

Jack Palance cackling in space boots while Gil Gerard disco-fights for Earth's survival. Peak 1979.
The majority of Earth's fighter squadron becomes incapacitated after using poisoned food discs. Buck, Wilma and Duke Denton fly to the distant planet of the food's origin, Vistula. They seek to track down a slave trader named Kaleel, who is collaborating with the planet's governor. While on the planet Vistula, they find that Kaleel has been building a fleet of attack ships in secret, and plans to use them against Earth's weakened defense forces. With Earth's defense force now heavily outnumbered 10-to-1, Buck decides that he must destroy the attack fleet and rescue Wilma, who has become trapped in Kaleel's mountain fortress. It 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.
Acting
Jack Palance devouring scenery like space-cocaine
Costume
Wilma's jumpsuit deserves Smithsonian recognition
Practical Effects
Miniature fleet battles crafted with genuine love
Director
Michael Caffey
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This double-length premiere was NBC's most expensive TV movie production at $3.5 million, with costumes recycled from the failed Battlestar Galactica pilot.
Gil Gerard reportedly rewrote dialogue on set to make Buck more sarcastic and less earnest, inadvertently creating the template for every quipping space hero since.
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