Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)

With its campy combination of lightweight adventure and Spandex disco chic, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is a nostalgic throwback to post-Star Wars opportunism. Series co-creator Glen A. Larson was incapable of originality, and former soap star Gil Gerard (in the title role) was a bland incarnation of the comic-strip hero, so the much-anticipated series premiered on September 20, 1979, with serious disadvantages. Although the two-hour pilot "Awakening" had tested successfully as a theatrical release, Gerard and the show's producers could never agree on a stable tone for the series, which presents Capt. William "Buck" Rogers as a jovial space cowboy who is accidentally time-warped from 1987 to 2491. Earth is engaged in interplanetary war following a global holocaust, and Buck's piloting skills make him an ideal starfighter recruit for the Earth Defense Directorate, where his closest colleagues are Dr. Huer (Tim O'Connor), squadron leader Col. Wilma Deering (former model Erin Gray, looking oh-so-foxy), the wisecracking robot Twiki (voiced by cartoon legend Mel Blanc), and a portable computer-brain named Dr. Theopolis, who's carried by Twiki like oversized bling-bling.

The series struggled through an awkward first season, with routine plots elevated by decent special effects and noteworthy guest stars including Jamie Lee Curtis, ill-fated Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (appearing, with her voice dubbed over, less than a year before her tragic murder), Batman alumnus Julie Newmar, Buster Crabbe (veteran of vintage Buck Rogers movie serials), and several others in a show that favored vamps and vixens over credible science fiction. A full-scale overhaul resulted in a disastrous second season, but devoted fans still gravitate to Hawk (Thom Christopher), the charismatic alien "birdman" who was introduced with new characters and a new, space-faring search for lost tribes from Earth (with echoes of Larson's own Battlestar Galactica). Behind-the-scenes squabbles continued, and by mid-season of 1981, NBC pulled the plug on a breezy, still-engaging series that suffered from uneasy chemistry and never realized its full potential. Existing somewhere between Galactica and Lost in Space in the TV sci-fi food chain, this Buck--with a dearth of DVD extras--now functions as a cheesy stroll down memory lane. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Great, Great, Great!

If you saw these as a kid, then you must get this set. Sure it's 80s cheese but that's the point. Buck was a stud and Wilma a fox. She still is even when I see the shows now! My kids, especially the 8 yr old love them too. The four year old watches them some too but his mind wanders a bit! October 16, 2008

The Deal of the 21st Century

My goodness...Buck Rogers The Complete Series is now down to 13.99?? That's almost half of what I paid for Jason of Star Command! I thought I got this at a steal at 17.99...which I certainly did...but at this price, this is easily the all-time greatest deal for a TV series on DVD yet.

The show is a blast. Cool FX (cheesy at times, awesome at others, but always cooler than CGI), great spaceships, 70's disco-influenced regalia, hot space chicks in sexy clothes (Erin Gray is just the start), fun stories, and a cast that enjoys themselves and what they're doing...it all adds up to a non-stop fun excursion back to your childhood.

The prints look great and the packaging is even very nice. There is no doubt whatsoever about the incredible value of this set. Either for yourself or the kids, for this price, you gotta buy it.

September 26, 2008

Buck Rogers Review

A must have for all you aging Gen-Xers that grew up watching bad sci-fi on TV. July 26, 2008

MUY BUENA

ES UN PAQUETE EXCELENTE, Y SOBRE TODO TIENE LETREROS EN ESPAÑOL. GRACIAS.
¡DIOS LOS SIGA BENDICIENDO MUCHO! July 25, 2008

Quality box set for the most part...

The complete series for less than $20? Sold. My copy came in this week and i have to say i am very pleased with my purchase overall. The 5-disc box set's artwork is nicely done and so are the dvd menus found within. For season one you get the tv 'teasers', or whatever they call it, right before the episode starts. But both seasons have text summaries for each episode you're about to watch so no guesswork is involved(i know i should just go through them all in order, but it was hard to resist skipping around finding favorite episodes to watch first). The picture/sound quality is mostly good and consistent but i did notice a few lapses here and there but nothing major. Only major complaint i have is the lack of ANY extras(unless there's some easter eggs i haven't found yet).

As for the show, i enjoyed both seasons(yes, even the 'less fun' season 2). The second one was a drastic change from the first but Thom Christopher is one of those changes, and for the better too. His character and that bird-like spaceship of his was the coolest thing i saw when i was a kid. I'm glad to say i skipped to the 2-part episode that introduced him and everything held up pretty well after all these years. And even though i liked season one a little more, there were truly some awe-inspiringly embarrassing moments in it. If you've ever seen The Office tv show and cringed, you need to take a look at some of these episodes. Hilarious moments that make you wonder why you bought this set, and then you remember...cause it's entertaining. Recommended.

other reasons to get this set: Princess Ardala, Erin Gray in white, Erin Gray in blue, Erin Gray in maroon, re-used sound efx from Battlestar Galactica, etc. (did i mention Erin Gray is in this?) July 23, 2008

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