Buck Rogers In The 25th Century: A TV Companion Softcover Book by Patrick Jankiewicz:
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981) premiered on American television in September 1979. The story followed a twentieth century astronaut revived after 500 years of suspended animation to become Earth’s greatest hero. Created by Glen A. Larson and Leslie Stevens, the new series starred Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, and Felix Silla.
Gerard looked to the past to prepare for his future production. As Executive Producer of another science fiction series, Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979), the early cancellation of the failed series left him with a quasar of props, costumes, sets, special effects film footage, and even a rejected model spacecraft designed by Ralph McQuarrie.
He hit on the idea of recycling the artifacts into a less showy series that premiered to the delight of audiences. Viewers thrilled to a seemingly endless parade of notable guest stars, such as Henry Silva, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Palance, Roddy McDowall, John P. Ryan, Richard Lynch, Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar, Jamie Lee Curtis, Vera Miles, Sam Jaffe, William Smith, Sid Haig, Jerry Orbach, Richard Moll, Ray Walston, Gary Coleman, Amanda Wyss, and Mary Woronov.
Join Buck and the galaxy’s most beautiful women in a richly researched work that soars at light speed beyond other Buck Rogers books with:
• Foreword by actress Erin Gray
• A complete episode guide
• Interviews with the full regular cast and crew
• Actors that portrayed characters such as The Space Vampire, The War Witch, and The Satyr tell all about working on the series.
Discover a never before explored nebula of back stories:
• How a nervous film student with no credits wound up directing an episode
• Which future US President was a friend of Gil Gerard and hosted the premiere
• Which Buck Rogers guest star was murdered and immediately played in a TV movie by another BUCK ROGERS guest?
• Why Buck Rogers went to war with his own show's writers
• Which Buck Rogers guest became a director and discovered Julia Roberts
• Why Dr. Theopolis and nuclear hellhole Anarchia were cut from the show
• How Sid Haig appeared in four episodes, even though he died in the first two
Patrick Jankiewicz is the author of You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry: A Hulk Companion, and Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion
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