Promo Still Of Gil Gerard & Erin Gray From BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY
Buck Rogers In The 25th Century is tremendous fun. The TV series ran from 1979 to 1981 and it offered-up an exciting new take on the Buck Rogers character made famous by Buster Crabbe in the 1930s.
Gil Gerard is the 20th Century astronaut who becomes frozen in space, waking-up in the 25th Century- a time which is very different from what he’s used to. Buck’s macho posturing is out of place in the staid future (Sly Stallone vehicle Demolition Man owes it a debt).
The show plays like a Roger Moore James Bond movie infused with Star Wars (producer Glen A. Larson also made Battlestar Galatica) and it’s easy to see why I loved it as a kid. Gil Gerard impresses as our titular hero and he shares great chemistry with the equally strong Erin Gray. Gray plays the futuristic Colonel who is as frustrated by Rogers’ antiquated ways as she is in awe of them. Buck is also aided by R2-D2-esqe robotic sidekick Twiki (voiced bu Mel Blanc) as he traverses the galaxy on all sorts of adventures.
Sure, the show looks a little dated (how could it not, it’s 40 years old) but its effects still look good in a retro future sort of way.
