Television series

The Six Million Dollar Man

Name: The Six Million Dollar Man
Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure
Released: 1973
Cast: Lee Majors, Richard Anderson, Martin E. Brooks, Alan Oppenheimer, Martin Balsam

A plane crash becomes a superhero origin story here, wrapping Cold War espionage around Steve Austin's atomic-powered arm and legs. It's earnest, slow-motion action-hero television — bionic sound effects, patriotic government conspiracies, unshakeable moral squareness — built for a Sunday night when the flashiest special effect was a man running really, really fast. Comfort viewing with a nagging undercurrent of nuclear-age unease.

TVMaze rating

7.3

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The Bionic Woman1976

The direct spin-off gives the same bionic premise a sharper emotional core — Jaime Sommers' missions carry more heartbreak, and the show quietly improves on its parent series in almost every way.

But Same budget, same formula, same OSI missions-of-the-week — if you just binged Austin's show, this may feel like more of the same.

The Incredible Hulk1977

Same engine — a man remade by science, doing good while running from his own government — but slower, sadder, more of a drifter drama than a spy thriller.

But Barely any espionage, gadgets, or mission briefings; it's melancholy and repetitive rather than action-packed.

Wonder Woman1975

A contemporaneous government-superhero show with real charm — bright, sincere, unembarrassed comic-book fun that shares Austin's Cold War backdrop and patriotic heart.

But Leans further into comic-book camp and colour than Austin's grittier spy plots; less grounded, more cheerfully silly.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Fall Guy1981no page yet

Same leading man, inverted premise: Majors trades the superhuman suit for the actual human being underneath it, which reframes what made Austin's stardom work in the first place.

Lee Majors again, but now an ordinary stuntman-turned-bounty-hunter with no bionics at all — just grit, charm, and real stunt work standing in for atomic limbs.

But Broad 80s action-comedy energy, closer to a laugh-track than a mission briefing — far less serious than anything Austin ever did.

Knight Rider1982no page yet

Swap bionic limbs for a talking supercar and you get the same lone-hero-with-secret-technology formula, filtered through 80s gloss and wholesome buddy chemistry.

But The tech does the heavy lifting instead of the body — less physical stunt work, more banter with a car.

MacGyver1985

Trades superhuman strength for pure ingenuity — same episodic mission structure and government-adjacent heroics, but the thrill is watching a man think his way out, not run.

But No sci-fi, no bionics — just duct tape and paperclips, which can feel mundane after watching a man overturn cars.

The A-Team1983

Ramps up the machismo and spectacle into full team-based excess — explosions, plans coming together, and gleeful Cold War-adjacent swagger.

But An ensemble cast dilutes the single-hero focus, and everything is louder, dumber, and less character-driven.

Airwolf1984no page yet

A secret agency, a lone operative, and impossible technology — this time a helicopter instead of a limb, with the same shadowy-oversight dynamic.

But Heavy on aerial spectacle and light on introspection; the plane is the star more than the person flying it.

Get Smart1965

The same Cold War spy-agency paranoia, played entirely for laughs — a sharp, funny counterpoint if you want to see the genre send itself up.

But Total tonal 180 from Austin's earnestness; if you want your spies played straight, this will feel like a different show entirely.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.1964

The stylish 60s template for glamorous secret-agency missions, and you can feel Austin's show borrowing its DNA — sharp suits, exotic missions, Cold War intrigue.

But Slower pacing and dated black-and-white-era production style compared to 70s action; noticeably less physical spectacle.

Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement2013no page yet

Takes the show's actual premise — rebuilding a broken body with technology — and asks what that really means for real people instead of fictional spies.

A real documentary about prosthetics, disability rights, and cyborg activism that makes Austin's fantasy suddenly feel like an ongoing, unresolved conversation happening right now.

But It's a serious, talky documentary — no missions, no explosions, just people and hard ethical questions about bodies and technology.

The Manchurian Candidate1962

Same premise stripped of bionics — a soldier altered by his own government for its purposes — played as a nightmare instead of a heroic origin story.

A decade earlier, this paranoid thriller imagined the government secretly reprogramming a soldier's mind and will, with none of the gadgetry and all of the dread.

But Cold, clammy Cold War paranoia instead of adventure-of-the-week fun — there's no comfort here, only unease.