This is never good news... and before the show even airs. :unsure
Morgan Departs Bionic Woman
Writer/producer Glen Morgan (The X-Files) is leaving his job as one of the show runners of NBC's upcoming SF series Bionic Woman, effective immediately, Variety reported. The trade paper cited network insiders who attributed Morgan's departure to "creative differences."
David Eick (SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica) remains in place as show runner and will assume all responsibility for day-to-day production of the series, working with executive producer Jason Smilovic.
NBC issued a statement thanking Morgan for his contributions to establishing a template for Bionic and said it was looking forward to the show debuting later this month as scheduled.
There had been word around town that Bionic was also shutting down production, but an NBC representative told the trade paper that that isn't the case. But the trade paper cited industry insiders as saying they believe it's possible the show, which is now in production on its fifth episode, still might take a break in order to give the writers a chance to focus on refining the show's directions.
Bionic Woman, a remake of the 1970s series, stars Michelle Ryan as Jaime Sommers. It premieres Sept. 26 and will air Wednesdays at 9 a.m. ET/PT. (NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)
I just watched the pilot episode last night via Amazon Unbox and my TIVO. It was ok I thought. I'm a bit unsure at the direction they are taking the show. The main lead actress was ok but didn't really grab me. I think the one thing missing was how tragic it was when the first Bionic Woman had the accident and her boyfriend Steve Austin (6 million dollar man) saves her with bionics. That really made you care about her. In this show you don't get that at first. There isn't time for you to really get attached to the new Jaime before her accident. I think it might of been better if the pilot was 2 hours. Seemed a bit rushed at only 43 minutes (1 hour minus commercials). But, I still think it has potential and will watch to see how it develops.
Yes, everything did happen rather quickly. It should have been 2 hours. I'll watch for a few more weeks. I like the guy playing the"Oscar Goldman" character and of course Katie Sackhoff. I thought I remember in the sneak peak, the sister was deaf. What's up with that ?
We just got done watching this. We all liked it. Pretty cool. I hope it stays good.
No flash gordons here. :)
Watched this on Monday & looks like it will be pretty cool. I just hope the anoying sister won't mess things up. & defenitly no Flas Gordans..
I saw it tonight on TV. I actually like Michelle Ryan. The pilot did seem a bit rushed so it should've been two hours long. I'll watch it next week and see what happens.
I actually liked the show. We are going to continue watching it.
My one complaint is that the writing is kinda blah. Sometimes akward....
This is a real challenge for TV today. You need to care about the characters before you get TOO into the "main story" but it's hard to build that emotional attachement and go from there.
Firefly had the same problem: They had a perfect 2 hour pilot that got set aside by a studio that only was going to give them 1 hour.
I almost wonder if they should stop trying to give us "the back story" and instead start the story off en media res. Instead of seeing Jamie as a "human" the opening shots were in the hospital bed and we saw the accident, the relationship with her boyfriend, etc all through flash-backs.
It worked for Wolverine right?
And really, if we care about the character as the bionic woman, then we should care about her past. But even if we care about her tragic past there's no garuntee we'll care about the character that shows up every week from here on out.
Mr. O
My trouble is I grew up with the other "Bionic Woman" show. And a huge amount of the appeal was her romance with Steve Austin (Lee Majors $6 mill. dollar man) before she got injured. She also took quite a bit of time to get used to her bionics. For the new show they really crammed a lot into 45 minutes, I thought. I'll keep watching but for me to enjoy and continue to watch any TV show I need to like and care about the characters. That's the most important thing for me.
Quote from: Rico on September 27, 2007, 05:31:43 AM
I'll keep watching but for me to enjoy and continue to watch any TV show I need to like and care about the characters. That's the most important thing for me.
Same here, mate. I'm pretty sure they'll give us enough about Jamie to care about her; you just have to to keep a show going.
I just think they wanted to get to the Bionic part of Bionic Woman quickly. Personally I'm intriqued as to how the First BW and the mad scientist are going to play in.
Mr. O
I thought it was alright but agree it probably needed to be two hours, or at least make it a two parter. I like My Osterman idea of starting with her already as the Bionic Woman and having Flashbacks to when she was not. I liked seeing Katee Sackhoff, and hope she appears more regularily.
My only complaint was that it was too short.
“Bionic Woman†Does Well In First Outing
http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2007/09/28/bionic-woman-does-well-in-first-outing/
Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Going into the fall TV season, Wednesday night at 9 p.m. looked to be one of the most competitive nights of the week. And if last night’s ratings were any indication, it’s shaping up to be quite a battle for viewers in the time-slot.
The good news for fans of NBC’s reimagined “Bionic Woman†is that while the show finished second in its time-slot overall with an average of 8.4/13 household rating, the new drama grew in viewership as the hour progressed. Ratings breakdowns show the new adventures of Jamie Summers building an audience as the hour went along and helping power NBC to a second-place finish for the night, behind the line-up on ABC.
Better news is that the launch of all of NBC’s Wednesday night line-up showed significant improvement over the ratings in the same time-slots last year.
While this doesn’t certify “Bionic†as a hit right out of the gate, the fact that its ratings grew while it’s competition’s ratings on “Private Practice†fell during the 9 o’clock hour is good news for NBC. Hopefully, NBC will be satisfied with the ratings and allow the show to grow into a hit, like it did last year with another sci-fi drama called “Heroes.â€
Cool.......... New show on tonight!
Watched 2nd episode. They're getting it off the ground - but they are taking their time. It's remains on my "ok" list -- enough to keep me interested. 25 years later and she can still only run 60mph. :-\
What did everyone else think ?
I saw it too. Finally getting caught up on all the shows. Definitely picking up. I almost thought they were setting her up the whole time to get her to join up. I agree, so far it's ok but needs a little more. I'll keep watching.
I agree as well, so far it is just ok. I find some of the characters to be a bit bland. I am not to sure what to think about Jamie as well, for a woman who was tricked, she does not come across as being very angry, and seems to react to everything with the same temperment. I like the Organization she works for and the larger story does seem like it could get interesting, just hoping more of these characters get a little more spark to them.
I like the lead actress (Michelle Ryan) but she needs to step it up just a bit. Katee (Starbuck) has a lot more pizazz on screen I think. But that could be from her years of hard work on Galactica. I still think this show has a lot of potential. Does it seem a bit weird to anyone that they could repair Jamie (who seemed much more destroyed by her accident) but couldn't manage to save her boyfriend from a simple gunshot?
They could've saved the boyfriend, just like the director (Ferrer) could've saved his wife that he mentioned in the pilot.
3rd episode - Starbuck plays a good psycho B. Ok, maybe she can only run 60mph but she has some cool upgrades. It was good - definitely want to see how it all turns out. Apparently, Jamie was not so random a selection and they are not telling her everything. Maybe its me, but I wouldn't want to PO a bionic woman. Episode continues next week.
Quote from: Rico on October 04, 2007, 04:37:10 AM
I like the lead actress (Michelle Ryan) but she needs to step it up just a bit. Katee (Starbuck) has a lot more pizazz on screen I think. But that could be from her years of hard work on Galactica. I still think this show has a lot of potential. Does it seem a bit weird to anyone that they could repair Jamie (who seemed much more destroyed by her accident) but couldn't manage to save her boyfriend from a simple gunshot?
Maybe he was not a candidate?
Maybe there are physical reasons that people are choosen and some are not?
Maybe his body would have rejected the implants?
Maybe they wanted him dead to protect something?
Personally my wife and I love the series so far. I think Jamie is fun at the same time she can kick butt. I also like her attitude with not just accpeting her new employer.
Does anyone know how much Longer Katie Sackhoff will be on? I find her character definitely the most interesting character on the show. When she is no longer on, I think it will hurt the series as bit, as I still find the rest of the actors a bit bland.
I have seen the first three episodes now and have to say that I love it. I had previously seen "Michelle Ryan" on "Eastenders" over here so it was a little weird to see her kicking arse. In the British soap, she was a whiny little thing that bad things happened to constantly, but by the second episode, I had forgotten about her dodgy past and even accepted her American accent.
I think the pilot should have been two hours, most pilots are, aren't they?
Katee Sackhoff is really interesting and like George Takai in Heroes, I was able to accept her without being constantly reminded of there previous "more famous" character, and it was nice to see her being feminine, she looked quite hot actually, something I never saw in Galactica, but I wouldn't want to upset her though.
All in all, great stuff and again I look forward to the next episode being available.
NBC Makes Move to Prevent "Bionic Woman" From Being Whacked
http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2007/10/25/nbc-makes-move-to-prevent-bionic-woman-from-being-whacked/
In a move to try and shore up the ratings for NBC's Wednesday night tentpole "Bionic Woman," the network has hired ex-"The Sopranos" writer Jason Cahill as the program's new show runner, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This is not a move to step all over current boss Jason Katims, but is meant to allow Katims to focus entirely on NBC's big hit show "Friday Night Lights" which is rumored to be in contention for the Monday night timeslot currently being filled by "Journeyman."
Cahill comes to "Bionic Woman" with an impressive resume that includes not only the Emmy winner "The Sopranos," but also "ER" which is another big Emmy winning program. He also did scripts for "Surface" and "Profiler" and ABC's longrunning award winning show "NYPD Blue."
Okay I finally was able to watch all FIVE episodes today. It was a Bionic Day. I have to say I really like it. It's hasn't blown me away but it's a fun show and I'll continue to watch. You can tell they tweaked the show from pilot to 1st episode. I mean they kill off Will but in the pilot I saw at comic con he survives, I mean it was a shoulder wound. Also the last episode there was no mention of her sister.. she's staying at collage for a few days.. who is watching her sister? But now that I'm caught up I can watch it when it airs...
Yeah, I am really liking it too.
I wish they would do the six million dollar man again. That would so rock.
Sackhoff Done with "Bionic Woman"
The NBC show "Bionic Woman" had one good thing going for it — Katee Sackhoff. But, that may be about to end, which could spell the end of BW.
At a recent Battlestar Galactica CON Sackhoff indicated that her days on the Bionic show as Sarah Corvus, a recurring character and nemesis of Jamie Sommers (Michelle Ryan), could soon be over. Both TVGuide and IGN have picked up on those statements by the actress and are reporting that she is done with the series.
Apparently Sackhoff had a meeting with one of the producers some time after the Thanksgiving holiday "but does not expect to return to the show even if it does resume production" following the current Writers Guild strike, according to IGN.
While no official reason is being given by Sackhoff for her supposed departure, some are speculating that there may be bad chemistry between her and lead star Michelle Ryan. If that is true, then whether Ryan will ever admit it or not, she just put herself out of a job, because everyone else on that show, especially Sackhoff, were the ones carrying it.
Tonight's episode may well be the final one of the season. With slipping ratings and the possible departure of Katee, it's not likely the "Bionic Woman" will be able to muster up enough strength to finish out season one, much less get picked up for a second.
Hmm, interesting. However, I didn't know she was suppose to be on the show forever so who knows what this means. Probably doesn't matter much because it seems this show is going to be another casualty of this weird TV season.
Although I like the show and it shows some promise I do not think it will last. The episodes of late are very scatter brained. There seems to be a real lack of direction of the show and a very weak arc for the main story. This is not to say that they can't change it which is why I am sticking by it but to this point I can't imagine they are gaining viewers.
I will however miss Sackhoff as I thought her role was the best on the show :(
I have been really enjoying the Bionic woman, it took me a bit to warm up to it, and having a familar face in Katee Sachoff helped me. I liked her Character, and thought as well that she would be a reoccuring character and not a regular Character. I was actually disappointed to see the Isaiah Washington Character go, as I felt he was a really strong Character and really liked the partnership he had with Jamie Somers. It will be sad if this series falls, as I thought it showed a lot of potential.
I agree with you Jeff.
I will be dissapointed if the show goes the way of the Dinasour.
Sackhoff To Stay Put on BW
Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)
Yesterday, after the actress reportedly made comments at a BSG Con indicating her displeasure with "Bionic Woman," TVGuide, IGN and Slice of SciFi reported that Katie Sackoff would be leaving the struggling-NBC series. Today, however, it appears reports of her depature were pre-mature.
"I have no plans to leave Bionic Woman, and Michelle Ryan is doing a great job. There's not one ounce of bad blood between us." Sackoff told TVGuide today.
Sackoff said that reports of her insulting co-star Ryan, or reports that she was leaving the show came from an unsubstianted blog report from this weekend's "Bionic Woman" convention at which she appeared.
"It's sad," says Sackhoff, "because you want to connect with the fans, and then they throw it in your face in a negative light."
Sackoff went on to say she's contractually obligated for six more seasons, should the struggling series make it that far. She also said she meets regularly with producers about her role and that its the type of role she really enjoys and would love to play for as long as the series runs.
And Sackoff added,"If they want to cut my involvement, that's totally fine. I understand that it's called Bionic Woman, not "Women." It would be nice to actually do a pilot season."
Currently, "Bionic Woman" has run out of completed episodes. The final new episode aired last night and it could serve as the series finale for the show.
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on November 29, 2007, 05:21:23 PM
Currently, “Bionic Woman” has run out of completed episodes. The final new episode aired last night and it could serve as the series finale for the show.
I am betting this is what's going to happen. I am not happy about this at all but I fear it's going to be gone :(
Dunno if this has been posted already or not...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=514201&in_page_id=1773
----
Hollywood dream is over for ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan
By MARK COLEMAN - Last updated at 17:49pm on 14th February 2008
She thought her dreams had come true after landing the lead role as TV's Bionic Woman.
But after a few short months, Michelle Ryan has accepted her bid for U.S. glory was not to be and is back in Britain.
The former EastEnders actress, 23, has failed to impress as the lead character in the much-hyped remake of the 1970s science fiction show.
Disappointment: Michelle Ryan at Tuesday night's Elle Style Awards. She is said to be depressed by the ratings faliure of her show
Now, with the Hollywood writers strike coming to an end, producers at America's NBC/Universal network have decided not to renew the show for a second season, the Daily Mail can reveal.
A source said: "Barring a last-minute miracle, the show won't be coming back. Inside the network, there's just no appetite to see more episodes, and it was an incredibly expensive show to make week in and week out.
"Producers are sick of throwing good money after bad at this series."
Lean machine: Michelle Ryan hoped her role in the Bionic Woman would open Hollywood to her
The former soap star was tapped last year to play robotically-enhanced Jaime Sommers in an updated version of the science fiction hit.
She beat out thousands of hopefuls for the part, which made actress Lindsay Wagner a star in the original series.
But the show was panned by critics and received dismal ratings. Reviewers called it "clichéd", a "total loss" and "dark and depressing".
The source said: "Frankly, the bosses at the network decided to blame Michelle for the show's failure. Their bet was that American viewers would fall in love with her looks, personality, and the character she played.
"But that just didn't happen. She went back to England because the writing was on the wall."
Miss Ryan, who found fame as Zoe Slater in EastEnders, returned to London in recent weeks, according to the source.
It is claimed she is "defeated and depressed" by the outcome of her efforts. And it seems she is turning back to the old comforts of Eastenders - tuning in on the night she arrived home and watching it religiously since her return.
The source added: "She lobbied quite hard to play the Bionic Woman, but even when she finally got the role she allegedly expressed real uncertainty about whether or not she could pull it off. She had no martial arts training and not a lot of experience doing action scenes."
The source claimed: "Her career in the U.S. is over right now. She'll still work plenty in England but she has to do something that really breaks out for her to get more American jobs. She's back to square one."
The show's failure is a costly one for NBC. The network invested up to $6m into each episode, spilling large amounts of cash on special effects.
In addition, more than $15m was spent marketing the show's launch appeal last summer.
The ad campaign seemed to hinge entirely on Miss Ryan's sleepy-eyed sex appeal and the brand recognition of the title.
Bionic Woman was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, although its writers and producers were based in Los Angeles, where Miss Ryan performed her initial screen test for the role.
Many members of the creative team behind the show were veterans of NBC's more successful Battlestar Galactica series remake.
But despite a highly rated premiere last September, the action drama haemorrhaged viewers on subsequent airings and never caught on with the fickle science fiction audience that has embraced hits like Galactica, Lost and Heroes.
Yeah this isn't a surprise.. it's very sad news.. but not a surprise.
I thought Michelle was just fine. But the writing just wasn't there. The show had several issues. I think it could of improved but TV is a ruthless business.
Disappointing, as I thought the show was getting better, and to be honest, I enjoyed it. Michelle took a bit for me to warm up to, but I was getting more and more accepting of her as Jamie Sommers. I guess in the TV world, nobody is going to stop and help you along, and one stumble and you are pretty much left for dead.
British tabloids are just awfully written.
I liked the show. I'm very disappointed that it didn't get a whole season to find its stride.
Thanks for posting the article, billybob.
I think this show could have survived for another season if not for the writers strike. It wasn't great but it has potential.
Kevin
Well talk about milking this thing... I hate when the don't release the entire series in one boxset.. there is only like 8 episodes total. I guess Volume two will have a few more episodes.
New Bionic Woman on DVD
The Bionic Woman (2007): Volume One DVD (Widescreen)
Join one of TV's most stunning breakout heroines as the action-packed series Bionic Woman leaps into DVD! From executive producer David Eick (Battlestar Galactica) comes this gripping re-imagining of the universally beloved character.
Jamie Sommers is a hard-working woman struggling to take care of her younger sister. But after a serious, life-threatening accident, Jamie is saved by a top-secret procedure that makes her much more than just an ordinary woman?it makes her superhumanly bionic. Starring hot newcomer Michelle Ryan, as well as Miguel Ferrer (Crossing Jordan), Molly Price (Third Watch), Will Yun Lee (Witchblade), Lucy Kate Hale (How I Met Your Mother), and guest stars Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), it's a non-stop thrill ride unlike anything you've seen before!
Starring: Michelle Ryan, Miguel Ferrer, Molly Price, Will Yun Lee, Lucy Hale, Mark Sheppard
Ships on March 18
Price:
$19.98
Disc 1
* Run Time: 2 Hours and 50 Minutes
* MPAA Rating: Not Rated
* Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
* Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
* Picture: Widescreen (1.78:1)
* Color
* Bonus:Pilot Commentary with Executive Producer David Eick
Yeah! I'm gonna rush out and buy this one. NOT!
Kevin
Ok so saw this for th efirst time last night. ITV 2 (note i say 2 and not ITV 1 the main commercial station in the UK). I thought the show has a lot of promise, obviously i don't know what other episodes will be like as it was the first one, but i have to agree with the above comments about it being rushed. 2 hours would have been ideal, espeially to develop the main character. Michelle Ryan came across very well, and her accent was pretty good. I look forward to episode 2 next week.
BW a Hit Overseas
The NBC show remake of the "Bionic Woman," starring Brit born actress Michelle Ryan may have been a disaster in the United States, scoring some pretty low ratings and ending up on the canceled list, but over in England it's a hit.
The first episode of "Bionic Woman" scored the highest ever audience for the U.K. with young viewers on ITV2.
The one–hour debut, gobbled up a 9.2% share, or over 2.2 million viewers on Tuesday evening, more than six times the slot average of 292,000 (1.5%), according to overnight viewing figures released to Variety Europe.
"The success of 'Bionic Woman'...further underlines the important role of U.S. fare to Blighty's digital channels," stated journalist Steven Clarke. Even if those same shows flop big time in their domestic market of origin.
Top Hole for Blighty. Chin, chin.
Eick: Bionic Is Dead
David Eick, co-executive producer of NBC's SF series Bionic Woman, confirmed to SCI FI Wire that the network has indeed canceled the show, though the network has not yet officially said as much.
"I just felt that the process was so frustrating, and the conditions under which we were making that show never really came to fruition in such a way that I felt like we could make the show well," Eick said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on March 18. "The actress [Michelle Ryan] we found was wonderful. Some of the writing was good."
But, he added: "We just didn't ever bring it all together like we did with Battlestar. At a certain point, when it becomes that frustrating, I think you're better off to say, 'Let's try again another time,' and let it go."
Bionic Woman, a reboot of the 1970s series of the same name, debuted to strong ratings last fall, but its numbers dropped precipitously after that, and behind-the-scenes problems persisted. Cancellation was expected after the network failed to order additional episodes once the writers' strike ended. (NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.) --Ian Spelling
That's too bad. I really enjoyed the show.
The show was well conceived and poorly executed. NEXT '70's show please! :)
Quote from: Bryancd on March 19, 2008, 05:45:32 PM
The show was well conceived and poorly executed. NEXT '70's show please! :)
How about a new "B.J. And The Bear" or "Sheriff Lobo"? LOL
wait; that was the '80's, wasn't it?
You are so right. Brit tabloid press are the worst for building you up and then knocking you down. It doesn't suprise me either if Michelle has taken it to heart. I though her performance was very good considering her age and also it is very hard to be a lead in an American programme. The trouble now is, is that the show has just started in England and when everyone knows it has been cancelled who is going to give it a chance. I liked the first episode but the writing was the only downfall. I hope, i really hope that someone will give her another chance in the US, hopefully in maybe a comedic role. I hate to see people put down or hounded (very much a British tabloid favorite) so lets keep our fingers crossed.
Quote from: Bryancd on March 19, 2008, 05:45:32 PM
The show was well conceived and poorly executed. NEXT '70's show please! :)
LOL Exactly.
I also found her boss the most interestnig person on the show. That to mean meant death to the show. I never really bought into her all that much even though I liked to look at her :). The other main problem I had was that the episodes seemed to dis-jointed and nothing really sucked me in like LOST or BSG.