"Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979) TV series 1979-1981

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

20 September 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A 20th century astronaut is revived out of 500 years of suspended animation to become the greatest hero of a future Earth.

Plot Keywords:

Astronaut | Buck Rogers | Spacecraft | Cult TV | Based On Comic Strip

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Gil Gerard	...	Capt. William "Buck" Rogers / ... (37 episodes, 1979-1981)
Erin Gray	...	Col. Wilma Deering (37 episodes, 1979-1981)
Felix Silla	...	Twiki / ... (35 episodes, 1979-1981)
Mel Blanc	...	Twiki / ... (30 episodes, 1979-1981)
Tim O'Connor	...	Dr. Elias Huer (24 episodes, 1979-1980)
Eric Server	...	Dr. Theopolis (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
William Conrad	...	Narrator (17 episodes, 1979-1980)

(more)

Series Directed by
Larry Stewart		(5 episodes, 1980)
Daniel Haller		(4 episodes, 1979-1981)
Sigmund Neufeld Jr.		(4 episodes, 1979-1980)
Vincent McEveety		(4 episodes, 1981)
Dick Lowry		(3 episodes, 1979)
David G. Phinney		(3 episodes, 1980-1981)
Philip Leacock		(2 episodes, 1979)
Jack Arnold		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Writing credits
Glen A. Larson		(29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Leslie Stevens		(29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Alan Brennert		(7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Cory Applebaum		(3 episodes, 1979)
Philip Francis Nowlan		(3 episodes, 1979)
Rob Gilmer		(3 episodes, 1980)
Stephen McPherson		(3 episodes, 1981)
Bob Mitchell		(3 episodes, 1981)
Esther Mitchell		(3 episodes, 1981)
Anne Collins		(2 episodes, 1979)
Chris Bunch		(2 episodes, 1980)
David Chomsky		(2 episodes, 1980)
Allan Cole		(2 episodes, 1980)
William Mageean		(2 episodes, 1980)
Norman Hudis		(2 episodes, 1981)
Francis Moss		(2 episodes, 1981)
Margaret Schneider		(2 episodes, 1981)
Paul Schneider		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Produced by
David J. O'Connell	....	producer (24 episodes, 1979-1981)
David G. Phinney	....	associate producer (22 episodes, 1979-1981)
Glen A. Larson	....	executive producer (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
Jock Gaynor	....	producer (20 episodes, 1979-1980)
Bruce Lansbury	....	supervising producer (20 episodes, 1979-1980)
Medora Heilbron	....	associate producer (18 episodes, 1979-1980)
Calvin Clements Jr.	....	supervising producer (13 episodes, 1981)
John Mantley	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1981)
John G. Stephens	....	producer (13 episodes, 1981)
Karen Welch	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1981)
Tim King	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Original Music by
Bruce Broughton		(7 episodes, 1981)
J.J. Johnson		(6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Stu Phillips		(5 episodes, 1979-1981)
Johnny Harris		(4 episodes, 1979-1980)
John Cacavas		(3 episodes, 1980-1981)

Series Cinematography by
Ben Colman		(31 episodes, 1979-1981)
Frank Thackery		(2 episodes, 1980)

Series Film Editing by
George Potter		(13 episodes, 1979-1981)
Howard B. Anderson		(6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Michael Berman		(5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Leon Ortiz-Gil		(5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Neil MacDonald		(4 episodes, 1981)
Edward W. Williams		(3 episodes, 1981)
John J. Dumas		(2 episodes, 1979)
Ron Honthaner		(2 episodes, 1981)
David Howe		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Joe Reich		(13 episodes, 1981)
Phil Benjamin		(11 episodes, 1979-1980)
Simon Ayer		(8 episodes, 1980)

Series Art Direction by
Fred Luff III		(17 episodes, 1979-1980)
William L. Camden		(10 episodes, 1979-1980)
William H. Tuntke		(9 episodes, 1981)
Paul Peters		(5 episodes, 1979)
Hub Braden		(4 episodes, 1979-1980)
Bill Taliaferro		(4 episodes, 1980)
Peter Clemens		(4 episodes, 1981)
David L. Snyder		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Frank Lombardo		(23 episodes, 1979-1981)
Joanne MacDougall		(9 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Costume Design by
Al Lehman		(29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Sal Anthony		(3 episodes, 1979)

Series Makeup Department
Jack Stone	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1979-1981)
Brenda Todd	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1979-1981)
Jerry Gugliemotto	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1981)
Werner Keppler	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1981)

Series Production Management
Harker Wade	....	unit production manager (27 episodes, 1979-1981)
Charles E. Walker	....	unit production manager (5 episodes, 1980)
Paul Wurtzel	....	unit production manager (4 episodes, 1981)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerald T. Olson	....	second assistant director (17 episodes, 1979-1980)
Stephen Lillis	....	second assistant director (13 episodes, 1981)
Bob Bender	....	first assistant director (12 episodes, 1979-1981)
Frank Crawford	....	first assistant director (11 episodes, 1979-1981)
Robert Villar	....	first assistant director / second assistant director (8 episodes, 1979-1981)
David Kahler	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1980)
Dick Erickson	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Joseph Kuri	....	property master (1 episode, 1979)
Jay Miller	....	property master (1 episode, 1979)
Frank Richwood	....	assistant art director (1 episode, 1979)
William Apperson	....	construction coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Dick Wahrman	....	sound effects editor (33 episodes, 1979-1981)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (31 episodes, 1979-1981)
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
David M. Garber	....	miniature effects (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
Wayne Smith	....	miniature effects (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
William Guest	....	special props and miniatures (18 episodes, 1979-1980)
Peter Anderson	....	special effects supervisor (13 episodes, 1981)
David Jones	....	special effects supervisor (13 episodes, 1981)
Robert Cole	....	special effects (unknown episodes)
Courtney Dane	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
John C. Moulds	....	motion control (13 episodes, 1979)
Dennis Dorney	....	optical lineup (3 episodes, 1979)
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	special visual effects coordinator (unknown episodes)
Dennis Michelson	....	visual effects editor (unknown episodes)
David Stipes	....	visual effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Erik Cord	....	stunts (1 episode, 1979)
Peter Horak	....	stunts (1 episode, 1979)
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts (1 episode, 1979)
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer (1 episode, 1981)
Mickey Caruso	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Dick Durock	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Dean Raphael Ferrandini	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Bob Minor	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt performer (unknown episodes)
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt performer (unknown episodes)
Ron Stein	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Kym Washington	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Richard Washington	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
James Winburn	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Reo	....	camera operator (1 episode, 1979)
Tony Rivetti	....	assistant camera (1 episode, 1979)
Leonard J. South	....	assistant camera (1 episode, 1979)
Reggie Newkirk	....	key first assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barry Downing	....	costume supervisor: Gil Gerard (23 episodes, 1980-1981)
Gregory B. Peña	....	daily set costumer (13 episodes, 1981)

Series Editorial Department
Bill Luciano	....	assistant film editor (1 episode, 1979)
Maureen O'Connell	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Glen A. Larson	....	composer: title theme (34 episodes, 1979-1981)
Herbert D. Woods	....	music editor (24 episodes, 1979-1981)
Donald Woods	....	music editor (6 episodes, 1981)
John W. Morgan	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Will Schaefer	....	conductor (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (3 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Other crew
Stephen McPherson	....	executive story consultant (13 episodes, 1981)
Alan Brennert	....	story editor (11 episodes, 1979-1980)
Anne Collins	....	story consultant / story editor (9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Rob Gilmer	....	story editor (8 episodes, 1980)

Production Companies

• John Mantley Productions (1980)
• Glen A. Larson Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979-1981) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MCA (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (laserdisc)
• Studios USA Television
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Veronica Omroep Organisatie (1985-1986) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Universal Hartland (visual effects)

Runtime:

60 min (37 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

John Mantley Productions

Trivia:

The enemy spaceship in "Flight of the War Witch" was unfinished when shooting was scheduled to begin, so it was turned upside down to add an alien look to it.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Buck Rogers is supposed to be a Captain in the Air Force, but he is wearing Navy wings. In fact he is not even wearing Naval Aviator (pilot) wings, he is wearing Naval Flight Officer (navigator) wings.

Quotes:

Buck Rogers: Nice costume, Tigerman. You going trick or treating?
Princess Ardala: Defiant. I always like that in a man. What did you think of my ingenious invitation?
Buck Rogers: I was swept away by emotion.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Star 80 (1983)

James Bond In Outer Space

I.T.V. started with at a disadvantage with 'Buck Rogers' in the autumn of 1980 - they didn't have the rights to the pilot episode 'Awakening', so they began with 'Planet Of The Slave Girls' and hoped for the best. They needn't have worried. 'Buck' was a smash-hit in Britain, its ratings outstripping those of 'Dr.Who' over on B.B.C.-1. It was colourful escapist fun, perfect Saturday night entertainment. Such was its popularity that when I.T.V. ran out of Year 1 episodes, they went straight into Year 2, causing confusion amongst fans here. Everything good about Year 1 was dumped, including - unforgivably - Pamela Hensley as 'Princess Ardala'. Buck, Wilma and Twiki were relocated on a spaceship called 'Searcher', Dr.Huer was never seen nor mentioned again, a boring alien called 'Hawk' was introduced as a regular, the plots scraped the bottom of the sci-fi barrel, and Buck lost his famous sense of humour. Worst of all, Wilma looked less sexy! As Twiki would say: "What a bummer!".