Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Epic Series
by Daniel Haller
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Erin Gray, Gil Gerard, Henry Silva, Pamela Hensley, Tim O'ConnorDirector: Daniel Haller
Brand: Universal Studios
Producer: Andrew Mirisch
Producer: David G. Phinney
Producer: Glen A. Larson
Writer: Glen A. Larson
Producer: Leslie Stevens
Writer: Leslie Stevens
Writer: Philip Francis Nowlan
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 1799 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-11-16
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Epic Series
Movie Review: A Bad Guilty Pleasure
Summary: 5 Stars
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a 1980s adaptation of the old Machine Age Comic. The overall concept for the show is simple, our hero and astronaut, Buck Rogers (played wonderfully by Gil Gerard), goes on a space mission on a space shuttle looking ship. Something goes wrong, the ship winds up in a much bigger orbit than planned, Buck is accidentally frozen in some manner that keeps him alive but in suspended animation, and Buck winds up coming back to earth 500 years later. The beginning of the show and words to the theme song make you wonder whether Buck Rogers is really in the 25th Century or whether what we're being shown are just the dreams that Buck Rogers has while he's in suspended animation. The intro has Erin Gray and Pamela Hensley scantily clad rolling around in some floor while the intro's song words go something along the lines that Buck doesn't know what's real or what's in his mind. I loved the show as a kid because aside from Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica there was very little to satisfy the curious mind of a dreaming kid. Buck Rogers came just in time to satiate that need and it did so in a very nice way with full sets and strong actors and great special effects for the time period.
In the pilot, whether it's real or just in Buck's mind (to quote the song), our hero's ship is salvaged after 500 years in space by a giant space battleship commanded by a scantily clad beautiful princess on a diplomatic mission to earth. The mission is a decoy and the battleship plans to attack and take over earth for the Draconian Empire. Our hero is woken up by the princess and he is subsequently sent to earth unknowingly with a tracking device to help the Draconian's find a way through Earth's shields. Buck is intercepted by yet another beautiful woman in a fighter plane spaceship, Colonel Deering (Erin Gray) and shepherded back to New Chicago to a ecologically and nuclear devasted Earth; an earth barely able to hold its own against space pirates and other interstellar forces. This is also apparently an Earth where society has ceded much control to a council of benevolent artificial intelligence robots that are shaped like thick Frisbees. These artificially sentient administrators are ferried around by miniature silver robots. Buck later befriends one of the robot council members, Dr. Theopolis, and one of the small robots named Twiki whose main purpose is to carry Dr. Theopolis around his neck.
In the ensuing pilot episode Buck saves the day. During the rest of the first season, Buck takes station on Earth with Erin Gray and Tim O'conner and the robot Twiki. The whole robot council concept and Dr. Theopolis' appearances become less frequent and Tim O'Conner becomes the overall leader figure in the show with Twiki, the little robot, assuming a kind of comic relief role. Together Tim O'Conner, Erin Gray, Gil Gerard, and Twiki work to defend earth from all kinds of plots and threats. Buck is an excellent fighter pilot, hand to hand fighter, jock, stud, lover, gambler, and just about anything that's cool while the people of the 25th century appear a bit cynical in their thinking for the most part. Buck appears to flirt with a willing Wilma but most of the romance is kept off the air and apparently Buck becomes popular with the ladies of Earth as alluded to in several episodes.
Season Two saw the show take on a different direction while still keeping the super tight outfits if only on our heroes. Buck, Wilma, and Twiki board the USS Searcher. Some giant ship that explores the stars like the USS Enterprise in Star Trek. I felt that the show lost its way for the second season as I preferred the original venue of our heroes being based on earth. The second season though tried to introduce some more complex topics like environmentalism etc and Buck's and Wilma's relationship deepened towards the romantic but they never really let us see Buck Kiss Wilma much. The show toned down the humor and turned up the drama during this second season which was saddening to me as I enjoyed the great comedic flair that Gil brought to the first season. That said, this second season is also very dated from a special effects and storyline standpoint although there are some gems in this season.
Remembering the series through a kid's eye made me think that the show was in every conceivable way, perfect. After looking at the DVD episodes, as an adult, it became quite clear that my childhood memories needed serious reconciliation with the reality of the show staring at me on television. I remember Buck being a great fighter but today, the round kicks look a bit low and now whenever Buck decides to throw a convenient giant box at an opponent, I can spot the a special effects string attached to the box. Alas the special effects leave a lot to be desired compared to a 2008 Battlestar Galactica episode, but bear in mind that this was the early 80s and these people didn't have giant budgets or supercomputers to render their special effects in gorgeous CGI. Considering what they had to work with, there were some shows that came across brilliantly from a special effects standpoint for the time. Then again, there was a consistency problem that is visible from episode to episode.
Some episodes had great special effects and others made me laugh. For example, a few years ago my 13 year old cousin found my Buck Rogers DVD set and asked me what that was. I decided to introduce my 13 year old cousin to Buck Rogers and how great it was. We picked one episode at random and at first all was quiet until during one scene where my cousin commented to me, "Hey, what's with the spider and the tiny toy skull?" We both sat there watching, wondering, and thinking, "why are they showing us a house spider crawling over a very small hand painted toy skull," and then after a few seconds we both got it, "AHHH!! I GET IT!! It's supposed to be a gigantic spider!! And! And! The spider ate some poor guy and that tiny little skull is all that's left! and my hero is in terrible danger! and and, OH THAT's JUST TOO TERRIBLY BAD FUNNY," and then we both broke out in giant laughter. Let's just say that one cold winter day, my 13 year old cousin and I bonded as we laughed hysterically while watching Buck Rogers episodes, eating popcorn, and drinking Coca Cola and rolling on the floor at the silliness. No sooner had one show ended than he said, "pop in another one." It was just laughter all afternoon, punctuated by comments like, "could they make Buck's outfit tighter," or, "rewind! Rewind! Did you see the string on that box Buck just threw," and, "does that Vampire really have only ONE eyebrow?" HILARIOUS!! The show is generally filled with episode after episode and scene after scene that makes you laugh, sadly not with the show, but at the show (but in a good spirited fashion). No disrespect to the people who made this show or the actors, they put in some tremendous work for the time and it shows, but seriously - 25 years later, it has some tremendous comedic qualities and yes my 13 year old cousin wants to marry Erin Gray, "Oh no he doesn't! She's all mine! I saw her first 25 years ago!" Besides, if this comedic aspect helps these people sell a few more copies of Buck Rogers for our enjoyment and them getting a new car, well there's no harm in that.
The acting by Gil Gerard and Erin Gray and Tim O'Conner is first rate though. The costumes are also fantastic although a bit excessive on the sexual appeal front. Erin Gray and Gil Gerard are literally poured into these super tight spandex outfits that frankly makes it very difficult to not stare at Erin whenever she's on screen, she is a beautiful beautiful woman. The show reminds us regularly as to Buck's handsomeness with lines like, "You are a handsome man Buck." Gil has the same body build of Lee Majors that's appealing for the ladies and you do get to see Gil's physique in all its glory in his super tight outfits. In fairness, when I was a kid, I wished that I would grow up to look like Gil and that I would marry Erin Gray. Also, Pamela Hensley as the villainess was always scantily clad as Princess Ardala whenever she came on screen. So overall, quite a bit of sex appeal sprinkled into the show but unlike some of the earlier shows like UFO, there was less sexism to the show. Erin Gray plays Colonel Wilma Deering in charge of Earth's military defenses and Pamela Hensley Commands some kind of space Armada so by the 1980s these women, while yes beautiful, had substance in the roles they were giving. Much more likely that Buck would get Wilma coffee than vice verse.
From an overall show standpoint, there are some great episodes in season 1 and season 2 but there are some that are almost unwatchable. Season one is by far my favorite. Please don't misunderstand, this is a ride through memory lane, Buck Rogers in the 25th century is almost unwatchable as a serious modern day show but for someone who saw it as a kid, you might find yourself reliving some great memories and laughing hysterically though the show.
The DVDs come in gorgeous packaging and you get all two seasons: every episode ever produced in one set. You don't get much in addition to the DVDs which are double sided. It would've been great to get some commentaries from Erin Gray or Gil Gerard. They are fine actors - and if anything the acting carried this show. Some early DVD sets do exhibit some quality control problems, sometimes I have to eject and reload and a friend of mine who also owns a set had to send his back to get a replacement set of DVDs. So, a few quality control issues mare some of the earlier releases of this set. Overall though, a beautiful set which includes all episodes and the theatrical release. Bear in mind that Buck Rogers had an NBC pilot and a theatrical release that grossed about $20million on the US box office.
If you don't like Sci Fi, don't get this. If you are not a fan of 80s Sci Fi, you might not like. If you watched 1950s and 1960s Sci Fi, you might love Buck as it represents a 1,000 year fast forward in plot development and special effects. I own this set and whenever the mood strikes me and I want to laugh a bit, I pop one of these into my DVD but I do so with the curtains drawn and I keep the volume down so no one will know that I ever watch Buck Rogers. It gets 5 stars as Buck Rogers was solid 1980s science fiction with full sets, and decent special effects and overall is a true Classic with great actors.
Summary of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Epic Series
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