1979: THE BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY FOTONOVEL

From 1979: The BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY FOTONOVEL.

This was - for the longest time - something of a grail item for me.  I knew it existed but - for some reason - I had never spotted one out in the 'wild'.  Maybe it's not that unusual, these 'fotonovels' seldom seem to surface on the second-hand circuit so why should Buck Rogers be any different?

Except that the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA edition pops up from time-to-time.  And the STAR TREK ones (based on selected episodes of the TV show... and the first two movies) also seem more plentiful.  Others, like THE INCREDIBLE HULK one (adapting the TV pilot/ faux feature), command silly prices on Amazon.

It was clearly intended for sale in the UK although I suspect that the pence price has been added afterwards (or as part of a run-on) as it doesn't look quite right.

I finally managed to track down a copy - at a price I was willing to pay - and here it is.  It's an adaptation of 'The Awakening' and was clearly completed after the edit was finally locked at there are no missing scenes.  Unfortunately.

It continues to surprise me that some mass-market items, like this and the Marvel STAR WARS paperbacks, seem so hard to find despite being based on popular mainstream media franchises and presumably published in numbers that even if small at the time would make most publishers very happy today.

STARLOG MAGAZINE BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY RETROSPECTIVE - PART TWO

From 1996: the second part of STARLOG MAGAZINE's brilliant two-part look back at the making of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY.

 

1996: STARLOG MAGAZINE BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY RETROSPECTIVE - PART 1

From 1996: the first of a two-part epic look back at the turbulent behind-the-scenes story of the making of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY, as recounted in this excellent STARLOG MAGAZINE article.

1978: STARLOG'S BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY PREVIEW

From 1978: another early STARLOG MAGAZINE preview for BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, including some seldom-seen pre-production art.

The piece gives a very different look to the nightime in Old Chicago scenes, the strongest and most memorable sequence in the debut movie.  It's interesting to see the very different visual look for Buck and Twiki as well as - to my eyes - some inspiration from the cantina sequence in STAR WARS (which, lets be honest, seemed to 'inspire' a lot of other SF producers for at least the next decade).

Interesting to note that this was published when the plan was still to deliver a three-flick deal to NBC (a similar deal to the one that Universal initially cut with ABC for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) with the option of more movies, or a series, later.  The plan was scrapped when Universal clawed back the first TV movie and released it as a movie.  Before going back to the broadcaster and signing a deal for the weekly series... which just happened to include that recent blockbuster 'movie'.

Funny also to see that the lack of really alien aliens is signposted from the get-go and also funny to see that Tigerman gets a mention as - on screen - he's essentially just a fat body builder in a cheap costume.

BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY UK VHS VOLUME 2

From the VHS: More BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY tape-based goodness: the second sell-through release with another two-parter (THE PLOT TO KILL A CITY) and a prime example of one of the show's one hour outings: the glitzy very Seventies studio-bound VEGAS IN SPACE.

It was the latter that opened the BBC TWO repeat run back in the Eighties because they didn't (yet) have the rights to Buck's opening night.

The episodes weren't being released in any particular order (except for the pilot appearing first on the first tape) so it's surprising Universal passed on the chance to include UNCHAINED WOMEN (featuring an after-she-was-famous guest turn - to get her out of her Universal contract - by Jamie Lee Curtis) or the near legendary SPACE VAMPIRE.

Maybe both were earmarked for future tapes.  But, as far as I know, the line was abandoned after the original two tapes and the only subsequent release was part of the SCI-FI CHANNEL tie-in.  The two volumes were released together and - if you purchased both - you got a bonus tape (in a card slipcase) of the movie version of the pilot.

1978: STARLOG TEASES THE BUCK ROGERS THAT NEVER WAS

From 1978: A STARLOG MAGAZINE tease of the BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY that never was.

Before NBC and Universal drafted Glen Larson in to retool the concept (giving him yet another chance to dust off his desire to create a small-screen JAMES BOND clone.  See also: His pre-series SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN teleflicks) as a flip-flopping series of TV movies > feature film > TV series (depending on where you are in the timeline of the convoluted development process) the show was in the care of others... and would have looked very different.

Some of the design work here (which looks a little of the Airfix model variety) would have looked very clunky in the wake of STAR WARS so Larson's more polished approach probably was the way to go.  Biddi Biddi!

BUCK ROGERS VOLUME 1 VHS COVER

From the last days of tape: The first of several volumes of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY episodes released on VHS in the UK by Universal-Playback.

Typically,/ the episode selection is a little random.  But considering how little of the series was available, I wasn't complaining.  The Awakening (aka the pilot) was the TV edit of the opening episode.  The (slightly) different feature film version (the one that most casual fans are familiar with thanks to regular outings on ITV and then the BBC) was given away (in a cardboard slipcase) as a bonus freebie if (from memory) you bought the first two full-price episodic releases.

The TV edit was actually much rarer in the UK.  Both ITV and the BBC skipped the opener when they launched their runs of the series because of the movie print.  ITV couldn't air the movie until after they had aired the series and BBC TWO had to skip it because ITV still (for a while longer) held the rights.  When they did switch to the BBC, they aired the movie print (the one with the slightly more suggestive script and the sub-sub-BOND title sequence which was meant to be - I assume - Buck's extended wet dream during his 500 year sleep).

RETURN OF THE FIGHTING 69TH is one of the more interesting first season episodes... not least because it includes a pretty well realised asteroid sequence a good year-or-so before the release of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (as with the whole GUN ON ICE PLANET ZERO/ Hoth coincidence, I wonder whether the LA effects community gossiped too much and allowed Universal to jump ahead).

1979: BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY MOVIE FEATURE FROM STARLOG MAGAZINE

From 1979: Another STARLOG MAGAZINE teaser for BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY.

At this point, it had ceased to be a TV project (it was initially shot as the first of three teleflicks for NBC) and had morphed into a fully-fledged feature film.  And then, when the box office ticked the boxes, it landed back at NBC as a series.

BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY PULP SCI-FI UK VHS RELEASE

From the dying days of the VHS era: a stand-alone BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY tape, released as part of a series of similarly-branded tapes as a tie-in between Universal Playback and the Sci-Fi Channel (when they used to show SF).

The three episodes on this better-value-than-usual (CIC and the BBC tended to just bung two episodes of a drama on a tape... this label gave us three!) release were the not-as-good-as-it-sounds PLANET OF THE AMAZON WOMEN (Buck ventures into Carry On territory, giving Gerard a chance to flash his chest hairs for a bevvy on man-hungry space babes); SPACE VAMPIRE (the legendary banned-by-the-BBC horror show... even through it had previously popped-up in a family viewing slot on ITV and was part of the Buck sticker album.  This tape is only a 'PG' as well) and HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUCK (assassination-based silliness).

Predictably, the back cover stills are nothing to do with the selected episodes and actually feature a cut scene/ character from the original pilot episode.  Draco appeared in some of the publicity material, was made into toys and generally looked like he was going to be a player... but was then all-but-cut from both the theatrical and TV prints.

I'm currntly rewatching selected first season episodes in HD thanks to an imported Australian BR set... and really enjoying revisiting some episodes I've not seen in a while.  They look great in High Def even if it does expose some sloppy production standards... and Gerard's almost ever-present stunt double.  Sadly, except for some alternate cuts of a couple of the episodes, there is nothing in the way of new bonus features.  Which is a pity.

There is also a fan-made edit of the pilot (aka THE AWAKENING) which combines the theatrical and TV cuts into one longer piece.  What it doesn't (can't) do is restore the scenes that never made it into either print.

1981: WILFRID HYDE-WHITE DISCUSSES BUCK ROGERS IN STARLOG MAGAZINE

From 1981: New boy Wilfrid Hyde-White discusses life aboard the Searcher, during season two of BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, with STARLOG MAGAZINE.

1979: STARLOG PREVIEWS BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY

From February 1979: a pre-series (see the last-minute footnote) BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY preview piece from STARLOG MAGAZINE.

1977: THE UNIVERSAL BACKLOT FROM THE AIR

From 1977: three overhead shots of the Universal Studios backlot.

These were three brief shots used as transitions in the HARDY BOYS/ NANCY DREW Hollywood set two-parter (which I blogged about recently) that was shot almost entirely on the backlot.  They were never shameless enough to namecheck that it was the Universal Tour but anyone familiar with the set-up (trams trundle 'round exterior sets) and specific attractions (the Jaws shark, the trippy ice tunnel that also shows up in THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN) would know it in a second.

It wasn't uncommon for Universal shows to use the studio as a studio (rather than use the specific sets as somewhere else), THE A-TEAM and KNIGHT RIDER both instantly spring to mind, but these shots are unusual.  They represent the Universal TV machine at its zenith: churning out multiple shows and teleflicks for the three US broadcasters on an industrial scale.  It's interesting to think that somewhere on the lot, pre-production was underway on both BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY.

The tower, bottom right in the top pic, is the infamous 'Black Tower', home of the studio's leadership and administration.  The centre of power.

Apologies that the shots ain't great: they are snapped off-screen using my phone because by MAC laptop doesn't allow screengrabs from DVDs.  Humpf.  

1981: STARLOG MAGAZINE REPORTS ON BUCK ROGERS IN US SYNDICATION

From May 1982: STARLOG MAGAZINE announces plans for BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY to, after the end of its network run, enter syndicated reruns.

Interrestingly, BBC TWO adopted exactly the same early evening scheduling policy when they snapped up reruns of this, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, THE INVISIBLE MAN and other cult shows to run against the SIX O'CLOCK NEWS later in the decade.

1979: BUCK ROGERS COVER ON STARBURST ISSUE 13 (MARVEL UK)

From September 1979: the key art from BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY graces the cover of the 13th issue of MARVEL UK's STARBURST MAGAZINE.

This issue, as the cover testifies, has a good line-up of Star Age greats including SPACE: 1999, Bond's MOONRAKER and ALIEN. And, although TV's AVENGERS falls outside the Star Age, Steel and Mrs Peel would be inducted a few years later when episodes appeared as part of the early Channel Four schedules (my first exposure to the show... although I didn't become fully immersed until the first Lumiere VHS releases in the early 1990s... then I was hooked). 

The cover is, I'm pretty sure, whiter than my scan suggests. I think the predominance of green text has prompted my scanner to give it something of a sickly green tinge. 

1978: SF COLOR POSTER BOOK Issue 2 (Starlog)

From 1978: Another early Starlog spin-off... The SF COLOR POSTER BOOK TV AND MOTION PICTURE SCIENCE FICTION. Phew.

Its not really a book at all. Its just another Poster Mag, albeit packed with Star Age goodies. Especially if you're a fan of Larson's screen jumping SF epics. 

It's very much a preview piece teasing upcoming productions... Which left the editors somewhat short of visual references and hard facts. Fortunately for them, Poster Mags are seldom a vehicle for heavy detail. 

1979: BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY in FANTASTIC FILMS MAGAZINE

From 1979: the ninth issue of FANTASTIC FILMS magazine (July) runs an extensive ten page feature devoted to the screen-size flip-flopping opener to BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY (aka Awakening, albeit off screen). 

Like much of the early print media related to the show (and, indeed, the Mego action figures which were all derived from the movie), the Big Bad of Draco (Ardala's pa) is prominently featured in the publicity stills. In the final cut, the scenes involving Joseph Wiseman's character were all, the exception of none brief scene reminiscent of the yet-to-be-shot debut of the Emperor in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, droped from both the theatrical and TV cuts. 

The character was referenced  ("Your father...") by Ardala and Kane throughout their first season appearances but it was obvious the writing team had no plans to bring the character back.

Unlike BATTLESTAR, Buck's deleted scenes have no been fully explored on line and don't seem to have entered the public domain. Hopefully they'll be unearthed, along with any blooper reels and a full account of the making of the series for any future Blu Ray release. There is a fan cut of the movie in circulation which combined scenes from the two official edits. 

The BUCK ROGERS movie was shot, alongside the opening instalments of BATTLESTAR, during the summer of 1978 (allowing the Draconia's corridors to double as the Viper Pilot transport tube amongst other double-ups), but not released until the following year.