Thursday Thirteen

Yesterday, January 14, 2026, was the 50th anniversary of the premiere of The Bionic Woman. I can't believe the show has been around for that long. I remember sitting entranced in front of the TV watching Jamie Sommers jump and save the day. I rewatched the show this summer and discovered many things about the show that the young pre-teen girl watching wouldn't have noticed. Here are a few facts about this show as it celebrates its longevity in popular culture:

1. The series was created by Kenneth Johnson, who also worked on The Six Million Dollar Man. His knack for blending character-driven drama with high‑concept sci‑fi shaped the tone of both shows.

2. It was based on the 1972 novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin. While the book was darker and more militaristic, the TV adaptation softened the edges and made room for emotional storytelling.

3. Jaime Sommers was played by Lindsay Wagner, whose grounded, empathetic performance helped define the character. Wagner’s approach emphasized humanity over heroics, which became the show’s signature strength.

4. The show originally aired on ABC from 1976–1977 before moving to NBC for its final season. That network jump was unusual at the time and showed just how popular the character had become.

5. The series ran for three seasons and produced 58 episodes. Despite its relatively short run, it left a cultural footprint far larger than its episode count suggests.

6. Jaime Sommers began as a professional tennis player before her life‑altering skydiving accident. Her athletic background made her transformation into a bionic agent feel both plausible and poignant.

7. Her bionic upgrades gave her super strength, super speed, and enhanced hearing. This made her one of TV’s earliest female superheroes. The show treated these abilities with a mix of wonder and restraint, keeping Jaime relatable even at her most powerful.

8. The character was originally intended to die in her first appearance on The Six Million Dollar Man. Viewer response was so overwhelming that the producers rewrote her fate, essentially willing her back to life.

9. The show blended action‑adventure with emotional storytelling, often exploring Jaime’s struggle to maintain a normal life. Episodes frequently balanced spy missions with the quieter challenges of identity, recovery, and belonging.

10. Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks reprised their roles from The Six Million Dollar Man, creating one of TV’s earliest shared universes. Their presence helped knit the two shows together long before crossovers became a franchise staple. Lee Majors, The Six Million Dollar Man himself, also guest starred in a number of episodes.

11. The Bionic Woman was one of the first series to center a female action hero without camp or parody. Jaime wasn’t a sidekick, a joke, or a novelty. She was the story, full stop.

12. The series inspired a generation of girls who saw Jaime as a model of competence, compassion, and independence. Many fans still talk about how she shaped their sense of what women could do and be on screen.

13. Lindsay Wagner won an Emmy Award for her performance, which was and still is a rare honor for a sci‑fi action series. Her win validated the show’s emotional depth and set a precedent for genre performances being taken seriously.

Did you watch The Bionic Woman?

*An AI tool helped me create this list, mostly because you can't get away from the things in a search now.*

 _________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 942nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.