At Anorak: The Five Greatest Episodes of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

My latest article at Anorak remembers five great episodes of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979 - 1981), a cult-tv series which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.  

Here's a snippet (and here's the url: http://www.anorak.co.uk/401205/tv/the-5-greatest-episodes-of-buck-rogers-in-the-25th-century-1979-1981.html/):

AS impossible as it is for me to believe, Glen Larson’s version of Buck Rogers in the 25^thCentury (1979 – 1981) turns thirty-five years old this year.

Today, this cult-TV series is often remembered for its spandex fashions, its gorgeous female stars and guest stars,  its penis-headed robot Twiki (Felix Silla/Mel Blanc), and its oppressive re-use of familiar or “stock” visual effects in the space dogfights.

Though Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century had its weak installments, for certain (like the dreadful “Space Rockers”) it was also a light science fiction series — a romp, essentially — and the series is recalled fondly by fans on those terms too.

Yet in remembering the series, one can detect that the best episodes — or at least the ones that best hold up today — are those that concern relevant cultural issues, or base their narratives in literary or mythic antecedents

Below, are my selections for the five best episodes of this space series, which ran for two seasons on NBC, and from 1979 to 1981.