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Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Season 1, Episode 9Cosmic Whiz Kid (15 Nov. 1979)The President of the planet Genesia is kidnapped and held for ransom. He is no ordinary President...he is a child genius from the 20th century named Hieronymous Fox. His kidnapper is ... See full summary » Director:Leslie H. MartinsonWriters:Glen A. Larson (developed for television by), Leslie Stevens (developed for television by), 3 more credits » |
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Title: Cosmic Whiz Kid (15 Nov 1979)
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Cast
| Episode complete credited cast: | |||
| Gil Gerard | ... | ||
| Erin Gray | ... | ||
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Tim O'Connor | ... | |
| Gary Coleman | ... | ||
| Ray Walston | ... |
Roderick Zale
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| Melody Rogers | ... |
Lt. Dia Cyrton
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Albert Popwell | ... |
Koren
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| Earl Boen | ... |
Selmar
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| Felix Silla | ... | ||
| Mel Blanc | ... |
Twiki
(voice)
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Lester Fletcher | ... |
M.D. Toman
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Tobar Mayo | ... |
Guard
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Tony Epper | ... |
Drunk
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
The President of the planet Genesia is kidnapped and held for ransom. He is no ordinary President...he is a child genius from the 20th century named Hieronymous Fox. His kidnapper is Roderick Zale whose specialty is political abduction. The President's bodyguard , Lt. Dia Cyrton, appeals to Earth for help in rescuing him but officially Earth cannot help. When her request is denied she enlists Buck to her cause who is only too eager to meet someone from his own time. Written by tomtrekp
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 November 1979 (USA) See more »Filming Locations:
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USACompany Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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(uncredited)
by Three Dog Night
The song that Buck is listening to towards the being of the episode while he is packing
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Gary Coleman asked for and received his spacesuit costume at the end of the episode's filming. See more »Soundtracks
"Shambala"(uncredited)
by Three Dog Night
The song that Buck is listening to towards the being of the episode while he is packing
See more »
What is it that I love so much about this TV series? It's cheesy, poorly directed, looks cheap, and features the same couple of bad matte paintings and special effects in each episode.
Actually, come to think of it, those ARE the reasons that I love this show. Plus the fact that the 25th Century is literally crawling with hot babes in skimpy space-duds!
Cosmic Wiz Kid stars Gary Coleman (Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes) as Hieronymous Fox, a five-hundred year old child genius and president of planet Genesia, who is kidnapped and held for ransom by space criminal Roderick Zale (Ray Walston). Fox's tasty female bodyguard, Dia Cyrton (Melody Rogers, looking fetching in her tight-as-you-like orange outfit, with matching silver boots and gloves), enlists the help of Buck Rogers (Gil Gerard) to help rescue her boss. Meanwhile, Earth's sexiest star-pilot, Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray), goes undercover to lend a hand (and unfortunately swaps her sexy blue Spandex outfit for a much less appealing jumpsuit) .
Full of all the awful elements fans have come to expect from this series—polystyrene props, dreadful comedic moments, naff fights performed by unconvincing stunt doubles in bad wigs—Cosmic Wiz Kid is a fairly entertaining episode that perhaps relies a little too much on the 'charm' of its pint-size, chipmunk-cheeked guest-star Coleman. If, like me, you find his 'cute kid' act more than a little irritating, then do what I do: try and mentally blank out the annoying little pipsqueak, and then sit back and revel in the sheer crapness that is Buck Rogers' 25th Century.
On offer in this episode are such rare delights as a gold-skinned psychic alien, a robot with a low opinion of organic life-forms, and a super-strong assassin who reveals that he would be considered puny on his own planet. Also, keep your eyes peeled for the following: the 'futuristic' computer monitor that displays nothing but coloured shapes, Wilma Deering's 'advanced' communication device (a box with a button), and a textbook example of the 'final joke/freeze frame' ending that was so common in TV series of the era (see Hart to Hart or Knight Rider for further great examples of this classic technique).