Buck is coming to DVD!!!???? YES!! I don't mind cheese, at least it better to me than the sci-fi we have these days. Well, more fun anyway. If the show was one and half seasons then maybe they will just goes ahead and include both seasons in one set. But, they'll probably try to squeeze every last dollar out of us.
Now if someone would release these other series in season box sets Incredible Hulk SMDM and BW Amazing Spider-Man Powers of Matthew Starr Mr. Merlin Automan and Manimal and the Filmation series Jason of Star Command, Space Academy and Ark II Isis and Shazam and maybe the Logan's Run series and Man From Atlantis then I'll be set on the sci-fi front, see told ya I like cheese!
"Get out your cards and backgammon boards, lucky Buck is back!"
IMO between Erin Gray.. ..and Galactica's Maren Jensen.. ..there wasn't a pair of more beautiful women on TV at the time (yes that includes Charlie's Angels).
Here's a thought... maybe the first season could be released on its own, and the second, short season, could have both versions of the pilot added. Face it, no one will be buying the second season separately unless *something* like this is done...
I have to dig up my old Beta tapes of Buck and go throught them now. I may have the entire collection on there actually. Always been a big Sci-Fi fan. Unfortunatly I did not have a Beta or VHS to tape Isis or Ark II, but I do remember them both. And even though I do not rememeber any of the story lines of any episode I would still by them. I think that part of my passion for Egypt actually came from seeing Isis. I can never get enough information on the digs going on now.
You're probably thinking of "Vegas in Space," but Ardala was nowhere to be found in that episode. The female lead in that episode was a character named Major Marla Landers, played by one of the finalist actresses for the part of Wilma Deering. I wish I could remember her name, but I heard she died a while back.
5. Vegas in Space guest stars: Richard Lynch (Velosi) Ana Alicia (Falina) Juanin Clay (Marla Landers) Pamela Susan Shoop (Tangie) James Luisi (Hood) Cesar Romero (Armat) Joseph Wiseman (Morphus) Alice Frost (Rita) Ted Chapman (Man)
as far as the "second season sucks" sentiments here are two typical plotlines for the second season
i'll probably still pick up the first season, but most of the episodes were simple minded and cheesy as hell.
Thanks for pointing out those episodes Paul. I do remember S2 as being more interesting. But the best one of that season is probably the one where the dwarves tried to undress Wilma telekinetically
I don't know. I do think, however, that the pilot should be the longest version possible, which I think is the TV version. Also, I feel they should include any/all scenes that were deleted from the pilot. There are at least two scenes with King Draco that were filmed but never used (one short scene was used at the end of the theatrical version, though) that should be included as supplements, if not edited back in.
Hopefully, like Galactica, there will be more unused footage from many more of the episodes.
I, personally, would prefer a complete boxset, because like most people, I'm afraid Universal won't release the short second season on its own. Not necesarily because it's short, but because it, like Galactica 1980 is generally reviled by fans.
I don't suppose a G: 80/Buck Season 2 combined release could ever happen, unfortunately.
You can just as easily prove that the first season is "better" if you pick different typical examples. For instance:
First season "Flight of the War Witch" - Buck journeys through a space warp into another universe, where he discovers that the peaceful planet Pendar is being threatened by the sinister war witch Zarina. The Pendarans enlist the aid of Buck and Princess Ardala, who had followed Buck through the space warp, and an unsteady alliance between the humans and Draconians is formed as Buck leads a combined fleet against Zarina's battlecruiser.
Second season "The Golden Man" - The Searcher rescues a gold-skinned boy from an escape capsule in an asteroid field. When the ship collides with one of the asteroids, the boy assures the crew of the Searcher that, with the help of his companion, who is on a nearby planet, he can dislodge the ship from the asteroid. But when Buck and Hawk go to the planet to get the companion, they find that he is being held captive by a man who wants to use the boy's powers for his own greedy purposes.
My point is that both seasons had a pretty good amount of good and bad storylines. There's a lot of bad in "The Golden Man" and the one with the Dwarves, for instance. The reason it's easier to cite more first season examples is that the season was twice as long.
Also, one problem is that you mention the merits of second season plotlines. True, several of the storylines sound good (a great many of them are stolen from other series, like the Bringers of Wonder episode of Space: 1999). The problem is that many of these storylines are let down in the actual execution, by a tight budget, high school-level acting and some casting mistakes.
As a kid, I have to be honest: I preferred the second season, but after seeing the episodes again as an adult, I find the first season vastly more entertaining: yes, most of the episodes are cheesy, but they're played with an almost knowing sense of fun, sort of like the audience is "in" on the joke. It's good, campy fun. I don't think one could really say the same about the second season: they tried to do straight drama, but unfortunately, didn't have the resources necessary to pull it off.