
Scripted series · NBC
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
The original space man! The ultimate trip! Buck Rogers swings back to earth and lays it on the 25th Century!
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Buck Rogers in the 25th Century actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century reads strongest on Spectacle, World Building and Bingeability.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
20th-century astronaut Buck Rogers awakens in the 25th century after a freak accident puts him in suspended animation for 500 years. Upon returning to Earth and discovering the planet is recovering from a nuclear war, Buck uses his combat skills and ingenuity to protect Earth and fight evil throughout the galaxy alongside starfighter pilot Colonel Wilma Deering and robot companion Twiki.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

S01E01
Awakening (1)
In the year 1987, NASA launched space probe Ranger III, with astronaut William "Buck" Rogers, on a 5-month trip around the solar system. However, the craft runs into a meteor storm, which disrupts its life support system and sends it into a long elliptical orbit of the Earth. In the year 2491, Ranger III again approaches the Earth, and is intercepted by the alien flagship Draconia, which is on a peace mission to Earth. Aboard the Draconia, Buck is revived by Princess Ardala and her second-in- command, Kane, whose true plan is to attack and conquer Earth. Buck is sent to Earth with a hidden homing device, which is soon discovered by Earth's Defense Directorate. After Buck convinces the humans of his true identity -- a man from the past -- he helps them to repel the Draconians' attack, with the aid of the mechanoids Dr. Theopolis and Twiki.

S01E03
Planet of the Slave Girls (1)
Most of Earth's defense squadron becomes incapacitated after ingesting poisoned food discs. Buck travels to the planet of the food's origin, Vistula, with Wilma and flight instructor Duke Danton, an old boyfriend of Wilma's. On the planet, they trace the plot to a man named Kaleel who has been selling slaves to the planet's governor and secretly building an attack fleet. With so few fighter pilots, Earth's defense force is now outnumbered 10-to-1. Buck must rescue Wilma from Kaleel's mountain fortress and destroy the fleet before they can reach Earth. This episode was initially aired as a two hour special.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S00E02
Star Gaze: Interview With Erin Gray
S00E03
Flight Of The Birdman: Interview With Thom Christopher

S02E13
The Dorian Secret

S02E12
Testimony of a Traitor

S02E11
The Hand of the Goral

S02E10
Shgoratchx!
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.

Leslie Stevens
Creator

Glen A. Larson
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Anne Collins
Writer
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William Keys
Writer

Jaron Summers
Writer
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Paul Schneider
Writer
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Stephen McPherson
Writer
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Calvin Clements Jr.
Writer
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Bill Taylor
Writer
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Esther Mitchell
Writer
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Norman Hudis
Writer

Chris Bunch
Writer

Richard Fontana
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Kathleen Barnes
Writer
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Margaret Schneider
Writer
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Allan Cole
Writer

David Wise
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Martin Pasko
Writer
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Francis Moss
Writer
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Alan Brennert
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Craig Buck
Writer

Aubrey Solomon
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Bob Mitchell
Writer
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Rob Gilmer
Writer
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D.C. Fontana
Writer
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David Bennett Carren
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Steve Greenberg
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Glen A. LarsonProducer
Writing
- Anne CollinsWriter
- William KeysWriter
- Jaron SummersWriter
- Paul SchneiderWriter
- Stephen McPhersonWriter
- Calvin Clements Jr.Writer
Direction
- David G. PhinneyDirector
- David MoessingerDirector
- Bob BenderDirector
- Jack ArnoldDirector
- Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Director
- Michael CaffeyDirector
Cinematography
- Frank ThackeryDirector of Photography
- Ben ColmanDirector of Photography
- Frank BeascoecheaDirector of Photography
Recognition
Awards
0 wins · 3 nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
No wins yet · 3 nominations
- NomineePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series1981
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century · Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
- NomineePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)1981
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century · Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
- NomineePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series1980
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century · Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
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