I've never been too impressed by the Bionic Man. Well, ok, actually, thats a complete lie - because, when I was about four I was completely impressed. I remember asking my daddy "is it about robots?" "Well, sort of...."

But now I've got 38 years of geekdom behind me. I have dice older than undergrads I've played D&D with. I remember pong. My screen name is a reference to an '80s hot robot-on-robot action tabletop wargame.

Revamping Bionic Woman with a more grim 21st century spin, unless Joss Whedon is the writer, isnt going to impress me. Because with few exceptions, what passes for scifi these days is taylored for general consumption. The really deep stuff, the science fiction that has something to say for itself (as opposed to space opera like Star Wars) gets knocked off the air. The original Star Trek, or Firefly. Loved Firefly, loved Serenity. Excellent cast, crisp writing, believable stories, no fake technobable, and at least some attention to elementary physics. Fox executives didnt get it. Just like the execs at NBC didnt get what Roddenberry was trying to do with Star Trek.

Chick whose part robot. Ok, thats something the masses can latch onto. Weird biotech company and jerk boyfriend. Also understandable to the 'Murican Idol crowd. Evil crazy part-robot chick. I've dated her. But I honestly cant see how this show can rise above its gimmick. The '70s version didnt, but didnt try - it wasnt serious. Even the original tagline is goofy "We can rebuild him. Better, faster, stronger. We have the technology."

I thought Eurika had promise. Interesting premise, main character was a normal guy placed in extraordinary circumstances - kind of a Sam Vimes; solid cop in a weird place. But he never changed. He never adapted, he was the same confused bumpkin he was in the pilot. It never rose beyond its gimmick.

What the executives at Fox (may they be encased in taffy, diven out to the wastes of Texas, and left for the fire ants), failed to understand is that we dont care about gimmicks. We want character, we want plot, we want change. Action, drama, pathos, comedy. Keep your gimmicks and your computer animation.