"The final episode, "The Dorian Secret," aired 45 years ago this week, but in true Buck Rogers fashion, it went out with a bang."
"Season 1 was set on Earth, in New Chicago specifically, and had what was known as the "disco sci-fi" vibe. Lots of glittery outfits and silly storylines driven by campy humor cast the show as a lighthearted good time."
"Gone were the glitz and glamour of frivolous New Chicago adventures. Instead, Buck and his crew spent the entire season on board his ship, The Searcher."
"Although unpopular at the time, the tonal shift was prescient. Season 2 was only a few years removed from the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation."
For over a century, science fiction has inspired real-world innovations like submarines and cell phones. Buck Rogers, created by Philip Francis Nowlan, played a crucial role in this genre's development. The 1979 TV series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, concluded with the episode "The Dorian Secret" after a tumultuous second season. The show transitioned from a lighthearted tone to a darker, more serious narrative, reflecting a shift in sci-fi television that would influence future series like Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Read at Inverse
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]