Tag: NBC

Returning from a routine flight, Buck and Wilma find a small group of Earth fighters in trouble, and help to wipe out the pirate fighter pursuing them. It turns out they’ve stumbled into a live-fire exercise, and the cadets being trained aren’t just ill-equipped for combat – they’re actually ill. Dr. Huer reveals that contamination of Earth’s supply of food discs has been detected, and deliberate poisoning is now considered the most likely explanation. Cadets and experienced pilots alike are grounded as an antidote is researched, leaving Earth wide open to attack. And an attack is indeed being planned by Kaleel, the charismatic slave of a planet on which Earth depends for its food supplies. He keeps his workers loyal through the fear of death by his merest touch, and plans to use that fear to turn them into a fighting force. Now Earth’s only line of defense is a handful of pilots, one of whom is already shaping up to be Buck’s rival for everything from the other pilots’ admiration to Wilma’s affection.

teleplay by Steve Greenberg & Aubrey Solomon and Cory Applebaum
story by Steve Greenberg & Aubrey Solomon
directed by Michael Caffey
music by Johnny Harris

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Buster Crabbe (Brigadier Gordon), Jack Palance (Kaleel), David Groh (Major Duke Danton), Roddy McDowell (Governor Saroyan), Brianne Leary (Ryma), Macdonald Carey (Dr. Mallory), Karen Carlson (Stella Warden), Michael Mullins (Regis Saroyan), Robert Dowdell (Galen), Sheila DeWindt (Major Fields), Don Marshall (Julio), Diane Markoff (Female Pilot), June Whitley Taylor (Woman), Borah Silver (Husband), Michael Masters (Worker), Don Maxwell (Guard), Nathanial Brian Wine (Technician)

Notes: Special guest star Larry “Buster” Crabbe was one of Hollywood’s first science fiction heroes, portraying the first film incarnation of Flash Gordon in an ongoing serial from 1936 to 1940 – and the first filmed version of Buck Rogers in 1939, which also featured Constance Moore as “Lt.” Wilma Deering, C. Montague Shaw as “Scientist General Professor Huer,” and Anthony Warde as “Killer” Kane. (That early version of Buck Rogers can be found at the DVD link above.)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Buck is becoming annoyed in his efforts to wean Wilma and the other Earth Defense Directorate pilots off of computer control for every combat scenario, preferring his own instincts and reflexes instead. When they return to Earth from a particularly frustrating training exercise, Buck has a new task waiting for him – to accompany Major Marla Landers to Sinaloa, an entire planet devoted to leisure and gambling, on a mission to rescue a kidnapped computer programmer. Her employer, Mr. Armot, is a notorious (but, as yet, unconvicted) gun-runner who has offered to provide tactical information on the seemingly unbeatable Draconian hatchet fighters in exchange for this favor. Once they arrive on Sinaloa, Buck attracts the attention of a cocktail waitress named Tanji, while Major Landers gets the far more dangerous attention of Mr. Velosi, the proprietor of Sinaloa’s casino. Escaping from Sinaloa with the kidnapped programmer is enough of a risk, but Tanji wants Buck to buy her freedom too – or she’ll alert Velosi’s guards to Buck’s presence.

written by Anne Collins
directed by Sigmund Neufeld Jr.
music by Les Baxter

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Cesar Romero (Armot), Joseph Wiseman (Morphus), Richard Lynch (Velosi), Ana Alicia (Major Landers), Juanin Clay (Velosi’s thug), Pamela Susan Shoop (Falina), James Luisi (Guard), Alice Frost (Rita), Ted Chapman (Man)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Buck and Wilma arrest an assassin named Raphael Argus in a seedy bar, and use the confusion of the ensuing shootout as a cover for Buck to assume the killer’s identity. It’s all part of Dr. Huer’s plan to infiltrate a guild of mercenaries who are believed to be preparing to launch a terrorist strike on Earth itself. Wilma is sent on the undercover mission as well, which is just as well, since as part of his cover, Buck isn’t provided with any way to prove that he isn’t Argus, to make it easier for him to bluff his way into the midst of the conspirators. But the mercenaries have also taken steps to make sure that they can identify Argus upon his arrival – and they’ve also planted operatives within the Earth Defense Directorate with orders to sabotage Earth’s defensive capabilities. And when Wilma breaks her cover, Buck has to risk his own life to buy time for her escape.

written by Alan Brennert
directed by Dick Lowry
music by Stu Phillips

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Frank Gorshin (Seton Kellogg), John Quade (Jolen Quince), Anthony James (Varek), Nancy DeCarl (Sherese), Markie Post (Joella Cameron), Robert Tessier (Marcos), James Sloyan (Barney), Victor Argo (Argus), Mitch Reta (Technician), John Furlong (1st Cop), Richard Reed (1st Rowdy), Seamon Glass (Pirate), Sena Black (Woman)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Moments after he learns of a plan by criminal mastermind Seton Kellogg to detonate an antimatter charge in New Chicago, Buck’s cover is blown and he’s captured. Wilma has captured one of Kellogg’s conspirators and taken him back to Earth, but he refuses to surrender any information about the plot. Buck has to find a way back to Earth – but even when he does, Kellogg and his assassins are already on the planet, putting a backup plan into effect that doesn’t require the presence of Argus – and will still prove just as deadly to New Chicago.

written by Alan Brennert
directed by Dick Lowry
music by Stu Phillips

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Frank Gorshin (Seton Kellogg), John Quade (Jolen Quince), Anthony James (Varek), James McEachin (Selvan), Nancy DeCarl (Sherese), Markie Post (Joella Cameron), Robert Tessier (Marcos), James Sloyan (Barney), Victor Argo (Argus), Whitney Rydbeck (Hartsteen), Gwen Mitchell (Ticket Clerk), Nonice Williams (Katrina), John Furlong (1st Cop), Mitch Reta (Technician), Richard Reed (1st Rowdy), Seamon Glass (Pirate)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Trying to intercept a freighter making an unauthorized flight into the Necrosis asteroid belt, Buck and Wilma stumble across a plot by Wilma’s old adversary Corliss to poison Earth’s atmosphere. Despite this terrifying development, there is nothing the Earth forces can do to penetrate the dense asteroid belt. Doctor Huer recommends reinstating the retired Noah Cooper and the rest of his 69th Earth Space Marine squadron – but Cooper, embittered ever since his young protege’ Wilma flunked his entire squad out of active duty due to their age, wants nothing to do with the potential suicide mission.

written by David Bennett Carson
directed by Phil Leacock
music by Stu Phillips

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Peter Graves (Noah Cooper), Elizabeth Allen (Roxanne Trent), Robert Quarry (Commander Corliss), Woody Strode (“Big Red” Murphy), K.T. Stevens (Harriet Twain), Eddie Firestone (M.K. Schultz), Dan Sturkle (Eli Twain), Katharine Wyberg (Alicia), Robert Hardy (Clayton), Duncan MacKenzie (Westlake), Clifford Torknett (War technician)

Notes: With this episode’s focus on deafness and sign language, Katharine Wyberg, a student from the California School for the Deaf, was cast as Alicia. However, the episode still came in for criticism due to its coda, which revealed that Alicia would be undergoing surgery to “cure” her deafness.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

On the peaceful neutral planet of Genesia, a coup quickly removes President Hieronymous Fox from power, and the unscrupulous Roderick Zale assumes control and makes an exorbitant ransom demand. The President’s personal bodyguard, Dia Cyrton, escapes and goes to Earth to plead for the Defense Directorate’s help in rescuing him. Dr. Huer, however, is unwilling to commit any resources to the mission, so Cyrton waits until she can pull off a kidnapping of her own, drugging Buck and dragging him off with her to rescue the President. Her choice isn’t at random, either: what Huer doesn’t know is that Hieronymous Fox is, like Buck, a survivor from Earth’s 20th century – a child genius who survived the nuclear holocaust by testing his cryogenic suspension unit on himself. But in the years before the Earth Defense Directorate was established, Fox’s cryogenic pod was looted by the visiting Genesians, though his brilliant mind made him invaluable enough that he climbed the political ladder. Buck and Cyrton brave the odds, including a face-to-face confrontation with an assassin hired by Zale, to rescue Fox…only to find that the President is perfectly capable of making himself too much of a nuisance to be held prisoner for long.

teleplay by Alan Brennert
story by Anne Collins
directed by Les Martinson
music by Johnny Harris / “Shambala” by Three Dog Night

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Gary Coleman (Hieronymous Fox), Ray Walston (Roderick Zale), Melody Rogers (Lt. Dia Cyrton), Albert Popwell (Koren), Earl Boen (Selmar), Lester Fletcher (M.D. Toman), Tobar Mayo (Guard), Tony Epper (Drunk)

Notes: Toman’s guards are obviously wearing Battlestar Galactica uniforms.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A mysterious object takes position over New Chicago and fires a powerful warning shot into the wastelands. Buck and Wilma try to destroy the weapon, but it proves impervious to the starfighters’ pulsar cannons. Not long afterward, the Draconian flagship enters orbit, and Princess Ardala announces her intention to wed Buck. It turns out that an unwed princess cannot ascend to the Draconian throne, and Ardala will decimate Earth unless the object of her desire is handed over to her. Buck surrenders willingly to save his friends and his home world, but when the Draconian courting ritual includes such cultural events as a mano a mano fight with Tigerman, Buck quickly decides to remain single by any means necessary.

teleplay by Cory Applebaum and Michael Bryant
story by Cory Applebaum
directed by David Moessinger
music by J.J. Johnson

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Pamela Hensley (Princess Ardala), Michael Ansara (Kane), Alfred Ryder (Garedon), H.B. Haggerty (Tigerman), Elaine Nista (Dancer), Tracy Miller (Dancer), Nancy Morris (Dancer), Gary Stang (Dancer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Buck is assigned to provide undercover security for the Miss Cosmos beauty pageant. While he’s relieved to see at least one 20th century custom has survived, Buck finds that the contest is more about genetic perfection than just looks – and that genetic perfection puts a price tag on the head of every contestant for bounty hunters and others seeking an infusion of genetic material. Even with Wilma and Twiki backing him up, however, Buck is in for a challenge – a killer is on board, and oddly enough, her appearances seem to coincide with the period disappearances of one of the contestants.

teleplay by Michael Bryant and Cory Applebaum
story by Michael Bryant
directed by Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.
music by Shirley Walker

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Leigh McCloskey (Jay), Trisha Noble (Sabrina), Brett Halsey (Cruise Ship Captain), Kimberly Beck (Allison Michaels), Dorothy Stratten (Miss Cosmos)

Notes: The Lyran Queen model was reused as the Searcher in season two. Actress Dorothy Stratten, who had been the Playboy Playmate of the Month as recently as August 1979 and the Playmate of the Year in 1980, was murdered by her husband less than a year after this episode aired; that highly publicized tragedy became the basis of the movie Star 80.

LogBook entry by Earl Green