Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is a quintessential science fiction series
that captivated audiences in the late 70s and early 80s with its blend of Space Age
Adventure futuristic technology and compelling characters in this video we'll take a look at some
behind-the-scenes fun about the show including a secret that Aaron gray kept while she was
filming origin the character of Buck Rogers first appeared in a Nolla titled Armagedon
2419 ad written by Philip Francis Nolan and published in the August 1928 issue of
Amazing Stories magazine the story introduced Anthony Buck Rogers a World War I veteran who
finds himself in the 25th Century after being trapped in a coal mine and exposed
to Radioactive gas this Nolla laid the foundation for the character's future
Adventures earlier adaptations before the the 1979 series Buck Rogers had already made a significant
cultural impact in 1929 the character was adapted into a daily syndicated newspaper
comic strip which became immensely popular and ran for decades this was followed by a radio
Series in the 30s which was one of the first science fiction programs on radio and in 1939
Universal Pictures released a Buck Rogers serial film shown in theaters in weekly installments
pilot movie before becoming a TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was introduced
as a feature film in March of 1979 the film's success at the box office led to its adaptation
into a series when it was green lit the film was re-edited and split into the first few episodes of
the show Star Wars influence the late 70s saw a Resurgence in interest in Space and Science
fiction largely due to the unprecedented success of George Lucas's Star Wars in 1977
eager to capitalize on the renewed enthusiasm for space themed entertainment TV networks and
Studios were on the lookout for properties that could capture a similar audience Buck Rogers in
the 25th Century was one such property green lit in the wake of Star Wars with the show's
visuals its effects and even its marketing heavily influenced by the Space Opera aesthetic
popularized by Lucas's film twe's voice twei the diminutive robot sidekick of Buck Rogers became
one of the show's most recognizable characters in no small part due to his unique voice behind
this voice was none other than Mel Blan often referred to as the man of a thousand voices
blank was the talent behind many of the iconic characters including Bugs Bunny Daffy Duck and
Porky Pig his distinctive b b b catchphrase for Tweaky added a touch of humor and charm to the
series costume changes the series underwent a noticeable shift in its visual style between
its two seasons and this was particularly evident in the costumes in the first season
the characters especially will Mad Dearing often wore form-fitting spandex outfits
reflective of late '70s fashion sensibilities but by the second season the costumes became
became more varied and intricate moving away from the spandex Centric designs
the change was part of a broader effort to revamp the show and give it a fresh
look possibly in response to feedback or to align more closely with the evolving sci-fi
Aesthetics set reuse TV Productions often operate under tight budgets leading to Creative Solutions
for set design and props Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was no exception some of the sets
and props from the 1978 battle Star Galactica series another Glenn a Larsson production found
a second life in Buck Rogers this recycling not only saved on production costs but also
maintained a consistent visual style as both shows shared a similar Space Opera
theme theme music the show's memorable and catchy theme music was the work of composer
Stu Phillips Phillips a prolific compos ER for television also crafted the music for
the original Battle Star Galactica series The Buck Rogers theme with its futuristic
and upbeat tone set the mood for the show and became one of its most recognizable
elements cancellation after its debut Buck Rogers in the 25th Century enjoyed
a successful first season however by the second season the show underwent
significant changes including a shift in setting from a postapoc alytic Earth to Deep
Space Adventures these changes combined with competition from other programs and evolving
audience tastes led to declining ratings as a result the series was not renewed for a third
season Gil Gerard's influence Gil Gerard who played Buck Rogers was not just a
passive actor on set as the series progressed he became increasingly involved in its creative
Direction Gerard had strong opinions about about the show's storytelling and character
development by the second season his influence was so pronounced he played a role in getting
the show's original producer John mantley replaced Gerard's Vision was to have more
serious storytelling and character depth moving away from the campier elements of the first
season directorial debut Gerard Beyond his leading role took on
additional responsibilities during the show's run he made his directorial debut
with the episode titled the golden man this episode which aired during the second season
centered on a young man with the ability to heal and his importance to two Waring
factions guest stars Buck Rogers in the 25th Century featured an array of
guest stars throughout its run notable appearances included Jim Lee Curtis who
was on the brink of becoming a major Hollywood star she appeared in the
episode Unchained woman renowned actors like Frank Goron best known for his role as the
Riddler in Batman and Peter Graves famous for Mission Impossible also
guest novelizations the world of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century extended
beyond the television screen the series inspired several novelizations that delved
deeper into the universe these books often written by established science
fiction authors expanded on the show's storylines characters and
settings comic books in addition to novelizations the series also ventured
into the realm of comic books gold key Comics a major Comic book publisher of
the era released a comic book series based on the show these Comics allowed for more
Visual and narrative explorations of the series's themes characters and
Adventures Hawk ship introduced in the second season Hawk became a significant character acting
both as an ally and a foil to Buck Rogers his ship was distinctively designed to resemble a bird in
Flight mirroring Hawk's own birdlike features and Heritage the ship's design with Sleek wings
and Aven Aesthetics was a departure from the more conventional spacecraft designs in the
series Aaron gray Aaron gray who played Colonel Wilma Dearing was not just a
staple of the series but also went on to to have a successful career in Hollywood
Beyond her acting roles she transitioned into the world of talent management gray became a
respected talent agent representing actors and actresses and guiding their careers Aaron also
revealed later on that she was fairly flippant about auditioning for the role she said of the
phone call about a screen test quote I'm sorry I just finished a 4 to six-week shoot and this
is my last night and you want me to screen test for Buck Rogers I haven't read a script
I know nothing about this project please let me go home and we can do this another day and
she guessed that perhaps it was her nonchalant if not confrontational attitude about the role
that eventually helped her get it now it's time to hear from you which one of these facts about
Buck Rogers was the most surprising to hear let us know in the comments section below