Flight of the War Witch

Flight of the War Witch
Season 1, Episodes 23 & 24
Air date	March 27, 1980
Teleplay by	Rob Gilmer Bruce Lansbury
Story by	David Chomsky
Directed by	Larry Stewart
Episode guide
Previous Buck's Duel to the Death	Next Time of the Hawk

"Flight of the War Witch" is the twenty-third and twenty-fourth episodes of the 1st season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Plot

William "Buck" Rogers enters a space warp that sends him into an alternate universe where he encounters the planet Pendar, a peaceful world under attack by a "war witch" named Zarina. Matters become further complicated with the arrival of Princess Ardala on the Draconia, who has brought along Wilma and Dr. Elias Huer during a temporary truce between her world and Earth. Buck enlists the aid of both Earth and Draconian forces to save Pendar from the attack of a huge Zaad battlecruiser.

Synopsis

Buck journeys through a space warp to another universe. There he discovers the planet Pendar, a peaceful world now threatened with the extinction by the sinister war witch, Zarina (Newmar). The Pendarans enlist the help of both Buck and Princess Ardala. The Draconians have followed Buck through the warp with Wilma and Dr. Huer aboard the Draconia. An unsteady alliance between the terrans and Draconians is formed as Buck prepares to lead a combined fleet of Starfighters and Marauders against the giant Zaad battlecruiser.

Notes

"Flight of the War Witch, 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.
• Michael Ansara is known to Star Trek fans as the Klingon warrior Kang from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Day of the Dove". Ansara would later go on to reprise the role of Kang in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath" and the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Flashback".
• Julie Newmar is known to Batman fans as Catwoman from the 1960s TV series of the same title.

Cast

*Gil Gerard as Capt. William "Buck" Rogers

• Erin Gray as Col. Wilma Deering
• Tim O'Connor as Dr. Elias Huer
• Pamela Hensley as Princess Ardala
• Kelley Miles as Chandar
• Donald Petrie as Kodus
• Sid Haig as Spirot
• Michael Ansara as Kane
• Julie Newmar as Zarina
• Vera Miles as Tora
• Sam Jaffe as The Keeper
• Felix Silla as Twiki
• Mel Blanc as Voice of Twiki
• Tony Carroll as Pantherman
• Brent Davis as Goneril
• Eric Server as Voice of Dr. Theopolis
• Larry Ward as First Council Member
• Don Maxwell as Draconian Soldier
• Gary Adler as First Security Guard
• William Conrad as Voice of Narrator (uncredited)
• Kelli Lessie as Council Member (uncredited)
• Wesley Pfenning as Elana (uncredited)

*Directed by Larry Stewart

Teleplay by Rob Gilmer and Bruce Lansbury

Story by David Chomsky

Produced by Jock Gaynor, Medora Heilbron, Bruce Lansbury, Glen A. Larson and David J. O'Connell

Music by J.J. Johnson

Cinematography by Ben Colman

Film Editors - Howard B. Anderson and George Potter

Casting - Simon Ayer

Art Directors - Fred Luff III and Bill Taliaferro

Set Decorator - Frank Lombardo

Costume Designer - Al Lehman

*Harker Wade - Unit Production Manager

Charles E. Walker - Unit Production Manager

*Frank Crawford - First Assistant Director

David Kahler - 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

*Gary Armstrong - Assistant Camera

Kenneth Hale - First Assistant Camera

*Barry Downing - Costume Supervisor: Gil Gerard

*Glen A. Larson - Composer: Theme Music

Herbert D. Woods - Music Editor

Johnny Harris - Composer: Theme Music (uncredited)

Stu Phillips - Composer: Theme Music (uncredited)

*Rob Gilmer - Story Editor

External links

• Flight of the War Witch at IMDb
• Flight of the War Witch, Part I at NBC.com
• Flight of the War Witch, Part II at NBC.com