Original 'Bionic Woman' criticises show

[Bishop37]

Source: digitalspy

Original Bionic Woman star Lindsay Wagner has criticised the new version of the show.

Wagner, who played Jaime Sommers between 1976 and 1978, said the re-imagining of the series is very different from its predecessor.

Bionic Woman debuted on NBC last month and stars ex-EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan in the title role.

Wagner, 58, said: "It's very much like what shows are today - kind of dark and broody and violent. It's not at all what we were doing.

"We were doing a show for kids intentionally and making it fun in such a way that adults could enjoy it too."

[LucianG]

I've always heard that Ms. Wagner is a very nice lady. She may have intended a great deal of criticism with her comments, but those provided by the writer of the article appear to me as statement of fact rather than outright criticism. I think she is wise to avoid such outright criticism and let the public decide whether the new show is a worthy successor to her original. Based on the ratings, it may not be that longer until we know the answer.

[Commander Taggart]

I think the ratings speak for themselves.

[LucianG]

Oh, I agree. The question is, how long will it take for the suits at NBC to wake up and realize that?

[Dawg]

Apparently production shut down on 11/2 because they ran out of scripts. The question is not so much "will it get a second season" as it is whether we'll see anything produced beyond what's already been shot.

I'm not sure if the WGA has done us a favor or not...... ;)

I am
Dawg

[Martok2112]

I'll just wait for the DVD.

Without reading the entire article, it looks like just from the few words Lindsay spoke (posted at the beginning of this thread) were just more of a comparison, as opposed to a criticism. "We did it this way...they're doing it that way."

Martok

[Commander Taggart]

Show sucks.

[jewels]

I'll just wait for the DVD.

Without reading the entire article, it looks like just from the few words Lindsay spoke (posted at the beginning of this thread) were just more of a comparison, as opposed to a criticism. "We did it this way...they're doing it that way."

MartokShe seems to be a gracious lady. Seems I remember other gracious folks in the original BG cast with similar comparisons way back when GINO was either unseen or new. Spincasters did what served their purposes with the comments then too.

[Gemini1999]

I'll just wait for the DVD.

Without reading the entire article, it looks like just from the few words Lindsay spoke (posted at the beginning of this thread) were just more of a comparison, as opposed to a criticism. "We did it this way...they're doing it that way."

MartokShe seems to be a gracious lady. Seems I remember other gracious folks in the original BG cast with similar comparisons way back when GINO was either unseen or new. Spincasters did what served their purposes with the comments then too.

Julie -

I had the opportunity to meet Lindsay Wagner back in 1993. She is indeed a gracious lady and she's also very sincere and "real". I don't know how she is when it comes to business, but when it comes to meeting her fans, she's a class act - at least from my experience. She really made my day in about 5 minutes of conversation. I'll never forget it.

Bryan

[BST]

I found a little more to add, to Peter's original post. Apparently Lindsay has a website in the UK:

http://www.lindsaywagner.co.uk/


“It’s very different,” she said at a Television Academy event. “It’s very much like what the shows are today, kind of dark and broody and violent - what people seem to be getting off on these days. So, it’s not at all what we were doing. We were doing a show for kids intentionally and making it fun and make it in such a way that adults could enjoy it too with their children. [The new show] is just a very different intention so I find it crazy that people try to compare it and ‘This is better or that is better.’ It’s not the same thing at all. It’s like, hello?”
I pipe in and say that the new bionic woman never tore a phone book in half in front of her class.

Says Wagner: “She doesn’t have a class, she works at a bar (laughs).”

[Bishop37]

(Harve) Bennett can't help but make comparisons with the new version that debuted on US television this autumn and, as he observes, is "fading rapidly."

"The reason is the memories of Lindsay Wagner playing Jaime Sommers with such humanity. It was the girl next door cursed with this ability and pressed into service for he country.

"The new one is like The Karate Kid done as this generation's emergence of the woman as martial artist and fighter.

"There's just no humanity in it, and then they throw in an antagonist who's also bionic and a murderer.

"The quality of the original was in its leading lady. To this day, Lindsay exudes that same charm in everything she does."


Kenneth Johnson: "What I had created there was a woman who was a real human being. Who had a sense of humour and a sense of humanity about her, which incidentally, is what I think differentiates her from what's going on now with the new Bionic Woman.

"The new Bionic Woman clearly wants to be Alias. I guess what I miss in the new show is the sense of humanism and the sense of humour."

[Commander Taggart]

What it lacks is vision, and even an ounce of creative talent at the top. I have no problem with Michelle Ryan, and wish her well in her next project.

Here's hoping she exercises better taste in executive producers. Perhaps she could send her resume to Joss?

[Martok2112]

What it lacks is vision, and even an ounce of creative talent at the top. I have no problem with Michelle Ryan, and wish her well in her next project.

Here's hoping she exercises better taste in executive producers. Perhaps she could send her resume to Joss?

Hmmm....now that would have promise, methinks.

What it lacks is vision, and even an ounce of creative talent at the top. I have no problem with Michelle Ryan, and wish her well in her next project.

Here's hoping she exercises better taste in executive producers. Perhaps she could send her resume to Joss?


In 100% agreement!


Malkyte

[necron2.0]

I'll just wait for the DVD.

Without reading the entire article, it looks like just from the few words Lindsay spoke (posted at the beginning of this thread) were just more of a comparison, as opposed to a criticism. "We did it this way...they're doing it that way."

MartokShe seems to be a gracious lady. Seems I remember other gracious folks in the original BG cast with similar comparisons way back when GINO was either unseen or new. Spincasters did what served their purposes with the comments then too.

Yep. I'd mentioned several months ago a story I'd caught on NPR, where they'd asked three people to screen the show, before it aired. The reporter had said how the three people were interested in the show. She said they'd said it. The people themselves didn't say it, and from the comments the people themselves made (that were aired), their inflections and tones of voice made it pretty damned clear they were not impressed. Even for the most favorably inclined commentor, who was the only one who actually said he'd probably watch, you could tell he was disappointed, commenting he couldn't watch this with his kids.