To cut costs, some footage and various props were used from Glen A. Larson's series Battlestar Galactica (1978). Even some of the concept designs from Battlestar Galactica were used. The Terran starfighters on Buck Rogers were originally designed as the Colonial Vipers for Battlestar Galactica, but Larson had opted for a design closer than the X-Wing fighters from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) Larson then used the unused designs for Buck Rogers.
Tiger man is played by Duke Butler for the first half of the Movie/ episode then replaced by H. B. Haggerty for the second half. H. B. Haggerty remained in the role for the rest of the series.
Buck's drifting ship is fired upon by the Draconian fighters, but remains intact. In all other instances throughout the series, ships explode when hit by lasers from fighters.
In this pilot episode, Kane is played by Henry Silva. In future episodes with Pamela Hensley as Princess Ardala, he is played by Michael Ansara.
This is the TV version of the 90 minute theatrical film Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), which had been released six months earlier.
Though essentially the same, the TV version edited some of the scenes from the film version, but included new footage, such as a scene where Twiki and Theo introduce Buck to his new apartment and instruct him how to the use the gadgets within there. A new final scene was also filmed where Wilma and Dr. Huer ask Buck to join the Earth Defense Directorate, though he initially declines. The DVD releases of the complete series use the theatrical film instead of the two-part TV pilot version, though the TV version has been included in some countries as a bonus feature.