ABC-TV's 1984 version of "BLUE THUNDER" was truly a short-lived effort, but for one interesting little fact- former "BUCK RODGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY" actor Gil Gerard was originally offered the role before James Farentino, but Gerard (who later starred on CBS's short-lived "E. A. R. T. H. FORCE" in Fall 1990) had turned down the role for either personal or political reasons. A late 1983 article in TV Guide confirms this obscure fact!