Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)

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Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

DVD cover
Genre Science Fiction
Running time 60 mins.
Creator(s) Glen A. Larson
Starring Gil Gerard
Erin Gray
Tim O'Connor
William Conrad
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
Original channel NBC
Original run 20 September 1979–16 April 1981
No. of episodes 37
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is a American motion picture produced by Universal Studios and released in 1979, and is also the title of a television series based upon the film that was aired by NBC for two seasons between 1979 and 1981.

The film and series were based upon the Buck Rogers character that had been featured in comic strips and novellas since the 1920s.

Contents

[edit] Concept and broadcast history

The pilot film was first shown in cinemas in Spring 1979. Good box-office returns led NBC to commission a full series, which began on September 20, 1979 with a modified version of the theatrical release, which trimmed or altered some racier scenes - including a popular reference by Twiki to his "freezing his ball bearings off" - and omitted the death of one character - Tiger Man, Ardala's henchman - who would later appear in several episodes of the series. There was also footage added to replace the censored scenes, including Buck's exploring his new quarters, and his first conversation with Dr. Theopolis regarding the nature of Anarchia.

The production obviously used recycled props and costumes from Battlestar Galactica (1978). For example, the control sticks used in the starfighters in this series were the same as those used in Battlestar Galactica's older version Viper craft. The Earth starfighters were Ralph McQuarrie's original vision of the Colonial Vipers. The same props were later used in the opening credits of the TV Show, Out of this World.

The new series centered on Captain William Anthony "Buck" Rogers, played by Gil Gerard, a U.S. Air Force pilot who commands Ranger 3, a space shuttle that is launched in 1987. Due to a freak combination of gases that Ranger 3 encounters in deep space, he is frozen in space for 504 years and is revived in the 25th Century (in the year 2491). There, he learns that the Earth was rebuilt following a devastating nuclear war in the late 20th Century, and is now under the protection of the Earth Defense Directorate.

The series followed him as he tried to fit (not always successfully) into 25th-Century culture. As there were no traceable personal records for him, he was uniquely placed, due to his pilot and combat skills and personal ingenuity, to help Earth Defense foil assorted evil plots to destroy Earth. In many respects, the new Rogers was more similar to James Bond or Col. Steve Austin than to Nowlan's original character. Rogers is aided in his adventures by his friend and semi-romantic interest, Colonel Wilma Deering, played by Erin Gray, and his comic sidekick robot, Twiki, voiced by Mel Blanc (who had previously voiced Daffy Duck as Duck Dodgers in spoofs of the early Buck Rogers and other science fiction serials).

Twiki, a small robot or "ambuquad," tended to express himself with the exclamation "biddi-biddi-biddi" followed by a 20th-Century cliché or catchphrase he had picked up from Buck, or one he already knew from before he met Buck. Dr. Theopolis, a computer, was a large disk with an illuminated face; he was usually worn by Twiki, and was considered one of the planet's scientific leaders. During the first season, Rogers and Deering took their orders from Dr. Elias Huer, played by Tim O'Connor, the head of the Defense Directorate. Some episodes also depicted Huer as the leader of the entire planet. One notable character from the comic strip omitted from the series was that of "Black Barney".

The pilot film depicted human civilization as insular and restricted to a few domed cities, its capital referred to as the Inner City. Travel beyond the Inner City was hazardous, as the rest of the planet was said to be a wasteland inhabited by violent mutants.

[edit] Making the Movie

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The movie was originally slated for release for September 1978 according to director Daniel Haller, in an interview for Fantastic Films Magazine, Sept '79. There were several start dates for filming but, were repeatedly delayed due to casting problems.

  • The movie's opening credits featured a song Suspension sung by Kipp Lennon and co-written by Glen Larson using the same score as the series main theme.
  • Juanin Clay who played Marla Landers in the first season episode 'Vegas in Space', was originally cast as Wilma for the television series before Erin Gray decided to return.
  • Producers demanded that Wilma have blond hair. Repeated dye jobs were needed to lighten Erin Gray's brunette locks to an appropriately bright yellow. During the final episodes of the first season, Gray was allowed to return to her natural hair color, and Wilma was dark-haired thereafter.
  • To make Buck appear frozen in his space shuttle he was sprayed with dry shampoo. Because of this he couldn't open his eyes or move. During the waits between takes, he reportedly dozed off.
  • Aerial dogfights were choreographed with the aid of a Hewlett-Packard 45 computer.
  • The ruined City of Chicago called Anarchia was shot on the back lot of MGM Studios.
  • Several stock shots portraying futuristic buildings on Earth are that of remaining pavilions on the site of Expo 67, including the British and French national pavilion (now open as the Montreal Casino).
  • The movie grossed more than $11 million in its opening weekend.

[edit] The Series

The series showed a more positive picture of future Earth. The Inner City was renamed New Chicago, and it was established that human civilization had spread once again across the planet, and also to the stars. After the movie pilot, little reference to barren wastelands was made; in several episodes Buck ventures beyond the dome of New Chicago with no hazards encountered. As opposed to the isolationist planet seen in the film, Earth is shown to be the center of an interstellar human-dominated government, sometimes called "the Federation", other times "the Alliance", with its capital at New Chicago. Travel between the stars was accomplished with the use of stargates; these devices were only shown as a diamond-shaped quartet of stars that shimmered when a vessel was making transit. To portray futuristic-looking buildings on Earth, the show used stock shots of the remaining national pavilions of Expo 67, particularly the French and British pavilions as well as shots of the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

In the first season Buck had a different girlfriend every week. A relationship with Wilma was hinted at, but rarely expanded upon. His best-known enemy during the first year the sexy Princess Ardala of Draconia, played by Pamela Hensley, whose insatiable desire was to conquer and possess both the Earth and Buck Rogers.

Although popular with viewers, the first season failed to receive much critical acclaim; it was seen as being too light-hearted and comic bookish. One vocal critic of the series was Gerard himself. He pushed for more serious storytelling and conflicted with the producers over the show's tone. "He was a smart-ass" says Gil referring to Buck on some of the lines he should have said during the first season, he continues "Dr Huer is trying to tell him about an assignment and all Buck is doing is making one wisecrack after another".

The series had an overall budget of $800,000 per hour of air time according to Starlog #32.

[edit] The second season

Production of the second season was delayed by several months due to an actors' strike. When production resumed in the fall of 1980, the format of the series was changed. Buck, Wilma and Twiki joined the crew of an earth spaceship called the Searcher which was seeking the lost "tribes" of humanity who had scattered in the decades after Earth's 20th century nuclear war (borrowing a theme from Battlestar Galactica). The characters of Dr. Huer, Dr. Theopolis, and recurring villain/love interest Princess Ardala were eliminated and replaced by:

  • Admiral Efram Asimov, the commander of Searcher, a descendant of the famous science fiction author Isaac Asimov.
  • Hawk, a half-man, half-bird character who somewhat resembles Star Trek's Mr. Spock.
  • Dr. Goodfellow, an eternally curious scientist.
  • Crichton, an officious know-it-all robot whom Twiki considers his son (and who refuses to believe that lowly humans could ever have created him, a possible nod to sci-fi writer Michael Crichton).

Much to the dismay of viewers, Mel Blanc left the series at the start of the season and another actor began to perform Twiki's voice; Blanc later returned for the final half of the season.

Gerard was successful in scaling back the humor in the second season in favor of more serious episodes, with a few exceptions. Buck and Wilma became more serious characters taking part in plotlines that might have been holdovers from Battlestar Galactica. One change that was considered an improvement was Buck and Wilma's relationship became more romantic during the second year, though most romantic activity took place off screen.

Moreover, the second season deals with serious issues such as evolution, ecology, racism, pollution, war, nuclear power, identity, the self, and religion. It also draws very much on mythology as an inspiration as exemplified by the Hawk's people which are a variant on the Bird people known from many mythologies around the world and makes special reference to the moai of Easter Island and by Pangora the satyr.

Although fan response to the addition of the character of Hawk was highly positive, the audience as a whole did not respond well to the change in the show's setting and plot direction, and ratings dropped significantly after the season premier. Citing cost concerns, NBC cancelled the series at the end of an eleven-episode strike-abbreviated season, though the ratings were still considered strong by comparison to other series.

[edit] DVD Release

A North American DVD set of the complete series was released on November 16, 2004. While it does contain every episode of the series, it is not complete. The original movie version of the first episode is included in the set instead of the extended version that was broadcast when the show became a series. New segments were filmed to help set up the weekly series. The shots included Buck checking out his new apartment and Buck being approached by Dr. Huer and Wilma to be in effect a secret agent for the Earth Directorate (the latter scene is also remembered as the first appearance of the popular catsuit-style uniform Erin Gray would wear throughout the first season). While the new footage lasts less than five minutes in total, it was not included in the DVD release. It is shown when the series is syndicated. The footage is not completely absent from the DVD, however, as it can be glimpsed during the opening credits of the season finale, which contains extra scenes.

[edit] Wilma Deering's social impact

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was one of the first TV shows to feature women in combat roles. According to Erin Gray, quoted in an October 1997 interview with the Calgary Sun newspaper, Wilma became a major role model for young girls despite her sexy costumes and somewhat flighty demeanor in some episodes. She still receives letters from women who entered the military or other fields in part because of the inspiration of Wilma Deering.

[edit] Cast

After the decision was made to produce a weekly television series following the success of the movie, it was not certain if Erin Gray would return as Wilma Deering. Juanin Clay was cast in the role as a replacement, but ultimately Gray returned. Clay subsequently played a very Wilma Deering-like character, Major Marla Landers, in the episode "Vegas in Space."

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Season 1 (1979-1980)

  1. "Awakening" (September 20, 1979) - two-hour episode, a revised version of the theatrical release Buck Rogers in the 25th Century with a different opening credits sequence and additional scenes. Syndicated as a two-part episode. (Note: the theatrical version of the pilot, not the TV version, is included in the 2004 DVD release.)
  2. "Planet of the Slave Girls" (September 27, 1979) - two-hour episode, later syndicated as a two-part episode. In a special appearance, Buster Crabbe, who played Buck Rogers in the original serial, plays Brigadier Gordon, which also refers to his other famous role, Flash Gordon. It also features Jack Palance as the villain, Kaleel.
  3. "Vegas in Space" (October 7, 1979) - Guest stars Cesar Romero as Amos Armat and Ana Alicia as Felina Reding.
  4. "Plot to Kill a City, Part 1" (October 11, 1979) - Frank Gorshin guest starred as Seton Kellogg, continuing the trend of former "Batman" villain guest stints. Markie Post also guest starred as JoElla Cameron, one of Buck's many lady friends.
  5. "Plot to Kill a City, Part 2" (October 17, 1979)
  6. "Return of the Fighting 69th" (October 25, 1979) - Guests Peter Graves and Woody Strode.
  7. "Unchained Woman" (November 1, 1979) - Guest starring Jamie Lee Curtis, fresh from her role in Halloween as Jen Burton.
  8. "Planet of the Amazon Women (November 8, 1979) Guest stars Ann Dusenberry as Ariela and Anne Jeffreys as Prime Minister Dyne.
  9. "Cosmic Wiz Kid" (November 15, 1979) - Guest appearances from Gary Coleman (as the titular whiz kid, Hieronymus Fox, likely a nod to Hieronymus Bosch) who also hailed from the 20th century, Ray Walston as the villain, Roderick Zale, and Melody Rogers as Lieutenant Dia Cyrton, Hieronymus' bodyguard.
  10. "Escape from Wedded Bliss" (November 29, 1979) - Guest Pamela Hensley, Anne Jeffreys, and Michael Ansara, (who replaced Henry Silva) as Kane.
  11. "Cruise Ship to the Stars" (December 27, 1979) - Guest starring Kimberly Beck as Alison Michaels, a superhuman entity known as a transmute, who had the ability to transform herself in times of extreme stress into another being completely different from herself, Trisha Noble as Sabrina, Alison's malevolent and superhuman alter-ego, who had superhuman strength and the ability to generate incapacitating energy blasts, and Dorothy Stratten as Miss Cosmos, the 25th century equivalent of Miss Universe.
  12. "Space Vampire" (January 3, 1980) - guest starring Nicholas Hormann as the Vorvon.
  13. "Happy Birthday, Buck" (January 10, 1980) - guest starring Morgan Brittany as Raylyn Derren and Tamara Dobson, best known from the blaxploitation films, Cleopatra Jones and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold as Dr. Delora Bayliss
  14. "A Blast for Buck" (January 17, 1980) - this episode takes place prior to "Happy Birthday, Buck" but was aired out of sequence. Gary Coleman reprises his Hieronymus Fox role.
  15. "Ardala Returns" (January 27, 1980) - Guest starring Pamela Hensley and Michael Ansara.
  16. "Twiki is Missing" (January 31, 1980) - Guest starring John P. Ryan as the villain, Kerk Belzak, Eddie Benton as Stella Breed, a paranormal with psychokinetic powers and one-third of Belzak's female enforcers, The Omniguard, Janet Bebe Louie as Clare, and Eugenia Wright as Dawn, the other two members of the Omniguard.
  17. "Olympiad" (February 7, 1980) - Guest starring Judith Chapman as Astrosled champion Lara Teasian, and Barney MacFadden as Jorax Leet, a high-jump champion and Lara's lover.
  18. "A Dream of Jennifer" (February 14, 1980) - Guest starring former Battlestar Galactica co-star Anne Lockhart. Watch for a young Dennis Haysbert, making only his 3rd television appearance. He appeared in a total of five Buck Rogers episodes, playing a different character each time.
  19. "Space Rockers" (February 21, 1980) - Guest star Jerry Orbach as Lars Mangros, Richard Moll as Yarot, Nancy Frangione as Karana, Leonard Lightfoot as Cirus, Jesse D. Goins as Rambeau, and Judy Landers as Joanna.
  20. "Buck's Duel to the Death" (March 20, 1980)
  21. "Flight of the War Witch" (March 27, 1980) - two-hour episode, later syndicated as a two-part episode. Guest stars included Sam Jaffe as the Keeper, Kelley Miles as Chandar, Donald Petrie as Kodus, Sid Haig as Spirot and another Batman vet, Julie Newmar as the War Witch, Zarina. Pamela Hensley makes her final appearance as Ardala. (The opening credits sequence of this episode differs from other first season episodes in that it incorporates footage from the TV version of the pilot film, as well as special effects footage that would not be used until the second season premiere, "Time of the Hawk".)

[edit] Season 2 (1981)

  1. "Time of the Hawk" (January 15, 1981) - two-hour episode, later syndicated as a two-part episode. Introducing Thom Christopher as Hawk and guest-starring Barbara Luna as Koori.
  2. "Journey to Oasis" (January 22, 1981) - two-hour episode, later syndicated as a two-part episode.
  3. "The Guardians" (January 29, 1981)
  4. "Mark of the Saurian" (February 5, 1981)
  5. "The Golden Man" (February 19, 1981)
  6. "The Crystals" (March 5, 1981)
  7. "The Satyr" (March 12, 1981)
  8. "Shgoratchx!" (March 19, 1981)
  9. "The Hand of Goral" (March 26, 1981)
  10. "Testimony of a Traitor" (April 9, 1981)
  11. "The Dorian Secret" (April 16, 1981)

[edit] Books and comics

Two novels were published by Dell Publishing based on this series, both by Addison E. Steele.

The first was a novelization of the pilot film. ISBN 0-440-10843-8

The second, That Man on Beta, was adapted from an unproduced episode script. ISBN 0-440-10948-5

A fumetti book was published by FOTONOVEL Publications in 1979. ISBN 0-89752-014-7

Gold Key Comics published more than a dozen issues of a Buck Rogers in the 25th Century comic book based upon the show (the first couple of issues adapted the movie). Starting with issue four, new adventures were created in the series continutity. The first three issues were reprinted in an "Giant Movie Edition" and was distributed by Marvel Comics. Artists on the series included Al McWilliams, Frank Bolle and Jose Delbo. The comic outlived the series by several months.

A strip based on the television series also ran in two publications in the UK: 'Look-In' - 64 weekly instalments covering 10 separate adventures between autumn 1980 and early 1982, and 'TV Tops', which picked up the rights from 1982 for two shorter runs. Both were based on the format of the first year of the series.

[edit] Revived comic strip

The populatrity of the TV series led to the revival of the Buck Rogers newspaper strip, daily and Sunday, drawn by Gray Morrow and written by Jim Lawrence. The strip ran from 9 September 1979 to 26 October 1980, and was reprinted in its entirety, with the Sundays in color, in a large trade paperback.

[edit] Later references

  • In the South Park episodes Go God, Go! and Go God, Go XIII!, the opening for the series was parodied to reflect Eric Cartman's suspended animation journey to the future. The actual theme music was used, and the visual effects were mimicked using the "fake cutout animation" style that Trey Parker and Matt Stone implement for their own series.

[edit] External links


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