Buck Rogers in the 25th Century 1x01 Awakening (Part 1)

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Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - 01x01 Awakening (Part 1)

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First Aired: Sep. 20, 1979 on NBC

Summary: 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…
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Main Characters in this Episode

Guest Stars

Capt. William "Buck" Rogers	played by Gil Gerard
Kane	played by Henry Silva
Tigerman	played by Duke Butler
Young Woman	played by Caroline Smith
Supervisor	played by John Dewey Carter
Twiki	voiced by Mel Blanc
Narrator	voiced by William Conrad
Drunk	played by Tony Epper

Episode Quotes

Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: [shutting off his fighter's Combat Computer] Colonel, I'm switching to Manual and see if I can start dishing out what we've been taking!
Col. Wilma Deering: Buck Rogers, I'm ordering you back to the base!
Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: [ignoring Wilma and sensing a Hatchet Fighter maneuvering to attack] Now then, let's see how you like a little old-fashioned Red Dogging!

Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: One sacked. Six to go.
Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: [blasting a second enemy craft] Gotcha!

Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: Colonel, take it down! Straight down! Then hit your retros!
Col. Wilma Deering: [oblivious to the ineffectiveness of her Combat Computer] I can't! It's against all principles of modern aerial combat!

Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: Ha! That's called punching your linebackers.

Capt. William "Buck" Rogers: [sees Ardalla's ship escaping, Twiki turns to see] Eyes forward, you'll get space sick. [turns Twiki forward]
Twiki: Buck, you're my kind of guy.

Princess Ardala: Kane, you have some explaining to do!
Kane: [sees Tigerman in bed with Ardala] I've got explaining to do?

Mistakes/Goofs

Goof (boom mic visible): In the scene where Buck is awaiting execution, he is talking with Col. Deering and she tells him that she is there to give him a chance to prove he is innocent. A boom microphone is visible above them for a few moments. The scene changes and goes back and the microphone is no longer seen. This is at 41:39.
Goof (boom mic visible): When Wilma suggests that she and Buck fly off to see if the Draconia is armed or not, after his trial, the boom mic is visible at the top of the screen
Goof (factual errors): The opening narration states that Capt. Rogers' ship was launched in 1987. But the launch is of a Saturn V rocket, which was last used in 1973.

Trivia

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles is part of the New Chicago skyline.
In the movie version of the pilot episode (#1.1 and #1.2) "Awakening," William Conrad was the voice of the Draconia's PA system, but for the TV version, his voice was replaced by that of Vic Perrin.
The laser guns and rifles used by the Earth Forces are props originally used by the villains in "Battlestar Galactica" (1978) {Greetings from Earth (#1.17)} called The Eastern Alliance and in "Battlestar Galactica" (1978) {Experiment in Terra (#1.19)} the Earth Defense laser rifle appears. Due to the fact that both shows were Glen Larson productions many props, models and costumes would be re-used throughout the Buck's run.
Though the DVD release is the complete series additional footage shot for the TV premiere were not included. For example: a scene where Twiki and Theo introduce Buck to his new apartment and instruct him how to the use the gadgets within it.
In the original script of the pilot, there was a subplot in which it is revealed that Kane had once been one of Dr. Huer's students. This is alluded to when Ardala comments, "You're from Earth, Kane...". Also, in the original script, during the reception for Ardala in the Inner City, there is a bantering conversation between Huer and Kane where he hints that he has progressed far further under the Draconians than Huer would have allowed him to.