a5c7b9f00b In 1987, NASA astronaut William "Buck" Rogers tests the space shuttle Ranger 3. His flight was to last only five months, but a meteor storm damages his life-support systems, freezing him solid, and casts Ranger 3 into an orbit which returns him to Earth - over 500 years later. Soon after Buck departs, Earth was devastated by a nuclear war caused by a renegade group of military officers. In 2491, after Buck has survived due to the freezing, he is revived and tries to adjust to life on 25th-century post-nuclear Earth. In the second season, Buck joins the crew of the Searcher, a starship dispatched to locate former Earth colonies in deep space. In 1987, NASA astronaut William "Buck" Rogers is caught in a freak accident in deep space, causing his space shuttle Ranger 3 to be blown into an orbit that returns him to Earth - over 500 years later. The combination of gases that freezes him comes close to the formula commonly used in the 25th century for preservation, and his rescuers are able to revive him. In 2491, when Buck awakens from the freezing, Earth is recovering from a nuclear war and is coming under hostile attack by the Draconian Empire. In the second season, Buck has been assigned aboard the Searcher, a starship exploring the unknown reaches of space while searching for former Earth colonies that are scattered across the galaxy. They had a pretty good story line and they kept it moving. The special effects are not what we are used to today, but you gotta love it. My favorite shows were the first ones in season one. Buck Rogers is the typical male sexist womanizer. They did keep you and Wilma, wondering were their relationship was going to go, but they were always over protective of each other. I love seeing the guest stars in each show. The characters of Twiki and Dr. Theopolis are vary cute and add a touch of whimsy to the show. I think it's a little bit Farscape and a little bit Battlestar Galactica. If they ever decided to do a modern remake, I think it would do vary well. All they would have to do is update the special effects and bring the technology into the future. Ahhh The late 70's. It was such a carefree time in many ways. The sexual revolution had occurred and AIDS wasn't on anyone's radar screen. TV entertainment leaned towards the undemanding to say the least. Shows like "Charlie's Angels", "The Love Boat", "Wonder Woman" and "CHiP's" were popular. Here was "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", TV's answer to "Star Wars" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", but with so little of the style and imagination that those and other films and TV shows had provided previously. Based on a decades old character, which had been the focus of novellas, comic strips, radio programs and a movie serial, he was dusted off and given a fresh coat of spandex for the bubble gum sci-fi set. Handsome, hirsute Gerard was given the title role of an astronaut flung (frozen) 500 years into the future only to find Earth partially decimated and run by benevolent computers. Helping to make him comfortable in his new environment were government official O'Connor and attractive military colonel Gray,wellthe diminutive robot Twiki, voiced by Blanc. The first season of the show was endearingly campy with a plethora of known guest stars from the earlier days of Hollywood (Cesar Romero, Roddy McDowall, Vera Miles, Elizabeth Allen and even the original Buck, Buster Crabbe!)wellup and coming folks suchJamie Lee Curtis. The stories were silly, but the show was delightful, thanks to the tacky, abbreviated, satin costumes and the shiny sets. Another plus was the ultra-sexy presence of Hensleya devious princess, who showed up several times throughout the season. Continuity was never a strong suit, nor was depth in scripting, but the show could be counted on for an hour of fun and modest entertainment. Gray was a resourceful, appealing, attractive woman of authority and Gerard was a brave, old-fashioned hero who almost bothered to button up his shirts and who was poured into his clingy pants. While it was disconcerting, especially at first, to hear Blanc's nicotine-tinged growl coming out of the little robot (with Silla inside), he provided gentle comic relief at times and could be an amusing counterpart to Gerard. After the first season, amidst a crippling actor's strike which wreaked havoc on many a show, everything was re-tooled and not in a good way. Suddenly, with little or no explanation, Gerard, Gray and Silla were on board a spaceship called Searcher and were joined by fussy Admiral Garner, wizened, old historian Hyde-White and the stern, mysterious Christopher, playing a character of ornithological descent named Hawk. A horrendously pompous and condescending robot character named Crichton was added, making for a crowded landscape in the smallish vessel. Aside from losing all plot lines involving Earth, the costumes were alteredwell, insultingly rendering Gray to look like a Playboy Cruise Director and most everyone else like Good Spaceship Lollipop officers. Gerard's increasing girth led him to wear ugly jackets over his jumpsuits in a vain attempt to mask his oncoming obesity. As if that weren't bad enough, the quality of the scripts went straight into the toilet with many of the second season episodes being nearly unwatchable. The caliber of guest stars dropped off significantly, too, with practically no notable names showing up to speak of. If it was discordant to have Blanc do the voice of Twiki, it was doubly so to suddenly have a different voice-actor playing him for the second season. Wisely, Blanc was reinstated before long. Hensley was never utilized again after the first season finale, another grave error. Joining other series that underwent drastic changes in their second season only to be swiftly cancelled, this one at least has the lengthier first season to still recommend itlight entertainment. Look fast in the credits of the pilot film for LeeAnn Hunleya sultry, silver-clad vamp. Haysbert appears a few times in season twoa communications officer.
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347 weeks ago