Series Description

The Buck Rogers In The 25th Century TV show was a 60 minute sci-fi series on NBC about astronaut Buck Rogers whose spaceship's life support was damaged during a routine space flight. That mishap left his frozen body wandering aimlessly through space. Five centuries later, he was found, revived and came to the realization that there was no way back to his life in the 20th century. He found the future Earth recovering from a nuclear war and under attack by an evil empire. Buck Rogers joined Earth's defense forces in their fight and despite is lack of knowledge about 25th century technology, he became a major player in the fight. You see; apparently humans had lost much of the ingenuity that men of the 2oth century came by naturally. Buck was always able to figure out a way to succeed in the fight against all odds! For the second season, a starship is sent by Earth to find lost Earth colonies with Buck Rogers along for the adventure!

Buck Rogers Cast

Gil Gerard .... Captain William Rogers
Erin Gray .... Colonel Wilma Deering
Tim O'Connor .... Dr. Huer
Pamela Hensley .... Princess Ardala
Henry Silva .... Kane
Felix Silla .... Twiki (Body & Briefly Voice - See Trivia)
Steve Jones .... Pilot
Mel Blanc .... Twiki (Voice)

Buck Rogers Trivia:

Before the TV show, there was a Buck Rogers in the 25th Century radio show that aired from November 7, 1932 through March 28, 1947!

Buck Rogers' ship that malfunctioned was named, "Ranger 3". The ship that he served on in the second season was named, "Searcher".

It's no co-incidence that the second season's plotline, (looking for lost colonies of Earth), sounds a lot like the series, "Battlestar Galactica". That's where they got the idea. There was a writers strike in late 1980 which delayed the second season's premiere of this TV show and many others. While they were waiting for the writers to come back, plans were made, sets were built, etc., gearing up to take Buck Rogers and his fellow crewmates on their new adventures.

In addition to doing the voice for Twiki, Mel Blanc also did the voices for Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Tweety, Sylvester, Marvin the Martian, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, Elmer Fudd, Mr. Spacely (Jetsons), Barney Rubble & Dino, Heathcliff, and literally hundreds of others.

Perhaps the most highly acclaimed movie Gil Gerard ever appeared in was also the first one; Love Story (1970). Don't blink though! He was only an extra and wasn't even listed in the credits.

There were 17 different directors, 7 different producers, and 2 production companies involved in producing Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. One of the producers - Glen A. Larson - also wrote the title music for the series.

Props from the series "Battlestar Galactica" were used to film Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Buster Crabbe, who portrayed the original Buck Roger of the 1930's, guest-starred on episodes #3 and 4, "Planet Of The Slave Girls - Parts 1 and 2". His character was named, "Brigadier Gordon" after his best-known role as "Flash Gordon".

Felix Silla who played Twiki might have been a little guy, but he was a big actor in blockbuster hits such as Batman Returns (1992) and Return of the Jedi (1983). He also worked as a stunt man in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Poltergeist (1982), Howard the Duck (1986), and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

At the beginning of the second season, Felix Silla took over doing Twiki's voice. The audience noticed the change immediately and didn't like it one bit! After thousands of protests, Mel Blanc, again, became Twiki's voice.

The narrator of the series (William Conrad) also narrated several other series including "The Fugitive (1963)"; "Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Friends (1961)"; "The Highwayman (1988)"; and the 1977 miniseries: "How the West Was Won". He was also the star of several series including "Nero Wolfe (1981)" and "Cannon (1971)".

Buck Rogers Opening Narrative

"The year is 1987 and NASA launches the last of America's deep space probes. In a freak mishap Ranger 3 and its pilot Captain William Buck Rogers are blown out of their trajectory into an orbit which freezes his life support system and returns Buck Rogers to Earth 500 years later." (Alternate Opening): "In the year 1987, NASA launched the last of America's deep space probes. Aboard this compact starship a lone astronaut Captain William Buck Rogers, was to experience cosmic forces beyond all comprehension. In a freak mishap, his life support systems were frozen by temperatures beyond imagination. Ranger 3 was blown out of its planned trajectory into an orbit a thousand times more vast: an orbit which was to return Buck Rogers to Earth five hundred years later."