Compared are the shorter Original Broadcast Version (Movie Version) and the longer Expanded Syndication Version (TV Versin / Two-Part Episode) (both available on the so-called "The Complete Collection" by Fabulous Films from the UK).


8 differences, consisting of
- 4 removed scenes
- 2 additional scenes in the Original Broadcast Version
- 1 scene with alternate audio track
- 1 removed scene & alternate audio track & alternate footage
- Total length difference: 388.7 seconds resp. approx. 6 minutes and 29 seconds


Please note: the images in the Original Broadcast Version are generally brighter than the images in the Expanded Syndication Version.


This is the comparison for "The Moon and the Desert Part 2". Click here to get to the comparison of Part 1.

The Bionic Universe

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technlogy.

The Six Million Dollar Man tells the story of austronaut Steve Austin (Lee Majors). After an accident, he lost both legs, an arm and an eye. In a $6 million surgery, the affected body parts get replaced with bionics. From now on, Steve works for the intelligence agency OSI.

The show is based on te novel "Cyborg" by Martin Caidin. Because of that, the sow was originally supposed to be called "Cyborg" as well but that idea was cast away. Originally designed as 3 TV movies in 1973, The Six Million Dollar Man TV show aired in 1974. All in all, there are 5 seasons with 108 episodes in total (incl. the 3 pilots). The longer versions have a length of approx. 100 minutes each (the original length was only about 74 minutes each but approx. 37 minutes per episode would be too short). The regular opening and ending from the show were added and so were many new scenes. In return, a few scenes were also cut or replaced. For more details, please see the following comparison. The result: the 3 TV movies became the 3 show pilots. Regarding the plot, this is only the case with the 1st pilot "The Moon and the Desert". This very first pilot is rather unspectacular but it's in the nature of the beast. After all, "The Moon and the Desert" tells the story how Steve Austin became the Six Million Dollar Man - also told in the opening of the show but highly compressed of course. Starting with him being a test pilot and astronaut, right up to his severe accident, the eponymous surgery that costs $6 million and his first assignment. In the second and third pilot, Steve is on further missions which makes these pilots much more similar to the actual show.

At the end of the second season, in episodes 2x19 and 2x20 (The Bionic Woman Part 1+2) to be more specific, Steve gets temporary bionic support. Steve buys a Ranch in his hometown Ojaj, California where he bumps into his former girlfriend Jaime Summers (Lindsay Wagner) who has become a tennis pro. But the reunion does not last long because when Jamie goes skydiving, her parachute does not open correctly. Similar to Steve back in the days, Jaime is severely injured. Steve can convince his friend and boss Oscar Goldman that she will get bionics as well. At first, everything is peachy. But it turns out that Jaime's body rejects the bionics. At the end of the day, Jaime dies.
This two-part episode was so successful and the character was so popular among fans that the producers brought Jamie back to life in another two-part episode called "The Return of the Bionic Woman". It turns out Jaime is not dead after all resp. she was dead for several minutes but she could be revived just in time. Her body rejected the bionics but the process could be stopped. Unfortunately, Jamie suffers from amnesia. She has no recollection of Steve at all and any times she makes an attempt to remember him, it causes a lot of pain which is why she can't be with Steve any longer. Jaime settles down in her hometown Ojaj and works as a teacher on a military base. That is if she is not on an O.S.I. mission of course.
This is also the initial situation for the spin-off The Bionic Woman. The show started in 1976, 3 seasons consisting of 58 episodes in total were made. Besides further guest appearances of Lindsay Wagner in "The Six Million Dollar Man" and a few guest appearances by Lee Majors in "The Bionic Woman", there were two huge crossovers: "The Return of Bigfoot Part 1+2" and the among fans extremly popular "Fembot Trilogy", consisting of the episodes "Kill Oscar Part 1-3".

After the second season of "The Bionic Woman", the show got cancelled by ABC. NBC bought the rights, produced a third season and aired it. Due to the new network, crossover episodes were no longer an option. But this also resulted in something unique in TV history: Richard Anderson (as Oscar Goldman) and Martin E. Brooks (as Dr. Rudy Wells) now played the same character on two different networks. It was the first and only time that his has happened.

The year 1978 was pretty bad for our bionic heroes because both shows got cancelled independently of one another. While "The Six Million Dollar Man" ended with a regular episode, that was not the case the final episode of "The Bionic Woman" called "On the Run".
She has never thought about it but when a little girl calls Jamie "Robot Lady" some day, she quits. But the government can't just let her walk. They want Jaime to live somewhere where they can keep an eye on her. Later on, Jamie realizes she is still a human being, despite her bionics. She goes back to the O.S.I.
It has been confirmed that this finale episode is a reference to a show from the UK called The Prisoner - which is ridiculously awesome by the way. The lead of that show, Patrick McGoohan, is taken to a mysterious island after he decided he did not want to be an agent anymore and quit. On that island, he lives at a place called "The Village". In "The Village", there are no names. He is simply being called "Number 6". In every episode, he has to face an opponent who intends to find out the reason why he resigned in the first place.
This story was intentionally choses for the final episode of "The Bionic Woman" because it was originally supposed to be the end of te story of Jaime Summers.

But things turned out differently. Similar to The Incredible Hulk, 3 TV movies - known as "Reunion Movies" - were shot after the end of the two Bionic shows. Those three movies tell the actual ending of the Steve Austin and Jaime Summers story.
The first movie was released in 1987 and it is called The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman.
The second one is from 1989 and it is called Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. Fun fact: one gets to see Sandra Bullock in one of her first movies here.
The third and last movie was released in 1994. It is called Bionic Ever After? and tells the ending of the story about our two bionic heroes.

In this context, I would like to recommend this chronological listing of the cameos and crossovers.

Some people might be interested in the fact that a further spin-off was planned. The third season of "The Bionic Woman" begins with the two-part episode "The Bionic Dog". In this episode, Jamie finds a dog called Max. Max has bionic parts as well. To be exact, Max got a new jaw and new legs. At the end of this two-part episode, it is implied that Max lives with a friend of Jamie's, Forest Ranger Roger Grette, in the Sierra Mountains and that Jamie visits him occasionally. But this idea was rejected and the network decided that Max sticks with Jaime. As a consequence, he has a few more appearances on "The Bionic Woman" auf.



There are further "Bionic Shows" / "Bionic Movies" but neither of them have anything to do with the story of Steve Austin and Jaime Summers.

- Bionic Six is a US-American/Japanese cartoon from 1987. Produced by "Tokyo Movie Shinsha", the show consists of 2 seasons with a total amount of 65 episodes. The show is about test pilot and family man Jack Bennett who gets bionic parts by Professor Sharp. During skiing trip with his family, they get attacked by aliens and burried in radiactive snow. Jack takes his family to Professor Sharp. By equiping them with bionics, Professor Sharp saves their lifes. Each of them has special bionic skills. Together, they are a team of superheroes: the "Bionic Six".

- The Bionic Woman (2007) is a short-lived remake by NBC. Due to the strike of the "Writers Guild of America", the first season consists of only 8 episodes. Neither Kenneth Johnson, producer of the original series, nor Lindsay Wagner were somehow involved in the project.
Contentwise, some changes were made as well. Barkeeper Jaime Summers (Michelle Ryan) takes care of her younger sister Becca (Lucy Hale). One day, Jaime and her boyfriend Will are invlved in a car accident. Will takes Jaime, who go severely injured in the accident, to his secret lab and saves her life with bionics. Soon after Jaime's recovery, Will gets killed by the first Bionic Woman, Sarah Corvus (Katee Sakhoff). After Will's death, Jaime decides to team up with the Berkut Group - the company that made bionics available for Jaime in the first place. She does not trust any of them but resigning is not an option because Jamie is determined to figure out why Will was killed. Also, Sarah Corvus, the first Bionic Woman, has problems with her bionic parts. They almost drive her nuts. She aches for being healed and fights the Berkut Group. Furthermore, she tries to convince Jaime they should fight side by side.

- The Six Billion Dollar Man is a remake for movie theaters which is still in production. Mark Wahlberg is supposed to play Steve Austin.


Time index refers to the longer Expanded Syndication Version.

Removed Scene
00:00

Since the Expanded Syndication Version is a two-part epipsode, only here, one gets to see the regular opening of the show. In addition to that, only the Expanded Syndication Version contains a recap (no screenshots).

Now further footage of the surgery (missing in the Original Broadcast Version). The title of the episode pops up during the last shot of the recap. Therefore, the actual beginning (if you will) of "The Moon and the Desert Part 2" only contain the credits of the actors.
BTW Dr. Rudy Wells here exists twice, too (Brooks in the opening and Balsam as "Special Guest Star").
With the shot of Spencer taking a peek through the glass in the door, the versions are back in sync.

Please note: after Rudy's voice-over that reveals the details about bionics, the Original Broadcast Version contains a transition from the last identical shot of "The Moon and the Desert Part 1" and the first identical shot of "The Moon and the Desert Part 2" while there is additional footage in the Expanded Syndication Version (as described in detail at the end of the comparison for "The Moon and the Desert Part 1" and the beginning of this comparison).

427.27 sec resp. 7 min and 7.27 sec



Removed Scene
08:22

After Rudy's conversation with Spencer, the Expanded Syndication Version fades to black. Then a transition to the next scene. (keine Screenshots)

1.9 sec


Additional Scene in the Original Broadcast Version
12:45

Steve raises his right arm and makes a fist. Then Steve, he seems to be relieved that the surgery was successful.
The Expanded Syndication Version then continues with a shot of Steve looking at his left hand. Steve then calls for the nurse.
The Original Broadcast Version shows Rudy and two further doctors behind him instead. Like anyone else in the room, Rudy is relieved that the surgery was a success. Rudy then sends everybody out, he leaves as well. The Original Broadcast Version then fades to black. Another shot of Steve looking at his right hand while moving it follows. He puts his right hand down and when he raises his left hand, the versions are back in sync.

Original Broadcast Version 33.73 sec longer



Alternate Audio Track
17:02

For the gazillionth time, there is an exclusive voice-over by Rudy in the Expanded Syndication Version. It starts when Spencer enters the room and is audible during the little montage of Steve in recovery.
Rudy: "It has often been said that scientists are men without emotions. No observation has been more false. The sense of pride and achievement I experienced when I realized our series of surgical procedures had every chance of success was something beyond description. Not only had we made outstanding inroads into the mysteries of medical science but we had given a most unusual man a new reason for living and achieving."

With the end of the shot of Steve jogging, the versions are back in sync resp. Rudy's voice-over ends here.

Screenshots to illustrate the scene

no difference



Removed Scene
31:38

After Steve's conversation with nurse Jean Manners, only the Expanded Syndication Version fades to black. A transition to the next scene follows. The Original Broadcast Version does not fade to black nor is there a transition to the following scene. (no screenshots)

0.73 sec


Additional Scene in the Original Broadcast Version
33:54

The Original Broadcast Version contains an additional comment made by Mr. Geraldton while he is briefing Steve for his first assignment.
Geraldton: "That's a distance of about 250 yards from the plane which is on the runway."

Original Broadcast Version 4.43 sec longer



Removed Scene
40:19

After Steve got caught, the black screen is slightly longer in the Expanded Syndication Version. (no screenshots)

1.23 sec


Alternate Audio Track / Removed Scene / Alternate Footage
48:20

At the very end of the episode, there is some kind of concluding word by Rudy via voice-over in the Expanded Syndication Version. The footage itself is the same.
Rudy: "Over three have passed and I have never ceased to marvel at Steve Austin, a man who has completely dedicated to service for mankind."

Screenshots to illustrate the scene

Last but not least, there is a black screen in the Expanded Syndication Version right befre the end credits start. (no screenshots)

Last but not least, the end credits are different and so is the Universal logo.

Original Broadcast Version	Expanded Syndication Version

Original Broadcast Version 4,23 sec länger