‘Bionic Woman’: Lindsay Wagner Reveals ‘Subliminal Messaging’ in Show
What To Know
- Lindsay Wagner revealed that The Bionic Woman intentionally included “subliminal messaging” through the character’s choices and behavior to subtly teach viewers positive values.
- Wagner ensured she had creative input on her character and storylines, aiming to portray a realistic and empowering female lead rather than just an action figure.
- The Bionic Woman, a spinoff of The Six Million Dollar Man, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Lindsay Wagner, the star of The Bionic Woman, recently revealed there was “subliminal messaging” in the ’70s sci-fi action adventure series.
During an interview with Women’s World published on February 13, Wagner, 76, dished on the spinoff series for The Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors, as The Bionic Woman celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“It’s wonderful — but shocking,” Wagner said of five decades passing since the show premiered in 1976. “Somebody said, ‘Lindsay, are you going to do something for the 50th anniversary?’ And I said, ‘What?’ It was like, ‘Oh my gosh… really?’”
In Bionic Woman, Wagner played Jaime Sommers — a professional tennis player who becomes a secret agent following a skydiving accident, thanks to superhuman powers from bionic legs, an arm, and an ear.
“We did a lot of subliminal teaching,” she told Women’s World. “Just by the way Jaime was, by the choices we made for her, how she responded to certain situations, how she treated people, and what she learned about herself.”
Lindsay Wagner and Richard Anderson in ‘The Bionic Woman’ (Everett Collection)
Wagner explained, “I didn’t want to do just an action show. I wasn’t interested in that. I didn’t want to be a guy in a skirt running around bashing people.”
In fact, the actress included in her Bionic Woman contract that she would be a collaborator for Jaime’s character development and show’s story.
“When they agreed to that, and I realized [creator and executive producer] Kenny Johnson had an open mind, it was wonderful,” Wagner shared. “Nobody really had experience writing stories around a woman in that kind of powerful situation. My goal was to share what felt real to me as a woman.”
The Bionic Woman aired for three seasons from 1976 to 1978. In addition to Wagner, the series starred Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks.