You might not recognize Kenneth Johnson's name right away, but if you watched television in the 1970s and 1980s, you have likely seen one or more of his remarkable shows at least once.
To celebrate my recent conversation with the legendary TV writer, producer, and director Kenneth Johnson on the Hollywood Obsessed podcast, I’ve put together this entertaining blog post highlighting some of his most impressive shows for you to remember fondly and perhaps rewatch on your favorite streaming service. Enjoy!
THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN (1973 to 1978)
During the 1970s, this classic science fiction/action-adventure television series was the most popular show in the U.S.
The series centered around former astronaut and USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test flight crash, he is rebuilt with bionic implants that grant him superhuman strength, speed, and vision. Austin is then employed as a secret agent by a fictional U.S. government office called the OSI. The series was based on Martin Caidin's 1972 novel "Cyborg" The character of Steve Austin became a pop culture icon of the 1970s.
Following the final episode of "The Six Million Dollar Man", Lee Majors reprised his role as Colonel Steve Austin in several bionic-themed reunion films throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.
Kenneth Johnson joined the series after graduating from the Drama Department at Carnegie Mellon University. Upon moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film, his friend Steve Bochco suggested that he write his own material to help him gain entry as a director in Hollywood. Steve gave one of Kenny’s unproduced screenplays to Harve Bennett, who was producing "The Six Million Dollar Man" at Universal. At that time, the show was in desperate need of scripts, and Bennett hired Kenny to write for the series. Eventually, Kenny created the spinoff series "The Bionic Woman" , concurrently serving as producer, writer, and director for both series.
Fun fact: To maintain the show's plausibility, producer Kenneth Johnson set very specific limits on Steve Austin's abilities. He explained, "When you're dealing with the area of fantasy, if you say, 'Well, they're bionic so they can do whatever they want,' it gets out of hand, so you've got to have tight rules. [Steve and Jaime] can jump up two stories but not three. They can jump down three stories but not four."
THE BIONIC WOMAN (1976 to 1978)
Created by Kenny Johnson, the character Jaime Sommers from “The Bionic Woman” was portrayed by actress Lindsay Wagner. The show aired for three seasons from 1976 to 1978 as a spin-off of “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
This classic action-adventure sci-fi series followed the fictional former professional tennis star Jaime Sommers, who suffered near-fatal injuries in a skydiving accident. After undergoing advanced surgery, she became the first female cyborg. Utilizing her superhuman bionic powers, she took on special high-risk government missions while also teaching middle and high school students in her everyday life.
Lee Majors made frequent guest appearances on this spin-off series. Both “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman” ended in 1978.
The series gained immense popularity worldwide, achieving solid ratings in the United States and particularly in the UK, where it became the only science fiction program to reach the No. 1 position in ratings during the 20th century. It aired for three seasons, first on the ABC network and then on NBC for its final season.
Fun fact: Johnson named Jaime Sommers after a water skier he met while producing whale shows at SeaWorld. The name "Jaime" was predominantly a male name (a derivative of "James") before the television series premiered. Interestingly, in 1976, the name Jaime became one of the 100 most popular names in all 50 US states. The female variant, Jamie, also saw a significant rise in popularity during the same period.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (1977-1982)
Before he starred in a series of blockbuster films within the Marvel Universe, the iconic green superhero, The Hulk, was featured in a prime-time television series on CBS. This series starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner, Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, and Jack Colvin as Jack McGee.
In the latter part of the second season of “The Bionic Woman,” executives at Universal approached Kenneth Johnson, informing him that they had acquired the rights to five Marvel Comic titles. They asked him which one he wanted to adapt into a television series. Johnson ultimately chose “The Incredible Hulk” and transformed it into a gripping human drama.
In the show, Dr. David Banner is a widowed physician and scientist presumed dead. He travels across the United States under assumed names, often finding himself in situations where he helps others despite carrying a terrible secret: after an accident altered his cells, he transforms into a massive, savage, incredibly strong green-skinned humanoid known as the Hulk whenever he experiences extreme anger or stress. During his travels, Banner takes on temporary jobs to earn money while searching for a way to control or cure his condition. Meanwhile, he is relentlessly pursued by a tabloid reporter, Jack McGee, who believes that exposing the Hulk as a dangerous menace will boost his career.
Fun fact - Despite the varying degrees of the character's speaking ability in the comics over the years, the Hulk in the TV series did not speak at all; he only growled and roared. Stan Lee, co-creator of the Hulk, later recalled, "When we started the television show, Ken [Johnson] said to me, 'You know, Stan, I don't think the Hulk should talk.' The moment he said it, I knew he was right. In the comics, I had the Hulk say things like, 'Hulk crush! Hulk get him!' I could get away with it in a comic, but that would have sounded so silly if he spoke that way in a television show."
CLIFFHANGERS (1979)
In an effort to revive the genre of movie serials in a television format, Kenneth Johnson created an engaging TV series for NBC. Each hour-long episode was divided into three 20-minute segments: a mystery titled "Stop Susan Williams," a science fiction/Western hybrid called "The Secret Empire," and a horror story named "The Curse of Dracula."
"Stop Susan Williams" was a modern take on the classic serial "The Perils of Pauline." It starred Susan Anton as Susan Williams, a globetrotting newspaper photographer investigating the mysterious death of her brother, Alan. During her search, she uncovers a vast international conspiracy.
"The Secret Empire" was inspired by the Gene Autry movie serial "The Phantom Empire." It follows Marshal Jim Donner, portrayed by Geoffrey Scott, as he embarks on 1880s Wild West adventures and stumbles upon the futuristic underground city of Chimera, which is inhabited by aliens. Scenes set on the surface were shown in sepia tones, while those in Chimera were presented in color.
"The Curse of Dracula" centers on a young woman's quest for vengeance against Count Dracula, played by Michael Nouri, who is living undercover as a college professor in San Francisco.
Unfortunately, "Cliffhangers" was an expensive production, requiring three simultaneous production units. And the show was canceled after only 10 episodes had aired, by which point only "The Curse of Dracula" had reached its conclusion.
V: THE ORIGINAL MINISERIES (1983)
In 1983, Kenneth Johnson wrote and directed the original miniseries “V,” which centered around an invasion of Earth by reptilian aliens. The concept was originally inspired by Sinclair Lewis's anti-fascist novel “It Can't Happen Here” (1935). During the 4-hour series a seemingly peaceful alien race, arrives at earth and asks for help to ensure their own planets survival. However, the visitors agenda turned out be much darker. They really want to steal the earth's water, tame its population and harvest humans as food!
The groundbreaking science fiction miniseries aired on NBC and was followed a year later by a sequel titled “V: The Final Battle.” Johnson briefly worked on this sequel but left the project due to disagreements with the network. He was later credited as a co-writer of the sequel miniseries under the pseudonym Lillian Weezer and was not involved in the subsequent weekly “V” television series.
Fun fact - Production was halted for two weeks after Dominique Dunne, the 22-year-old actress originally cast as Robin Maxwell, was tragically murdered outside her apartment by her ex-boyfriend while she was rehearsing with actor David Packer, who played the human collaborator Daniel Bernstein. Some scenes featuring Dunne still exist in the original series, but they only show the back of her head. Following her death, Blair Tefkin was hired to take over the role of Robin. Johnson subsequently dedicated the series to her memory.
ALIEN NATION
This science fiction police procedural television series was developed by Kenneth Johnson. It was adapted from the 1988 movie "Alien Nation." It stars Gary Graham as Detective Matthew Sikes, a Los Angeles police officer who reluctantly partners with "Newcomer" alien Sam "George" Francisco, played by Eric Pierpoint.
The series aired for one season from 1989 to 1990 and was one of the few successes for the fledgling Fox Network at that time. Unfortunately, the network faced financial difficulties due to lower-than-expected advertising revenue, leading executives to cancel all dramatic series for the 1990–1991 season. The producers had anticipated a second season, as the first season concluded with a cliffhanger.
Despite its cancellation, the show garnered a loyal fan base, and popular demand led to the novelization and comic book adaptation of "Dark Horizon," an episode that would have kicked off the second season. Four years later, after a management change at Fox, the story of "Alien Nation" continued with five television movies featuring the original cast, picking up from the cliffhanger ending.
Show information and fun facts are taken from IMDB & Wikipedia.
Don't miss the opportunity to listen to my engaging podcast interview with the legendary writer, producer, and director Kenneth Johnson. Check out the latest episodes of my podcast, HOLLYWOOD OBSESSED! Click the links below to listen now!
Episode 95 - HERE
Episode 96 - HERE
