I'm a sucker for 70's revivals. The latest show to undergo the treatment is The Bionic Woman, which originally ran from 1976-1978 and is now back on NBC. While the original show was loosely feminist- promoting the idea that a woman could be cyberknetic hero just like the Six Million Dollar Man - the revamp seems more along the lines of any WB/UPN show with a female lead - can a woman be true to herself while she struggles with the issues of everyday life- dating, family, holding down a job.
"In the old days, it was about 'women can do everything men can do.' That doesn't seem to be as much of an issue now," says executive producer David Eick. Today, "it's more about if we can accept that women can do what men can do, do we judge it differently? Backing that is what I call the Peter Parker ethos: someone who is not sure of him or herself as a person, let alone a hero. And I'm just applying that to a female perspective."
The Bionic Assessment Test is a fun viral promo for the show.
Misha Cornes
Strategists & Planners
Comments (5)
"Backing that is what I call the Peter Parker ethos: someone who is not sure of him or herself as a person, let alone a hero. And I'm just applying that to a female perspective."
That's pretty much every hero in the Marvel Universe. It's funny that their decades-long formula for success is just now permeating popular culture.
Posted on August 21, 2007 17:44
"Backing that is what I call the Peter Parker ethos: someone who is not sure of him or herself as a person, let alone a hero. And I'm just applying that to a female perspective."
That goes for just about every hero in the Marvel Comics universe. It's funny how their decades-long formula for success is just now permeating pop culture.
Posted on August 21, 2007 17:48
I always liked the "a day in the life of" our hero comics that the writers would write every so often. No villains, no disasters, just our hero/ine trying to get through life
I managed to see a preview of the pilot. I was a bit disappointed, a little too 'evil' in the "she'll work for us or else..." theme. It just didn't catch me the way I hoped. And we've already got StarBuck as the anti-bionic woman
The 70's revival is what hooked me so I'll hang on for a few but I'm not so sure.
Posted on August 22, 2007 08:20
I'm glad to see an old classic like this being revived. I used to watch the show religiously when i was a young boy. I was completely enthralled by Jamie Summers and wanted nothing more than to grow up to be like her.
Needless to say I grew up to be as gay as brunch.
Posted on August 22, 2007 10:57
LOL. I loved Jaime Summers too, but I think it only encouraged my budding hetero tendencies. My sister and I would play "Bionic Woman" by running in slow motion and making the Kkkkk-kkkkk sound.
I don't know about anyone else, but I think the whoa-is-me-I'm-a-modern-woman-trying-to-have-it-all storyline is played out.
Posted on August 23, 2007 11:36