Sci-Fi 5

The original space hero came to NBC on September 20, 1979 when "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" premiered. It was sci-fi heroics for the disco age with an appealing cast and plenty of hardware. So why didn't Buck last into the next century and beyond?

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Written by John Champion

Hosted by Jessica Lynn Verdi

Music by Devin Curry

Roddy McDowall's career spanned eight decades and made him one of the hardest working actors in the business. It was his best-known role, however, that he found most difficult to watch. Sci-Fi 5 celebrates what would be McDowall's 93rd birthday.

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Written by Johnny Kolasinski

Hosted by Jessica Lynn Verdi

Music by Devin Curry

Supporting the Hollywood Food Coalition

The dystopian world of Logan's Run was a resounding hit at the box office in 1976. A year later, CBS tried to recapture the magic by bringing Logan's adventures to the small screen on September 16, 1977. From blockbuster to footnote in one easy lesson, that's today's Sci-Fi 5.

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Written by Earl Green

Hosted by Ryan Myers

Music by Devin Curry

It's a 1960's sci-fi TV show that stuck in the pop-culture long enough to become an institution. Lost in Space, which premiered on September 15, 1965, had a decidedly more comedic bent than Star Trek, but that wasn't always the intention. Hear more on today's Sci-Fi 5.

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Written by Thomas A. Kozak

Hosted by Jessica Lynn Verdi

Music by Devin Curry

In the late '70s, sci-fi and super heroes were in high demand. CBS welcomed a live-action Spider-Man series to its prime-time lineup... until the network decided there were just too many super heroes. Hear the story on today's Sci-Fi 5.

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Written and hosted by Ryan Myers

Music by Devin Curry

On September 13, 1999, the moon broke away from Earth's orbit after a devastating nuclear explosion. Hear a first-person account from a Moonbase Alpha technical comms officer who was there when it happened. Good luck, John Koenig. Godspeed Moonbase Alpha.

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Written and hosted by Norman Lao

Audio engineering by Earl Green

Music by Devin Curry

It was Seth MacFarlane's love letter to Star Trek - a show he was pitching as "a sci-fi with comedy." When "The Orville" premiered on September 10, 2017 critics weren't entirely sure what to make of it, but plenty of Trek fans embraced it and appreciated the deep Trek pedigrees behind the scenes.

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Written by Johnny Kolasinski

Hosted by Earl Green

Music by Devin Curry

With incredible range and a talent for slipping into cerebral villain roles, it's no wonder Jeffrey Combs is a fan-favorite actor. From horror to multiple stints on Star Trek, we celebrate his birthday today with a look at Combs' career highlights.

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Written by Vic Sage

Hosted by Clare Kramer

Music by Devin Curry

September 8th is celebrated as "Star Trek day" to mark the U.S. TV premiere of the original series. But what about that very special audience who saw it three days earlier at Worldcon 24? We have the story on today's Sci-Fi 5.

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Written by Thomas A. Kozak

Hosted by Jessica Lynn Verdi

Music by Devin Curry

Just two years after "Return of the Jedi," Star Wars fans would get two all new spinoff series in animated form. "Droids" and "Ewoks" premiered on September 7, 1985 with strong names attached as creators and voice talent. So why did these series simply not last?

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Written and hosted by Ryan Myers

Music by Devin Curry