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Faster Than A Speeding Bullet, NBC Sees 'Bionic Woman' Make Retooling Pit Stops

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 9, 2007

Jamie Sommers works for a secret agency.

She may be bionic but she's already getting rusty.

The new, highly anticipated remake of the 1970s sci-fi series showed potential in the first episode.

It had action, a semi-interesting back story and a gorgeous star in Michelle Ryan as Jamie Sommers. Also, there was a potentially fascinating nemesis for the heroine (Katee Sackhoff as a bad bionic babe).

Sackhoff (Starbuck on "Battlestar Galactica") sizzled in what was supposed to be only a recurring role.

Although the first episode was dark and a little clunky, things had to be established and characters needed to be introduced.

But instead of improving, "Bionic Woman" tanked creatively in the second episode. It was a rapid slide down to dumbsville last week. The ratings also took a big hit, and it may be too late for a turnaround. This turkey will have its goose cooked before Thanksgiving.

It's not going to be a good season for NBC because "Journeyman" is also a dud, no one cares about "Cane," and "Chuck" may be chucked soon.

"Bionic Woman" had already undergone numerous changes before the first episode aired, including recasting Jamie's sister from a sweet, hearing-impaired sibling to a sullen, demanding and totally uninteresting teen.

On last week's episode, there were more changes. Viewers learned that Jamie's boyfriend William (Chris Bowers) had died.

He was the guy who saved her life and gave her $50 million in new body parts. Suddenly he's gone and she's working for a secret military-government-science agency.

She's taking orders from grumpy old Miguel Ferrer and a new guy played by Isaiah Washington, formerly of "Grey's Anatomy."

These two clowns needed Jamie to help them stop a ridiculous plot by a sinister white paramilitary terrorist group that wanted to unleash a deadly, mysterious gas in small towns throughout America.

Sackhoff's character reappeared and appears to have been softened. She's featured again on tonight's episode, suggesting perhaps she should have been cast in the leading role.

DEALING WITH HOWIE: A last-minute, spur-of-the-moment trip to Miami to audition for "Deal or No Deal" paid off for a Fort Meade woman, who is scheduled to appear on tonight's episode of the NBC game show.

Carmen Gantt, a dental assistant in Winter Haven, says host Howie Mandel was really nice and a lot of fun.

"It was a thrill to meet him," she says. "He made it easier for me to play."

But she can't say what happened on the episode, which was taped in February.

Gantt, 33, is a big fan of the show. Last year, after a co-worker pointed out that "Deal or No Deal" would be holding auditions in Miami, she debated a week with her cousin Pam Halvenston about making the trek from rural Polk County.

"I have three children so it's not that easy to run off to Miami," Gantt says.

"But we took off in the afternoon and camped out overnight outside the place where they were holding auditions that next day. We begged a security guard to let us park there.

"We wanted to be first in line, but there were 80 people ahead of us."

Gantt thinks she impressed the judges with her "Southern drawl and Latino looks."

She made it past a couple of rounds of interviews and waited nearly six months before she was flown to Los Angeles to compete.

In between, she played along each week while watching the show. She also played a home video version of the game.

"It was exciting and thrilling, and I was really nervous so I said a little prayer to myself," she says.

The Gantt family and friends plan to gather at a Beef O'Brady's in Winter Haven tonight for a viewing party.

"Deal or No Deal" returned for a new season on Sept. 22 and has been slipping in the ratings in its Wednesday night slot. Last week, it came in second to the debut of ABC's "Pushing Daisies."

NBC announced last week that it is developing a daytime version of "Deal" that will debut in fall of 2008 with Mandel as host.

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