Planet of the Slave Girls

From Buck Wiki, the ultimate Buck Rogers reference
Revision as of 03:49, 12 April 2021 by Joe Beaudoin Jr. (talk | contribs) (→‎Synopsis: revising)
Planet of the Slave Girls
Season 1, Episodes 3 & 4
Air date September 27, 1979
Teleplay by Steve Greenberg
Aubrey Solomon
Anne Collins
Story by Steve Greenberg
Aubrey Solomon
Directed by Michael Caffey
Episode guide
Previous
Awakening
Next
Vegas in Space

"Planet of the Slave Girls" is the third and fourth episodes of the 1st season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Synopsis

The majority of Earth's Defense Directorate pilot corps becomes incapacitated after consuming poisoned food discs. Capt. William "Buck" Rogers, Col. Wilma Deering, Maj. Duke Denton and Maj. Fields fly to the distant planet of the food's origin, Vistula, returning Governor Tabor Saroyan's son there to recover. While on the planet Vistula, they find that Kaleel has been building up a mass of brainwashed followers alongside a fleet of Scorpion fighters in secret, planning to use them against Earth's weakened defense forces in order to conquer the Earth. With Earth's defense force now heavily outnumbered 10-to-1, Rogers decides that he must destroy the attack fleet and rescue Wilma, who has become trapped in Kaleel's mountain fortress.

Plot

His father is Tabor Saroyan, the governor of Vistula. I suppose I should notify him personally.
Just how serious is his condition?
It's his nerves controlling his voluntary muscles and motor coordination. They're deteriorating, just like all the others.
Others?
Yes. The Computer Council has ordered that a definitive statement to the general public not be made just yet. But so far here in New Chicago, 25,000 case have been reported.
When did all this start?
Three days ago, while you and Buck were gone. And another thing: this disease, or whatever it is, has cropped up in other cities on Earth, but here in New Chicago it's much, much worse... You see, what the Computer Council is trying to keep secret is its effect on our defense squadrons, for they've been hardest hit of all.

  • Notes

    "Planet of the Slave Girls, Part II" title card on the syndicated version of the episode.
    • Originally aired as a 120-minute episode, but has been formatted as two 60-minute episodes in most subsequent re-airings for scheduling reasons. While many guides list it as a two-parter, its initial airing and release on DVD as one double-length episode should make this the official recognition.
    • In the scenes where Dr. Elias Huer and Col. Wilma Deering visit Regis Saroyan, and later when they make their way to Dr. Mallory's lab, Deering is wearing a gold wrist watch on her left wrist, over her uniform's sleeve. This fleeting appearance of the 20th century-looking timepiece is never explained, particularly as it is distinctly out-of-place with her entire uniform. It suggests that this is either a costuming error, or part of a sub-plot that was either reshot or discarded during production.
    • Ardala's launch is re-used as the shuttle heading to Kaleel's fortress in the Sea of Stone.
    • The Galactica shuttle makes its first appearance in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, although it is by accident as it is inferred that this is the craft piloted by Maj. Duke Danton and Capt. William "Buck" Rogers in pursuit of Deering's abductors—although that craft is later revealed to be the two-seater Thunderfighter.

    Analysis

    Questions

    Quotes

    Cast

    *Gil Gerard as Capt. William "Buck" Rogers

    *Directed by Michael Caffey

  • Teleplay by Steve Greenberg, Aubrey Solomon and Anne Collins
  • Story by Steve Greenberg and Aubrey Solomon
  • Produced by Jock Gaynor, Medora Heilbron, Bruce Lansbury, Glen A. Larson, David J. O'Connell and David G. Phinney
  • Music by Johnny Harris
  • Cinematography by Ben Colman
  • Film Editors - Michael Berman and Leon Ortiz-Gil
  • Casting - Phil Benjamin
  • Art Directors - Fred Luff III and Paul Peters
  • Set Decorators - Victor Hugo and Frank Lombardo
  • Costume Designer - Sal Anthony

  • *Harker Wade - Unit Production Manager

    *Bob Bender - First Assistant Director

  • Gerald T. Olson - Second Assistant Director

  • *Jerry Allen - Model Builder

  • Ted Wilson - Carpenter (uncredited)

  • *Earl Crain, Jr. - Sound

  • Dick Wahrman - Sound Effects Editor

  • *Chuck Arrigo - Special Effects Coordinator (uncredited)

    *Peter Anderson - Visual Effects Supervisor: Universal Hartland

  • David M. Garber - Miniature Effects
  • Wayne Smith - Miniature Effects

  • *Bob Bralver - Stunts (uncredited)

    *Gary Armstrong - Assistant Camera

  • Kenneth Hale - First Assistant Camera

  • *Johnny Harris - Composer: Theme Music (uncredited)

  • Stu Phillips - Composer: Theme Music (uncredited)

  • *Alan Brennert - Story Editor

  • Anne Collins - Story Consultant
  • Related Subjects


    References

    External links