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

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)

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)
Michael Caffey		(2 episodes, 1979)
Philip Leacock		(2 episodes, 1979)
Jack Arnold		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Writing credits
Robert C. Dille		(37 episodes, 1979-1981)
Glen A. Larson		(29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Leslie Stevens		(29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Alan Brennert		(6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Cory Applebaum		(4 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)
Steve Greenberg		(2 episodes, 1979)
Philip Francis Nowlan		(2 episodes, 1979)
Aubrey Solomon		(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 (26 episodes, 1979-1981)
David G. Phinney	....	associate producer (25 episodes, 1979-1981)
Glen A. Larson	....	executive producer (24 episodes, 1979-1980)
Jock Gaynor	....	producer (22 episodes, 1979-1980)
Bruce Lansbury	....	supervising producer (22 episodes, 1979-1980)
Medora Heilbron	....	associate producer (20 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)
Richard Caffey	....	producer (2 episodes, 1979)
Andrew Mirisch	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1979)
Leslie Stevens	....	supervising producer (2 episodes, 1979)
Tim King	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Original Music by
Bruce Broughton		(7 episodes, 1981)
Johnny Harris		(6 episodes, 1979-1980)
J.J. Johnson		(6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Stu Phillips		(5 episodes, 1979-1981)
John Cacavas		(3 episodes, 1980-1981)
Herbert D. Woods		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Donald Woods		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Cinematography by
Ben Colman		(33 episodes, 1979-1981)
Frank Beascoechea		(2 episodes, 1979)
Frank Thackery		(2 episodes, 1980)

Series Film Editing by
George Potter		(12 episodes, 1979-1981)
Michael Berman		(7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Leon Ortiz-Gil		(6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Howard B. Anderson		(5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Neil MacDonald		(4 episodes, 1981)
John J. Dumas		(3 episodes, 1979)
Edward W. Williams		(3 episodes, 1981)
David Howe		(2 episodes, 1979)
William Martin		(2 episodes, 1979)
Ron Honthaner		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Casting by
Phil Benjamin		(14 episodes, 1979-1980)
Joe Reich		(12 episodes, 1981)
Simon Ayer		(8 episodes, 1980)
Robert D. Edmiston		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Art Direction by
Fred Luff III		(19 episodes, 1979-1980)
William L. Camden		(10 episodes, 1979-1980)
William H. Tuntke		(9 episodes, 1981)
Paul Peters		(7 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		(25 episodes, 1979-1981)
Joanne MacDougall		(9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Victor Hugo		(3 episodes, 1979)
Richard Reams		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Costume Design by
Al Lehman		(29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Sal Anthony		(6 episodes, 1979)
Jean-Pierre Dorléac		(2 episodes, 1979)

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

Series Production Management
Harker Wade	....	unit production manager (29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Charles E. Walker	....	unit production manager (5 episodes, 1980)
Paul Wurtzel	....	unit production manager (4 episodes, 1981)
Jack Cunningham	....	unit production manager (2 episodes, 1979)
Edward D. Markley	....	unit production manager (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerald T. Olson	....	second assistant director / first assistant director (19 episodes, 1979-1980)
Bob Bender	....	first assistant director (14 episodes, 1979-1981)
Stephen Lillis	....	second assistant director (13 episodes, 1981)
Frank Crawford	....	first assistant director (11 episodes, 1979-1981)
Robert Villar	....	first assistant director / second assistant director (9 episodes, 1979-1981)
David Kahler	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1980)
Phil Bowles	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
Jerry Sobul	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
Judith Vogelsang	....	second assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
Dick Erickson	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
William Apperson	....	construction coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Dick Wahrman	....	sound effects editor (35 episodes, 1979-1981)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (33 episodes, 1979-1981)
Peter Berkos	....	sound effects editor (2 episodes, 1979)
John R. Carter	....	sound (2 episodes, 1979)
Andrew Gilmore	....	sound (2 episodes, 1979)
William H. Kauch	....	dialogue editor (2 episodes, 1979)
Clyde Sorenson	....	sound (2 episodes, 1979)
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
David M. Garber	....	miniature effects / miniatures (24 episodes, 1979-1980)
Wayne Smith	....	miniature effects / miniatures (24 episodes, 1979-1980)
Peter Anderson	....	special photographic effects supervisor: Universal Hartland (13 episodes, 1981)
David Jones	....	special photographic effects supervisor: Universal Hartland (13 episodes, 1981)
Robert Cole	....	special effects (unknown episodes)
Courtney Dane	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
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
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
Reggie Newkirk	....	key first assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Phil Benjamin	....	casting (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barry Downing	....	costume supervisor: Gil Gerard (23 episodes, 1980-1981)

Series Editorial Department
Maureen O'Connell	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Glen A. Larson	....	composer: theme music (36 episodes, 1979-1981)
Herbert D. Woods	....	music editor (26 episodes, 1979-1981)
Donald Woods	....	music editor (6 episodes, 1981)
David Kahn	....	music editor (2 episodes, 1979)
Stu Phillips	....	conductor (2 episodes, 1979)
John W. Morgan	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Will Schaefer	....	conductor (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (2 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Other crew
Alan Brennert	....	story editor (13 episodes, 1979-1980)
Stephen McPherson	....	executive story consultant (13 episodes, 1981)
Anne Collins	....	story consultant / story editor (12 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

Colour:

Colour (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:

Buck's full name is William Anthony Rogers.

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:

Twiki: [repeatedly throughout series] Beedeebeedeebeedee...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Operation Double 007 (#6.8)" (1993)

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!".