michelle ryan

When I first heard that NBC was going to remake the 1970s The Bionic Woman, a spin-off of The Six Million Dollar Man, I got more giddy than a schoolgirl with a new Bratz doll -- that is what the kiddies are into, right?

The teaser video for the new Bionic Woman was intriguing to say the least. My first thought was, "Oh my God! This is my new Heroes. " I mean really how could you go wrong in the 18-24 male demo with a hot girl who kicks butt? It is practically like giving a grown-up Claire Bennett (another Heroes reference) her own show.

I heard earlier that Bionic Woman was supposed to be one of the best shows of the fall season ... excitement levels rising. I also found out that I would get to watch the pilot episode of Bionic Woman and get to tell you guys about it ... excitement levels out of control.

So let's see if the show can live up to my own hype.

OK, so the networks have given their upfronts and they've sent out the screener DVDs. These are the pilot episodes of the new fall shows, in not-quite-completed form. Things could still change before they hit the networks this fall, but they give a good general sense of what the shows are about and what they're like.

Today Joel and I start with previews of some new NBC shows: Bionic Woman, Life, Chuck, and Journeyman. More networks and other shows coming soon!

(Photos courtesy NBC.com)

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that British actress Michelle Ryan has landed the role of Jaime Sommers in NBC's forthcoming remake of the Bionic Woman.

22-year-old Ryan shot to fame in the top-rated BBC soap opera Eastenders, playing troubled teenager Zoe Slater, but hasn't made much of an impact in anything else of note, which makes the casting all the more unusual.

However, she's tall and exceptionally beautiful -- in the Jennifer Garner mode -- and if she can shake off the east London accent, she may be able to convince American viewers that she truly is composed of $50million-worth of discarded computer parts.