Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: A TV Companion Paperback – November 27, 2015

I was 7 when Buck Rogers came out, and I came for the action and the spaceships. The campiness and sexuality was not anywhere in my mind. So when my wife pointed out this book just before Christmas, I purchased it. Patrick infuses the book with an impressive amount of detail, but told in a voice that is a conversation between two diehard fans of the series. From finding out the show had links and borrowed from Battlestar Galactica to how uncomfortable spandex can be, it was a pleasure to hear from all the actors and writers behind it. Patrick also fills in the holes of why there were such a change in tone between Seasons 1 and 2 (and yes I like 1 better than 2, but really liked Hawk), and reasons why the humor was not consistent between episodes. It is a great read for anyone who loves Buck Rogers, interested in a history of the linkages between several late 70s science fiction shows, or is interested in learning the ups and downs and pressures on people who shoot weekly shows. I would recommend it highly to everyone.

Absolutely Outstanding!!! I am such a fan of the series and it's a really nice piece of merchandise to add to my collection!!!

Read this book in 2 nights. Couldn't put it down. If you are a Buck Rogers fan from childhood, you'll remember and get every reference. A little pricey but I had to have it. There aren't even a handful of Buck books around. Luckily, this a great read!

First let me provide context: I watched Buck Rogers on NBC as a pre-teen. Even then I knew it was a dopey show and so I enjoyed it as a guilty pleasure, alone with only my shame for company. Now I am pushing fifty and every few years I pull out my DVDs of the series and re-watch, secluded of my basement to avoid eye-rolling from my wife. So the Buck Rogers show holds a special place in my heart.So now to the book: I was excited to discover it and started reading as soon as it was delivered. The book is pretty good; you will learn a little bit about Glen Larson, known for quickly making shows that capitalized on whatever was big that year. The author goes through the making of the original movie, how the scope of the planned production changed, and then a few pages on every episode. There are snippets from interviews with stars, guest stars, and writers, most extensively with Erin Gray (who, it turns out, is no genius). I have learned a few things, and I enjoyed the whole book.However, the book does not go into much depth at all, and it reads as if it were hastily put together. The portions of interviews published are usually pretty brief, and the longer ones sometimes get repetitive as if no one edited this thing properly. Sometimes the person interviewed tells you that they don’t remember very much, or gives generic faint praise to the cast. Fair enough, but why does that make it into the book?Last year I read the masterful three volume “These Are the Voyages” series on the making of the original Star Trek by Marc Cushman. Mr. Cushman’s work was exhaustive, featuring dozens of interviews and hundreds of published sources. If you are expecting that kind of thing here, you will be disappointed. There are so many people involved with the show that are not heard from, and very few contemporaneous sources quoted (there had to be plenty of magazine articles published during the show’s run, but apparently the author spent minimal time finding any).The author has some good insights about the show and what its fundamental appeal is. But he also has a bias toward seeing everything as having a sexual component – sometimes he is right, but sometimes this narrow focus gets to be tedious.I purchased the hard cover edition of this book, and it is a beautiful product. However, once you open it up you will find all the photos are in low resolution black and white. This was disappointing considering that this book was not cheap and, as the author insightfully points out, the show was primarily visual. The visual appeal is completely lost in the muddy, grey photos.Buck Rogers, like its sister show, Battlestar Galactica, it could have been so much more, but the show aimed for mass appear by dumbing itself down. The same thing could be said for this book. It was made quickly and cheaply. I enjoyed it … but it could have been much better.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a favorite show of mine when I was a child. Pure escapism and a lot of fun for me. Reading this companion on the show brought back memories of my fondness for Buck Rogers, If you are fan I highly recommend this book.

Really well done. Lots of interesting commentary/reminiscing by people involved with the show. Great to hear from Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, and the guy who played Twiki (who apparently could not stand that metal suit!). Brought back a lot of good times as I was rewatching the show.

Great reference for all things related to the TV show including plots, actors, behind- the scenes, etc. Great for the true Buck Rogers fan!

I love TV show companion books. This one does a good job going behind the scenes of Buck Rogers in the 25th century, a show I loved as a kid and still enjoy today. There are some good interviews with the cast included and an episode by episode guide. If you're a fan of the series, you'll enjoy this companion.

I'd love to see an official Buck Rogers book. A coffeetable hardcover filled with fill color photos of the models, behind-the-scenes pics etc.Well, there isn't. Just this unofficial book.Is that bad? No.In a time of shills it is good to see this honest book written by a fan, for the fans.I should knock off a star because it is clear the author doesn't like the greatest scifi series ever (the original Battlestar Galactica) or the second season of Buck but that wouldn't make me a cool person because that's what makes this book good: it's honest.

Worth every cent, a well written guide.

This is a great source for anyone who wants to know how the cheese-tastic TV series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" came to be ... If you're not a fan of the series, why would you be looking at this review? Anyway, lots of behind the scenes info. The guy who wrote it is obsessed with Erin Grey ... which is amusing throughout the book.

Excellent Companion Book For The Buck Rogers In The 25th Century TV Series. This is The fondly remembered series That starred Gil Gerard &Erin Gray. Not just an Episode Guide book The Author as gone into Great Detail The plots and Guest stars of each episode from its original concept To The original launch Movie and The series That followed. The book olso goes some ways To explain why The second series was not as good as The first and why even some of The cast did not enjoy The shows second season. Most fans remember Buck Rogers for it's costumes particularly figure hugging on Erin Gray's character Wilma Deering. The book covers each costume worn for each episode including The Guest stars. illustrated Throughout with pictures of The stars and actual episode shots Though these are all in black and white with some a little fuzzy Though given what The Author probarly had To work with most of These are still rare not seen before photos. updated interviews with The main cast featuring Gil Gerard, Erin Gray & Tim O'Conner and a foreward by Wilma Herself Erin Gray alone makes The book an essential purchase if you are a fan of The series. For me perhaps I would have liked To have seen some colour plates added To The book But really This is no loss. The book goes well beyond your average TV Guide book To Give us another look at what we might have missed in The 25th Century.

My favourite part of the book is the interview with Thom Christopher as Hawk, and reading what his favourite episodes were. Would like to have seen photos of Thom when not in character.