TV review - "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979) **

I was a big Battlestar Galactica fan but never enjoyed Buck Rogers as much - despite the fact that both were productions of Glen A Larson and Universal (and Rogers used much Battlestar footage and props). This two hour pilot is quite enjoyable and has a decent story, with Buck (Gil Gerard) finding himself in an Earth 500 years on. There has been a holocaust - in the pilot this seems to have happened in the late 20th century but it didn't stop earth from later going and colonising some nearby planets. And now the Earth's former subjects are all attacking earth - which is where Buck's devil-may-care impro ways come in. In this two part pilot, which was shown theatically, has Buck suspected of being a spy for a foreign power led by a sexy princess (Pamela Hensley - one in a disnguished group of sexy man-eating aliens who also included Ornella Muti in Flash Gordon and Sybil Danning in Battle Beyond the Stars) and her chief officer (Henry Silva). Silva, Hensley and the imposing Tigerman make an impressive array of villains. Gerard is a handsome and charming enough hero - though not as quite as handsome and charming as the script would have. The opening credits are among the worst in history - Gerard lying around on a big fluro "Buck Rogers" sign being embraced by Universal starlets, including Erin Gray who plays Wilma Deering. Some moments of sadness with poor old Buck being stranded in the future; these weren't used enough unfortunately in later episodes.