I've been watching the Glen Larson Buck Rogers, it is so 70s cheesy. Totally without any political correctness. Enjoyed the lack of messages. 
Buck Rogers - shameless cheese
- Thread starter Purple Tiger
- Start date
Buck Rogers In The 25th Century 1979 theatrical released movie that was re-edited as the first episode "Awakening" of the 1979-1981 series was an enjoyable reflection of the '70s. Pamela Hensley as Draconian Empire Princess Ardala, Erin Gray as Colonel Wilma Deering and the Earth Defense Directorate Starfighters squadrons defending 2491 A.D. Earth was entertaining.
Both Buck Rogers and the original BSG are great fun if taken at face value: Late 70s Cheese + Cheesecake.
One could apply that argument to the New Galactica.
That said, I enjoy Buck Rogers. Even the lousy second season knew how to have fun.
What the hell does "cheesy" mean anyway? To me, it's something to put on my sandwich. Nothing more.
It appears to mean "Anything produced before 2003." I'm not exaggerating.
I watched the series through from beginning to end when it first came out on DVD, and I greatly enjoyed it because I had fond memories of it as a kid. I find the whole "does it have a message" thing irrelevant. The word is "entertainment", people. And the show entertained. I've been lucky enough to meet and interview Erin Gray a few times now and that adds to my fondness for the show.
The big surprise for me was Season 2. I don't remember Season 2 very much from when I was a kid. Maybe I didn't watch it. But after 20 years of hearing the second season derided as awful, a waste of time, Gil Gerard wrecking the show, the Buck-Wilma relationship destroyed, silly storylines, I expected a trainwreck.
What I found instead was, if you dig a bit, a season that actually aged much better than the better-regarded first season. Ignore the crap about the bird man and the big talking robot they added, and you find some of the stories were very serious for the time, and there were some definite messages going out there. I also found that contrary to years of belief that the second season wrecked the Buck-Wilma relationship, I actually found their relationship treated with greater maturity and romance than it was in the first season when we often had Buck romancing other women while Wilma went "Oh, Buck!" in the background (more or less).
And the final moments of the final episode were just plain dead somber.
I'm not going to call the second season a classic. I still liked the first season more. And the behind-the-scenes during that second season by most accounts was a horror show. But in my experience of rediscovering old TV shows on DVD, I do rank my reappraisal of Season 2 of Buck Rogers to be one of my bigger surprises, because I totally didn't expect it to be, faults aside, as good as it was.
Alex
Well, I find that to be a stupid notion. There was plenty of quality TV produced before 2003. Damned little since, sadly.
And. just to be clear, I'm not criticizing you, Alex.
Also, regarding your comments on the second season, I don't know how others feel, but I thought that it tried to rip off Star Trek. I didn't mind the character changes so much. I particularly liked Crichton, and Goodfellow. But I missed Huer, Theo and Ardala. And I agree that it didn't necessarily need a "message" to be a good show. I sometimes think that Gene Roddenberry made too much of that point with TOS. Sometimes TV is just meant to entertain.
The show was undeniably and quite deliberately cheesy...when it wasn't downright creepy:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkq1k2sy_Ww[/yt]
And yet, one of the most overheated credits sequences in TV sf history bequeathed us this:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155394/cartmans-buck-rodgers-intro
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkq1k2sy_Ww[/yt]
And yet, one of the most overheated credits sequences in TV sf history bequeathed us this:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155394/cartmans-buck-rodgers-intro
That clip is quite disturbing. Anyway...embrace the cheese! Ah, Erin Grey...she made me feel funny down below before I knew what that meant. 
So hot... 
So hot... Let me just say at this juncture, "Beedy beedy beedy."
You beat me to it!
Yeah, very enjoyable, cheesey series, would watch this on one channel then flip over for Tom Baker as Dr Who on the other. Great that they brought Buster Crabbe back for a cameo and had guest stars like Jamie Lee Curtis
Erin Grey was GORGEOUS, especially in her white flightsuit. Astonished they left in the scene where she get's stripped by telekinetic dwarves
And RandyS, good to see someone else appreciates another sci-fi goddess to judge by your avatar
Look what I found!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690109/
That said don't get too excited, it's directed by Fred Olen Ray (Evil Toons, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers et al) the king of cheapo cheesecake so we'll probably have more scenes like this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCsUe_z1-H4&feature=related
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And RandyS, good to see someone else appreciates another sci-fi goddess to judge by your avatar
I have a thing for redheads.
And Babylon 5.
And redheads on Babylon 5.
Actually I think that's being made by the people who bring us Star Trek The New Voyages / Phase II.
I'm waiting for Buck Rogers Rises.
I just can't resist making "Rises" jokes, I need help...
As much as I loved the show as a kid, it hasn't held up well in recent viewings. The campy fun factor is there, and there are some enjoyable moments, but it's not enough to overcome generally terrible, formulaic stories and writing. And some of the "light" moments... I still shudder to think of Buck teaching the people of the future to "get down and boogie."
I will say this, though: Gil Gerard and Erin Gray were really good, especially given some of the dialogue they had to deal with. And Tim O'Connor was reliable as ever. Gray was nice in the white jumpsuit, but the second season white outfit was even more fetching, with the rarely-seen hat it had a nice retro style to it.
--Justin
I will say this, though: Gil Gerard and Erin Gray were really good, especially given some of the dialogue they had to deal with. And Tim O'Connor was reliable as ever. Gray was nice in the white jumpsuit, but the second season white outfit was even more fetching, with the rarely-seen hat it had a nice retro style to it.
--Justin
Erin Grey/Wilma Deering are a big part of why i have no problem with hot chicks in jumpsuits in Trek.
Wilma's also why i grew up firmly believing women can be as kick-ass as men. fuck Xena and Buffy, Wilma was kicking ass 20 years before as a fighter jock.
Wilma's also why i grew up firmly believing women can be as kick-ass as men. fuck Xena and Buffy, Wilma was kicking ass 20 years before as a fighter jock.
She'd have been a great Wonder Woman if she'd been a bit more buxom
And RandyS, good to see someone else appreciates another sci-fi goddess to judge by your avatar
I have a thing for redheads.
And Babylon 5.
And redheads on Babylon 5.
My brotha!
