Full Answer
Is TWiki the robot in Buck Rogers?
This version reimagines Buck Rogers as an astronaut revived centuries too late from suspended animation, and introduces new characters, including the robot sidekick Twiki, voiced by cartoon legend Mel Blanc. Coincidentally, Blanc also voiced Daffy Duck in the Looney Tunes Buck Rogers parody, Duck Dodgers in the 24th 1/2 Century .
Who is Buck Rogers and why is he famous?
The character Buck Rogers is a war veteran who falls into a coma and wakes up in the 25th century. After the success of a late 70s film a TV series followed starring Gil Gerard, as the US army air corps officer, and Erin Gray.
What is the name of the robot in Buck's friend?
Buck is aided in his adventures by his friend and sometimes romantic interest, Colonel Wilma Deering (played by Erin Gray), a high-ranking officer and starfighter pilot. He is also assisted by Twiki, a small robot or "ambuquad", as they were known.
What happened to the Buck Rogers rocket pistol?
The Buck Rogers rocket pistol that had started it all 20 years earlier had been overtaken by the real world bazooka . "Space guns" in general and "rayguns" in particular only gained in prestige as the Cold War "space race" began and interest in "The Buck Rogers Stuff" was renewed, but it was no longer enough to offer a futuristic cap or pop gun.
Who is the robot in Buck Rogers?
TwikiTwiki (pronounced twee-kee) is a robot sometimes referred to as an "ambuquad", which refers to a specialized series of robots made for work in space mines, and used as Ambulatory Transportation for their QuAd superiors / partners.
What was the little robot called in Buck Rogers?
Buck is aided in his adventures by his friend and sometimes romantic interest, Colonel Wilma Deering (played by Erin Gray), a high-ranking officer and starfighter pilot. He is also assisted by Twiki, a small robot or "ambuquad", as they were known.
What did the robot on Buck Rogers say?
Twiki was a 1 metre high "ambuquad" (robot), who carried a computer called Dr Theopolis hung around his neck. Twiki is famous for his catch-phrase "biddie-biddie-biddie! What's up, Buck?". Twiki was played by Felix Silla and voiced by Bob Elyea and Mel Blanc, the voice of Daffy Duck.
Who was in the Twiki suit?
Actor Felix SillaOur 40th anniversary celebration of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century continues as we bring another of its stars to Retro Con: Actor Felix Silla! Felix played Buck Rogers' trusty ambuquad “Twiki” in nearly all 32 episodes of the classic 70's TV series which ran from 1979 to 1981.
What language is twiki?
PerlTWikiDeveloper(s)Peter ThoenyWritten inPerlTypeWikiLicenseGPLWebsitetwiki.org7 more rows
Why did they change twiki voice?
Because of illness, Mel Blanc was briefly replaced by Bob Elyea as the voice of Twiki for the first five episodes of the second season. After recovering, Mr. Blanc returned to the role for the rest of the series.
Why did they cancel Buck Rogers?
Ratings dropped significantly after the season premiere and, coupled with an increasingly problematic semi-naked star, NBC canceled Buck Rogers in the 25th Century at the end of the 11-episode strike-abbreviated second season.
What happened on the last episode of Buck Rogers?
April 16, 1981Buck Rogers in the 25th Century / Final episode date
When did Buck Rogers come out?
September 20, 1979Buck Rogers in the 25th Century / First episode date
Is Felix Silla still alive?
April 16, 2021Felix Silla / Date of death
Who played Twiggy on Battlestar Galactica?
Silla would pop up occasionally on other series in the following years, including Bewitched, The Monkees and H.R. PufnStuf. In the '70s, Silla had recurring roles on Battlestar Galactica, as the Cylon Lucifer, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, as the robot Twiki.
Was Buck Rogers popular?
The adventures of Buck Rogers in comic strips, movies, radio, and television became an important part of American popular culture. Buck Rogers has been credited with bringing into popular media the concept of space exploration, following in the footsteps of literary pioneers such as Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.
Who is Buck Rogers?
The character Buck Rogers is a war veteran who falls into a coma and wakes up in the 25th century. After the success of a late 70s film a TV series followed starring Gil Gerard, as the US army air corps officer, and Erin Gray. Rogers first appeared in the 1920s before becoming a comic book mainstay in the 1930s, with early radio, ...
Who is the actor who plays Buck Rogers?
George Clooney joins reboot of classic sci-fi series Buck Rogers. Gil Gerard as Captain Buck Rogers with his robot Twiki in the early-80s TV series. Photograph: Everett Collection/Alamy. Gil Gerard as Captain Buck Rogers with his robot Twiki in the early-80s TV series. Photograph: Everett Collection/Alamy.
Who played Buck Rogers in the 80s?
Gil Gerard as Captain Buck Rogers with his robot Twiki in the early-80s TV series. Photograph: Everett Collection/Alamy. Gil Gerard as Captain Buck Rogers with his robot Twiki in the early-80s TV series. Photograph: Everett Collection/Alamy.
Where was George Clooney on set?
George Clooney on set at Shepperton Studios with David Oyelowo and Tiffany Boone on his film The Midnight Sky, another post-apocalyptic sci-fi project. Photograph: Philippe Antonello/Netflix/PA. Earlier reports said the reboot would go back to the character’s first appearance in the 1928 story, Armageddon 2419 AD, ...
Storyline
In 1987, NASA astronaut William "Buck" Rogers is caught in a freak accident in deep space, causing his space shuttle Ranger 3 to be blown into an orbit that returns him to Earth - over 500 years later.
Did you know
Props, costumes, special effects shots and even entire sets from the series Battlestar Galactica (1978) were used in this series.
Contribute to this page
By what name was Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) officially released in India in English?
Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter
Brandon Jones - Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites.
About the Author
Brandon Jones - Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites.
Summary
Concept and broadcast history
Inspired by the success of Star Wars, Universal began developing Buck Rogers for television, spearheaded by Glen A. Larson, who had a production deal with the studio. Production began in 1978. Initially, Larson and Universal had planned on making a series of Buck Rogers TV movies for NBC. The pilot for Larson's other science-fiction series, Battlestar Galactica (1978), had been released theatrically in some countries and in key locations in North America, and had done well …
Overview
The first made-for-TV movie was released theatrically in March 1979 as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. The film made $21 million at the North American box office, prompting Universal to move ahead with a weekly series later that year. The film, which was also released internationally, featured all of the main protagonist characters who would appear in the weekly series, and also included Princess Ardala of the planet Draconia, and her henchman, Kane.
Cast
• Gil Gerard - Captain William "Buck" Rogers
• Erin Gray - Colonel Wilma Deering
• Tim O'Connor - Elias Huer (first season)
• Pamela Hensley as Princess Ardala (first season, four episodes)
Episodes
The series was originally shown in the UK by ITV, beginning in late August 1980, with the feature-length, two-part episode "Planet of the Slave Girls" (the pilot film, which had been released theatrically in Britain in summer 1979, was not actually shown on British television until 1982). ITV broadcast Buck Rogers in an early Saturday-evening slot, where it competed against, and beat, the BBC's long-running science-fiction series Doctor Who that also started its 18th season that day. …
Home media
The theatrical version of the pilot film was released on VHS, Betamax, and Laserdisc in 1981. A handful of the episodes were issued in the US in 1985 by MCA Home Video: "Vegas in Space", "Space Vampire", "Return of the Fighting 69th", "Unchained Woman", "A Blast for Buck", "Happy Birthday Buck", "Space Rockers", and "The Guardians". In 1987, a single episode, "Ardala Returns", was released by Goodtimes Home Video, a budget release company. The same MCA tapes wer…
Reception
Contemporary assessments of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century were generally mixed. In his book Sci-Fi TV from Twilight Zone to Deep Space Nine, writer James Van Hise claimed the show's scripts "just never took advantage of what they had at hand" and criticized Larson's version of Buck Rogers as a cynical attempt to exploit one of the most loved characters in American popular culture. John Javna's book The Best of Science Fiction TV included Buck Rogers in the 25th Cen…
Merchandise
Two novels were published by Dell Publishing based on this series, both by Addison E. Steele. The first (ISBN 0-440-10843-8) was a novelization of the pilot film. The second, That Man on Beta (ISBN 0-440-10948-5), was adapted from an unproduced episode script. A fumetti book entitled Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was published by Fotonovel Publications in 1979, reproducing the theatrical version of the pilot episode.