Gil Gerard as Steve Austin?...

I knew there were some issues late in its run, but I'd never heard the Gerard for Majors thing.

I recently began chipping my way through S1 of Buck Rogers, and while the show is... not the best, Gerard is likeable and cut from a similar mold as Majors' take on Steve Rogers. Gerard doesn't have Majors' range (he'd never be able to pull off the charming 180 Majors did as Colt Seavers for instance), but he could've capably pulled off Steve Rogers, who was a rather undemanding character dramatically outside the first movie and a handful of episodes.

I would assume they would have had to introduce Gerard as a new character and not Steve Austin. Replacing the actor playing Rudy Wells is one thing, but the title character probably wouldn't have worked.

Lee was threatening to leave the show over money matters and of course they thought they would try to see if they could find a replacement and Mr Gerard's name did come up but they settled the dispute about money, but Lee wanted out the show and was glad when it was cancelled. The studio cut back on production costs in the last two seasons and Lee knew the quality was going down and others matters also were causing a big rift with studio that lasted many years after the show ended

I watched the Buck Rogers series a few months back and I thought Gerard was pretty good, especially considering some of the material, which was often times silly. I'm sure he would have done a fine job as Austin.

Gerard made a much better choice.

Pro: Being an astronaut in space afforded him the opportunity to meat some of the most beautiful women in the galaxy.

Pro: Colonel Wilma Dearing.

Pro: he got to see 2487.

Pro: Got to be friends with that hawk dude.

Con: that old geezer doctor in the 2nd and 3rd season was terrible. Should’ve left him in the 20th century.

Austin:

Pro: got to jog and play tennis with Farah.
Con: it was still the 70s and women had too much body hair.

Pro: Being close friends with Oscar Goldman had its privileges.

Con: all that rehab must have been brutal not to mention almost dying when the plane he was flying bought the farm.

Pro: met Vince Van Patten

Pro: greatest intro of all time

Majors groovier, Gerard better life.

Winner: Gerard

Note: battle of the hairy chests: draw

I read somewhere that Harrison Ford was also considered as a replacement. However, producers dismissed Ford's potential as an action hero.

They were always kinda the same guy to me.

Thats ridiculous. Buck Rogers was never bionic and neither was that little robot he always had with him