollywood Reporter
reported that the series one-hour pilot
was given an official greenlight
by NBC. On May 10, 2007, NBC announced that they had given an early pick-up to Bionic Woman for their fall 2007 schedule. Since the rights to the novel Cyborg
by Martin Caidin
were held by other parties, the new series excluded any elements from it. This was the same for the character Steve Austin
from the Six Million Dollar Man, of which the original The Bionic Woman
was a spin-off. Neither Kenneth Johnson nor Martin Caidin received screen credit on the new series, where they did in the original Bionic Woman. Johnson has confirmed on his website that he had no involvement with the new Bionic Woman series. Lindsay Wagner
, the original Bionic Woman, also played no part in the new series. Wagner said, "On a technical level, it was very good, but I don't think they understood the show. It was steeped in that old-school thinking. It was like a lot of things today, angry and dark.
, production of the series was halted in mid-November 2007, and the regular actors were suspended on half-pay for a period of five weeks. The series has since aired all of the episodes that were completed before production halted. Several websites rumored that NBC had cancelled the series, but an NBC Universal Media Studios spokesperson told the press that the show had not been cancelled and that production of the first season would continue when the WGA strike ended. Upon the resolution of the strike, an Associated Press
story classified Bionic Woman as being "on the bubble", and predicted that the remaining episodes would not air until the fall of 2008, "if ever". NBC later published a report regarding initial series renewals, and no announcement was made regarding whether Bionic Woman would return in the fall. The report also indicated that despite the earlier statement by NBC Universal, production of the series' first season was considered to be concluded.
, Miguel Ferrer
, Molly Price
, Will Yun Lee
, and Mae Whitman
. In June 2007, TV Guide
reported that Mae Whitman
was being replaced in the role of Jaime's sister. An NBC spokesperson confirmed this, stating, "The decision was purely creatively driven. It is very common to change storylines, characters, actors after the initial pilot is shot." The character, who was originally deaf, had her hearing restored when requested by an NBC executive. Lucy Hale
was later cast as Whitman's replacement in July 2007. In announcing the recasting, it was confirmed that the deaf trait of the character had been dropped. Instead, Hale's version of the character is depicted as a rebellious teen and budding computer hacker
. Katee Sackhoff
was cast as Sarah Corvus, the first Bionic Woman, and her character subsequently appeared in the four episodes of the series, in addition to the series pilot. Sackhoff has compared the role to that of Number Six
, a character in Sackhoff's concurrent series, Battlestar Galactica
. Sackhoff is joined by fellow Galactica co-stars Aaron Douglas
as a prison guard appearing only in the series first episode, and Mark Sheppard
as Will Anthros' father Anthony Anthros. Isaiah Washington
appeared in at five episodes of the series, making his first appearance in "Paradise Lost", the first post-pilot episode. As Ryan is from England and naturally speaks with received pronunciation
, she affects an American accent for her role as Sommers. One notable exception to this occurs in the episode "The Education of Jaime Sommers", when Jaime assumes the guise of a British exchange student, allowing Ryan to use a variation of her natural accent.
Bruce McGill
was casted to play an as-yet-unnamed character who is a high ranking operative in the Bionics program. McGill's character had not yet appeared on the series by the time the WGA strike halted production.
, Laeta Kalogridis
, Jason Smilovic
and Michael Dinner
originally served as executive producers and writers. Dinner also directed the pilot but exited his post as executive producer in June 2007. Glen Morgan
, writer and producer on The X-Files
, Space: Above and Beyond
, and Millennium
, joined the production team of Bionic Woman as an executive producer in May
, only to leave four months later, citing creative differences. In September, Friday Night Lights
executive producer Jason Katims
joined the show as a consultant. Katims ran the writer's room until late October, when Sopranos
veteran Jason Cahill was hired as the new showrunner.
network on September 26, 2007, airing on Wednesday nights at 9:00/8:00c. It attained NBC's highest midweek premiere ratings since the 1999 premiere of The West Wing, and was the second most watched program in its timeslot after ABC's Grey's Anatomy
spin off Private Practice. In addition to NBC, the series is broadcast on Sci Fi in Australia, E! in Canada, and in 2008 on ITV2
in the United Kingdom.
Due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America
, production of the series was put on hiatus. Several media outlets reported that Bionic Woman had been cancelled, although there was no official confirmation from NBC. An announcement of series renewals by NBC did not indicate the fate of Bionic Woman, although it was reported that production of the season was considered concluded. The SyFy Portal, citing a TV Guide
column, suggested that the series cast and crew have been told that production has ended, although NBC has made no official announcement as to the series' fate as of that date and the blog author stressed that the news was only a rumor. David Eick, the series' co-executive producer, confirmed on March 19, 2008 that the series had been cancelled, although the network has still not officially announced it. The series was subsequently not included in the Fall 2008 schedule announced by NBC in early April 2008.
As of September 2009 NBC still has a Bionic Woman website running, though elements are disabled. The NBC Message Boards have discontinued the Bionic Woman forum.
wished that the episodes following the pilot were just as good as the pilot itself, and wanted Katee Sackhoff to play the lead role. Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times felt that Bionic Woman was more about "fembot martial arts and slick Matrix-ish special effects than about character development"; oriented towards young male viewers. Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
felt that the remake was "a lot darker than the campy original", but said that "trouble lies in the casting and the concept". Goodman thought that "Ryan seems too inert, not nearly aggressive enough for the role", and that even Sackhoff was "infinitely more likable as an antiheroine". He said that they either "got the wrong bionic woman", or "they need to let the bad bionic woman get a whole lot more screen time". Michael Idato of The Age
said that since the series had gone "through a series of writers and producers", it was "no surprise that what finally lands is a little messy". However he said that "despite some early uncertainty, Ryan becomes a likeable Sommers, leaving only the show's dark tone and relentless pace as potential problems." He said that they were great for setting up the story, "but could become too much as the season progresses". Not all reviews were as optimistic; Michael Hinman of SyFy Portal
referred to the show as "a disaster".
Sci Fi Australia has picked up the show from Channel Seven, with the first episode aired Friday, 24 June 2008 at 8:30pm EST.
The pilot episode was released in the United Kingdom on Region 2 on April 7, 2008. A further Region 2 two-disc set containing all eight episodes from the show was released on May 12, 2008; unlike the Region 1 release, this version was entitled "The Complete Series".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television drama created by David Eick
David Eick
David Eick is an American producer and writer, best known as the Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica, of which he also wrote several episodes with Ronald D. Moore, as well as the re-imagined version of Bionic Woman...
, under NBC Universal Television Group, GEP Productions and David Eick Productions that aired in 2007. The series is a re-imagining
Reboot (continuity)
The verb reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas...
of the original television series, The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
, created by Kenneth Johnson and based upon the novel Cyborg
Cyborg (novel)
Cyborg is the title of a science fiction/secret agent novel by Martin Caidin which was first published in 1972. The novel also included elements of speculative fiction, and was adapted as the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and also inspired its spin-off, The Bionic Woman.-Plot...
by Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin was an American author and an authority on aeronautics and aviation.Caidin wrote more than 50 books, including Samurai!, Black Thursday, Thunderbolt!, Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38, Zero!, The Ragged, Rugged Warriors, A Torch to the Enemy and many other works of military history...
, and retains its forebear's premise while taking on a more contemporary setting. David Eick also serves as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
alongside Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Elizabeth Kalogridis is a screenwriter and an executive producer. She is a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, NC and University of Texas at Austin and attended UCLA's prestigious film school. She has written scripts for Alexander , Night Watch , Pathfinder and Shutter Island...
and Jason Smilovic
Jason Smilovic
Jason Smilovic is a writer, executive producer, and creator of the television series Kidnapped, My Own Worst Enemy, and Karen Sisco. Smilovic was most recently an executive producer on My Own Worst Enemy. He also wrote the movie Lucky Number Slevin. Smilovic graduated from the University of...
.
The series revolves around bartender Jaime Sommers
Jaime Sommers (Bionic Woman)
Jaime Wells Sommers is a fictional character portrayed by Michelle Ryan in Bionic Woman, a remake of the original 1970s series The Bionic Woman in which Lindsay Wagner portrayed Jaime Sommers...
, who is saved from death after receiving experimental medical implants. While adjusting to her new bionic powers and raising a rebellious younger sister, Jaime agrees to work for the Berkut Group, a quasi-governmental private organization that performed her surgery.
Production of the series was halted due to a strike by the Writers Guild of America
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, and it was not included in the Fall 2008 schedule announced by NBC in early April 2008. The series was cancelled as the result of low ratings.
Plot
Bartender Jaime Sommers struggles to make ends meet in San Francisco, California, while serving as a surrogate mom to her teenage sister. Nearly killed in a car accident, Jaime is saved by a cutting-edge operation — performed by her boyfriend, Will Anthros — that leaves her with advanced bionic prosthetics and implants. With extraordinary new strength, speed and other artificially enhanced abilities Jaime begins working for the Berkut Group, the organization responsible for her operation. Now, Jaime must learn how to use her new abilities while working to understand the new life that she has been thrust into.Jaime's modifications are: bionic legs, a bionic right arm, a bionic right ear, a bionic eye like that of Steve Austin
Steve Austin (fictional character)
Steve Austin is a fictional character created by Martin Caidin for his 1972 novel, Cyborg, who later became a 1970s television icon as portrayed by Lee Majors in the 1974-1978 series The Six Million Dollar Man.-Background:...
, and nanomachines called anthrocytes which are capable of healing her body at a highly accelerated rate.
Production
The first mention of a revision of the Bionic Woman series occurred in August 2002 when a story in The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
indicated that the series would be produced by Team Todd: sisters Jennifer Todd
Jennifer Todd
Jennifer Todd is an American film producer. She was born and raised in Los Angeles where she attended the Buckley School followed by USC. Her credits include the three Austin Powers films, Boiler Room, Prime, Must Love Dogs, and Memento, for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for producing...
and Suzanne Todd. The story quoted Suzanne Todd as saying:
It was later reported that the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
was considering airing the series, with Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
being in consideration for the lead role. In October 2006, NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
announced that it was bringing the project back with new producers and reportedly, a radical reworking of the original concept. The series would be written by Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Elizabeth Kalogridis is a screenwriter and an executive producer. She is a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, NC and University of Texas at Austin and attended UCLA's prestigious film school. She has written scripts for Alexander , Night Watch , Pathfinder and Shutter Island...
(creator of the WB series Birds of Prey
Birds of Prey (TV series)
Birds of Prey is a television drama series produced in 2002. The series was developed by Laeta Kalogridis for The WB and is loosely based on the Birds of Prey DC Comics series...
) and produced by David Eick
David Eick
David Eick is an American producer and writer, best known as the Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica, of which he also wrote several episodes with Ronald D. Moore, as well as the re-imagined version of Bionic Woman...
. Eick commented on the new series saying, "It's a complete reconceptualization of the title. We're using the title as a starting point, and that's all. It's going to be a meaningful departure [from the original]." In January 2007, The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
reported that the series one-hour pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
was given an official greenlight
Greenlight
To green-light a project is to give permission or a go ahead to move forward with a project. In the context of the movie and TV businesses, to green-light something is to formally approve its production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to...
by NBC. On May 10, 2007, NBC announced that they had given an early pick-up to Bionic Woman for their fall 2007 schedule. Since the rights to the novel Cyborg
Cyborg (novel)
Cyborg is the title of a science fiction/secret agent novel by Martin Caidin which was first published in 1972. The novel also included elements of speculative fiction, and was adapted as the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and also inspired its spin-off, The Bionic Woman.-Plot...
by Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin was an American author and an authority on aeronautics and aviation.Caidin wrote more than 50 books, including Samurai!, Black Thursday, Thunderbolt!, Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38, Zero!, The Ragged, Rugged Warriors, A Torch to the Enemy and many other works of military history...
were held by other parties, the new series excluded any elements from it. This was the same for the character Steve Austin
Steve Austin (fictional character)
Steve Austin is a fictional character created by Martin Caidin for his 1972 novel, Cyborg, who later became a 1970s television icon as portrayed by Lee Majors in the 1974-1978 series The Six Million Dollar Man.-Background:...
from the Six Million Dollar Man, of which the original The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
was a spin-off. Neither Kenneth Johnson nor Martin Caidin received screen credit on the new series, where they did in the original Bionic Woman. Johnson has confirmed on his website that he had no involvement with the new Bionic Woman series. Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Jean Wagner is an American actress. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Jaime Sommers in the 1970s television series The Bionic Woman , though she has maintained a lengthy career in a variety of other film and television productions since.-Early life:Wagner was born in Los...
, the original Bionic Woman, also played no part in the new series. Wagner said, "On a technical level, it was very good, but I don't think they understood the show. It was steeped in that old-school thinking. It was like a lot of things today, angry and dark.
WGA strike
Due to a strike by the Writers Guild of America2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, production of the series was halted in mid-November 2007, and the regular actors were suspended on half-pay for a period of five weeks. The series has since aired all of the episodes that were completed before production halted. Several websites rumored that NBC had cancelled the series, but an NBC Universal Media Studios spokesperson told the press that the show had not been cancelled and that production of the first season would continue when the WGA strike ended. Upon the resolution of the strike, an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
story classified Bionic Woman as being "on the bubble", and predicted that the remaining episodes would not air until the fall of 2008, "if ever". NBC later published a report regarding initial series renewals, and no announcement was made regarding whether Bionic Woman would return in the fall. The report also indicated that despite the earlier statement by NBC Universal, production of the series' first season was considered to be concluded.
Main characters
- Michelle RyanMichelle RyanMichelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
as Jaime Wells SommersJaime Sommers (Bionic Woman)Jaime Wells Sommers is a fictional character portrayed by Michelle Ryan in Bionic Woman, a remake of the original 1970s series The Bionic Woman in which Lindsay Wagner portrayed Jaime Sommers...
– a bartender who is involved in a near fatal car accident and becomes the Bionic Woman. - Miguel FerrerMiguel FerrerMiguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
as Jonas Bledsoe – a member of the Berkut Group who is responsible for Jaime and assigns her mission; the Oscar Goldman analog of the series. - Molly PriceMolly Price-Personal life:Price was born in North Plainfield, New Jersey, and graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1984.She is a graduate of Rutgers University. She is married to a New York City Fire Department firefighter Derek Kelly...
as Ruth Treadwell – Bledsoe's second in command. - Will Yun LeeWill Yun LeeWill Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
as Jae Kim – a specialized operations leader with the Berkut Group, and was romantically involved with Sarah Corvus. - Lucy Kate HaleLucy HaleKaren Lucille "Lucy" Hale is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4, and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars...
as Becca Sommers – Jaime's high school-aged sister. Previously she had been cast as a deaf character played by Mae WhitmanMae WhitmanMae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
, but was removed and reshot prior to release - Chris Bowers as Will Anthros – Jaime's boyfriend; he performs the operation that gives her the bionic implants, but is shot and killed by Sarah Corvus soon after.
- Mark SheppardMark SheppardMark Andreas Sheppard is an English actor and musician, born in London of an Irish-German background. He is often credited as "Mark A. Sheppard".-Personal life:Mark Sheppard is the son of actor W. Morgan Sheppard...
as Anthony Anthros – the father of Will Anthros and one of the original developers of the bionic implants. He escapes prison at the end of the first episode.
Recurring characters
- Katee SackhoffKatee SackhoffKathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
as Sarah Corvus – the "first Bionic woman" and a nemesis of Jaime. Corvus' bionics are malfunctioning; she believes that Jaime's newer bionics may be the key to repairing hers. Jaime has mixed feelings about Corvus. The cancellation of the series left this character arc unresolved. This character is very similar to the titular character of the Six Million Dollar Man episode "The Seven Million Dollar Man". - Isaiah WashingtonIsaiah WashingtonIsaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
as Antonio Pope – an advisor in the Bionics program described as an "outsider with a mysterious agenda" with the power to either help Jamie or bring her down. Pope was shot and killed by a former colleague at the end of the seventh episode. - Kevin RankinKevin Rankin (actor)Kevin Rankin is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Tyler Briggs on the NBC show Trauma.-Filmography:* "Big Love" .... Verlan Walker* "The Mentalist" .... Danny Ruskin* "Justified" .... Devil* "Trauma" .... Tyler Briggs...
as Nathan – one of the Bionic team members. He works as a technician and routinely monitors Jamie during her missions. - Jordan BridgesJordan Bridges-Early life:Bridges was born in California, and is the son of actor Beau Bridges and wife Julie Landfield. He is the nephew of Jeff Bridges and grandson of Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Bridges.-Career:...
as Tom – a member of the CIA and Jamie's new boyfriend.
Casting
The pilot starred Michelle RyanMichelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
, Miguel Ferrer
Miguel Ferrer
Miguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
, Molly Price
Molly Price
-Personal life:Price was born in North Plainfield, New Jersey, and graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1984.She is a graduate of Rutgers University. She is married to a New York City Fire Department firefighter Derek Kelly...
, Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
, and Mae Whitman
Mae Whitman
Mae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
. In June 2007, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported that Mae Whitman
Mae Whitman
Mae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
was being replaced in the role of Jaime's sister. An NBC spokesperson confirmed this, stating, "The decision was purely creatively driven. It is very common to change storylines, characters, actors after the initial pilot is shot." The character, who was originally deaf, had her hearing restored when requested by an NBC executive. Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale
Karen Lucille "Lucy" Hale is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4, and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars...
was later cast as Whitman's replacement in July 2007. In announcing the recasting, it was confirmed that the deaf trait of the character had been dropped. Instead, Hale's version of the character is depicted as a rebellious teen and budding computer hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
. Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff
Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
was cast as Sarah Corvus, the first Bionic Woman, and her character subsequently appeared in the four episodes of the series, in addition to the series pilot. Sackhoff has compared the role to that of Number Six
Number Six (Battlestar Galactica)
Number Six is a family of fictional characters from the reimagined science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. She is portrayed by Canadian actress and model Tricia Helfer. Of the twelve known Cylon models, she is the sixth of the "Significant Seven"...
, a character in Sackhoff's concurrent series, Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
. Sackhoff is joined by fellow Galactica co-stars Aaron Douglas
Aaron Douglas (actor)
Aaron Douglas is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Galen Tyrol on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica....
as a prison guard appearing only in the series first episode, and Mark Sheppard
Mark Sheppard
Mark Andreas Sheppard is an English actor and musician, born in London of an Irish-German background. He is often credited as "Mark A. Sheppard".-Personal life:Mark Sheppard is the son of actor W. Morgan Sheppard...
as Will Anthros' father Anthony Anthros. Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
appeared in at five episodes of the series, making his first appearance in "Paradise Lost", the first post-pilot episode. As Ryan is from England and naturally speaks with received pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
, she affects an American accent for her role as Sommers. One notable exception to this occurs in the episode "The Education of Jaime Sommers", when Jaime assumes the guise of a British exchange student, allowing Ryan to use a variation of her natural accent.
Bruce McGill
Bruce McGill
Bruce Travis McGill is an American actor who has an extensive list of credits in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jack Dalton on the television series MacGyver and as Daniel Simpson "D-Day" Day in National Lampoon's Animal House.-Early life:McGill was born in San...
was casted to play an as-yet-unnamed character who is a high ranking operative in the Bionics program. McGill's character had not yet appeared on the series by the time the WGA strike halted production.
Crew
David EickDavid Eick
David Eick is an American producer and writer, best known as the Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica, of which he also wrote several episodes with Ronald D. Moore, as well as the re-imagined version of Bionic Woman...
, Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Kalogridis
Laeta Elizabeth Kalogridis is a screenwriter and an executive producer. She is a graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, NC and University of Texas at Austin and attended UCLA's prestigious film school. She has written scripts for Alexander , Night Watch , Pathfinder and Shutter Island...
, Jason Smilovic
Jason Smilovic
Jason Smilovic is a writer, executive producer, and creator of the television series Kidnapped, My Own Worst Enemy, and Karen Sisco. Smilovic was most recently an executive producer on My Own Worst Enemy. He also wrote the movie Lucky Number Slevin. Smilovic graduated from the University of...
and Michael Dinner
Michael Dinner
Michael Dinner is an American director, producer, and screenwriter for television. Prior to his TV career, he was a recording artist for Fantasy Records.-Directed:*The Wonder Years *Chicago Hope...
originally served as executive producers and writers. Dinner also directed the pilot but exited his post as executive producer in June 2007. Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
, writer and producer on The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Space: Above and Beyond
Space: Above and Beyond
Space: Above and Beyond was a short-lived mid-90s American science fiction television show on the FOX Network, created and written by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Originally planned for five seasons, it ran only for the single 1995–1996 season. It was nominated for two Emmy Awards and one Saturn...
, and Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
, joined the production team of Bionic Woman as an executive producer in May
May 2007
May 2007 was the fifth month of that year. It began on a Tuesday and 30 days later, ended on a Thursday.-International holidays:* May 1 – May Day * May 1 – Labour Day * May 1 – Maharashtra State Day * May 1 – Labour Day...
, only to leave four months later, citing creative differences. In September, Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
executive producer Jason Katims
Jason Katims
Jason Katims is an American television writer, producer, and playwright. He is best known for Relativity, which he created and wrote for; Roswell, which he developed, produced, and wrote for; Boston Public, which he co-wrote; Pepper Dennis, a short-lived dramedy starring Rebecca Romijn on The WB;...
joined the show as a consultant. Katims ran the writer's room until late October, when Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
veteran Jason Cahill was hired as the new showrunner.
Broadcast history
Bionic Woman premiered in the United States on the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network on September 26, 2007, airing on Wednesday nights at 9:00/8:00c. It attained NBC's highest midweek premiere ratings since the 1999 premiere of The West Wing, and was the second most watched program in its timeslot after ABC's Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
spin off Private Practice. In addition to NBC, the series is broadcast on Sci Fi in Australia, E! in Canada, and in 2008 on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
in the United Kingdom.
Due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, production of the series was put on hiatus. Several media outlets reported that Bionic Woman had been cancelled, although there was no official confirmation from NBC. An announcement of series renewals by NBC did not indicate the fate of Bionic Woman, although it was reported that production of the season was considered concluded. The SyFy Portal, citing a TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
column, suggested that the series cast and crew have been told that production has ended, although NBC has made no official announcement as to the series' fate as of that date and the blog author stressed that the news was only a rumor. David Eick, the series' co-executive producer, confirmed on March 19, 2008 that the series had been cancelled, although the network has still not officially announced it. The series was subsequently not included in the Fall 2008 schedule announced by NBC in early April 2008.
As of September 2009 NBC still has a Bionic Woman website running, though elements are disabled. The NBC Message Boards have discontinued the Bionic Woman forum.
Critical reception
The series met with mixed critical reception. Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wished that the episodes following the pilot were just as good as the pilot itself, and wanted Katee Sackhoff to play the lead role. Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times felt that Bionic Woman was more about "fembot martial arts and slick Matrix-ish special effects than about character development"; oriented towards young male viewers. Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
felt that the remake was "a lot darker than the campy original", but said that "trouble lies in the casting and the concept". Goodman thought that "Ryan seems too inert, not nearly aggressive enough for the role", and that even Sackhoff was "infinitely more likable as an antiheroine". He said that they either "got the wrong bionic woman", or "they need to let the bad bionic woman get a whole lot more screen time". Michael Idato of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
said that since the series had gone "through a series of writers and producers", it was "no surprise that what finally lands is a little messy". However he said that "despite some early uncertainty, Ryan becomes a likeable Sommers, leaving only the show's dark tone and relentless pace as potential problems." He said that they were great for setting up the story, "but could become too much as the season progresses". Not all reviews were as optimistic; Michael Hinman of SyFy Portal
SyFy Portal
Airlock Alpha, formerly SyFy Portal, is an entertainment news website focusing on science-fiction, fantasy and comic book television series and films.-History:...
referred to the show as "a disaster".
Australia ratings
The first episode rated 1.6 million viewers, making it the most watched program of the night. Ratings began to dive with the third episode rating 1.2 million viewers. The fifth episode only rated one million viewers. Viewer numbers soon fell below one million.Sci Fi Australia has picked up the show from Channel Seven, with the first episode aired Friday, 24 June 2008 at 8:30pm EST.
DVD release
The series was released on DVD in North America as a two-disc set on March 18, 2008. Besides the extant episodes, the set also includes interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as a featurette on real-life bionics. The set was subtitled Volume 1, suggesting that Universal still expected the series to be renewed at that time.The pilot episode was released in the United Kingdom on Region 2 on April 7, 2008. A further Region 2 two-disc set containing all eight episodes from the show was released on May 12, 2008; unlike the Region 1 release, this version was entitled "The Complete Series".