2024/09/18
I can’t believe it has already been 45 years, I am really getting old. Buck Rogers was one of many shows I watched when I was about 9-12 years old. The original Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Galactica 80, Doctor Who, Logan’s Run, The Incredible Hulk and of course Buck Rogers. Perhaps I have forgotten one or two but so be it. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century did not air in the Netherlands, but it did air on the BRT, a public Belgian network. It was campy, it was fun but it was also bad at times, not every episode is that good. The first season is a fun watch for most of the time, Buck and Wilma on adventures, with Twiki, Dr. Theopolis and of course Dr. Huer. These characters where the ones who carried the first season and it was a nice ensemble.
Season two however, was not in the same league, it had a totally different set-up in comparison to the first season. Only 13 episodes instead of 20-22 episodes, important characters were suddenly gone, without explanation, like Dr. Huer and Dr. Theopolis. The setting was no longer on Earth but on a spaceship. Wilma Deering’s character was in most episodes nothing more than Lt. Uhura, sitting behind a console. And finally, most of the stories weren’t that interesting. There also was a new character, Hawk. The character faded away slowly as the season progressed. Not that he was gone, but his role wasn’t as important as the season two opener. So Season two is not in the same league as the first season.
I did like the premise though, being on a ship, searching for lost colonies, did remind me a bit of Battlestar Galactica, which is perhaps logical because it was from the same creator: Glen A. Larson. If only the dumped characters had remained on the spaceship for season Two, most likely it would have been more interesting, but we will never know.
Yes, I do complain, especially about season two, but I look back with fondness about Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, but I do remember mostly the 1st season when I think back of that show. Last year, in 2023, I rewatched it on Blu-ray for the first time. It really did look good, the PQ was very satisfying. I recommend watching it on Blu-ray, really enhances the viewing experience. I wrote an extensive blog about my rewatch which you can read here.
45 years have passed since Buck Rogers first aired and for some reason Buck Rogers is one of the few shows that didn’t got a reboot, at least not yet! Yes, there were some rumors involving George Clooney, but till now it is nothing more, a rumor. And this rumor is from 2-3 year ago, so don’t get your hopes up. I would welcome a reboot, I would certainly give it a chance. I think this could have a lot of potential but for some reason it hasn’t happened yet.
Final Word:
Happy anniversary to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, first aired September 20th, 1979. If you think it’s it too silly and too campy to rewatch it, you probably are right, but still, it is fun, especially the first season, I guarantee you will regularly have a smile on your face. It is just fun, not as serious as Battlestar Galactica was at times, but that is okay. Just enjoy it for what it is, give in to this guilty pleasure and do (another) rewatch! In five to seven years or so, I will most likely do one again also.
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