1939 saw Larry Buster Crabbe take on the role for a 12-part serial.

Buck Rogers In The 25thCentury arrived on UK shores via the medium of cinema.

A world-wide release followed.

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Buck is picked up by Draconian Princess, Ardala and thawed out.

The telefilm is also interesting in that it jumps straight in with Buck being thawed out in 2491.

Even the Earths ships were rejected designs for the Colonial Vipers.

Wilma goes to shoot him and changes her mind.

This scene is trimmed in the TV version.

There is a neat gag at this point though.

Theo doesnt understand what he is referring to.

The set design implies that the film follows theLogans Runapproach to the future i.e.

I remember the scenes in the ruined remains as being quite scary as a kid.

Theos description of the fall of civilization is quite grotesque and the darkest the series ever really got.

The series never went outside again and the issues of the people who lived out there never addressed.

Wilma arrives with a squad just in time to save Buck and the robots.

Dr Apol goes on record as being against the decision, a subplot chopped from the theatrical version.

They clearly didnt spend it on the sets which are fairly cheap looking.

The ball is one of the best remembered scenes in the film, for a number of reasons.

Secondly, Buck teaches the stuffed shirts of the 25thCentury how to boogie.

He tells the keyboard player to let go and get down.

He prefers bad girls, I guess.

This scene is very different depending on which version you are watching.

Some dialogue is trimmed from one thats present in the other and vice versa.

The TV version has more dialogue and is longer, the theatrical release having the end cut off.

Needless to say, these moments were trimmed for TV.

Overall edits to the TV version have mostly been minor changes here and there as mentioned.

As it would turn out, Draco would never be seen in the series.

The biggest alteration and largest single edit, occurs at the end.

Ultimately,Buck Rogers In The 25thCenturyis an entertaining diversion from a bygone era much like Buck himself.