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The Best Episodes of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1

Every episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1!

Binge this in 23h 32m•Peaking at 7.3/10

20th-century astronaut Buck Rogers awakens in the 25th century after a freak accident puts him in suspended animation for 500 years. Upon returning to Earth and discovering the planet is recovering from a nuclear war,

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 1 - Awakening (1)
    7.3/10(502 votes)

    S1:E1

    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 2491, Ranger III again approaches the Earth, and is intercepted by the alien flagship Draconia, which is on a peace mission to Earth. Aboard the Draconia, Buck is revived by Princess Ardala and her second-in- command, Kane, whose true plan is to attack and conquer Earth. Buck is sent to Earth with a hidden homing device, which is soon discovered by Earth's Defense Directorate. After Buck convinces the humans of his true identity -- a man from the past -- he helps them to repel the Draconians' attack, with the aid of the mechanoids Dr. Theopolis and Twiki.

    Director:Daniel Haller
    Writers:Glen A. Larson, Leslie Stevens

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  2. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 4 - Planet of the Slave Girls (2)
    7.3/10(344 votes)

    S1:E4

    Most of Earth's defense squadron becomes incapacitated after ingesting poisoned food discs. Buck travels to the planet of the food's origin, Vistula, with Wilma and flight instructor Duke Danton (Groh), an old boyfriend of Wilma's. On the planet, they trace the plot to a man named Kaleel (Palance) who has been selling slaves to the planet's governor (McDowall) and secretly building an attack fleet. With so few fighter pilots, Earth's defense force is now outnumbered 10-to-1. Buck must rescue Wilma from Kaleel's mountain fortress and destroy the fleet before they can reach Earth. This episode was initially aired as

    Director:Michael Caffey
    Writers:Steve Greenberg, Aubrey Solomon

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  3. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 5 - Vegas in Space
    7.3/10(306 votes)

    S1:E5

    Buck is sent to the gambling city Sinaloa with Directorate special agent Marla Landers to rescue a young woman who has been kidnapped by the city's ruler, Velosi. Velosi plans to extract some information from the woman's mind in order to destroy one of his competitors. The information involves plans for the Draconian Hatchet fighters, which have been plaguing Earth's defense forces.

    Director:Sigmund Neufeld Jr.
    Writer:Anne Collins

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  4. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 23 - Flight of the War Witch (1)
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    S1:E23

    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.

    Director:Larry Stewart
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 2 - Awakening (2)
    7.1/10(446 votes)

    S1:E2

    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 2491, Ranger III again approaches the Earth, and is intercepted by the alien flagship Draconia, which is on a peace mission to Earth. Aboard the Draconia, Buck is revived by Princess Ardala and her second-in- command, Kane, whose true plan is to attack and conquer Earth. Buck is sent to Earth with a hidden homing device, which is soon discovered by Earth's Defense Directorate. After Buck convinces the humans of his true identity -- a man from the past -- he helps them to repel the Draconians' attack, with the aid of the mechanoids Dr. Theopolis and Twiki.

    Director:Daniel Haller
    Writers:Glen A. Larson, Leslie Stevens

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  6. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 6 - The Plot to Kill a City (1)
    7.1/10(313 votes)

    S1:E6

    After a Defense Directorate agent kills a member of a group of interstellar assassins, they plot to take their revenge on the city of New Chicago. Buck masquerades as an assassin and joins the group, but is soon uncovered. He must now, not only escape from the assassins, but also stop them from detonating New Chicago's matter/antimatter energy plant.

    Director:Dick Lowry
    Writer:Alan Brennert

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  7. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 12 - Escape From Wedded Bliss
    7.1/10(353 votes)

    S1:E12

    Princess Ardala returns to try to make Buck, who she considers the most genetically perfect male in the galaxy, her husband. With a powerful weapon poised in Earth orbit, she commands Earth's leaders to turn Buck Rogers over to her or else...

    Director:David Moessinger
    Writer:Anne Collins

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  8. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 7 - The Plot to Kill a City (2)
    7.0/10(332 votes)

    S1:E7

    After a Defense Directorate agent kills a member of a group of interstellar assassins, they plot to take their revenge on the city of New Chicago. Buck masquerades as an assassin and joins the group, but is soon uncovered. He must now, not only escape from the assassins, but also stop them from detonating New Chicago's matter/antimatter energy plant.

    Director:Dick Lowry
    Writer:Alan Brennert

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  9. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 21 - Space Rockers
    7.0/10(272 votes)

    S1:E21

    The evil Lars Mangros plans to broadcast a subliminal signal during the next performance of the rock group Andromeda that will cause the youth of the galaxy to riot. Buck infiltrates Musicworld, where the broadcast will originate, in an attempt to stop the madman from destroying the galaxy's cities.

    Director:Guy Magar
    Writers:Allan Cole, Chris Bunch

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  10. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 22 - Buck's Duel to the Death
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    S1:E22

    Buck attempts to free a peaceful planet from the powerful grip of an evil warlord known as the Traybor. He leads a band of men into Traybor's fortress in the hope of freeing the women the alien has kidnapped, but Traybor has a few special powers that may end Buck's career at any moment.

    Director:Bob Bender
    Writer:Rob Gilmer

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  11. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 11 - Cosmic Whiz Kid
    6.9/10(313 votes)

    S1:E11

    Hieronymous Fox, an 11-year-old child genius from the 20th Century is kidnapped for ransom by the sinister Roderick Zale. The boy is the President of the planet Genesia and his bodyguard fears that he will be killed because they cannot meet the ransom demand. Buck, Wilma, and the bodyguard then make separate attempts to rescue the boy.

    Director:Leslie H. Martinson
    Writer:Alan Brennert

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  12. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 15 - Happy Birthday, Buck
    6.8/10(251 votes)

    S1:E15

    It's Buck Roger's 534th birthday, and Wilma and Dr. Huer plan a surprise party to cheer up the homesick astronaut. Wilma arranges to get Buck "out of the way" by having him accompany Dr. Huer's assistant to New Detroit with the doctor's business schedule. Meanwhile, a man who is plotting revenge against Huer attempts to gain access to the schedule from the assistant so that he can ambush and kill Dr. Huer.

    Director:Sigmund Neufeld Jr.
    Writer:Martin Pasko

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  13. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 18 - Twiki is Missing
    6.8/10(258 votes)

    S1:E18

    Twiki is kidnapped by the evil ruler of a mining colony who, faced with an uprising of the mine workers, plans to make duplicates of the mechanoid to work the mines. While in the mines attempting to rescue Twiki, Buck discovers something that will help Earth destroy a 10-ton ice asteroid that is on a collision course with Earth.

    Director:Sigmund Neufeld Jr.
    Writer:Jaron Summers

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  14. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 3 - Planet of the Slave Girls (1)
    6.7/10(370 votes)

    S1:E3

    Most of Earth's defense squadron becomes incapacitated after ingesting poisoned food discs. Buck travels to the planet of the food's origin, Vistula, with Wilma and flight instructor Duke Danton, an old boyfriend of Wilma's. On the planet, they trace the plot to a man named Kaleel who has been selling slaves to the planet's governor and secretly building an attack fleet. With so few fighter pilots, Earth's defense force is now outnumbered 10-to-1. Buck must rescue Wilma from Kaleel's mountain fortress and destroy the fleet before they can reach Earth. This episode was initially aired as a two hour special.

    Director:Michael Caffey
    Writers:Steve Greenberg, Aubrey Solomon

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  15. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 8 - Return of the Fighting 69th
    6.7/10(302 votes)

    S1:E8

    Some time before Buck Roger's arrival, Col. Wilma Deering had set out to capture two interstellar gun runners. A fire in their spacecraft left them disfigured and they now set out to take their revenge on Wilma and Earth. Capturing a freighter with 20th Century chemical weapons, they plan to poison the planet's atmosphere. With the aid of retired members of the Earth Defense Directorate's 69th Squadron, Buck and Wilma attack the gun runners' base to destroy them and the chemical weapons.

    Director:Philip Leacock
    Writer:David Bennett Carren

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  16. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 20 - A Dream of Jennifer
    6.6/10(236 votes)

    S1:E20

    Buck is haunted by the appearance of a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Jennifer, a woman who Buck left behind when he was propelled into the 25th Century. He follows her, finds out her name is Leila Markeson, and soon discovers that she was made to look like Jennifer in order to lure Buck into a trap set by an alien who wants Buck to stop a space freighter from delivering weapons to a planet his people hope to conquer. Buck gets Wilma to detonate a warhead to deceive the aliens into thinking the shipment is destroyed. Buck defeats the enemy, but loses Leila, and his lost love again, as she tearfully dies in his arms.

    Director:David G. Phinney
    Writer:Alan Brennert

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  17. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 13 - Cruise Ship to the Stars
    6.5/10(265 votes)

    S1:E13

    Murder and romance await Buck, Wilma, Theo and Twiki aboard the cruise ship Lyran Queen. Buck befriends a shy young girl (Beck) while investigating the attempted kidnapping of beauty queen Miss Cosmos (Stratten) by a woman (Noble) with superpowers. To his surprise, Buck learns the true identity of the mystery woman as he seeks the location of Miss Cosmos before a deadly dissection laser kills her.

    Director:Sigmund Neufeld Jr.
    Writer:Alan Brennert

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  18. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 16 - A Blast for Buck
    6.5/10(240 votes)

    S1:E16

    To discover the secret behind a terrifying riddle presented to him, Buck subjects himself to a mind probe in an attempt to find out who is responsible for the mysterious objects being transported into the Defense Directorate's building.

    Director:David G. Phinney
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 9 - Unchained Woman
    6.4/10(310 votes)

    S1:E9

    Buck masquerades as a convict to break into a prison in an attempt to rescue Jen Burton, who took the blame for a murder her boyfriend, a shipping pirate, really committed. The Earth Defense Directorate believes that she can supply information to put the pirate in jail. Breaking out of the underground prison, Buck and the woman head for a nearby spaceport for return to Earth, but they are pursued by an indestructible android prison guard.

    Director:Dick Lowry
    Writer:Bill Taylor

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  20. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 10 - Planet of the Amazon Women
    6.4/10(264 votes)

    S1:E10

    Kidnapped to the planet Zantia, Buck finds himself auctioned off to Ariela, the daughter of the planet's Prime Minister. Through her, Buck learns that the planet's male population are being held as prisoners of war of a people called the Ruathans. Buck agrees to help the women free their men in return for his own freedom.

    Director:Philip Leacock
    Writers:Richard Fontana, D.C. Fontana

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  21. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 17 - Ardala Returns
    6.4/10(247 votes)

    S1:E17

    Princess Ardala returns with another plan to snare the man from the 20th Century. This time, she captures Buck by luring him aboard a phoney 20th Century spaceship like his Ranger III. Once aboard the flagship Draconia, Kane creates four duplicate androids of Buck in an attempt to have them pilot the Draconian Hatchet fighters in an attack against Earth.

    Director:Larry Stewart
    Writers:Allan Cole, Chris Bunch

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  22. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 19 - Olympiad
    6.4/10(246 votes)

    S1:E19

    Buck is invited to be the special guest of the 2492 Olympics. Shortly after arriving on the planet where they are being held, he is drawn into a game of political intrigue as an athlete from the planet Lozira attempts to defect to Earth.

    Director:Larry Stewart
    Writer:Craig Buck

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  23. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 24 - Flight of the War Witch (2)
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E24

    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.

    Director:Larry Stewart
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Season 1 Episode 14 - Space Vampire
    4.7/10(258 votes)

    S1:E14

    No one believes that the Vorvon, who sneaks up on his victims and drains their living soul, is responsible for a series of deaths on Space Station Theta except Wilma -- his next intended victim.

    Director:Larry Stewart
    Writers:David Wise, Kathleen Barnes

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Awakening (1)" is the best rated episode of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" season 1. It scored 7.3/10 based on 502 votes. Directed by Daniel Haller and written by Glen A. Larson, Leslie Stevens, it aired on 9/20/1979. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Planet of the Slave Girls (2)".