Due to a life-support malfunction, Buck is accidentally frozen for 504 years before his spacecraft is discovered adrift in 2491. This scene ends with Buck actually declining their offer, though he opts to join them in an unofficial capacity by the first episode of the series proper, "Planet of the Slave Girls". While it does contain every episode from both seasons, the pilot episode included is the theatrical version and not the TV version. An exploration of how Alanis Morissette's groundbreaking 1995 album "Jagged Little Pill" shattered the glass ceiling for female pop musicians. In 1987, a single episode, "Ardala Returns", was released by Goodtimes Home Video, a budget release company. She appeared in four separate stories, including the pilot film, two single episodes ("Escape from Wedded Bliss" and "Ardala Returns"), and the two-part first-season finale ("Flight of the War Witch"). A profile of Robert Stigwood, the visionary impresario who brought Saturday Night Fever to life and launched the movie soundtrack phenomenon. ITV broadcast Buck Rogers in an early Saturday-evening slot, where it competed against, and beat, the BBC's long-running science-fiction series Doctor Who that also started its 18th season that day. Pamela Hensley was everything you wanted in a silly '70s sci-fi epic and on one hand the producers knew it (they kept bringing her back), but on the other they didn't know how to exploit it."[22]. The theatrical film also served as a pilot and two-part first episode for the series, entitled "Awakening". Gerard himself was threatened with legal action by the network if he continued to cause problems and hinder the production. From Oscar-winner Alex Gibney, this unflinching documentary examines how Americas torture policy began with CIA captive Abu Zubaydah. An examination of Woodstock 99, the infamous music festival that, instead of celebrating peace and love, descended into mayhem. In addition to its parallels to Larson's previous television series Battlestar Galactica, the second season is similar in theme to Star Trek, with the Searcher roaming through space much like the USS Enterprise had, Buck being the maverick explorer true to the style of Captain James T. Kirk, and the serious, rather stoic Hawk being a revamped version of Mr. Spock. Kino Lorber announced a Region 1 Blu-ray set to be released on November 24, 2020. The discs were single-sided for this release, in contrast to the double-sided discs released in 2004. In his book Sci-Fi TV from Twilight Zone to Deep Space Nine, writer James Van Hise claimed the show's scripts "just never took advantage of what they had at hand" and criticized Larson's version of Buck Rogers as a cynical attempt to exploit one of the most loved characters in American popular culture. Juanin Clay, who played Major Marla Landers in the first-season episode "Vegas in Space", was originally cast as Wilma for the TV series (Erin Gray had initially opted not to return after the pilot film, but she later changed her mind). While she was still seen as a strong, confident and consummate professional in her work, she had a much more relaxed attitude and a warmer relationship with Buck. He is also assisted by Twiki, a small robot or "ambuquad", as they were known.

Australia released 10 volumes, covering all first-season episodes through "Space Rockers". Initially, Larson and Universal had planned on making a series of Buck Rogers TV movies for NBC. In this unofficial role, Buck does everything from acting as a covert agent on various undercover assignments to assisting Wilma as a flight/combat instructor. The film, which was also released internationally, featured all of the main protagonist characters who would appear in the weekly series, and also included Princess Ardala of the planet Draconia, and her henchman, Kane. The first made-for-TV movie was released theatrically in March 1979 as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Inspired by the success of Star Wars, Universal began developing Buck Rogers for television, spearheaded by Glen A. Larson, who had a production deal with the studio. This docuseries follows four groups of elite athletes around the globe taking on unprecedented missions requiring extreme physical prowess and mental fortitude. 2022 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. They also forgot Ardalas motivation was to use Buck politically to get an edge on her 23 siblings, not just because she found him hot. [4] Also, some new and extended scenes were added for the TV version, including several scenes within Buck's new apartment, which was the setting for a new final scene in which Dr. Huer and Wilma try to persuade Buck to join the Defense Directorate. Also aiding Buck was Dr. Theopolis or "Theo" (voiced by Eric Server), a sentient computer in the shape of a disk about 9 inches wide with an illuminated face. Some episodes suggested Huer was the leader of the entire planet, though this was never made completely clear. However, several new characters were added: The character of Wilma Deering was softened in the second season as the producers attempted to tone down the militaristic "Colonel Deering" image (who often gave Buck orders) and to make her more feminine. Contemporary assessments of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century were generally mixed. Although reasonably popular with viewers, the first season failed to receive much critical acclaim. No finale storyline was produced, with the final episode broadcast being a normal standalone episode. Several actors who had played villains in the 1960s Batman television series also guest-starred, including Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Roddy McDowall, and Julie Newmar. Directed and produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, Crazy Not Insane follows Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, a psychiatrist who has dedicated her career to studying murders and understanding why people kill. [24] Die-cast toys were released by Corgi, Topps trading cards, and a painted metal lunch box. Even Wilma, to some extent, had been remodeled after Lt. Uhura from Star Trek, often dressed in a miniskirt uniform and regularly sitting at a communications console on the bridge of the Searcher. How to Survive a Pandemic takes an inside look at the historic, multi-national race to research, develop, regulate, and roll out COVID-19 vaccines in the war against the coronavirus pandemic. The eight-disc set includes each episode in HD. Guest stars on the series included Peter Graves, Lance LeGault, Jamie Lee Curtis, Markie Post, Dorothy Stratten, Leigh McCloskey, Trisha Noble, Richard Moll, Jerry Orbach, Gary Coleman, Jack Palance, Sam Jaffe, Sid Haig, Vera Miles, and Buster Crabbe (who played Buck Rogers in the original 1930s Buck Rogers film serial), playing Brigadier Gordon (a reference to his other famous role, Flash Gordon). An immersive look at the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when Washington D.C. was overrun by protesters of the 2020 presidential election. - The Best 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray Deals Going Right Now, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray Release Guide - July 10, 2022 - July 16, 2022, Downton Abbey: A New Era - Collector's Edition [DVD]. Lengemen also called the Buck Rogers episode "Space Rockers" the worst episode of TV science fiction he had ever seen. All of these characters were featured in the original comic strip except for Dr. Theopolis and Twiki (whose closest counterpart in earlier versions would likely be Buck's human sidekick, Buddy Wade). As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages New York, Spike Lee shines a light on the citys racial justice activists amid rising police violence. At the time of production, Gerard spoke highly of new showrunner John Mantley, but in a retrospective article in the mid-1990s, he was more critical of him and the Star Trek-esque style of the second season. The mutants seen in the pilot film were no longer seen, and Buck sometimes ventured outside New Chicago with no hazards encountered. The hardware looks good and Wilma Deering looks simply sensational, like Wonder Woman with brains. As opposed to the isolationist planet seen in the film, Earth no longer has an invisible defense shield surrounding it and is shown to be the center of an interstellar, human-dominated government, sometimes called "the Federation" or "the Alliance", with its capital at New Chicago. Explore educational and mental health resources related to HBO documentaries. During the first season, references were also made to other "new" Earth cities such as New Detroit, New Manhattan, New Phoenix, New Tulsa, Boston Complex, and New London. Stargates appear as a diamond-shaped quartet of brilliant lights in space that shimmer when a vessel is making transit. Updated daily and in real-time, we track all high-def disc news and release dates, and review the latest disc titles. A surprising examination of how Kenny G became the best-selling instrumentalist of all time yet is reviled by many. A meeting between writers/script editors Anne Collins and Alan Brennert and him went badly, and they quit the show midway through the first season. Forces TV later broadcast the show several times from November 2018.[13]. [12] As a similar effect had occurred a few years earlier when several ITV stations screened Man from Atlantis against Doctor Who; this prompted the BBC to move Doctor Who to a new weekday slot for its next season in 1982, though Buck Rogers had been cancelled in the US by then. The latest Blu-ray, news, releases & pre-orders, Rob Zombie's The Munsters Creeps Its Way Onto Blu-ray September 27th, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray Release Guide - July 17, 2022 - July 23, 2022, It's PRIME DAY! The pilot film depicted human civilization as fairly insular, with an invisible defense shield that surrounded the entire planet, protecting it from invaders. Get a glimpse of the crime documentaries now streaming. Other companies produced a variety of tie-ins. The theatrical version of the pilot film was released on VHS, Betamax, and Laserdisc in 1981. Two novels were published by Dell Publishing based on this series, both by Addison E. Steele. Travel between the stars was accomplished with the use of "stargates" - artificially created portals in space (similar in appearance to wormholes), but referred to as "warp" travel on at least one occasion by Wilma Deering. The Terran starfighters were also concept designer Ralph McQuarrie's original vision of the Colonial Vipers. Buck's dislike of them is shown in part one of the episode "Planet of the Slave Girls" and again in part two of the episode "The Plot to Kill a City". Although initially pleased with the change in personnel, Gerard again became unhappy with the show. However, the Board of Trustees reserves the right to redirect all funds to the area of ministry most needed. The Inner City was now known as New Chicago, and human civilization was established as having spread once again across the planet, and also to the stars. A stranger-than-fiction documentary series exploring the viability, costs, and dangers of building a stateless utopia in Acapulco, Mexico. [5] Former actor Jock Gaynor served as producer for 20 episodes.

Universal Studios released the complete series on DVD in North America (Region 1) on November 16, 2004. Huer was also seen in military uniform (at formal occasions), thus indicating he is or was a member of the military. Buck's best-known enemy during the first season was Princess Ardala, played by Pamela Hensley, whose desire was to conquer and possess both Earth and Buck himself.

[6] Unhappy with the show's direction, Gerard became increasingly difficult to work with, which led to tensions on set. The Princessis an intimate and visceral submersioninto Princess Dianas life in the constant and often intrusive glare of the media spotlight. Watch last year's nominated documentaries. The new series centered on Captain William Anthony "Buck" Rogers (played by Gil Gerard), a NASA/USAF pilot who commands Ranger 3, a spacecraft that is launched in May 1987. [9] Another change in the second season was the sound of Twiki's voice. Years later, a mysterious story unfolds involving hypnosis, secret identities, and a double life of dangerous missions and law-breaking. We sincerely appreciate your financial support.

All rights reserved. Two sets of action figures were produced by Mego, including a 12-in line and a series of 3.75-in figures and scaled spaceships. [23] Milton-Bradley produced a Buck Rogers board game and a series of jigsaw puzzles. Poor old Wilma was disempowered and shunted to the side, where she held Bucks water while he had adventures and was thus no threat to Ardala (this was reportedly due to Gil Gerards sulking over the prominence given to Wilma on the show). Bob Elyea - Voice of Twiki (second-season episodes "Time of the Hawk" to "The Golden Man"), This page was last edited on 30 June 2022, at 19:39. To portray futuristic-looking buildings on Earth, the show used stock shots of the remaining national pavilions of Expo 67, particularly the French and British pavilions, as well as shots of the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Production of the second season was delayed by several months due to an actors' strike. All That Breathes, directed by Shaunak Sen follows two brothers who run a bird hospital dedicated to rescuing injured black kites, a staple in the skies of New Delhi, India. Moreover, the second season deals with more serious concepts such as evolution, ecology, racism, pollution, war, nuclear power, identity, the self, and religion. Based on Francisco Goldman's book of the same name and executive produced by Oscar winner George Clooney and Grant Heslov, this film tells the story of the 1998 murder of Guatemalan human rights activist Bishop Juan Gerardi, which stunned a country ravaged by decades of political violence. Buck and Wilma's relationship became slightly more romantic during the second year, though most romantic activity was implied and took place off-screen. An episode also included a story about satyr creatures. [25], TV listings for Saturday August 30, 1980, available from BBC Genome (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episodes, "Screen: 'Buck Rogers' Glides on Automatic Pilot:'Millionaire's Row' Tour", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Epic Series", "Revisiting Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - The Complete Series", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Series", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - Release Date Flies Into the Future for 'Season 2' on DVD", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Series (Blu Ray)", Twiki Love and Space Rock:Ruminations on The Worst SF TV Episode Ever, "Top 10 Unmemorable Films Starring Legendary Screen Couples", "Fantastic Plastic Models - Science Fiction -1970s", Buck Rogers Battle for the 25th Century, High Adventure Cliffhangers Buck Rogers Adventure Game, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buck_Rogers_in_the_25th_Century_(TV_series)&oldid=1095850190, 1970s American science fiction television series, 1980s American science fiction television series, Television series created by Glen A. Larson, Television series by Universal Television, Television series set in the 25th century, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from October 2011, All articles needing additional references, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. This website and its domain name, GRUV.com, are owned and operated by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and its affiliated companies. An illuminating tribute to actor and filmmaker Adrienne Shelly, celebrating her life and work while exploring the tragedy of her death.

The opening title sequence for the series included stock footage from the Apollo 4 and Apollo 6 launches. Fifteen years after the smash, Tony-winning Broadway run of "Spring Awakening," the original cast and creative team reunite for a spectacular, one-night only reunion concert to benefit The Actors Fund. Music Boxis a collection of documentary films created by Bill Simmonsexploring pivotal moments in the music world. The production recycled many of the props, effects shots, and costumes from Battlestar Galactica, which was still in production at the time the pilot for Buck Rogers was being filmed. Some people find the transit through a stargate to be physically unpleasant (transit resembling a "spinning" of the spacecraft). This two-part documentary directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Erin Lee Carr tells the story of accomplished journalist Kim Wall, who tragically went missing in 2017 while on assignment onboard a submarine. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE1234 St. Andrews RoadColumbia, S.C. 29210803-798-1230803-798-4337 FAX, MAILING ADDRESSP.O. One vocal critic of the series was Gerard himself, who pushed for more serious storytelling and often clashed with the producers and the network (NBC) over the show's tone and handling. This disc has not yet been reviewed. This documentary series follows a range of people who joined NXIVM, the controversial self-improvement group that disintegrated when criminal charges were brought against its highest leaders. Production began in 1978. It includes the movie (in HD for the first time on home media) and seasons one and two. The series' chief villain (at least in the first season) was Princess Ardala (played by Pamela Hensley), whose goal was to conquer the Earth while making Buck her consort. The pilot for Larson's other science-fiction series, Battlestar Galactica (1978), had been released theatrically in some countries and in key locations in North America, and had done well at the box office.