| abstract
| - The Bionic Book: The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman Reconstructed (ISBN 1593930836) is a book on the history of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman by television pop culture author, Herbie J. Pilato. The foreword for the book, which was published by BearManor Media in September 2007, was written by Richard Anderson. Running approximately 375 pages, the book was written over the course of more than 13 years, and follows the history of the franchise inspired by Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg from its beginnings (which actually predate Caidin's novel) through to 2007 and the announcement of the Bionic Woman remake series (though beyond a brief reference the book does not delve into the production of the remake series). The book features interviews with the cast, producers, and the now-deceased Caidin, and features behind-the-scenes background on the production of the two TV series and the reunion telefilms. Among the many revelations are references to actors considered for the roles of Steve and Jaime, both before their respective series began, and during production. The book, which includes a number of black-and-white photographs, also includes discussion on the merchandising of the franchise, real-world medical breakthroughs, special effects wizardry, Cold War implications, and ends with a detailed episode guide for both original series. Author Pilato has written a number of books on the history of television, examining the development of TV shows including Bewitched and Kung Fu, among others.
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